Restore Your Smile

Learning and Learning

Nearly an hour spent James and Miss Reny visiting three patients that Miss Reny would transfer to her. They talked with patients and their families who were accompanying them at the time, except for Suroto's grandfather who was not accompanied by anyone.

The time has already shown at 14:10 when they are done. The last patient they visited was Mr. Herman in the Soka ward.

"Sir James, where are you going? There's still about 50 minutes before we go home, " asked Miss Reny.

"I still want to see and try to study medical records, Mom. Can I?" ask James.

"Of course I can." After saying that, Miss Reny invited James to the nurse station (nurse guard room) in Soka ward.

"Find what, Miss Crispy?" ask a nurse who was there.

"May I borrow Mr Herman's status, Tis? James wants to see. You start tomorrow, Mr. James who will accompany Mr. Herman, " replied Miss Crispy.

James whose name is called only nods at the nurse named Titis who before the patient's visit was introduced by Miss Reny to him.

"Oh .... Of course, Mom. This ... please, Mr. .." said Titis, handing over a map to James. James received the map and opened it.

"Sir James can I stay? If I can, I'll go back to the counsellor's office. There was still something I wanted to do, "said Miss Reny who made James shift focus away from the file he was reading.

"Can, Mom. Sorry to trouble .... Then, regarding patient assistance, can Mom tomorrow still help me? It doesn't feel good if I visit once, I'm immediately left behind. Because it seems like the patient and his family still believe in Mom more, "James replied.

"alright. Doesn't matter. Then I stay well, sir. Titip Mr. James well, Tis ...." Miss Reny said goodbye to James and Titis.

"Yes, ma'am .." said James and Titis almost simultaneously.

James drowned again on the file he read. Important information about the patient is recorded, such as age, occupation, diagnosis, and therapy planning. He felt the need to know the background of the patient to make it easier to communicate and provide assistance.

James then went back around visiting the wards to borrow medical records. If there's anything he doesn't understand, he asks the ward nurse on duty. Fortunately, the nurses were kind and friendly. They helped James decipher the doctor's writing that had made James amazed.

Reading some strange doctor writings magic bin had made James die of lice. Want to be seen from any angle, still he can not string a word from the writing. It takes a lot of imagination to read it.

Some are shaped like a dugem worm. There is also a form like a Morse code, which consists only of points and lines. Well ... plus the little waves ....

At first he thought only the Doctor and God knew what this writing meant. But it turned out that every nurse he asked could read it! That fact amazed James.

The last ward he visited was the Bakung ward, where Suroto's grandfather was treated. Not that he was favoritism, but it did take more spirit to return to that place.

Still imprinted in his memory first impressions when he met the Grandpa. The purulent wounds and the still-wet amputation scars on Suroto's grandfather's feet gave rise to a fishy smell and a foul smell that almost made James vomit. He really had to endure his nausea in front of Grandpa to keep his feelings.

A few times just after visiting James glanced at Miss Reny to see her expression. Was he not bothered by this unpleasant smell? Is his nose okay? James wanted to close his nose, but he did not dare to do it because Miss Reny also did not do that.

And Miss Crisp turns out to know James' discomfort. As they were walking to the Flamboyant ward, Miss Reny discussed the matter.

"Weight well have to be ordinary when in fact we are very disturbed by smelling unpleasant odors?" asked Miss Crispy while smiling at that time.

James stunned. Apparently Miss Reny kissed him too. His nose is not broken. But James did not see Miss Reny bothered by the smells while visiting Suroto's grandfather.

However, as a counselor, he is also equipped with the knowledge to read the expression or body language of a person. And from the attitude of Miss Crisp, there is absolutely no reluctance, uneasiness, or discomfort. Pure ORDINARY.

Miss Reny seems to be able to read James' head. He also continued his sentence. "I was actually disturbed too. But we can't show it, right? Do not let our reluctance can be read by patients. It will affect their level of trust in us. They won't want to be open if they feel offended or rejected."

James could only be silent. He also knows that his ideal is like that. But in practice it turns out that this is not easy to do.

Back Miss Crispy smiled seeing James' response. "Father. Later also get used to .." he said while patting James on the shoulder.

James could only look at Crispy Maam with great admiration. Is this the ability of a senior counselor? Though from earlier he was just silent, but for Miss Crisp he was like an open book that was easy to read. Not to mention his totality and devotion in serving patients. James really needs to learn a lot from Crispy Mom.

...****************...

"Where's the first day of work, James?" ask her mother as soon as she sees James coming out of the bathroom.

"It still has a lot to learn, Ma .... Later that night James said, "James replied.

"Yes already. What's important is that you've had lunch, right?"

"If it were, it would be safe, Ma .... James went into the room first yeah .." said James.

"Yes, " replied Mama Ratna, shaking her head at her child's behavior. He knew James's habits. James would confine himself in a room to increase his focus if there was anything he thought or wanted to learn.

Just as Mama Ratna thought, that was what James was doing in his room. He began to take a notebook and study the things he noted in his HP earlier.

He started from the case of Suroto's grandfather first. Background of Grandpa. 63 Years old. Scavenger's job. He collected plastic bottles, cardboard boxes, or cans for resale. Sometimes he sells mowing services in someone's yard.

To add energy in the middle of his menial work, Suroto's grandfather likes to consume sweet tea. This is what is suspected to be the cause of his diabetes.

The small wounds on his legs that sometimes occur in the middle of his work, he does not care. Without realizing it, the wound was getting bigger and had an infection due to uncontrolled blood sugar. He had just checked himself into the health center because of unbearable pain when his legs had swelled and turned blackish.

How shocked was Grandpa Suroto when he had to be referred by the health center to the RSUD because his legs were no longer treatable and required amputation. It turns out that the condition is classified as dangerous and requires immediate treatment.

Fortunately, Suroto's grandfather had a Healthy Indonesia Card. He does not need to think about the cost of surgery and treatment at the Hospital because it will be borne by the government.

Amputation surgery and debridement procedures were performed two days ago (noted: debridement is the removal of dead tissue or body parts). Now Suroto's grandfather is getting postoperative wound care and blood sugar control. He was monitored by two specialists, a surgeon and an internal medicine specialist.

Grandpa Suroto was depressed from thinking about her future. Previously, he had struggled to find money to meet the needs of his life. What was his fate now that he had been amputated? Bitter word at this time he includes disabled people.

Until here James stopped taking notes. Confused what approach should he take? He knows very well how difficult it is to find a job, because he himself has experienced it. If you just say sweet and empty words of support, it is quite easy. But he was not sure it was useful enough for Suroto's grandfather.

James moved on to the next case. Farida's grandmother, 72, had stage four bowel cancer. Initially, Farida's grandmother came with complaints of abdominal pain, diarrhea, and prolonged weakness. After further investigation by the health care doctor, it was realized that Farida's grandmother had bleeding gastrointestinal tract in the form of blackish stool. The Grandmother was referred to RSUD for further examination and treatment.

RSUD's doctor in charge of treating the grandmother, wrote the diagnosis of grandmother as Ca Colon stage four with lung metastasis. This sentence was successfully recorded by James with the help of the Flamboyant ward nurse.

After he found out via google, the sentence means that Farida's grandmother had cancer in the colon called Colon and had spread to the lungs. Stage four in the stage of cancer is the last stage that usually has a very small cure rate.

While chemotherapy is one way of cancer treatment by killing cancer cells with the administration of drugs. Chemotherapy turns out to be able to provide side effects that are quite disturbing to patients, from hair loss, dry mouth, to nausea and vomiting that reduce the patient's appetite.

Seeing the condition of Farida's grandmother who was already weak, which made her family choose to give up and refuse chemotherapy recommended by doctors. Not to mention the percentage of success of chemotherapy is not too high.

Until now, the family has not told the disease suffered by the grandmother to the concerned. They fear the condition of the grandmother is getting decreased due to not being able to accept reality. The treatment carried out at RS so far is only for the improvement of the general condition of the grandmother, not for the cure of the disease.

James looked back and stopped writing. One dilemma condition he had to face again. Is it justified to hide the reality of the patient concerned? Is it permissible for his family to choose a life-related decision from the patient himself? James was confused as to how to answer it.

James leaves Farida's grandmother's case and proceeds to the final case, that of Herman. Of all the cases he received today, it was this case that he felt was easiest for him. In addition to stroke is the disease that he understands the most, he has also received a lot of input from the story Celine when he took care of his father. At least he already knew what things he could tell Mr. Herman to stir up his spirit.

Until here James closed his book. There's still a lot of things he has to think about. It is not easy to find answers to life's problems.

He returned to reflect on his life. When he focused on his problems, he was depressed and felt himself the most unfortunate and hopeless person in the world. But now when he looks at his patients, there are still many other problems that are far more severe than the problems he has ever experienced.

James closed his eyes and sighed. Maybe it's time he became part of the people who were given the opportunity to lighten the burden on their hearts.

Give me wisdom, God .. so that I may know what to say to help the patients You entrust me with.

...****************...