By Tedler D. Depaynos
Our engineer coffee mate whom we have not seen for quite some time apparently has lost weight and his handsome face apparently became thinner and his neck seemed to have grown longer. When we ordered coffee for him he preferred a bottle of alcoholized water because he said he missed it for quite sometime. It was still early morning so nobody accompanied him.
He then started relating his story.
He was then in Metro Manila accompanied by his wife attending a conference trying to earn some points so he could renew his PRC license. He mentioned some negative comments against Sen. Antonio Trillanes who authored the law making this a requirement. He hopes he will get incarcerated!
He has been experiencing very slight right chest pains from time to time lasting for seconds when suddenly his chest pain became severe radiating to his neck and left arm while driving. He tried tolerating it but then he found out that he could not breathe so he was rushed to a nearby Medical Center with his wife taking over the driving of the car. He was lucky they were near a Medical Center and was glad his wife knew how to drive because that was precisely why she forced her to. In case of emergency, the car would be useless if no one could drive it.
In the emergency room (ER), he was immediately given O2, intravenous fluids and extracted blood for lab examinations. After a pain killer was injected, an ECG and later a chest x-ray was done. Although he appeared losing consciousness, he was very much impressed how fast and detailed the ER personnel took care of him.
He was diagnosed to have a “heart attack” with probably a “blood clot” blocking one of his coronary arteries. The heart cells or muscle deprived of O2 (ischemic) could then die within a few hours so that an emergency catheterization with injection of dye or “angiogram” of the coronary arteries was done. If a blood clot was confirmed it could have been immediately removed using the same catheter. To insure the patency of the coronary artery, a stent could be placed. The procedure would then be called “angioplasty”. He was however, immediately thinking of the expenses!
He was given a second choice where IV “thrombolytics”” would be given to dissolve the blood clots but then he was advised that his case is an early occurrence and aggressively removing the blood clots and placing a stent is the ideal procedure before any complications occur. He was assured that the procedure would just be a routine one for the well trained specialist MDs. With the encouragement of his wife who was in tears and his two children who arrived later, he gave his consent.
He underwent the delicate procedure and when he regained consciousness, he was at the ICU with his wife and children alternately giving him company. He was later transferred to a private room where he stayed for several days before being discharged. He was extremely glad that his recovery was unremarkable. His heart recovered well and he developed no major complication like congestive heart failure and his breathing returned immediately to normal.
He was prescribed medicines to make his blood thinner to prevent blood clot formation, medicines to control his lipids and cholesterol as well as his hypertension and diabetis. He was advised to be careful with his diet and to start a gradual light exercise. He kept emphasizing the modern facilities of our hospitals now with young well trained MDs that saved his life. He consider himself a very “lucky heart attack patient”.
He spent a lot of his time at home recovering and started going to church often giving thanks to the Lord. He said the incident was a major warning.
Upon hearing his story one of our table mates suddenly took his unfinished bottle of alcoholized water and finished it for him. Actually, it was his first time to go downtown all alone.
LOURY’S BIRTHDAY
Actually, Florida “Loury” Villafuerte-Gatchalian came from the States for a month vacation visiting her sister. From her FB, she had a wonderful time touring the unique beautiful places and eating in exclusive restaurants making her adventure very memorable. Her sister left no idle time during her visit.
Initially, we were wondering why she was allowed to go on vacation alone leaving her husband and children and their busy enterprises.
Two weeks before “Loury” arrived back home, her children started preparing a surprise birthday party. The day after her arrival was her birthday so that when she was asked that they will have a family dinner at Supreme Hotel she had no hint of the preparations especially so that she has not yet recovered fully from her travel log. Going up the stairs, she noticed that the hall they were going to was dark but suddenly when the doors were opened, the lights were so bright especially with the crowd of friends greeting her Happy Happy Birthday!
Her joy was extreme and when her husband Jimmy gave her a bouquet of flowers, a shy kiss and tears followed. Her high school classmates from Baguio City High even presented an impromptu chorus and dance number which reminded her of their younger days. As part of the crowd, we then realized that her trip abroad was part and parcel of the joy her family wanted her to experience together with her birthday celebration. She is so blessed to have a wonderful family!
“Loury”, belated Happy Happy Birthday! **
