1st Month Over

Yep I can't believe I've already completed 1 month in Paeds. So from Monday I'm going to another ward that's reportedly much more busy! Anyway since tomorrow's my last day, I'm taking some treats for a small party for the little one's. It so amazing and sad - some of my patients were there before I started and are still gonna be there for at least another month. I mean, can you imagine staying in a hospital away from home and your family for so long?

I really like one little boy in particular, he's so adorable but I feel really sorry for him coz he's so sick. Just yesterday he wanted to know from me when he can go home. So I was like when you get better. Then he looks at me and says when am I gonna get better? I looked at his small sad face and was a bit lost for words because to put it bluntly I wonder if he ever will get better - Stage 4 HIV, Disseminated TB, Marasmus - you get the picture? So I just told him I don't know and as kids do he started again with "but when am I gonna go home? I miss home!" It's just so sad, so cruel... this small body has to suffer because of his parents.... even today I had to take bloods from him (again!) and it's really difficult because he just simply does not have veins! So while I'm preparing he keeps asking how much am I gonna take and is it gonna hurt. He tries to be really brave and walks confidently with me to the procedure room but gosh when that needle goes in, he screams like anything and keeps shouting "No dokotela, no dokotela" and I don't know what to do because on one hand I have to get the blood but on the other hand it's like tearing my heart to hear him pleading with me to stop. I just wish they'd develop some other means of getting the results we need from processing blood samples!

I promised to give him chappies before we started so when it was all over and tears dried and I'm busy discarding stuff, he looks up to me and says "Doctor you said you'l give me chappies and can you please make me a balloon from the glove?"