Life in the Hospital

There's much to be desired when living in a hospital. You yearn for home-cooked food, your own bed, your loved one to be home well and safe. Thankfully, though, the human body and spirit adapt well to change. And so we begin our routine in the hospital.

Dad now has his own adjustments, and we all have to keep up. New relatives flying in or watching over him for the first time are alarmed at all the tubes, alarms, beeps and sounds that go on around him. The nurses' faces become more and more familiar; you basically know when the attending physicians will be doing their rounds. (However, my aunts, cousins and I have yet to find our own version of McDreamy/ McSteamy). As dad progresses, the routine constantly changes. For now, it consists of joking around, massaging his hands, his legs, his nape, his back. we talk to him, make him write; we read magazines when he sleeps. We sleep during the day, we have our favorite dishes at Floating Island restaurant.

However, during the quiet moments, you become more aware of how great the little things that you used to think were mundane. For instance, I tried the Filipino Rice at Floating Island (a yummy concoction of rice, tinapa, salted egg and tomatoes) and thought about how my dad would LOVE it and how I couldn't wait for him to get really really well so he could have just a little bite of it. I thought about my old routine--getting up, seeing him at the breakfast table reading the newspapers, and talking to him. Granted, I still talk to him a lot now. It's just that things are a little different. A little more quiet, perhaps. Maybe a little more poignant, even.

My brother and I are deeply touched at the prayers and visitors. And for those that commend us on how vigilant and dutiful we are--please don't. You all have experienced the joy of being Manolo's friend. Now imagine him as a father--wouldn't you do the same thing?

Once again, let's continue the prayers. The journey's not over!

Rollercoaster Ride

Despite the large hurdle that we overcame last night, Papa still has a lot of challenges to face before him. Aside from pneumonia (which is a normal occurrence due to the breathing tube), his blood pressure and temperature are incredibly erratic. We are incredibly optimistic on his recovery, however. Prayers and support are very much needed.

The hardest question came from my dad this evening. "What do I do now?", he scribbled with his pen. Imagine your mind racing at 100 million miles per minute, but your body cannot follow. Knowing my dad, he is frustrated. He is Papa. The Boss. The guy who scares off boyfriends by a simple glare over the newspaper. The guy who barks orders in the morning: "Edith! Sapatos ko!". The guy who cracks stupid jokes. The workaholic. The provider. The chick magnet. (Hehe). And now, he is the man who is sick.

I simply told him that his job, now, is to rest. It's our job to take care of him and make sure he gets better. I just hope he relaxes and lets us do the work. I just hope he realizes that he is still all that: Papa. The Boss. The Joker. The Tito. The Grandfather-to-be. The Friend. the Provider. The Workaholic. The Chick Magnet. It's just that right now, he is sick. But he will get better, and he will back to his old self.

The Surgery-Dad's condition, before and after

On Monday, 26 October 2009 at 9pm, Manolo Aquino went under the knife to take out a blood clot in his brain. This was also to prevent a herniation of the clot, which could have damaged the brain stem. Through prayers, and the talented team of surgeons that attended to him, we got the call at about 1130 pm from Dr Santiago declaring that his surgery was successful, and it went smoothly AND quickly. (Imagine the collective sighs of relief from me, my brother, my cousin, my grandmother, and my aunts!)

My brother Adrian was the first person to attend to my dad after the surgery. I followed right after. I was surprised to find Dad awake, and more alert. Apparently, he hadn't slept!

Papa has been lucid, responsive and communicative the whole time after the attack. However, post-surgery, we have already noticed a number of significant improvements. Pre-surgery, his requests were mostly for random cravings, including coke, juice, fish and rice, etc. He mostly complained about his aches and pains.

Now, Papa has been enumerating his maintenance medicines, down to the last detail. He has inquired about his blood sugar and insulin. He has asked what day it was, which hospital he is at, what time it was, etc. He has asked to draw the curtains around his bedside back. I won't be surprised if he asks me to wipe the smears and fingerprints on the glass door.

Makulit ang tatay ko, as always. But this I know for sure--we are SO HAPPY that he is so wonderfully kulit right now. :-)

Hospitality

My family and I have spent a lot of time in the hospital. As such, we have collectively gathered some observations about Makati Medical City:

1. This hospital is a maze. Seriously. You have no idea where you're going, where to turn, or how to get there. Floating Island is no longer where it was, but it looks much nicer.

2. All families in the ICU have that same, haven't-slept-yet, don't-give-a-damn-about-it look. The hallway of the ICU is a little depressing, actually. Aside from disheveled, barely bathed individuals loitering the halls (aka family members who have kept bedside vigil), you sometimes hear fits of crying too.

3. Even though this room rate costs much more than a stay at a hotel, we do not necessarily get the same amenities. Why can't they put in couches that are at least as long as a person, so the person can lie down comfortably?

4. After realizing that one of my dad's doctors was kinda cute, Married Aunt wanted to use Single Aunt as payment and gratitude. Hahahahahahahhahaha. I have yet to find a doctor, however, that looks like Dr Alex Karev from Grey's Anatomy. (Malandi pa rin).

On another note, my family and I would like to thank the many helpful doctors and nurses who have made this stay a little more bearable:

-Dr Ebreo from the ER, who picked up my dad from the office, attended to him, and even dropped him off in the ICU unit.

-I forgot the name of the Senior ER Resident, a very nice lady who was incredibly patient with us hysterical folk. Her voice was calming, soothing, yet authoritative.

-Nurse EJ, whose patience and bedside manner were absolutely fantastic. She was very attentive and would come right away when called. Amazing lady.

-Drs. Villanueva, Villavicencio, Ordonez--the residents on the floor of the ICU.

Papa seems to be doing very well. :-)

Welcome to Manolo's Road to Recovery

At Friday, 3:30 pm, Manolo Aquino collapsed in his office, due to what we now know as a hemorrhagic stroke in his right temporal lobe. As of now, he is confined in the Neuro ICU in Makati Medical Center. Visitors are very limited.

Messages to his mobile phone are most welcome. I read your messages to him, and it seems to calm him down.

Right now, dad is intubated and cannot speak. However, he is very responsive and can communicate very well. His left side is quite weak, but he can fully move his right side.

So far, these are the things my dad can do:

1. He can open both eyes, and follow you around with his eyes.

2. He is also able to recognize you, who you are, etc.

3. His sense of humor is intact.

4. He is able to grip a pen and scribble his thoughts, feelings, etc.

5. He constantly asks for things that he cannot have. Like water, or coca-cola.

6. He keeps indicating that he wants his breathing tube out.

The messages of prayers and love keep coming in. We, his family, very much appreciate this. Thank you all.

I will try to update this blog as soon as I can. However, for real-time updates, please view the twitter website: www.twitter.com/manologetswell.

Leave your comments on this site too, and I'll make sure to read them to Papa. Continue to pray for his speedy recovery. :-)