would you trade money for health?

“Makkkk, sakit makkkk. Adik dah tak tahan dah mak, asyik masuk hospital je. Tolonglah ya Allah sembuhkanlah penyakitku ini ya Allah, aku dah tak sanggup dah ya Allah nak tanggung semua ni. Tolonglah ya Allah”

Her scream filled up the procedure room while we were struggling inserting an IV line. Suffering from a chronic skin condition; chronic atopic dermatitis also known as eczema makes her skin thin and fragile that even a slight touch of breeze could make her life difficult. She was diagnosed with this condition since the age of 3. Since then, there have been multiple episode of relapses and hospitalization. Up to this year, almost every month the relapse occurs. The culprit can be anything, food, going outdoors, wind, sweats, dust you name it and this time around we assumed bacterial infection since she’s having a high grade fever, thus we started her on IV antibiotics and 3 day course of hydrocortisone.

It was hard enough to get an IV access. She couldn’t straighten her limbs especially when the skin are too dry. Most of the time, she would flex her elbows and knees. Eczema usually affects the facial and extensors area in early childhood. As the child becomes older, the pattern frequently changes to involve flexors area, up to the point when it is too dry, it causes so much discomfort and pain to extend the limbs, in which if remain neglected may result in contracture.

To tell you the extension of the lesion, it’s involving the whole body but palms and soles. Generalized dry skin with some area of raw skin, scratch marks, fissures and desquamation. I reviewed her the morning she admitted. While waiting her taking bath as I stood still beside her cardiac table, I could clearly hear her screaming and shouting and crying in pain from the bathroom. It was unbearable. It must be very painful the moment water meets her skin. Imagine having a small cut over your finger and put it under running water, it stings right. Now imagine, the cut area is extensive to the point it involves your whole body.

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She’s small, she’s 9 yet looks like 6, probably due to ? malnutrition as a result of allergic reaction to many kinds of food? To compare  her to other kids of the same age, she’s matured. The way she speak tells a lot. She's got a lot of wisdom. 

Being a doctor, I get to see patients every single day except on my off day obviously. Whenever I'm seeing a chronic patients, makes me wonder how strong their mommy are, it must be hard seeing your child sick. Some mother needs to quit their job to take care of their children especially those requiring long stays in hospitals and frequent admissions to ward. Okay, it doesn't matter whether the condition is acute or chronic, the one sick is young or old, as long as it's your family members, of course it worries you much. You would do anything to ease their pain. If people could trade money for health, of course they would do it! No one wants to see their loved ones suffers. 

We would do anything for our loved ones. 

For every patients that I meet throughout my career as a medical doctor, I pray that Allah protect my family members; my parents, siblings, spouse and future kids, from any harm and diseases. I'm afraid I might be too busy taking care of other people's family that I forget to look after mine. I believe if we have good intentions, we ikhlas in doing our jobs, inshallah He will surely help us facing any obstacles in life. 

Inshallah.