Posted by Webmissy on March 10th, 2010 in News bulletin
You probably don’t know me so I’ll introduce myself. My name is Connie Veneracion. I have a daughter in Year 4 and her name is (withheld).
If you’re wondering why I am posting my letter here, it is because this website belongs to the HEdCen Community which includes me as a mother. I want to share with the HEdCen community a very unsettling experience my family has recently gone through and may still have to go through before the school year is over.
Wednesday, two days before the trip to Mount Makiling, my husband and I brought (withheld) to a dermatologist. For months, she had been complaining about a numb spot below her left shoulder which we thought would go away. It didn’t so we went to see a dermatologist. A dermatologist. A real doctor. A medical practitioner with the distinction of being a “fellow” in the medical profession.
This doctor, Dr. Cynthia Sumulong Caparas, examined (withheld). Because numbness can be a symptom of leprosy, she pierced the numb spot to find out the extent of the numbness. (withheld) flinched and Dr. Caparas scratched off leprosy from the list of possibilities. Next, she asked (withheld) to take off her shirt and immediately noticed the uneven shoulders. Scoliosis, she said, and advised us to see an orthopedic-surgeon for a more proper diagnosis. She appraised us of possible management (there is no treatment for scoliosis) which includes physical therapy, wearing a body brace and, in extreme cases, surgery. She also warned us not to agree to surgery outright because the spine is a delicate thing and any accident could leave (withheld) paralyzed.
But because we didn’t know any orthopedic-surgeon, I asked her for recommendations.
Meanwhile, I told her about Mount Makiling. She advised against it. Her initial findings and recommendations were contained in a medical certificate that was duly submitted to the school.
Still, (withheld) wanted to go. At that time, I had not read up on scoliosis, I did not fully understand the condition, so, the following day, I phoned Sir H, told him I had signed the Makiling form permitting Alex to go. I also appraised him of the previous night’s visit to the doctor and the circumstances that led to it. So long as Alex did not have to carry heavy loads, I was willing to let her go. Sir H, however, was not willing to take (withheld) to the trip because, according to him, the school could not take responsibility for (withheld)’s condition. And I thank him for the foresight to choose the safer course, both for the school and for (withheld), until a more detailed diagnosis could be performed.
The following Monday, Dr. Caparas gave me the name of an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tonette Gabua, who specializes in non-surgical therapy. I called up Sir H to inform him that (withheld) would not be able to attend classes the following day so we could take her to the doctor.
On Tuesday Morning, we went to the doctor’s clinic at the Veterans Hospital. X-rays were taken and we waited for the results. The x-rays showed that the curvature of Alex’s spine was less than 2o. In short, it did not appear serious to warrant aggressive therapy nor the wearing of a body brace. We were given instructions, however, to make sure that the curvature does not worsen and go beyond 2o until (withheld) turns 18 or until such time that she stops growing, whichever comes first. The doctor wrote her findings in a medical certificate. All of these are borne out by hospital records.
After lunch on the same day, we drove (withheld) to school so she could attend the rest of her classes.
That medical certificate, along with a letter from me (because doctors are not the most articulate people in the world and, for the sake of complete transparency, I felt I had to relay to the school what else was discussed in the doctor’s clinic), I gave to (withheld) to give to Sir H on the very same day. They did not see each other that day. Later, Sir H told (withheld) to give it to Teacher Angie, the school nurse, who refused to take it. She did not take letters, she said, she wanted the x-ray plates.
The thing is, while it has been my intention to provide the school with a copy of the x-ray plates, the SOP in the hospital is to keep the plates and to release only the findings of the doctor. That was what we were told in the x-ray department. The plates, however, are available at the hospital library.
As a parent, I can only be thankful that the diagnosis did not prove to be as bad as we initially feared. I have read up on scoliosis, I am now aware of the difference between structural scoliosis and non-structural scoliosis, and I understand that the condition of (withheld)’s uneven shoulders falls under non-structural scoliosis.
My husband and I could only sigh in relief. Any parent knows what it’s like to be confronted with uncertainty, not knowing outright just how serious the condition of one’s child’s is. Any parent would understand the anxiety, the sleeplessness, the emotional burden.
I was under the impression that the school is our partner in ensuring the well-being of our children. So I was rather surprised to hear that there are certain people in the administration and faculty (you know who you are) who think that what Alex, and my entire family, had gone through was just a lie so she could skip the Mount Makiling trip. If skipping the Makiling trip was all that we wanted, I could have simply refused to sign the permit. That is my prerogative as a parent. Never mind (withheld)’s tears because she so wanted to go and I told Sir H so. It was neither me nor my husband who refused to let (withheld) join the trip.
It does not sit well with me nor my daughter to have a school official deliver “parinig” in public about “quack doctors.” That is more than immature; that is downright sleazy and low. Don’t bother saying it wasn’t directed at her because, in that group, she was the only one who recently had medical problems.
If any school official, or teacher, doubted the medical consultations and procedures that Alex has gone through, and the trauma that my husband and I went through not knowing exactly what (withheld)’s condition was, they should have said it to me and my husband directly so we could have clarified and showed them how utterly misplaced and unreasonable and unfair their doubts were. The school has our home number, our mobile numbers, our home address and even my e-mail address.
Instead, they chose to subject, nay, humiliate, (withheld) — publicly — with their malicious imputations and snide remarks, allegations they cannot prove and doubts that could have been erased if they wanted to. I can only surmise that they want the doubt to remain because, to this day, no one in the school has communicated with us about (withheld)’s condition. And the medical certificate issued by the orthopedic-surgeon was not accepted. To what devious end they want the doubt to remain, only they know.
Perhaps, I can put an end to all the “parinig” by being the adult here and initiate direct communication by publishing this letter. Let me assure you doubting Thomases that I am able, and very willing, to get you in touch with Drs. Caparas and Gabua so you can talk to them directly about what happened exactly as they happened. Nothing gets more transparent than that. Don’t be afraid to be proved wrong when both doctors corroborate my statements. Or are you going to attack their personal credibility aside from their professional reputation and impute that they are liars too as well as quack doctors?
Since the school nurse has refused to accept the medical certificate in (withheld)’s possession, I will take it from her and keep it in our family’s medical records. If the school still wants it, and since it has been offered and flatly refused, the school can send me a written request. Meanwhile, the x-ray plates are available at the Veterans Hospital. If the proper school official wants to view them, let me know so I can give you the contact information of (withheld)’s attending physician.
