Manila Doctors' Hospital is becoming my favorite place. I'm even close to calling it home.

I was born in this hospital some (few) years ago. And was probably where I had most of my post-natal pedia care. then at the time I was living with my grandmother, it was where we'd bring her to every so often when she'd complain about some health condition. My mom and my aunt on several occasions also were confined there. Two years ago, when my dad had to be operated, he stayed there for close to 4 weeks and 6 months thereafter, we were checking in and out of the place like some vacation resort.

Two weeks ago, I once again found myself within its walls. I had to check-in Jimmy (through it's emergency room) for what appeared at first as some acute stomach pain but later on turned out to be appendicitis. It's almost as if I've memorized the drill, how you have to endure waiting at the emergency room, to getting a room, to coordinating with the HMO, to sitting it out in the operating room, to meal delivery and housekeeping schedules. It's not as if I'm about to hand out the best hospital award here, but I guess for the gazillionth time that I find myslef in this place I'm saying- pde na rin (the story's another blog altogether). it's like not having to worry where the restroom is or what their procedures for out-patient and in-patient are. I guess what I'm saying is it's stressful enough having to bring and attend to someone in the hospital and it makes some difference that you're in some place you're familiar with.

Did I mention it was the same hospital my dad had his residency training in and also where I did part of my practicum work in college?... What a coincidence huh?!