Community Acquired Pneumonia.

(Warning: A long read)

I was planning to go somewhere last weekend kasi feeling ko marami na akong utang sa mga bagets. Angela’s been pestering me for a week already about going to the mall, so I promised her that we’ll be spending the whole Saturday playing and shopping. But came the unexpected. Since the time we came home from La Union, my youngest has been suffering na from colds. I really don’t want to give meds to them as much as possible. So I opted “water therapy” na lang muna. Until Saturday afternoon, when my daughter’s temperature was shooting high (39C-40C), that I started panicking. Dinala ko talaga sya sa ER the following day. ‘Twas a Sunday kaya walang clinic yung Pedia nya. Imagine my dismay when the doctor told me that they have to admit my daughter kasi the diagnosis is Pneumonia. I was trying so hard to talk in a calm voice and act as professional as I can be. Inquiries like; “Doc, IT IS curable, right?”, “We will be released as early as tomorrow, diba?”, “There’s nothing to worry po, ano Doc?” were screaming out of me. And yes, I should stop acting praning kasi everything will be OK. That’s how positive my husband is. To make my weekend ordeal short, instead of mall shopping, we end up in hospital bed. A total of 3 sleepless nights but I still feel good today knowing that my baby is almost back in shape. Mommies, let’s be vigilant to our kids’ health. A cough and a cold might sound simple and usual to us but this might be a symptom already of Pneumonia. Another learning pala during our hospital stay, dapat pala conscious tayong mga mommies sa Respiratory Rate ng ating mga anak especially kung infant-toddler sila. Pag 60 cpm or more yung number of hinga nila (inhale-exhale count), wag natin bibigyan ng milk or food kasi pwede silang ma-choke. Being the praning mom, I always count my kids breathing now before feeding them. Mas maganda nang maagap kesa mamroblema na naman ako sa huli.

I would also like to thank all the nurses of Medical Center of Imus who assisted us in any way they can. Lalo na sa mga ER nurses who soothed my baby non-stop nung nilalagyan sya ng dextrose (twice!). And to her Pedia: Dra. Muriel Mucas, Thank you! :)