To promote the home health program to other counties, the home health liason at the office asked a few questions to each therapist, which included, "Why do you enjoy about home health?". I was in a hurry to get out of the office and proceed to my patient when I was asked to place my answer in the liason's box before I leave. I gave a quick answer which read: " I enjoy doing home health because it challenges me to work within the environment of the patient". Sloppy answer. I will not win in a pageant with that kind of thinking.
I was filling in for a therapist on leave for this week. I attended her patients who are mostly in the middle of nowhere, far from the city. Today, I saw one of her patients one last time. As we are about through with the session, he asked where I was from. I told him, just like his regular therapist, I am from the Philippines.
A veteran of WWII, he was in the Philippines and served two years. He still remembers places he's been, specially at the northern part of Luzon, the Pangasinan area. He recalls Rosales, Pangasinan very well. I never asked why but, he told me that he was part of a batallion who took charge in building a road going to the mountains. I only had one bet. It must have been the road going to Baguio City. His faint memory of other names and places did not validate my guess.
What was definite for him was that from Clark Air Base in Pampanga, they were brought to Lingayen Gulf in Pangasinan to leave for the US as the was was over. He said he came home on December 27th. It was two days after Christmas. Faint recall of events made it hard to patch things together. But I should remember to thank this soldier of his service to peace and to my future. An now, repay him. After the treatment, I left to head to my next patient. Something got hold of me and I came back. I said I forgot the thermometer. But in reality, I just said my "thank you" and gave him a salute most deserve.
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