Looking forward

Today must be a good day, yeah! Mang Boy is now being prepped for the CABG, shaved and lined. Still, we can't help but think still about the risks the doctors told us yesterday. His case is quite different from the others and risks must be managed really well. We were also told that the surgery must be finished within three hours. He must be extubulated within 48 hours and must recover fast for the TEVAR aneurysm repair within the next ten days.

Everything now is at the hands of the surgical team. God bless them.

I pray that he will get through this first stage without a glitch. I pray that his aorta will not act out and his other organs stay cool and dandy, yeah!

Mang Boy and our hopeful hearts

Two weeks. This is how long we have been in two hospitals. Not counting the previous hospital stays these past few months. But no, it's not about me... it's my father-in-law, Mang Boy. The most awesome father-in-law one could ever have and I consider myself so much luckier than most for having him as my in-law.

He had heart attacks, three times this year. Once last year. He was advised by our cardiologist to undergo angiogram since two years back, but he opted not to. He felt that his illness was not very concerning and the mindset of "if-it's-my-time-then-so-be-it", he would simply shrug off all of our suggestions. He would continue smoking. Three packs a day that is for the past 53 years. For that long, he considered smoking as his ultimate happiness.

Last June, he had his first COPD induced heart attack. We thought that was it but the man is a fighter and he survived after three days intubated in the ICU. Last October, he was rushed again for another round of COPD induced heart attack, twice in the span of five days. The second attack was quite fortunate because it happened a day after he went out of the ICU. These events prompted him to take his illness seriously. He agreed for an angiogram and a possible angioplasty.

We took him to Manila Doctors Hospital last week for the operation. The result was not really favorable that he is suggested to have a heart bypass (or CABG) instead as soon as possible. His Left Anterior Descending (LAD) is totally occluded and the others are blocked by more that 50%, the reason why his heart fails when his lungs are weak. As he was prepared for the heart bypass, my wife suddenly had a hunch about the hospital. Of course, MaDocs as it is, we cannot say that the hospital is not capable of taking care of Mang Boy and considering the credentials of the cardiologist and the thoracic surgeon, he must be in good hands. But then, her instincts led us to talk to some friends, to our doctor friends and finally we took the matter to our family cardiologist, Dr. JD Foronda. He then referred us to Dr. Pio Purino at the Philippine Heart Center (PHC).

We took him there last Monday, 25 November. Man, the hospital is impressive! The buildings maybe old but the system here and the facility are all high tech. Anyway, he had to be rechecked all over again superceding some tests done on him at MaDocs, including X-ray and 2D Echo and voila!!! His surgeons decided to defer the bypass until they can confirm what the radiologist interpreted on X-ray... aneurysm at the aorta. He had to undergo CT Aortigram last night and yes it is confirmed. This left us wondering how come the aneurysm was not detected in his previous x-rays in three different hospitals the past two years! His 2D Echo result here also canceled out MaDocs interpretation of 55% EF. PHC interprets it as 38%! 

The surgical team talked to us this morning. They were frank and straightforward. They explained to us the extent of the aneurysm and the risks of the surgery and all. At the end of it all, we still have to go on with the bypass, triple bypass that is, and the intervention of the aorta as soon as he is fit enough... and it should be done within seven to ten days after the bypass surgery. The consolation for us right now is that Mang Boy has a good chance of going through. The intervention of the aorta is not going to be surgical but instead the thing they call TEVAR. Less invasive, the better, but still there is a risk of giving so much stress to his kidneys. But that is not the concern right now, at least.

So tomorrow is the big day. Mang Boy will have his heart bypass. Hoping and praying hard for the best. Surely he will get through this. He is more motivated now than before and this is a very good sign. He wants to see his grandkids grow up, he told us.

So why did the other hospitals missed the aneurysm? Well, Dr. Purino told us last monday, "There is only one Philipine Heart Center." Of course, they are no gods but surely they will do whatever is best for their patients.

We would like to thank the family and friends who prayed with us in these trying times. To family and friends who took their time off just to give a part of their own for Mang Boy. You guys are awesome! Surely, your efforts will not go in vain. God bless you guys!

And please guys... SMOKING is really not good for you and for the people around you. It's not too late to STOP yeah!

CABG information here... Viewer discretion is advised.

TEVAR information here...
Philippine Heart Center information here...

Bohol politics... full of crabs

I am a boholano... This article posted from the Philippine Daily Inquirer and this story makes me sick big time! No wonder Bohol is one of the most Backward Province of the Philippines. The governor is one of the most backward Boholano ever!

Boom Boom's village loses road project after boxer's loss

By Jhunnex NapallacanVisayas BureauFirst Posted 07:06pm (Mla time) 08/12/2007Filed Under: Boxing, Regional authorities

CEBU CITY -- The shocking defeat of Rey "Boom-boom" Bautista by Mexico's Daniel Ponce de Leon did not only sadden his fellow Boholanos. It also cost his village a cemented road.
A dismayed Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado said that the plan to cement the provincial road going to Barangay Can-uling, Bautista's home village in the town of Candijay, would not push through -- for now.

Aumentado admitted that before the fight, he promised the young Boholano boxer that the road would be cemented but only if he won.

In fact, Aumentado said, he had ordered the provincial engineering office to draw up a work program for the project that would run for least a kilometer and would cost P7 million.
But since Bautista lost the fight, and was, in fact, the only loser among six Filipino boxers in the World Cup against Mexico, there would be no cemented road leading to Boom-boom's village.
For now, at least, the governor said.

He said he would push through with the cementing project if Bautista would become a champion in the future.

"If Boom-boom becomes a champion, I will fulfill my commitment that I will have the road passing through his barangay in Can-uling cemented. Right now, it's a no go," Aumentado said.
"Maybe later… Let's wait for the time when he becomes champion. And I am hopeful that he still has a bright future in boxing," the governor said in Cebuano in a telephone interview.
Aumentado, who watched the fight on television, said he was dismayed that Bautista did not even last the first round.

But he said he shared the view of many Boholanos and others that at 21 years old, Bautista still had many more opportunities to recover from this defeat and become a champion.
Aumentado said even ring icon Manny Pacquiao suffered defeats before he achieved fame.
He said Bautista’s lack of experience could be a factor in his defeat.

Still, Boholanos were happy because another Boholano, AJ "Bazooka" Banal, won, he said.
But Aumentado was miffed by the error of the boxing announcer who said that Banal came from "Cebu, Philippines" when he hailed from Corilla, Bohol.

Aumentado said Banal would receive a reward on his return. He said that Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim personally went to Sacramento in the United States to support the Boholano boxers.
In Iloilo City, Ilonggos glued to television and radio sets rejoiced at the near-sweep of Filipino boxers over their Mexican opponents.

"I was disappointed that Boom Boom lost ... but I'm still happy that we got the World Cup title," said Saldy Tabanda, 32, a layout artist.

Iloilo-based international boxing referee Alex Vidal said the 5-1 win of the Filipino boxers showed that "we should not focus all our attention on Manny Pacquiao."
"If all poor athletes are given the same opportunity, they can also give glory to the country," said Vidal.

"Because of boxing, we are being noticed worldwide despite all the bad news in the country. We can win our first Olympic gold medal if we focus on and pour our funds in boxing," he said.
Vidal said the Filipino boxers were considered underdogs before they went into the ring against their Mexican opponents.

"Gerry's win was really dramatic. Imagine, a 35-year-old becoming world champion again," said Vidal.

The fight for Peñalosa was his last shot at keeping up his career, added Bacolod City Rep. Monico Puentevella.