It’s been a week now since I got discharged from the hospital, after my 2-year-old "alaga" has been removed. I was not able to write about my hospital experience immediately after I was discharged since I was still busy catching up with the "outside world" after being "imprisoned" inside room 529 of St. Luke’s for 4 days. Nonetheless, the experience I had while I was confined, was something to blog about.
I got admitted last Good Friday afternoon, all hair-raising blood exams (i.e. CBC, Blood-Clotting time, and another blood-related test which I can’t remember) was done during the evening of Good Friday. Felt I was like having my own version of the Passion of the Christ, after needles were pinned on me, and several vials of blood were extracted for testing. Wasn’t able to sleep that night because I know, another horrific experience is yet to come the next day. No, it wasn’t the surgery itself (I would be in dreamland during the surgery due to the anesthesia), it was the IV (intravenous) attachment.
Black Saturday came early for me. The nurse woke me up at around 5:00AM to inform me that the interns would come in at around 6:00AM for the much-dreaded IV. Took a bath, put on the hospital gown (felt like I was one of the ghost in the movie 13 Ghosts), and psyched myself that the IV won’t hurt, it was just like being bitten by a bee - a bee as big as Jollibee!! Oh my God!!!! At 6:00AM, the interns came and tried to attach the IV. Tried to attach it first on my right hand. I suddenly felt that there was a stinging sensation from my right hand as I saw blood ooze from one busted nerve. The intern told me that they have to try it on the left hand, since the nerve on the right erupted. Dammit! If murder was legal in the Philippines, that intern would definitely be my first victim!! Fortunately, he (the intern) was able to find a suitable nerve on my left hand and attach the IV without much problem.
Then came the people from the OR. They were definitely more friendly than the intern who attached my IV. Perhaps, they had to be friendly to calm patients, like me, who are very much agitated because of the impending surgery. I stayed in the recovery room for about 2 hours, waiting for my turn. I was already sleepy that time, having depriving myself of sleep the night before because of the IV paranoia. But I am "preserving" my sleep for the operation. The resident anesthesiologists in the OR were very accommodating and were very "cowboy", which made me feel very comfortable. At 9AM, it was my turn. As I entered the OR, I couldn’t help my tears from falling. Fear just suddenly crept in. It was good that my ENT, the residents, and even the interns in the OR were very reassuring, otherwise, I would have lost consciousness even without an anesthesia! After the GA (general anesthesia) was injected into the IV, and an anesthesia to numb my throat was sprayed in my mouth, I asked the anesthesiologist if I can already sleep since I can no longer prevent my eyes from drooping. She agreed and once again reassured me that everything’s gonna be alright. It was like I was in a very deep slumber. I even dreamt that I was malling and shopping with my mom, and we were arguing which pair of shoes was better.
After what it seems like a very deep sleep, I heard a voice that yelled, "Cherick, gising na!! Cherick, GISING NA!!". I tried to open my eyes. It was 1:30PM. Wow! It took 4 hrs for the surgery to complete. I was still groggy when I was brought back to the recovery room, but was already quite conscious to hear everything. The right side of my neck and face was definitely very numb and heavy. It was as if 10 wads of tissue paper were padded on this side of my neck. Swallowing was quite difficult, altough I was able to do it. After about an hour, I was brought out of the recovery room, and back to my room. I panicked while I was in the elevator because I had a very terrible vomitting spell. The resident who was with me, told me it was normal. I was spitting out the anesthesia that was sprayed into my mouth earlier. He also informed me that I could already drink and eat, that I SHOULD in fact, eat and drink something, since I was on fasting since 12MN of Black Saturday, and my body could already be experiencing dehydration at that point. My first meals - water, arroz caldo from Goodah and Gatorade - were not that pleasant. I threw up whatever I took in - the food, the Gatorade, together with what remains of the spray anesthesia. I breathed a sigh of relief when my ENT made his rounds that night, and reassured my family and I that the surgery went well, that the lump was removed in its entirety, and what I was going through was my normal. The surgical dressing was also replaced that night, after the original dressing have been soaked in blood. Again, I wasn’t able to sleep that night, not because of the IV, but I was just plain scared that I might choke due to the thick dressing that was padded on my right neck. I managed to doze off at around 4:30AM of Easter Sunday, after my Mom woke up and assured me that she’ll be watching over me while I sleep.
Easter Sunday went well. Was able to jump back to my normal eating habits, without having to vomit whatever I took in. Was also getting used to the thick-and-numb-feeling on the right side of my neck, and the once-in-awhile pricking sensation that goes with the numb feeling. My tita’s from Rotary also paid me a visit. It was very comforting to know that people pray for you. It was also like a "resurrection" for me that Easter Sunday, having gone through a surgery ordeal the previous day, and knowing that I’m still able to see the sun the next day. It’s nice to feel the warmth of people who care and think about me even in their prayers. That night, ENT residents came in and changed the dressing. They were the same age bracket as I am. Having this common thing, they know how to calm my fear of pain and blood. Sunday night was also very good to me. After 3 days, I was finally able to see Zion again. Thank God, he was allowed inside the hospital premises. And though I cannot carry him yet, just being able to hug and kiss him brought tears of joy to my eyes. I knew I was going to be well soon.
Monday came. While reading my LOMA 290 book, the coordinator from Medicard came and checked on me. She was a friendly doctor, who made "chika" that the First Gentleman Mike Arroyo would be my neighbor since he will also stay in the same pavilion as I am. After she left, I noticed that were already a commotion in the hallways. People from St. Luke’s security, as well as MIB’s (Men In Barongs) with walkie-talkie radios were loitering in the hallways. I surely got the shock when I opened the door and all these MIB’s looked at me as if I have a bomb or grenade. Hello?!? First time to see a patient in a hospital?!? Tried to make a small chitchat with one of the security people from St Lukes. With a wink, he confirmed that the First Gentleman would definitely stay in the room at the end of the pavilion. I was also quite excited about Monday because my ENT gave his go-signal that I am to be discharged on Tuesday and he finally gave his nod to have the IV removed. YEHEY!!!!! Any digital nor traditional camera cannot capture the joy on my face when the IV was finally removed. It was pure bliss. Hahahaha! Monday night came, and I was so happy to see Zion again, and most of all, my best friend Weng visited me. She came in from Dubai last Saturday afternoon, and promised to "make bantay" by my hospital bed on Monday night. We had a very loooooong chikahan. We have only been apart for about a year and 3 mos, but our "chikahan" went soooooo long. It was as if we hadn’t talked to each other for 3 to 5 years! We slept at around 1:30AM. At around 3AM, we heard a knock from the door. It was my close friend Gerry, who came straight to the hospital from his nightshift duty as a therapist. I wasn’t expecting him to visit, knowing that he was too tired from his graveyard shift duty. If we were back in the old days, and if he isn’t currently a good close-friend, I would have given him 101 pogi-points for that. Hehehehehe… 
Weng, Gerry, and I chatted until about 4AM. We chatted and closely watched the TV about the FG’s open-heart surgery, and watched as dignitaries and VIP’s grazed the hallways. At 4:30AM, we finally decided to get some short sleep, as Gerry had to report for work Monday afternoon. They left at around 7:00AM, same time I finished my breakfast.
It was Tuesday, and I’m about to be discharged from St. Luke’s. My balikbayan uncle and cousin came to the hospital, together with my Mom and Dad. As my Mom was fixing my discharge papers and settling the hospital bills, my Dad and I stayed in the room, as we packed our stuff. Suddenly, we heard some noise from the hallways. Dad went out to check what it was. Since he got stuck with his chitchat, I tried to see who he was talking to. To my GREAT surprise, it was the President herself, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, in the flesh!! While she passed by my room, my Dad (in his cheerful tone) greeted PGMA a sincere good morning and asked about the condition of the FG. Like an old friend, PGMA willingly chatted with my Dad about the improving condition of FG Mike Arroyo. She even asked who was the patient being accompanied by my Dad. At this point, my Dad introduced me to her excellency. I was really flattered when PGMA asked me how I was doing, and how my surgery went. She even wished me a "get-well-soon" message, to which I can really feel her sincerity. For about 1-2 minutes, I felt like I was a VIP! Hehehehe… =)
As we left St. Luke’s, I felt very thankful of my "new life". Many thanks to God, my family (including my extended family from Rotary), and my friends for always being there for me, and for supporting me throughout this surgery ordeal. I would also like to thank the very patient nurses, residents, and interns assigned to the 5th floor of St. Luke’s, who were able to pacify me during my "takot-ako-sa-dugo-at-needles-panic" attacks. Two-thumbs-up also to my ENT, Dr. Raymond Jurilla and to the resident anesthesiologist Dr. Tombogo who were very reassuring, and to whom I entrusted my life for 4 grueling hours. Many thanks to you all, even to PGMA, for her "get-well-soon" wish. Hehehehe… =)
