Laughter, tears, and many late nights, along with the usual busyness, have filled the last few months. But perhaps one of the most delightful events began on New Year’s Day.

I was in Kamantian and planning to hike to the lowlands the following day. It was hot, and I looked forward to a nice swim in the river with friends that afternoon. However, around noon, a patient arrived at the clinic. Though the clinic was closed, we were available for emergencies. The patient was an older man who had choked on his New Year’s feast around midnight and had been unable to swallow (dysphagia) since. Thankfully, his airway was clear; he simply could not swallow, and it was painful to try. After several hours of monitoring at the clinic, and with no changes, it was decided that it was best if he could go to the hospital, where they could determine the exact problem and provide better care. Since it is usually my job to help patients in the hospital, I quickly got ready to hike to the lowlands with him and his grandson.
We made it to the trailhead just before dark, where I called the ambulance to pick us up. That night, I made some great connections with the ambulance staff and the doctor on duty. The emergency room doctor that night was temporary, covering for the regular staff during the holidays. However, she was among the most helpful doctors I have met here.

After assessing the patient, the doctor decided that he needed to go to Puerto Princesa, where an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor would be available. While they ran some tests needed before transfer, I went home to get ready to accompany them. At the doctor’s suggestion, out of concern for my safety, the ambulance crew insisted on taking me home. In general, I feel safer here than anywhere else I have lived, but I was still incredibly thankful for the ride, especially because it was after dark. On the way back to my apartment, they stopped by their base. The whole team wanted to take a picture with me. They were curious, peppering me with questions. “How old are you? You are so young, what are you doing here? Are you ever scared?”

After cleaning up and grabbing some food at my apartment, I called a teammate to bring me back to the hospital. When I got there, the staff told me that they had found the cause of the patient’s dysphagia — a piece of meat stuck in his throat! After confirming that they planned to transfer him that evening, I gave my ride the go-ahead to go home and settled in to wait. Shortly after, however, they informed me that no ambulance was available, and it was uncertain when one could go to Puerto Princesa. It would most likely be either at 3:00 a.m. or 8:00 a.m. Now, the kindness of the emergency room doctor truly shone through — she let me sleep in her bed in the doctors’ lounge while we waited!

We finally arrived at the Puerto Princesa emergency room at about 4:00 a.m. The doctors and nurses underwent the same routine of assessing the patient and testing his swallowing ability. They had a laryngoscope available, which they used to try to visualize the obstruction, but without luck. Then they tried again to see if he could swallow — and this time, he could! I watched in amazement as he drank an entire bottle of water in just a few seconds. We all began to laugh: the doctor, the nurse, the patient, his grandson, and me. I am pretty sure I laughed the hardest. You know, one of those confused, relieved, sleep-deprived kinds of laugh. But the patient was a close second. Since he was now perfectly fine, they immediately discharged us. Throughout the five-hour trip back to Brooke’s Point, whenever the patient and I caught each other’s eye, we would start laughing again. We both agreed the situation was masawala banar (very funny).

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