I am Mae German. 34 years old. Born in Mangatarem, province of Pangasinan. I was taught and trained by 
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Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop Alert.
Some-Kinda-Blog-Stop Alert. | Alert. |
| Saturday, 03 October 2009 | |
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A lot of things have happened in the past couple of weeks. I have been writing every day on my journal but there was no time to blog. But with a task due now, I have to. So here's one from my journal (my blog is being selective now): ~~~~~~~ Alert. (Saturday, 26 September 2009) Morbid. My thoughts were, when I saw Grandma this morning. I remember one of my rabbits. Sleeping. Trying to breathe hard. Watching, I hope it will wake up. It did not. I had to shake off the thought that was building in my head as I was staring at Grandma. Her coughing got worse and the night-shifter said she had fever last night. Pneumonia. That was my first thought and that was what I was trying to prevent. If I can only stay with Grandma at night to make sure her back is always dry, I would. But I wasn’t allowed to. So each morning, I check her back. Sometimes she’s perspiring, sometimes her back is wet with sweat. I couldn’t rant of course. I have no right. I can only change her clothes and try to dry her up. But when it has gone from worse to worst—the phlegm has turned to brownish color— I felt worse. I have no medical experience, no training in caregiving, and the only person that I cared for when she was bedridden and sick was, well, you might have guessed it right—me. “For someone who doesn’t have a medical background, you’re doing great.” On the contrary, I have been receiving praises for doing well with Grandma. But that did not help me feel better, seeing her situation today. Well, we don’t need schooling to know that Vicks Vaporub when rubbed on your back and throat and chest, or when mixed on a basin of hot water, could help you breathe, do we? But not having a training for proper caring has paid a toll on me today. Grandma couldn’t move. I couldn’t change her pull-ups and her dress. I thought I was lucky to have found an adult diaper and I thought it was as easy as changing a baby’s diaper. No. It was not. I knew I have to ask Grandma to roll over but she couldn’t move much. Ugh! Thankfully, I was able to bring her back to dryland, the least I can do. And I was relieved when I saw her dry and sleeping again. I prayed. At seven in the morning she’s back to her normal self. She wanted to go to the bathroom and she said she doesn’t need the commode. I leapt with joy. I sang praises. Literally (Thank you, Pareng G!). But her coughing was still there and the phlegm was already darker in color. The family had to make a decision. We took her to the hospital. It wasn’t pneumonia but an acute bronchitis and something about heart congestion. We’re staying in the hospital (they have the barcode scanner here, scanning Grandma’s tag like she’s an item in a supermarket or something) for a couple of days. |
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