Sometimes when things happen out of our plan, we tend to lose our focus, hopes, courage, strength and sometimes faith. But as we go along, we will realize that there is still a greater plan that is more powerful than the blueprint that we set for ourselves, that there is a bigger Driver who leads us to the correct lane.
It was April 13, 2018 when we had our team celebration in my new company for a well executed project and a job well done for all of us. We dined to the nearest KTV Bar in BGC Taguig to celebrate our victory, it was a night full of joy and fun.
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| Joseph, Yours Truely, Luis |
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| Teasing "Nga-Nga".. lolz |
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| ITW Team. #bestTeamEver |
I went home at 3AM (Saturday, April 14, 2018) and everything is fine in me. I'm feeling well as if I am so healthy. The day just passed as my normal weekend but prior to that, I was on night shift for the whole week due to our post migration support so I still have a body clock problem making me unable to sleep on Saturday night until Sunday morning the next day.
April 15, 2018
Since I wasn't able to sleep, I decided to just attend morning mass in the nearest parish in our apartment so my my day will not be so worthless and in case I miss my night mass service at 8PM. Finally at 12PM I was able to sleep though its so hot inside our apartment so my sleep is actually not so tight but at least I was able to take a rest. In the middle of my sleep at around 3PM, I was awaken by a severe stomach ache that I cant handle. It continuously ached to the point that I am already bothered. I cant feel anything anymore, only the severe stomach ache that I have that time. I tried to go back to sleep expecting that it might subside if I can sleep but sleeping is already impossible. I tried to contain it for the next few hours until around 8PM when we had our dinner but eating is also almost impossible as I already lost my appetite. I just forced myself to eat so I can take medicine for diarrhea (buscopan) as I usually do every time I will feel the same thing but I guess this is different as its not coming from something in connection to my bowel movement. I think its coming from a deeper part that I don't know, probably appendix as we had 2 cases of appendicitis in our family. I thought I can actually continue to hang on to it until it gone. I thought I can contain it for a long time but I was wrong, I can't. The pain just continue to attack and its getting worst. At around 1AM, the ache is uncontrollable, I am losing my sight, it gets dimmer and dimmer until I felt very cold that even a jacket and two blankets are still not enough. Minutes later, a head ache already stroked, my body temperature is also increasing and my body is already shaking in pain and cold.
At around 2AM, I already asked my sister and her husband to take me to the hospital because the situation is getting worst for every miinutes taht are passing and I cant take it anymore.
I asked them to bring me to "The Medical City" in Pasig as I cant afford being treated in public hospital with my current situation. I really think I will be keep on waiting in line so since I am protected by my healthcard given to me by my company, I didn't think twice to be brought to the nearest Private Hospital.
At 3AM, we reached Medical City in Pasig. Good thing is the volume of patient is not so high so we were entertained immediately upon reaching the Emergency Front Desk. While the nurse is asking for the basic details my blood pressure reached as low as 70/60 so I was rushed to the emergency room so they can apply the initial treatment that I need. They monitored my heartbeat using a device like the one in the movie that we used to see. I thought they will also apply reviver device to me but luckily they don't have to as I'm still conscious. They connected dextrose to me, obtain blood samples from me for laboratory purposes and after a few minutes they checked my stomach by pressing it from different parts and angles. It is still hurting as if nothing was really happened. They applied pain reliever and antibiotic to me and after that, they decided to have me CT Scanned so they can identify immediately whats causing the severe stomach ache. I was rushed to the CT Scan Lab Room and performed the necessary actions.
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| at CT Scan Room |
I was brought back to the emergency room and was informed about the result of the CT Scan. I was actually right in my theory when I am still at home fighting against the stomach ache.
Dr: Sir, you have an acute case of appendicitis. Your appendix is swelling with the size of 1.2cm. The normal size of it is .6cm, making yours an acute case that needs to be operated to avoid serious problems.
Upon hearing the news I felt so scared as I really don't want to undergo operation. As you all know, I just started my new job around 3 months ago so undergoing surgery will stop me from working and I don't know if I still have work the moment I go back after recovery which according to the doctors will last up to 3 weeks at the very least. Apart from that reason, I really don't want to undergo surgery due to my fear of needle and so much sharp pain specially once they inject the anesthesia. My sister is also confused while talking to the doctors as she actually cant decide whether she will let me be operated but since she is my only family there that time she has to shoulder the responsibility. My sister called our parents, our elder sister to help us decide and after few minutes of discussion we finally came up with the decision in agreement to the recommendation of the doctors. They scheduled me for operation right a way but was able to get a surgeon's availability at 12PM. That was already 6am of Monday, and my body started to respond to the medicines that they injected to me which made the pain decrease at 3/10 as far as I can feel it from 10/10 when we reached the hospital.
I was also X-Rayed to further investigate the case and they found out that I have pneumonia making me not possible to take the cheapest regular ward in the hospital so we had no choice but to take the cheapest private room worth Php3150/night. After securing the schedule of operation at 12PM that day the doctors already released me from emergency room to have me prepared for operation in the private room but before that, the doctor once again rechecked my tummy and by that time, the pain is completely gone though my temperature is still high so I informed the doctor but she insisted that I should be operated because it will reoccur anytime soon and they cant send us home in that situation. I wasn't able to do anything about it, they are doctors anyway, they only want what is the best for their patient and besides its "Medical City" one of the respected private hospitals in the country.
While on my way to my room, I'm still puzzled on how will I survive this challenge. Why should I have to be in that situation. I asked God why, and there was no reply maybe because God is giving me the chance to reflect. I am also thinking about my family. What will happen to them in case I lost this battle. I cant afford leaving them in our current situation. I really just cant. :(
ROOM 1230
At 6:30AM I was already transferred to the private room (ROOM 1230). Different doctors and nurses were keep on visiting me, informing me of every details that will happen to me before and after the operation. Some doctors are still asking the same questions over and over again every time they will visit me. Some are checking my heart beat, my lungs status, while others just tryna inform me that i should not be worried enough as my case is not that complicated so it has a very high probability to be done faster and successful.
I was being visited by the nurse assigned to our floor from time to time to check and monitor my BP and body temperature and at around 7am I was visited by the head nurse to instruct me of the preparation. She asked me to take a bath as they are preparing the operating room. So since I can no longer feel the pain, I took the initiative to take a bath so I can prepare also myself.
I was able to take a short nap after taking a bath and at around 9am the surgeon who will perform the operation visited me for the first time to introduce himself and check also my current status. He asked me if I still feel the pain so I told him that its no longer painful, totally. He pressed my stomach to check if I can feel the pain as expected by someone with an acute appendicitis but I cant feel any hurt except on the press itself. He said its unusual as I should continuously feel tha pain. He said, it might be because my body responded to the medicine quickly. The surgeon left for a while saying he'll be back in a minute but didn't come back for the next few minutes but came back at 10:30AM. When he came back he again check my stomach, press it many times, from different parts and angles as he did initially and the result is the same. I cant feel any pain anymore. In that instance is where the surgeon though still convinced that the operation should still be done but he gave me an option to treat it through medication instead of pushing for the operation if I want to. It actually made me happy like a thorn was taken out of me. I immediately choose to medication option and they gave it me but I should still be confined for the next few days without eating so they can observe my status in case the pain reoccur. For me its fine as long as I will not undergo operation.
Hours passed and still I cant feel the pain anymore but I'm still not eating until the next day (April 17, 2018) which coincide my birthday. When the surgeon checked me at 9AM, he already made a decision to really skip the operation and just continue taking the medicine.
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| My sister who brought me to the hospital. |
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| My sister who brought me to the hospital. |
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| My sister who brought me to the hospital. |
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| My sister who brought me to the hospital. |
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| My sister who brought me to the hospital and our eldest sister |
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| My sister who brought me to the hospital and our eldest sister |
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| Our mother. |
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| my brother |
I was accompanied by my family during the process which actually boosted my confidence and strength to keep holding on.
I only stayed 2 days in the hospital because they saw that I'm getting fine already so I can just take the medicines orally at home and no need to take it through dextrose. I was discharged at 5PM April 17, 2018 and was able to reached home at 9PM due to heavy traffic.
I know this is just mild case of hospitalization but it will forever stay in my mind that I should not be very leeway when it comes to my health. We should not take advantage of our health. We should take always seek medical attention immediately once we feel anything unusual to our body specially if we only rely to our own body to live. Lets take good care of our selves all the time and practice healthy lifestyle before its too late. I hope you picked something educative in my story and may you have a healthy lifestyle as well. Thanks.
Regards,
InMyEx
