@eommaZel 24 May 2025 more from that month

Critical Phase in Life I faced III *Before the sun rose up, I woke up early that morning. I was ready to face another doctor, and willing to trust him of my health condition.* I only have cereal drink for breakfast that day. 6 o'clock in the morning, my cousin and I travelled about 40-45 mins to reach our destination. He has a motorcycle so the travel was smooth and somehow fast and it was early in the morning, no traffic. Though we arrived early, I was called by the staff at*****11 o'clock*****in the morning. It was already lunch time. There were many patients and they prioritize the patients who have a record on the clinic. And unluckily, I am the only one who doesn't have any record on the clinic making me the last one to be catered. When I was called for my information, the staff checked my weight, heart rate and blood pressure. He didn't said anything while checking me up. But when he opened my laboratory results, he then suddenly uttered , ***"You should go already to the hospital with these results"*** Then a lady staff went to our table, ***"Why? Are the lab tests that bad?"*** Then the guy showed her my lab results. ***"Why did you left yourself untreated?! My goodness."*** ***"I've already done a check up on our health center and a private clinic in our town, but there's no progress, that's why I'm here." I explained*** ***"You should've go here already in the first place before it got worse like this."***She then added. I felt embarrassed, many eyes were looking at me, my heart was pounding again that very moment, when the doctor came. ***"Oh, yeah. That's why she's here, she wants to be treated. We will treat you don't worry."*** The doctor told me calmly. I felt relieved, somehow. The doctor requested me another lab test, a blood test, because he noticed I am pale and possibly anemic. I am underweight and very sick. He instructed me to do my lab test in there town he told me the location and just come back after the result because they releases the result for just a couple of minutes. My cousin accompanied me and we found the building. The laboratory was on the second floor. While climbing the stairs, I noticed my breathing became hard. For just a few steps I am struggling to take a step. My cousin saw me, I was full of sweat and catching my breath badly. As we reached the second floor, I immediately took a pause and sat down on the chair outside the lab. *Breathe in, breathe out... panting...* I'm catching my breath I felt my body was lack of oxygen. I saw my cousin's face, he didn't know what to do. I was very pale and also I haven't eaten anything too. The staffs from the lab noticed me, they immediately took care of me. The let me sat down on the lab facing an electric fan for air. They also applied on me some liniment oil for comfort. They instructed my cousin to buy anything sweet, I might be hypoglycemic (low sugar) the staff said. I accepted the candy gave to me by my cousin and when I feel a little better, they do the test. After the results, we headed back immediately to the clinic. It was my first time to feel that way, catching my breath. My doctor checked the results and thankfully, he didn't saw anything wrong with my blood test. *However, he explained to me that oral antibiotics didn't worked well with me. Despite the prescriptions given by my previous doctors, nothing worked.* He then offered me a treatment, not orally but through an injection. However, I must go back to his clinic everyday for 5 days and they will inject me the medicine through dextrose. Then he calmly added, that it might costs a little heavier in the pocket. One vial and the dextrose costs**P1,700**. So that will be**P1,700 x 5. 💔**

*I was so silent the whole time, thinking where to get such money since we were already full of debts.*😭 The doctor told me that if I can't pay him on that day, it's okay with him. He will treat me first then I'll just pay him after, so I could have time to look for money during the 5 days of treatment. On that day, my money in the wallet was only P1,500 my auntie and uncle gave it to me, so my cousin called his mother (my aunt) about what my doctor said and that our money wasn't enough. They immediately looked for some help and sent some extra money via ewallet. He then bought one vial (actual photo above) and dextrose on the pharmacy beside the clinic. I was moved to a room inside the clinic, first they did a skin test. The skin test was very painful, a pain that I couldn't forget in my life too. After how many minutes, my skin didn't react negatively to the medicine so they proceed with my treatment. The lady staff put the heplock on my left wrist then she attached the dextrose and started injecting the medicine.

*(As you see my hand was too thin already 😭)* They set a timer throughout the treatment process to avoid mistakes especially with time.I was left on the bed waiting for the time it will be finished. After the treatment, I paid for the doctor's fee and was a little shocked when I saw the clinic was empty and almost closing time. We finished at 4 o'clock in the afternoon and my cousin and I didn't have our lunch yet. I was instructed to come back for 4 days for the treatment. My family helped me again with the expenses and even they became full of debt too it doesn't matter to them, as long as I will be treated. *****Fast forward,*****on the last day of my treatment, I felt I am getting better, the cough was less and my skin slowly gained it's color. That was a good sign. While I was lying on the clinic's bed with the dextrose on my wrist, my doctor suddenly approached me. *"Can we make it until 7 days? Just to be sure it will be cleared. I suggest we'll make it for 7 days. Come back here for 2 more days."* I have no choice, I have no money but still, I nodded. I am eager to be healed. I wanted to be cured so I could go back to my normal life and little by little pay off the kindness of my family. ***To be continued...*** @eommaZel