I started my day pretty well today. I got up early and I was the second person to be in my basketball class. As soon as I got at the gym, I practiced my basketball skills and really got the hang of it. We had our midterm exam today and I was really enjoying playing basketball. The professor also showed us our grades in all of the exams. I got straight 4’s. :) After the class, I and some of my classmates had a game with some students who were watching the class. We were totally kicking their ass. For the first 5 points of our team against 2 points of the other team, I made 3 points and 2 steals. I was having a blast until that time when I tried to rebound with that team-b player. From airborne, I accidentally stepped on his foot. My right foot just slid through his foot and, going to the ground, it bent with almost all of my body weight supported by it. It was painful, of course. I literally saw my ankle ballooned. My classmates helped me go to the bench and, there, I tried to see if I can walk or not. My classmates were sorry for me and were trying to take care of me while waiting for someone from the clinic. I was actually surprised with my classmates. It was even like my second time to talk with many of these people and here they are, trying to tell me what to do, giving me a company, taking care of my things and stuff, I thought to myself. Coming to think of it, maybe that’s the reason that, even though it was my first time to be injured in my ankle, I was acting like nothing happened and optimistic about my condition. I was joking around and the next time I know, we were all smiling and joking around as if we were celebrating something. The nurse got me on a wheelchair and brought me to the clinic. A doctor soon attended to me. They asked me some questions and then put a cold compress on my ankle. They said that I have to be brought in the hospital where I can get my foot x-rayed. While waiting for the ambulance, 3 of my classmates visited me in the clinic. These are not even the people who I always talk to in class. And in fact, among the 3, the only person I know the name, is Abby. They were concerned of my situation and we were trying to figure out how I can go home with my car. Not to mention that my car is parked about 4 blocks away from where I am. Abby offered to accompany me until I found someone who can drive me home even though it will take long before I can find one. One of my cell phone numbers is running out of credits and the other number can only reach another same subscriber. Since Abby only has a Globe number, she gave me a 50 peso load so we could communicate after her class and after I get from the hospital. For some reason, the ambulance came, I think after 30 min. While waiting, my classmates were the ones who went to the cafeteria to get me my lunch. They ate with me and we were just fooling around in the clinic until the nurses put me inside the ambulance. It was my first time to be taken to the hospital in a speeding ambulance. It was kind of “cool”, you know. I feel like I’m special. In Manila Adventist Medical Center, I was surprised. The nurses and the doctors were so inhospitable. It is really surprising that I felt more at ease when I was with my classmates than in this hospital. There is only one person who was welcoming, and that was the old guy nurse who I was with only in a minute. The other nurse who x-rayed me was frowning the whole time. The first doctor who looked at my ankle even laughed when I got hurt when she pressed my swollen ankle. The next doctor who happened to pass by and see my ankle pressed my swollen ankle also and, even though it was obvious that I was hurt, he just said something like “It is nothing.” What he did might just be just ok if it is true that it just nothing. The thing is, the results were saying that there might be a broken bone and that they have to first examine the x-ray results with a radiologist to really confirm the broken bone. Now what’s the use of pressing my ankle if they are not the one who is supposed to diagnose me? Why would they laugh that way at my condition? Are these the only kinds of hospital personnel that haven’t left this country? And then there’s another doctor who showed up. He was actually the one who told me their findings. He was soft-spoken that’s why I managed to keep on smiling and keep saying thank you to let them know that I appreciate what they’re doing. He then prepared the things that will be used to cast my ankle. The doctor, who was telling me that my condition is nothing to worry about, showed up again and said “Oh no, the color of the cast that will be used on you is blue!” The clown was trying to scare me. Could you imagine?! What an asshole huh?! I just tried to act patiently by just saying “Could you just use a green cast since it’s the color of my school” smiling and ignoring the other doctor who just butt in. While this soft-spoken doctor casting my foot he have pressed my ankle and, of course, I reacted like I’m hurt because, I really got hurt. The doctor didn’t shout but with a tone of contempt said like “You relax. You relax!” He was saying that as if it was my fault for me to be hurt, man. That was the time when I can’t help it but frown. No wonder they didn’t call it a hospital… the group of people there at that time were so inhospitable. When I and the nurse from my school were about to leave they gave me my medical certificate. The date was March 1, which is supposedly March 4. I told them patiently that the date is wrong. The doctor who has a hobby of butting in, butt in again. He was like “What’s wrong? What’s wrong? It’s March 4. It’s March 4, there’s nothing wrong.” He was saying this in a tone of anger. I tried to be patient and just went out to the bed and go to the wheelchair. The doctor who cast my ankle then pointed something in the certificate showing the “butt-in” doctor what’s wrong. He gave my certificate with a corrected date. I just sat on the wheelchair, not showing any gratitude to any doctor, while the nurse, who is with me, brought me to a cab. I was supposed to go back there but I’m really having a second thought if it’s safe to do so, honestly. The cab dropped me near my car but I still have to hop using only one leg to about 4 yards to get to my car. I stayed there and just thought of the things that happened. Abby then came after an hour. I gave her 50 bucks for the load she gave me for my cell phone since I just couldn’t afford to take it for free. She was doing a lot for me. We talked for a while and I thought that since no one could really drive me home that time, I decided to try driving. She doesn’t find it a good idea, but I have made her realized it was ok. I needed crutches and I still have to get it on the seventh floor of the building just a block away. Abby offered help and got it for me. As a trial, I drove her to the building. It was not easy, but I have to try driving. It took my friend about 15 min to get the crutches from the clinic because of the things she still have to do before the clinic could lend me those. I drove her to her building after, so she could continue her class. I was really thanking her for all the help she has done. I texted her and thanked her. I asked her how I can repay her for the kindness she has done. She told me that there’s nothing she wants in return since helping me has been a pleasure for her. She was really an angel. It was a mix feeling for me going home. I was grateful yet disappointed to people. I was thankful yet felt unfortunate to what had happened. I felt alone driving for myself yet felt special after the care some people showed me. C'est la vie.
