20/09/2026
ISANG ARAW SA CLINIC… (ONE DAY AT THE CLINIC…)
I remember this particular patient of mine. He is a senior gentleman with prostate cancer.
One day, he came to see me. When it was his turn, he entered the clinic, and I saw that he was walking with the aid of a walker. I looked at him as he slowly made his way to me, and to my surprise, he shouted with sheer joy and excitement:
“Dr. Campomanes, I’M SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU!”
What I felt at that moment was indescribable. I was caught off guard. What he did was a pleasant surprise in the middle of an otherwise ordinary busy day at the clinic.
It was a pleasant surprise, yes I know I am being redundant but it was much like for me, discovering that the macaroni salad I ordered doesn’t have raisins in it. 😂 (I have somehow outgrown my love for raisins, along the way.)
Unexpected. Simple. But somehow, it makes your day a little better.
I knew that greeting was genuine. It came from the heart.
Here was this man who by chance found his way to me and became my patient.
Every time he comes to see me, I know I am also a blatant reminder of the fact that he is living with a chronic illness, undergoing treatment, and facing something that no one would ever choose for themselves.
And yet, there he was…happy to see his doctor. 🥹
There was a time, he came to the clinic the day after my birthday—not to seek a consultation, but simply to give me some bread as a birthday gift. 🥹
And another time, he told me that he didn’t want any other doctor to see him. In his words, he said, “Only Dr. Campomanes.”
I thought perhaps, in my own little way, I had touched his life beyond simply treating his cancer - and that to me as a doctor, gives a different kind of fulfillment. It fuels me, like the way gasoline (or electricity) powers up a vehicle.
Tatay’s or Sir’s words and thoughtful gesture stayed with me - continues to stay with me until now - even when he already moved on to the next life. No more pain, ‘tay, rest in God’s eternal peace and embrace.
