Continuation: Survivor's Tale

Continuation:

I tried to reach my hotel room without fainting. Praise God!

The next day I arrived home (Cebu), I didn't feel sick or I must say, I didn't think I was.😅 I was just very excited because the day after that was my brother's graduation day in college. Of course, I was thinking to attend one of the most special days in his life. However, on that day I woke up, my aunt was already there hugging me and trying to talk me out of it since I was very determined to attend the ceremony. She kept on telling me that we must go to the hospital. Yes, I was still unbelievably in denial that time. I didn't realize how thin I already was and how worried my family was when they first saw my appearance at the airport.

Upon looking at my aunt and my parents, there, everything sunk in. 😔 Like, " Am I really sick?" Hehe

Accordingly, my father and my aunt brought me to the hospital, while my mother and my siblings attended my brother's graduation ceremony. I was really sad that time, thinking how awful it would be to my brother. ☹️ It was supposed to be the day for merry making.

Anyway, I was admitted for 5 days in that hospital. I had ultrasound and underwent many lab tests again. The doctor decided I should undergo immediate overlap surgery because there was a big mass found in my left ovary and it was growing fast. 

She told me all the possible consequences of the surgery; I could totally lose my ovary, etc. Jusmeyo! I just covered myself with a blanket and cried my heart out silently when the doctor left the room. 

I was not prepared at all; mentally and emotionally. I couldn't bear thinking my tummy would be sliced into half and possibly, wouldn't have the chance to get pregnant.😬

So, I decided and told my parents I wanted to go home and get a second opinion. They agreed with me, but we did not go to another hospital yet. We still tried seeing quack doctors. In Cebu, we call it "binisaya." 

However, after about 2 weeks of having binisaya medication, the pains on my back were getting worse. 

That was the time when my parents decided to go to another hospital. I was not admitted right away, but I still had many laboratory tests first. For almost a month of waiting for many lab test results, I suffered from out of this world pains. And I already lost 10kilos; I looked horrible and seemed like dying.😁 

If you're curious about the pain, I'll rate it 1-10, 10 is the highest.

If I was still silent, it was 7 and below;

If I was teary, it was 8-9;

If I made a sound, it was 10.

Stomach pains usually started late in the afternoon, and the back pains started at night until 3 or 4 AM. So, basically, I couldn't sleep at night. I couldn't even lie down properly since the most painful part was my back. I could only sleep and rest in the morning. But, sometimes, I felt pain during the day and when it attacked I didn't want anyone to touch me or even the sofa I was sitting on. It was really crazy! I endured those pains for more than a month. 

On May 4, 2015, I was finally admitted and scheduled for an overlap surgery the next day, but it was moved to May 6, 2015. I was a bit disappointed because I was in a "fasting mode" for 5 days already. I was super hungry. 

Finally, the operation came and...........🤷‍♀️ Whaaat?!? 

The surgeons couldn't even penetrate my stomach and abdomen; they couldn't see my intestines, because they were covered by mass, and I had hemorrhage. According to the doctors, I was in the operating room for less than 2 hours, but it took me 15 hours in the recovery room. 

Right after I was moved back to my hospital bed, the doctors talked to my mother at the door. They thought I couldn't hear them since I closed my eyes and I seemed like sleeping. I heard them talking about cancer. 

My thoughts? 

In Bisaya: "Hah? Cancer?!? Mamatay na diay ko? Pataka lang mo!" 

In English: "What? Cancer? Am I already dying? You're all wrong!" 

The next day, I had many tests again, including CT-Scan with light something. Wow! I knew I was very sick, but I never lost hope. Not in a single minute I thought I would die. 

Before knowing the CT-Scan result, another tube was added into my body- an NGT, because my stomach had too much acid. By the time I could already drink something after the surgery, I vomited a lot. 

NGT was very painful!!!😭 It took more than two weeks before it was removed. That was why, my fasting period took almost three weeks- no food, no water. It was crazy! IV fluids were not really enough. 

Know what? That time, I realized that it's better not to be able to eat than not to be able to drink water. 

Fortunately, despite the fact that I was suffering from hunger and thirst, the good news came! 

My illness was curable!!! Yahooo... 

I remember how happy my family, my doctors, the nurses and even the utility staff in that hospital (who thought I would already die) were when the great news came.

Since there was too much abscess in my pelvic, it had to be drained through a pigtail catheter, and it was only removed after 3 months. Then, for one year, I had to take anti-tuberculosis tablets everyday, specifically an hour before breakfast. Imagine, I only weighed 27 or 28 kilograms that time, but I had to take three (3) 900mg tablets. 

Since the NGT was finally removed, I was able to eat a bit already and so I could start to take the medicine the next day. That was why we decided to go home the day after I first took the anti-tuberculosis tablets. However, that night was the most painful time in my life. Sobrang mas masakit pa sa lahat ng break-ups na naranasan ko.😬

My stomach was too painful that I felt like dying! I had been tolerating pains for many weeks, but that night was too much. I couldn't bear the excruciating pains anymore! My vision was already black, but I was fighting with myself not to faint because I was thinking I wouldn't wake up anymore once I would lose my consciousness. 

I remembered screaming asking for pain reliever, but the nurses wouldn't give me anymore for it hadn't been an hour that I had taken one. 

The doctors that time had an emergency meeting so, no one could attend me right away.😔 When the doctor finally came to me, I was already very exhausted that I couldn't move anymore. I remembered her asking where exactly the pain was and what kind of pain it was and I answered screaming, "Don't ask me anything doc! I'm dying of this pain! " 

Guess what they did. 

They injected me a pain reliever which is used after surgeries or operations. 

Was it successful? 

Not 100%...Once I already felt the liquid running in my veins, I also immediately felt the numbness of my body except my stomach and abdomen. For many hours, the pain was just lessened, but it did not totally disappear. I was awake the whole night. Consequently, the discharging was postponed. 

Fortunately, the days after that horrible night, I got okay. So, I was finally discharged. Yeheeey! 😀

BUT

The next day after we got home, a dying backpain attacked.😫 We thought, perhaps the bacteria was fighting back with the medicine. :) That kind of pain attacked again few days after that, then it lessened as days went by until no more. 😃 

I just became pretty "hairy" while taking the medicine,😅 because normally, I'm not hairy; on the legs, thighs and arms. They disappeared after my medication, though. 😊

REMEMBER:

MRI and CT-Scan are very helpful in determining health conditions especially if it's internal. Kaya kahit gaano pa man yan ka mahal, don't hesitate to undergo from those tests. 

Not undergoing from CT-Scan right away was my very regret. My tummy wouldn't have been cut big if I weren't hesitant and so focused on the growing mass in my left ovary. 

Even so, I am beyond grateful for the new life given to me. I am super blessed. ❤️

Most importantly, I want to say that in every battle we have, let's not forget to trust in the Lord. He is with us in our every fight. Let's not be swayed by negative thoughts, but be calm and strong mentally, emotionally and spiritually. 😇 

P. S. 

I can't even remember how many doctors I had in that hospital. They were so many who monitored my case and it was presented for a study after I was discharged. When I went back to the hospital for a follow-up check-up, the nurses who took care of me didn't recognize me anymore.😅 Ganun ako ka pangit nung na confined pa ako.😁😂