I went to do some personal errands and my tired body convinced me to stop by the hospital. I wasn't prepared but I agreed to be confined as suggested by the doctor.
"Do you know a doctor?" asked the young emergency doctor.
"Dr. Beltran."
"She's a gynecologist. I meant gastroenterologist."
Wrong question. I thought. "No, I don't"
"I'd recommend Dr. Tia."
The wonderful thing about the Philippines is there are many nurses. Excellent ones. There were many patients but immediately my vitals were checked. I was given an IV dextrose with magnesium and other vitamins and I fell asleep. I woke up when I heard my name mentioned.
"Dra. You have a new patient, Charles Abing." And I saw the curtain opened.
"Hi, How are you?"
"I think I'm in bad shape."
"What happened?"
"Naglaaglaag ko sa India."
"Oh, You speak our dialect?
"Yes, I'm from this city...." then I stopped talking when I realized that maybe she thought I was a foreigner.
I was alone in a dim lit room. NO INTERNTET! The TV had no remote control and the volume was annoying - a little louder than a whisper. The air-conditioner was full and the blanket was a thin piece of cotton. Everything was obviously clean but it looked old and not worth the price. There were no toiletries in the bathroom. The hotel accommodation at the same price is better. I regretted I chose a private room because there was no one I could talk to. I was restless. Then I realized that I was there to recuperate. I needed sleep without disturbance.
My sister was worried. I got lots of text mails but I didn't notice them because I was asleep most of the time and her 7yo daughter changed the phone setting to silent mode and I didn't know how to use it. After sending her children to bed she came and brought clothes and other necessities. My other brother also came. My brod stayed over for the night.
"If you went straight to Dumaguete you won't be spending a cent." my brod said. He was talking about my sister who is a doctor. But I had health insurance so I didn't have to worry about that.
"But he wants to be taken cared of by me." my sister said. Sibling rivalry?
The following day I knew I was getting better because the hospital meal was not enough. I craved for more food. I went to the canteen holding my dextrose bottle up with my right hand but when I went back to the room blood started to come out of the tube. The nurse told me that if I needed something I can ask the ward man. I didn't know and I was too proud to ask for help.
So, my sister hired a 15 yo out of school youth whose name was BRAT. He was a good boy in spite the name. He took his job so seriously that even at night when I start to get up he jumps out of his bed like he wasn't sleeping at all. I told him I can carry the dextrose bottle stand myslef but he won't listen. I told him to sleep the next morning while I was reading a pocket book.
The doctor was impressed with my fast recovery. And to my surprise they didn't find any bacteria in my stool. Hmmmm was it stress? I'd never know. What I know that there are wonderful people in Cagayan de Oro --- one of my homes :)