"Doc In , Doc Out: 17 years Ago"

 "Doc In , Doc Out: 17 years Ago"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.MD

17 years ago on a cold afternoon where I have spent most of the day out of sorts my mom had knocked on my door. We had people who we consider as family who was having a baby. It was not her due date yet but she was having birthing pains.

I hurriedly changed clothes to accompany them to the hospital. Though I had experience giving birth to babies during my duties in Fabella , this would the first time that I will be on my own.

We had ridden the Honda City that we owned , the same one that I have spent driving now going to and fro from my duties. Just as we were about to turn left to go to MCU from our street  , our family friend was screaming in pain and she herself felt that the baby was about to go out. 

So we stopped in front of the old gasoline station in front of San Guillermo street and I assisted the best I could in this birth. It was a baby who had already been macerated or had died inside the womb. The reason we would learn later on was that it's cord twisted to the point that it can no longer receive much needed oxygen and blood from his mother. It was a boy. The car already smelled of amniotic fluid among other things , I had caught the baby and was now laying it on top of his mom's chest. 

We went to the MCU hospital where I would relay the grim news to my own mom and that our family friend would stay in the hospital under antibiotics for a week or so.

17 years ago I have been experiencing death and pain. I know that feeling of loss , to know that you will be carrying a little life inside only to lose it without a fight. I have seen it in my rounds in Fabella where we would have to complete abortions. Explain to the expactant , hopeful mothers that their little one's are gone. 

17 years and I have been the bearer of bad and good news. Rest in peace little one.