Big Brother

AAAAAHHHH!!!

 |I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVEE PINOY BIG BROTHER!!!

Have you ever heard of Case Management?

The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center defines Case management as;

a collaborative approach to providing and coordinating health care services. A nurse case manager will work with you, your family, physicians and other health care providers to ensure you or your family member receives all the necessary services to promote your health and oversee any illnesses or health conditions while you or your family member continues to live at home.

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Our fourth year head nurse today assigned me again to my previous patient. The first thing that student nurses usually do after establishing rapport with the patient and her family is to look for the contraptions that is inserted on her body, like Oxygen tank, IVF infusions (dextrose) or Foley catheters. I noticed that my patient’s drug, Mannitol, was not inserted on her IV line. I looked closely and saw that there were ants crawling along its tube and some has successfully infiltrated the soluset (this is a small cylinder connected to IV lines like dextrose for Pediatric Patients… it minimizes the diameter of the liquid’s drop.).

I asked her mother what happened, and she said that they found out about the ants early this morning so the staff nurse pulled out the Mannitol.

Before lunch, I asked the mother if she’s going to feed the baby. She said that she doesn’t have any penny left to buy a lunch. Her bedside neighbor who was about to go home gave her her lunch which she didn’t touch.

When I was writing my charting on my patient’s record, my Clinical Instructor asked me about my patient. I told her about how much the development of her status. Her head’s circumference is increasing (hydrocephalus) 2 cm a day. She’s a bit tolerant now to me. I also told her that the girl had a fever last night, and her temperature only lowered after I gave her a bed bath this morning.

My Clinical Instructor paused for awhile then told me to ask my classmates for a contribution for the soluset. We all gave some and we gave the money to the mother. She thanked us of course with teary eyes and we are more than happy to help. I really wish the child all the luck. Our group was not the first to do it though… it is actually already a tradition.

Supergirl and Supermom

I really think that each patient’s story is sad, but I haven’t really sympathized with any of my or my groupmates’ patients… until today.

We are currently interning in the Pediatrics Ward of our School’s Mother Hospital. Since it is a General Hospital, we face all sorts of problems, from the common pneumonia to all types of cancers, and all imaginable and indiscernible accidents and mishaps.

My patient today is a little girl. She’s turning 3 on March 19.

She once was able to walk, move her right extremities and even talk. Sadly, she cannot do those things anymore. She can’t even cry even with the excruciating pain that her brain tumor bestows upon her tender age. She just holds her left skull and whimper.

Our first meeting was not very promising. She removed my stethoscope when I tried to listen for her Cardiac Rate. Her father suddenly ran away so I was left with her doing nothing. How would I suppose to take her vital signs if she doesn’t have anyone with her that she can trust? I stood beside her despite her disapproving look. Her squinted eyes (a complication of her left brain tumor) were maniacally mad at me… observing every little move I did. She doesn’t want to be touched by anyone. Until finally her mother came and at last I was able to get her precious Vital Signs.

I asked her mother if I can do a morning care for her child. She eagerly agreed saying that the girl has not yet taken a bath since the last two weeks of her confinement. I prepared the basin and rubbed her body. Her mom was right.

The girl caught a bronchopneumonia in the hospital so I have to suction her mouth and pharynx every now and then since she can’t cough out. This was the hardest part. I know that the girl was crying in her little moans but a tear cannot fell from her eyes. She cannot open her mouth. She only bit the tip of the suctioning tube as her way to fight me.

The mother first noticed last December about the little girl’s eyes crossing. She thought that there is something wrong with the girl’s eyes so she went to a couple of Ophthalmologists who didn’t give a concrete diagnosis of her condition. The mother noted that her child started limping last January. Until finally, she refused to eat. This was then when they went to the hospital. A CT scan was immediately ordered and it was found out that there is a 2.8 x 34 cm. of mass developing on her left parietal lobe.

The squinting of her eyes worsens. Her right leg and arm stiffened though she can still feel some stimulation.

She has not yet eaten since the time of her admission until today when her mother and I asked her. Feeding her presents another problem. The girl cannot chew nor sit. She is at risk of aspiration. It was a difficult job, but I can still see the girl struggles to swallow. She’s really strong… and also was her mother.

Her mother had a fight with her father this morning. The father was such a whiner. The mother was ranting about her husband’s laziness and the nerve to complain. The mother has to go to work while the father has to, supposedly, attend all the girl’s needs. The girl got the pneumonia because the father didn’t turn her from side to side. Whenever the girl perspires, the sweat is just left there to dry by itself… ergo BRONCHOPNEUMONIA.

The mother is doing all she can to accumulate as many financial help as possible. I saw how much she cares for her child. I was with them from 6AM to 2PM without break and nor lunch. But though I was hungry, I was very much happy to help them. The child, although is very keen to trust me, has grown in me for such a small time. I really pray for her health. The mother was miraculously met by a foundation organizer and is bound for Philippines Children’s Medical Center next week.

Boso

(Click image to enlarge) I love it when people view my friendster account. a big deal of them are completely anonymous who are not even in my friend list.

 To Cronwell, Roselle, Jerson, Jeremy and the rest of you guys thanks.

PS About the bandwidth problem, I just consumed 6% of the total bandwidth. It isn’t really big, but I was really thinking about the future. If I can use up this amount of my bandwidth in a very short span of time, it wouldn’t be long and it’ll be a real problem.

Bandwidth Problem

I think I won’t be able to upload some pictures right now, Ive used up a large chunk of my bandwidth.