Hello everybody! How are you? Ako, I’m great! As always :-) .

I took a leave from work yesterday. Because yesterday, I went through a surgery that knocked me out for a couple of hours.

I found out about my medical condition through a series of medical examinations in connection with my employment. Within two weeks of discovering the need for my surgery, I took the necessary tests and confirmed my surgical appointment for Oct 24.

Through these past three days, I am thankful for many things.

• I am thankful that I discovered the need for this corrective surgery.
• I am thankful for my current company for the medical benefit that covers a huge part of the medical expenses.
• I am thankful for my manager and friend, A, who challenges me to do better and supports and understands me when I need her help. I am thankful for my team mates and friends at work who said prayers and supported me in many other ways.
• I am thankful for my PSI family especially Tita Vickie for the prayers and white light as I was going through my surgery. Thank you Tita Vickie and Tito Sonny for visiting me at the hospital, I really appreciate it!
• I am thankful for my doctor, Doc Allen Reyes, for the very successful operation and the clarity and patience in helping me understand the surgery I went through. Thanks, friend! I thank the staff of St. Luke’s who have been very professional, very courteous and amiable. I’m glad their patient with the kulit patient they had named Edwin.
• I am thankful for Jorey and Noee, my bestfriends-couple for the always humorous conversations. Glad you were here, mga kapatid!
• I am thankful for my honey who stayed by my side through this whole experience. Huuuuug! Thanks for the lugaw and chocnut and for a whole lot more!
• I am thankful for my dad, mom and kuya eric who took time out from their normal days to be with me through this surgery. Dad and mom have always been there in the most important parts of our lives. I thank you for being there and I love you so much! Atchi and kelmer, thanks for the prayers and the moral support!
• And to the many relatives and friends who said their prayers for me and sent their warm wishes.

I am recovering well.

It was a unique experience what I went through. It was very pleasant getting my treatment at St. Luke’s. I feel like I’m in a hotel! Very clean place, very pleasant staff. I am blessed to have the medical coverage for St. Luke’s.

I remember being quite excited coming into the operating room. I was scanning the place as they rolled me into the operating room on my hospital bed. I remember they strapped me unto the bed and started connecting so many tubes and devices on my chest and arms. They put a hairnet on me and taped on a sterile cap on my head, telling me it was a “hair spa”. Hehehe!  I’m sure they were jolly partly because they saw I was jolly. I remember the oxygen mask and the smell pleasant smell. Ahhh, so this is what it’s like to inhale oxygen. Reminds me of the oxygen bars I’ve seen on TV or heard about through friends.

I remember my Anesthesiologist (aka “Anes”, sounds like “Honest”) positioning me on my side like in the fetus position. She warned me of the pain I would feel on my back as she put in something to make my lower body numb. It was a tingling feeling. That’s almost the last that I could remember.

I remember waking up in the middle of the surgery, I think, but dozing off quite quickly as well.

Next thing I remember I was at the recovery section of the OR. I couldn’t feel my feet, legs and butt. I remember the nurses coming and going, checking on my vital signs and the pain reliever they gave through my IV.

I remember waking and dozing off. While awake, I would test how much of my legs I could feel, and to what extent I could move my legs and toes. I remember hearing my name and replying like a schoolboy “Present!” :D .

I’m up and about now. Although I still have two bottles of vodka … este IV and a pain reliever pinned to me, I able to walk and move around enough to write this article on my laptop.

I am blessed. I thank our good Lord for all the blessings and all the love I have been showered with. Bless my body which You have healed, bless my heart that continues to love and love life!

ka edong
loves life!