21 Days - Day 14

"Doctor, we have a problem"

I squinted up, jarred by the sudden burst of florescent light in the small, dark room where night shift doctors crashed to catch up on some sleep during night shifts.

I wasn't in a mood to get up and asked her, still lying on the bed,"What happened..who"

"Patient number 6..she is vomiting heavily. For past 20 minutes"

I woke up. Vomiting alone is not a serious issue. Most often it can be treated with antiemeitc pill or shot.  But when a patient undergoing chemo takes to vomiting, it is a very serious issue. More complex than your run-of-the-mill vomiting. Vomiting or nausea means that the chemo medicine was causing some problem. Trying to choose the perfect mix of medicine which has the minimal side effects was a crucial part of my job. And it looked like I had failed.

I rushed to her room and opened the door ajar. I had come in just in time to see her throw up green liquid which I suspected to be bile into a kidney tray. The tray was in the hands of someone I could not identify from the back. I walked to the head of the bed and realised it was the dad. Mr. Jayakumar.

He didnt seem to have even noticed me. His eyes were focused on his daughter and ready to catch any more spew that might  come out. He carefully wiped away her mouth with a wet tissue.

"Do you want some water, to gargle..to drink??"

" No daddy. That's it. I am fine now."

"How long have you been vomiting" I interrupted.

He looked at me as though that was the first time he knew that I was in the same room.

"She has been throwing up since evening 6. Whatever she ate came out, followed by even water that she drinks. She had one apple juice at 5. That was the last food she ate. After that only water has been given. But she hasn't stopped vomiting only." he replied in he behalf, his voice tight and tense.

"Did she have anything to eat from outside, apart from hospital food" I asked, desperately praying for another cause for this.

"No, she didn't. I have been with her since morning and she hasnt had anything like that."

I wrote down an antiemetic as a stop-gap remedy. I would need to discuss with Dr.Arul as to change in the medicine.

I looked at him, him staring at his daughter who was now resting. She was exhausted and sleeping already. He kept looking at her with so much concern and intensity I didn't interrupt. She will be alright. She has to get alright. I left a kid with her father to take care of her.

Day 15