Last March 15, a date marked in Ancient Rome as the dreaded Ideas of March when senators assassinated Emperor Julius Caesar, I too had my Ides of March moment when my complicated health problems collaborated to give that “one foot in the grave” feeling in your gut.
My health episode all had to happen too on Holy Week.
Let me give you an idea of the medical challenge:
1. My problem with the enlargement of the heart, the ailment that claimed my younger brother Richard’s life in 2008, took a turn for the worse. I had a weak left side muscle. A weakened anterior front heart muscle now worsens the weakened heart.
2. This is on top of my chronic kidney problem, diabetes, hypertension, bone cancer and constricting arteries that worsen heart and kidney functions. These are excellent reasons for going and we thought we saw that happening last March 15 — The Ides of March, no less — when I felt a massive loss of energy and stamina from my body.
3. A week later, during a sumptuous March 22 buffet lunch at the Sofitel, Executive Secretary (ES) Jojo Ochoa and Cabinet Secretary (Cabsec) Rene Almendras couldn’t believe their eyes when they witnessed my uncharacteristic indifference to the premium duck foie gras that Sofitel served its distinguished diners. That’s how bad I felt.
Last March 23, I checked in at Makati Medical Center for tests and emergency coping mechanisms to decongest the heart and lungs. From an average fluid output of 2,100 ml over a 24-hour cycle, my kidney production is down to 110 ml. That is what is causing the heart and lungs to congest.
The urgency in the tone of my doctors when they advised me to immediately check in at the Ma... More..
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