I'll learn from it, I'll live with it, and i will love it.

Geez. after sometime, nasundan na rin ang blog entry ko. oh well, i really have to do this. i even forgot my username and password. :))

Just had my rotation at Philippine National Police General Hospital a week ago. Assigned at the Male Medical Ward, 2-10pm shift. Enjoyed the first day. Didn't get the chance to go to the ward because first days are supposedly for orientation only. :) Thank God for 'first days'. He makes me prepare about what will I encounter on the whole rotation. I always pray that He will bless me, the works of my hand, the patients I will handle, and make me attentive all the time.

On the 2nd day, I finally met my patient. I was like "Lucky me, I got a very nice and cooperative patient". :)) I treated him as my 'new-found friend'. He was cheerful, until I heard about his story..

PO2 A.C. was diagnosed with TB Meningitis 2 years ago. It was also the reason why his own family left him. I needed to interview him for my case study, and I hesitated to ask him about his family. He was crying while telling me his story. Yes, he feels anger against his wife. And at the end of the interview, I told him,"Sir, leave it all to God. Pray for your family. Forgive your wife. You said you always want to be alone, it is also the best time for you to pray."

And suddenly, Mr. Manuel--PO2's father--came. I was like listening to him for about an hour. Yet, I enjoyed it. I learned a lot from him. He even told me some of his secrets. I knew how he really love his son. He has been there for him for almost 3 months of confinement.

They actually belong to a family of police/soldier. So it means, patriotism runs in their blood. Believe me, Mr. Manuel even told me his rage against Ferdinand Marcos :))))) He said that Marcos was the great liar.

Mr. Manuel was a farmer and a mechanic. He said, "Mechanics make the world go round. How could the doctors use such machines without the help of mechanics. How could people use cars without our help. Do you agree?". I agreed, of course.

He even told me not to work abroad. He curses everyone who works abroad. Including us, the future nurses. He called us 'bitch'. According to him, our only goal is to work abroad just for money. It somehow hurt my feelings, but I have to respect his opinion. :))

As for me, if I know that there's a future that lies ahead of me in this country, then I will no longer go to other country and serve them. Practicality, isn't it? It's not that I'm being hopeless about the Philippines. Most of the Filipinos nowadays know that it's the only way for them to get through of poverty, right? :)) And that's my opinion. ;)

Another thing that I learned from Mr. Manuel is that, "Nurses should be flexible, you should know when to be happy or sad in front of the patient. But you should never absorb the emotions or even the stories they have in life."Again, I agreed!

One thing that I love about my chosen profession: I have the chance to reach out for people, know their stories, pray for them, and lift their lives to God. It's the simplest way for me to share my life to them.

At the end of the day, I take time to thank God not just for the lives of my patients, but also for the life I have right now. I know I'll encounter more of it years and years from now. I've chosen this course/profession, I'll learn from it, I'll live with it, and i will love it. <3