Indexing Title: Rqdeleon MAR [05-10]

MAR Title: My patient. . . My mother!

Date of Medical Observation:  March 2002

 Narration: 

            I always knew that it is very difficult to be a doctor especially when you just past your board exam and beginning to start a career. Fresh from medical school and armed only with limited experience of internship, I have to face the world of medicine.

             I just recently passed my board exam and I don’t know yet where my place in the world of medicine is.  Never did I imagine that my first patient would be my own mother.

            It was around 10 in the evening when my mother started to feel chest pain and difficulty of breathing.  Thinking it was just one of those episodes of chest pain, she didn’t tell me about it nor did she take any medication. She opted to relax and observe her condition.

             Hoping that the pain will go away, my mother just lay down and pray. But in less than a few minutes the pain was becoming unbearable and her difficulty of breathing progressed.  She called out for me and told me of her chest pain. I examined my mother, took vital sign and begin to think.

             What’s wrong with my mother? What will I do? How will I manage her?

             For almost 5 years now my mother is suffering from her cardiac problem and she’s being managed and treated by cardiologists of PGH.

             What was logical that time was to get all her cardiac meds and review them. I went thru her medication bag and look for emergency medication. Fortunately enough I found an Isordil to relieve her chest pain.

             I gave 1 tablet sublingual every 15 minutes. After the second dose of the said medication, my mother felt headache. Knowing it is one of the side effects of Isordil, I gave her paracetamol for the headache.

             I was hoping that all her symptoms will go away, but unfortunately, the problem seems to be progressing.  She now felt numbness at the right side of her face and her shoulder. She was now crying. Knowing that my medications are failing me, I know that I had to rush her in the nearby hospital.

             As I was preparing my mother, her held my hand and said “Ayaw kong magpa-hospital!” I saw in her eyes that she was really scared of going to the hospital and knowing my mother, she will just get sick of staying in the hospital.

             I told my mother, “Sige po, pero pag sa umaga eh di pa maganda ang kalagayan mo, dadalhin kita sa hospital.” She smiled at me and I told her to go to sleep and ill be watching over her for the night!

             I know that my mother was praying very hard, praying for her health. And true enough, my mother was well in the mother!

 INSIGHTS: (Physical, psycho-social, ethical)(Discovery,  stimulus, Reinforcement)

             In treating patient, whether it’s a new patient or we’re just continuing the present management, it is just right for us to review the medical history of the patient. It is still prudent for us to look well on the present management of the patient, review the medications because of the possibility that the present management is the right management.

             No matter how difficult the situation might be, we should try to think clearly and logically. We can not afford are emotions to be involve because it might cloud our mind. It is still hard for us to treat someone we know, especially someone we love. We are more cautious and more critical when were dealing with them. But we should always bear in mind that the management for our love one is the same management for all. We might be looking for answers are far from our reach but in fact the answer is just under our nose.