It was a cool Thursday evening. I remember playing with friends, and the fun got even more intense when a friend that lives in another neighborhood showed up with his horse. We took turns riding the horse, and it was like a dream come true. Other days Hassan, who owns the horse, will not let you near his horse unless you have a close relationship with him, but that day was different. Every kid that pleaded with him he allowed to ride his horse, and we were all happy.
My joy was cut short when my mom came running after me because I failed to do the dishes like she asked me to hours ago. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and since I was young and still very vibrant, I was able to escape getting caught, and I left the playground with other kids having fun to go and do the dishes in a hurry so I can come back and continue playing. That Thursday evening still stands out in all of my childhood memories because all the kids in the neighborhood came out that day, and the fun was second to none. We engaged in different childhood games.
After doing the dishes, I wanted to go back and join the other kids when my mom said, "It is late already; you should not go back out there." She said with a straight face.
"But Mom, other kids are still out there. Please, Mom, please, I beg of you." I pleaded.
"Go to your room; you are not pleading your way out of this one." She said as she got back to arranging clothes she just got back from the laundry room.
Seeing my mom completely focused on the clothes and with her attention away from me, I sneaked out to meet the other kids like I wanted, hoping to just play and then go back to my room without my mom even noticing I was gone, but things did not work out the way I planned. On my way out I decided to check our goat pen, but since it was getting dark, I did not notice a black snake on the ground, and I stepped on it, and it reacted immediately, biting me on my left foot, and that is when I saw it and started screaming immediately. Everyone rushed to my aid, while some tried to capture the snake, since those with experience said I could not be treated without professionals seeing the snake, and some (my mom included) rushed me to a nearby hospital.
The hospital nearby said they don't have any antivenom, so no need wasting time; they used an ambulance to transfer me to another hospital where I was hospitalized and waiting for those who were trying to capture the snake. After about an hour, they were able to, and the snake was brought to the hospital before treatment commenced. The snake venom had already spread before treatment. As if that was not enough, the doctor made a mistake that almost cost me my life. I was taking treatment, but my health kept deteriorating, and it was as if I was not responding to treatment because instead of getting better, my health only kept getting worse.
When I was hospitalized, my family's doctor was out of town. About three days later, he came to visit me in the hospital where I was, and as our family doctor, seeing my condition, he decided to go through the injections and medications on the table next to my bed so he would know what I was being treated with and if it was the right thing to use. A few moments into going through the medications on my table, he screamed, "Oohhhh my Goddddd, get me the doctor." My family doctor said as he made his way out of the ward.
A few moments later he showed up with the doctor treating me and gave him the antivenom that was being used to treat me: "Check the expiration date and tell me what you see." My family's doctor said placing the antivenom in Doctor David's hand.
"My God, it is not my fault; all I did was administer the injection. It is always the nurse's duty to check all of these and not mine. I am really sorry about that. Please don't press charges against me or the hospital." Doctor David pleaded with my mom, already crying.
"I am a doctor like you. I check all of these even after the nurses must have checked, do you know your license can be revoked if I take this matter up?" My family's doctor asked, "Own up to your mistakes and don't blame the nurses for your incompetence because this excuse for administering an expired antivenom to a child is the weakest excuse I have heard in years." My family's doctor added