Dear Grace

Dear Grace,

 

It's been a long time since I wrote.

 

I suddenly remembered you as I stand beside the bassinette waiting for the baby to get delivered. When I peeked, I saw baby's crumpled little head in between mom's legs and I wondered what time I can go home and finish my cup of coffee.

 

The head nurse (that's noel) gave a light fundal pressure to help mom a bit. The baby's head nudged outward a little.

 

I think, I suddenly remembered you because I was waiting with boredom.

 

If this was you, my nerves will be tingling in anticipation. I'd be silently waiting beside the bassinette while my brain is wishfully thinking over and over that this delivery will be truly uneventful.

 

"Blood pressure...meds, give it slowly...fetal heart tone...push...give it... regulate... now... push... just a little more...mommy! You’re doing great...fundal... do it... push...blood pressure...fetal heart tone...do it...this is it mother! Do it Kristine." Many of my moments with you were charged with adrenaline. (I always knew why you have a lot of complicated cases , that's because patients knew too why they should see you !) 

 

You give me a baby. I start my resuscitation. And in between medications and procedures.... I keep on thinking over and over… cry dammit, wake up dammit. (Not that I don't do that anymore, but I do it so rarely. I always get cold sweats 5 minutes into the resuscitation you know...hahaha.)

But when I make my rounds the following day, just about the time when mommy is happily breastfeeding her baby, she tells me how wonderful her obstetrician was. She usually recalls that after she fell asleep, the next moment she knew was...her beautiful baby sleeping beside her.

 

Fantastic.

 

I miss you. Don't you miss being a doctor?

 

By the way, Paul got himself a girlfriend. For an eye doctor, I can unmistakably say that he has good eyes for beauty. His girlfriend is really pretty and smart too.

 

I'm waiting for that exact moment when Paul starts to eat the food he hates the most... eggs...and when that happens... I can sincerely say that he found true love... (So, I knew when you ate banana cue with Jun, you found your true love...hahaha)

 

Good thing, Paul's girlfriend is just from Metro Manila or else, the hospital might stand to lose another doctor because of love.

 

Jane finished cardiology fellowship from Philippine General Hospital and came back to be part of the team. Our hospital will have a 2 d echo...yey… it’s going to be one of the best in Central Luzon. (Do you want to invest in it?)

 

If you have a good looking single male friend from Canada, please do not introduce him to Jane. But if you have a friend from Baler or anywhere within 150 kilometer radius of our hospital, go right ahead. Hahaha.

 

We have a new ENT, Raymond. He finished his training at Philippine General Hospital too. I have learned that aside from being smart, he’s also a professional swim instructor. He is now teaching my kids how to swim. (The kids are too young to learn anything about otolaryngology or head and neck surgery yet…hahaha)

 

Most of our old nurses have gone abroad.

 

And did you know? Ariel, Yurich, Joanna and Cecil are at the police station. No, they are not in jail nor are they arrested.  Hahaha. They are real policemen and women. I could still clearly picture them in their white uniform trying to resuscitate a patient. Eh, a few months ago I saw them in their policemen uniform...so slim and fit and carrying a big gun.

 

 

 

 

 

Their new uniforms are  better chick magnets
than the previous ones.

Our emergency room nurse Christian is now a full pledged coast guard. He must be a good diver by now. (**wink**) You should see his abs...I think I saw our new chief nurse Leo swoon when he saw him again...hahaha.

 

Joanna, also our emergency room nurse is inducing heart pains by giving out traffic tickets to violators, when she use to give oxygen and nitrates to heart attack patients. hahaha.

Joanne is now  a real fire fighter. Yep, when paracetamol fails, she can put your temperature under control using a  highly pressurized water.

 

Jet who used to be our operating room nurse is now working at Department of Interior and Local Government.  I can now truthfully say that I know somebody from DILG...hahaha.

 

My baby girl will be in college next year. We are sending her to take entrance exams of various colleges in manila but vlad and I are strongly encouraging her to study in the nearby community college Mount Carmel College. (We told her that if she goes to school here... we just might be able to afford our dream car...hahaha).

 

 

I’m happy to tell you that we have an endoscopic unit, new sprinkler system and an extra spare new generator. And, when they tested the sprinkler system for the first time... water  poured out of the ceiling, flowing down the wall in-between billing and resident's room, and creating a lake on the floor...hahaha...reminds me of Ditumabo mother falls, or, should I say Niagara falls ...Doctora, the hospital director, has blown her top...she was so mad that anybody standing next to her can get sterilized in a matter of seconds- she was way hotter that the autoclave...hahaha.


 The dialysis machines are under way… as soon as a nephrologist commits to staying with us (it’s still difficult to get new doctors to stay here, they still flock in Metro Manila and urban areas. New doctors think they can “share” a spot with big-time doctors there. Well, good luck to them! Btw, we’re still actively recruiting.)
 

 

We used to dream about it. Well now... there’s a split type inverter air conditioning unit inside the operating room giving me hypothermia, but for some reasons… Surgeons always feel hot and sweaty inside that room…hahaha.

Although, I miss you and most of our old nurses, I hope we have been part of your growing up years. I hope your lives are happier if not better.

 

 

One thing remains the same though, throughout the years, our linen girls still cannot fold the lap sheet correctly (unbelievable!) and Cora still complains of her salary.

 

Everybody misses you.

 

Tell Jun I said hi.

 

We're going to visit you... one of these days.

 

Love,

Gen