may HIMALA

Almost 4 years ago, my father was diagnosed to have Multiple Myeloma (a kind of cancer that hits the bonemarrow and makes the bone brittle). It's been a while that he has been fighting this sickness and along the way, it is my mother who has been on his side, taking care of him. According to his doctors, patients with Stage 3 of Multiple Myeloma has only 30 months to live. Nakakaawa sya tingnan pag dumadaing sya sa sakit ng katawan nya. Di rin biro ang laki na ng gastos namin para lng masuportahan lahat ng gamot nya. Sa lahat ng ito, sa nanay ko ako talagang naaawa. There were sleepless nights dahil ayaw magpaiwan ni papa not to mention pa kung gano katigas ng ulo nya. Labas pasok kme sa iba't - ibang hospitals then settled with PGH (Philippine General Hospital) since sila ung nakapagsabi smen kung ano talaga ung sakit ni papa and talagang mababait and magagaling ung mga doctors.

Two weeks ago, my mother kept on texting me. Nahihirapan daw huminga ang papa ko and that was few days after he was confined for almost a month at the DLSU Medical Center (UMC) in Dasmarinas Cavite. Sabi ko dalhin nya na sa PGH since andun nman lahat ng doctors nya. He was brought to PGH. Thinking that it was just same as his previous confinements, after seeing him and checkin on my mother also, we (Me and Jesse) went home. In the middle of the night, around 1am, my mother called me asking me to go back to PGH again. According to his doctor, he had difficulty with breathing because of possible fractured/broken ribs. Whenever he inhale/exhale, tumatama ang lungs nya sa broken/fractured ribs. The doctor then told us the need for respirator. A respirator is a machine that help/provides patient 100% oxygen. May tubo from the machine na ilalagay sa lungs nya (dadaan sa bibig at lalamunan). Kung di daw sya lalagyan ng respirator, in few hours or maybe the next day, bibigay ang muscles sa dibdib at katawan nya at tumigil siya sa paghinga. Pag nilagyan nman sya ng respirator, there will be 50/50 chances. Pwedeng habang nilalagay ung tube sa kanya, di rin sya makahinga. We only had a little time to decide whether to get a respirator for him or not.

Akala ko, ung mga ganong situation at question, sa beauty pageant lang maririnig. That time, parang gusto kong tumambling at magsplit sa hirap ng sitwasyon namin. It was (again, that time) was the hardest situation i have been into. Ayaw na ng nanay ko magdecide, so lahat ng desisyon, sken manggagaling. I asked my father. Sabi nya nung una, ok lng daw. But, when he heard na 50/50 chances nya and I asked him again,

he said "Kayo na lang magdesisyon para sken. Di nyo naman ako pababayaan di ba?"

Waaaah! Kumusta nman di ba?

Then (we) I decided to get a respirator. Nanay ko lumabas ng ER, ayaw nya makita kung ano gagawin kay papa. So kme lang ni Jesse ung nasa tabi nya. Lakasan na lang ng loob! Buti na lng, successful, madali lng nman, like 15 minutes. Pero talagang nahirapan si papa and it showed na sobrang nerbyos nya.

The doctors then found out na may pneumonia sya at tumbling talaga ko sa mahal ng gamot nya. Aside from the rent for the respirator, nasa 6000 pesos ang gamot nya everyday. There was help coming from the relatives, pero not enough para suportahan lahat ng kailangan nya. Buong week akong absent. Then one of his doctors na sobrang bait talaga, approached me and told me about his situation. His body was not reacting to the medicines. He has been given morphin (5mg every hr) plus patches to ease the pain. His pneumonia was getting worse. Dr. Llabe told us that as of that moment they do not know what was really going on with my father and anytime he might just stop breathing. She asked us to sign a waiver which my mother refused to sign, so I signed it instead. The waiver was about DOR (Do Not Resuscitate). Meaning, in case my father stopped breathing, they wont try to revive him anymore since it will make the case worse. Madudurog lang ung mga buto nya na maaring tumusok sa lungs and heart nya. Nangingilid na rin ung luha ni dok while explaining to me. And I understood. I signed the waiver.

My father was really fighting for his life. There was one incident when I saw my father was really having difficulty breathing. I asked him if he wanted to just remove the respirator, then he gave me a waiving hand... ayaw nya patanggal respirator nya. A maximum of 14 days is the allowable time for the patient to have the respirator's tube to go through his mouth. After that time, and the patient still could not breath on his own, the need to intubate will come to the picture. Bubutasan ung leeg and dun padadaanin ung respirator. Ilang araw ako halos di makatulog. Pag tumunog and cellphone ko, kinakabahan ako lagi. Natatakot talaga ko. I can see na nahihirapan yung papa ko. Nahihirapan din ang nanay ko. We dont have 6k everyday to spend. Kung papayag kame na intubate sya, it will mean longer time to stay at pgh. This was the hardest situation we are in right now.

And yet, MIRACLE DOES HAPPEN!!!

Kahapon lumabas ung result ng xray ni father dear and it showed na medyo clear na ung lungs nya from phlegm. Nakahinga talaga ko ng maluwag. Though we still have to spend 6k everyday (and still praying I could still find ways to buy my father his medicines), this means less possibility na kakailanganin namin magdecide if we want to intubate him or not. Salamat talaga kay Lord.

And still we are counting on the days we will fight for my father's life. I know, di kame papababayaan ni Lord and I pray na alagaan nya lagi ang Nanay ko.