Ankle Surgery

My son broke his ankle while playing basketball in a public basketball court in front of a Chinese/ Asian international supermarket in Elmhurst, Queens, New York some 5 or 6 years ago. As a result of that accident, a portion of his ankle bone cracked and there were some chipped bones which we only discovered two years later.

He underwent surgery at St. Luke’s in Quezon City. The operation was done by Dr. Canlas.

N  still complained of some nagging pain or discomfort coming from his left foot. And that area remained swollen.

A new MRI showed that there were floating bones. Excess bones grew, thus another surgery was needed to correct this.

Friday, January 10, 2014

We arrived in Cardinal Santos Hospital at 6:50 pm. My son was advised to go straight to the operating room. We did, while E stayed at the admission area to get a room.

I waited in the operating room lounge from 7 pm to 11 pm. Yung nurse, nakatuwaan ako.
He told E “ang pretty ni mommy, ang pretty ni mommy, ilang taon na sya?”
E knows ayaw na ayaw kong tinatanung ang edad ko. E told her “twenty”. She didn’t stop, she turned to me and asked again. Kasi daw my son is 23. Sana after she said pretty si mommy, she put a period na lang. Itatanong pa ang edad.

The nurse had him change na into this hospital robe na kulang sa kula at armirol.

Crocs is the official tsinelas inside the operating room.

The doctors led by Dr. Edgar Michael Eufemio arrived at 7:45 pm. They placed my son under general anesthesia. The actual surgery was done in half-hour but the preparation and recovery took long.

Edmund stayed in the lounge while daughter and I grabbed something to eat at Cafe France. It was at the parking garage outside the main hospital building.

We bought some croissants- buy one take one

One order for Oyen, one take out for Nyke.

Mine

At 10:30 pm, we were anxiously waiting for N.  Pag tingin ko kala ko sya na yun, merong old guy na naka respirator na.

At 11 pm, I entered the operating room to tell the staff that we’re still waiting for a room.
Pagbukas ko nung swing door, nagitla ako kasi merong babae na walang kasamahan, nasa stretcher at dilat na dilat ang mata, naka tingin sa kisame.

Mahirap pag na sa hospital, kasi it’s a public place. Madalas meron akong nakikita na kakilala ko. Wa poise. Sira ang image. Dapat pag nasa stretcher ka, magtakip ka ng mukha para walang makakilala sayo. Ibilin mo lang sa nurse na buhay ka pa kasi baka ideretso ka sa basement nila, sa morgue. Para sigurado, dalawang tao ang pagbilinan mo, at alam mo naman makakalimutin ang mga tao, baka madistract, malimutan na buhay ka pa. Ang bibilis pa naman ng mga ahente ng punerarya na naka destino sa hospital, mahirap na, lalo kung naghahabol ng mga quota yung mga yun.

At 11 pm, we were given room 316 which I rejected because it was adjacent to the aircon unit for the whole floor. Aside from the obtrusive noise, the room was vibrating. At tyempo pa na merong nag-re-repair. Ang ingay talaga.

At 11:30 pm, we were told that there’s no other room available except for the P13,000+ a night presidential suite na lilinisin pa raw ng isang oras. Edmund lost his patience and didn’t want to go back to the admission counter at nainis na talaga dun sa girl dun. At may ubo daw, baka mahawa sya.

I went down and talked to the girl. Merong kumukuha rin ng kwarto. In-offer din nya yung presidential suite. Pos dyos por santo naman, hindi lahat ng tao eh kasing yaman ni Vice Ganda. Napunta sila sa ward. Tapos bukas ililipat na lang daw ng private room. Inuubo rin sila, kaya tatlo silang inuubo. Lumayo nga ako.

I asked the admitting clerk on duty to find another room maybe on the second floor. She said there’s one room on the second floor but it’s reserved for “manganganak”. I told her, it’s midnight, wala ng darating na buntis, she should give that room to us, my son is still in the operating room at uuwi na yung mga tao dun.
I told her we would be out by noon tomorrow. She had to ask clearance from a certain Aling Fely na 8 times hinanap eh wala, nag-iikot yata.

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Finally at around 12:30 am, we were given a room on the second floor. Aling Fely warned us though that yung floor na yun ay pedia and maternity, baka raw may mag-iyakan na bata. Crying babies are better than non-stop vibration and noise from the AHU. Kids cry but eventually they would get tired and fall asleep.

We waited in room 228 for my son. The operating room staff would be the one to transfer N to the room using a stretcher. Edmund went to the OR to guide them. After 15 minutes, he was calling Oyen. Naligaw sila, he led the guys to room 212. Oyen told him room 288. Both wrong, we’re in room 228. Our family is not good in remembering room numbers (Old Course Hotel in St. Andrews hello).

Son was awake when he was moved to room 228.

E and O went home at 1:30 am. Napuyat na sila. E  has a qualifying golf tournament and he has to be at the golf course at 6 am. O naman has work.

My son’s first request was food, it was already 2 am. His last meal and drink was at 2 pm the day before.