11. Dra. Amelia Poblete did not give me an early Caesarian. (as advised by Dra. Alice Sy.) Instead she waited for me to reach my full term. I counted the days till I knew my babies wouldn’t be born prematurely. On March 17, after my weekly check-up turned out all nicely, I was happy and confident that I could give birth anytime soon to full term babies. In the early morning of March 20, 1987, my water bag leaked. My brother Jun (aka William) and his wife Jean brought me to Cardinal Santos Hospital. At the hospital, I was immediately prepared for ceasarian operation. I was manifesting some kind of labor intervals. The doctor arrived very quickly. As the oxygen mask was put on my face, I thought of saying the rosary mentally. I began with the apostle‘s creed but I couldn’t seemed to finish the prayer. So I switched to “Hail Mary”, but I was falling in and out of consciousness, instead I reiterated on the phrase “pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death, amen.”
Coming in and out of consciousness, I could hear the doctors and nurses talking. “Parang plastic balloon.” They we were talking about how thin and transparent my uterus was. They could see through the babies inside. I kept on praying.....”Pray for us sinners, now.”, “Pray for us sinners, now.”
The first wail came, “It’s a baby girl!”
After a minute interval, another cry. “Another baby girl!
I was so very happy to hear both babies cried. I forced a smile on my lips to let the doctors and nurses know I was conscious. I could go back to sleep now. But I was still getting in and out of consciousness The next thing I knew, they were preparing me for blood transfusion. Then I heard Dra. Amelia Poblete talking to Jean, my sister-in-law, asking her consent to do a hysterectomy. They were having a hard time suturing me back to place because of massive adhesion and profuse bleeding. Jean stammered for an answer, but I was quick to answer for myself. “Yes, yes, yes!” I said loudly. Accordingly, the procedure took more than three hours to finish.
When I woke up in my private room, I was in so much pain. A private nurse was assigned to me because I requested for it before the operation. (Lucas and the children were still in Cotabato. The children were having their final exams.) Every time I woke up, I kept on asking for pain reliever. I didn’t even know as to when I bit on my teeth so hard, that my capped molar cracked. I tell you, the pain from the cracked tooth was as painful as my operational wound. My gums and cheek got terribly swollen too.
Martha was born 5.14 lbs and Marion at 5.10. Both babies were fine and healthy. After the examination in CCI, Lucas and my three boys quickly went to Manila to be with us. I slowly recovered from my delivery and hysterectomy. I stayed two months to fully recuperate in Manila, then went home to Cotabato City. I hired a midwife and a nursemaid to take care of my twins. I opted not to teach the next school year, but I was not worrying. God saw me through the ordeal and more. Thank you very much, my God!!!
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Miracles of Prayers, Part Three.....
10. My fourth pregnancy was difficult. I lost a lot of weight during my first trimester. I generally felt a heaviness on the left side of my abdomen. I kidded Lucas. “What if they were twins?” He replied in jest. “That would be absurb.”
After my first trimester, I went to Manila for a check up. This time around, I thought of looking for a Catholic doctor, hoping to be delivered in a Catholic hospital; for could anything ever happen to me, I wanted to be administered by a Catholic priest. Through the recommendation of my sister-in-law Jean, I consulted Dra. Amelia Poblete at Cardinal Santos Hospital. Upon examination, the doctors said ( Both Dr. Sy and Dr. Poblete, as I went to see both of them at different times.) that my abdomen was beyond three months. I was way on the fifth month according to them, but I could not be wrong. Instead I was told to do a sonogram to determine the fetal age. So I went to UST Hospital for the ultra sound procedure. Upon lying down, the technician first asked me “Mrs, may lahi ba kayong kambal?” Which means “Do you have twins in your genealogy?”
“ No, why?”
“Because the sonogram showed you’re carrying twins.”
“ Hah? Hah? Where? Where?” “How do you know?” I was apprehensive.
“Here......” The technician showed me pictures I could not even understand.
“Here, listen to the strong heart beat.” He said.
“Where is the other heart beat?” I quickly added.
“Here, they have both healthy heart beats.”
Thus I was comforted and assured that both babies were fine. I was happy, I was scared. I could not understand the mixture of feelings inside of me. I shed both happy and frightened tears. I did not know what to do.
People were however happy for me, not knowing the danger I was facing. Dra. Alice Sy wrote an advance notice to whoever my next doctor would be, to which I forwarded to Dra. Amelia Poblete. Her advice....“for early Ceasarian due to massive adhesion.”
In Cotabato, people were kind to me, specially my mother-in-law, the school principal and my co-teachers. I continued to teach at CCI and tutored my children at home. One day, my mother-in-law saw me tutoring Emil while lying down on the bed. She told me if I was feeling tired, maybe I need to hire a tutor instead; but I just wanted to tutor my own kids. It saved a lot of tutoring fees. Hahaha, besides Lucas was always helping me, specially in Math and Chinese subjects. I was also advised by doctors not to climb too many flights of stairs, and so my class was brought down from the second floor to the first floor even though I did not personally request for it.
When I was nearing my sixth month, Dr. Ignacio Yap, (my children’s pediatrician) saw me at South Seas Trading. He advised me to leave for Manila early and not wait for the full term. When I consulted Dra. Annabelle Buenaflor (local gynecologist) for prenatal care. She advised me the same thing. She said she was more concerned about the babies because twin births had tendency to premature and Cotabato City had only one incubator for two hospitals. The other incubator was out of order and had not been replaced yet. Infact two or three more babies at the moment were sharing one incubator.
So, even though I did not like to leave my three young boys, who were still schooling in Cotabato, but I heeded the advice of the two good doctors and enplaned for Manila, leaving the kids under the care of Lucas and my mother-in-law. My tummy was so big, the airline thought I was in full term, but I brought all the necessary papers showing that I was on the second trimester only. Indeed I was big, my abdomen was way up high near my chest, I had difficulty breathing lying down on my back. In Manila I stayed at Balete Drive with my maiden family. My father was still living and in good physical health then. I prayed everyday, for besides my own safety, I was also concerned about finances. How can Lucas and I cope with five children. I opened the Bible almost everyday, to read verses from St. Matthew:
”Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest and do not store food in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than them?”........
”Look at the flowers in the fields how they grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his wealth was clothed like one of these.”...............
“Do not worry and say: What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? Or: what shall we wear?”...........
“Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks. Would any of you give a stone to your son when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish?As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask him! “
To be continued...........
After my first trimester, I went to Manila for a check up. This time around, I thought of looking for a Catholic doctor, hoping to be delivered in a Catholic hospital; for could anything ever happen to me, I wanted to be administered by a Catholic priest. Through the recommendation of my sister-in-law Jean, I consulted Dra. Amelia Poblete at Cardinal Santos Hospital. Upon examination, the doctors said ( Both Dr. Sy and Dr. Poblete, as I went to see both of them at different times.) that my abdomen was beyond three months. I was way on the fifth month according to them, but I could not be wrong. Instead I was told to do a sonogram to determine the fetal age. So I went to UST Hospital for the ultra sound procedure. Upon lying down, the technician first asked me “Mrs, may lahi ba kayong kambal?” Which means “Do you have twins in your genealogy?”
“ No, why?”
“Because the sonogram showed you’re carrying twins.”
“ Hah? Hah? Where? Where?” “How do you know?” I was apprehensive.
“Here......” The technician showed me pictures I could not even understand.
“Here, listen to the strong heart beat.” He said.
“Where is the other heart beat?” I quickly added.
“Here, they have both healthy heart beats.”
Thus I was comforted and assured that both babies were fine. I was happy, I was scared. I could not understand the mixture of feelings inside of me. I shed both happy and frightened tears. I did not know what to do.
People were however happy for me, not knowing the danger I was facing. Dra. Alice Sy wrote an advance notice to whoever my next doctor would be, to which I forwarded to Dra. Amelia Poblete. Her advice....“for early Ceasarian due to massive adhesion.”
In Cotabato, people were kind to me, specially my mother-in-law, the school principal and my co-teachers. I continued to teach at CCI and tutored my children at home. One day, my mother-in-law saw me tutoring Emil while lying down on the bed. She told me if I was feeling tired, maybe I need to hire a tutor instead; but I just wanted to tutor my own kids. It saved a lot of tutoring fees. Hahaha, besides Lucas was always helping me, specially in Math and Chinese subjects. I was also advised by doctors not to climb too many flights of stairs, and so my class was brought down from the second floor to the first floor even though I did not personally request for it.
When I was nearing my sixth month, Dr. Ignacio Yap, (my children’s pediatrician) saw me at South Seas Trading. He advised me to leave for Manila early and not wait for the full term. When I consulted Dra. Annabelle Buenaflor (local gynecologist) for prenatal care. She advised me the same thing. She said she was more concerned about the babies because twin births had tendency to premature and Cotabato City had only one incubator for two hospitals. The other incubator was out of order and had not been replaced yet. Infact two or three more babies at the moment were sharing one incubator.
So, even though I did not like to leave my three young boys, who were still schooling in Cotabato, but I heeded the advice of the two good doctors and enplaned for Manila, leaving the kids under the care of Lucas and my mother-in-law. My tummy was so big, the airline thought I was in full term, but I brought all the necessary papers showing that I was on the second trimester only. Indeed I was big, my abdomen was way up high near my chest, I had difficulty breathing lying down on my back. In Manila I stayed at Balete Drive with my maiden family. My father was still living and in good physical health then. I prayed everyday, for besides my own safety, I was also concerned about finances. How can Lucas and I cope with five children. I opened the Bible almost everyday, to read verses from St. Matthew:
”Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow, they do not harvest and do not store food in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than them?”........
”Look at the flowers in the fields how they grow. They do not toil or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his wealth was clothed like one of these.”...............
“Do not worry and say: What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? Or: what shall we wear?”...........
“Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives; whoever seeks, finds; and the door will be opened to him who knocks. Would any of you give a stone to your son when he asks for bread? Or give him a snake, when he asks for a fish?As bad as you are, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more, then, will your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask him! “
To be continued...........
Friday, September 11, 2020
Miracles of Prayers, Part Two....
7. In 1986, my husband Lucas wanted to go to USA and Canada to visit his brothers Antonio and Domingo. The planned visit would take about a month to travel and tour. I did not like to go that far nor that long, since the kids were still very young, Roy being 11 years old, Tom was 9 and Emil 7. But Lucas said, if I won’t go, he would go by himself. That settled the issue. And so I prepared, way ahead of time, on how to leave the children in good hands while we traveled to America. Lucas and I left for USA in May when the children were on school vacation. I left them in Manila with my brother William and sister-in-law Jean at Balete Drive, Quezon City. I assigned Naning Bolodo, their yaya, to take care of them. I hired a young student from the University of the Philippines to give them Math and Reading home service tutorials. While their cousins attended summer classes in Binondo, I gave instruction that my children were not to go that far for summer classes. I also gave instruction that the summer tutorial class at home was specially for my kids only, as per request by the UP tutor. He did not like outside disturbances while conducting his classes. Alas, because I wasn’t around that summer to bring them out, my three young boys had a long boring vacation. A blessing in disguise though, instead, they looked forward to their daily tutorials everyday. The young tutor was innovative, he brought comic books for them to read. I, on the other hand was full of worry during my trip, specially concerning Roy’s physical health condition. However, I donned on my hope and trust and faith in the Lord each day. I prayed my rosary on the bus, or on the plane, or at the hotel room. Furthermore, the one month tour was even extended for another half month. I held on to my rosary everyday and prayed for my children. Miraculously, even though my children had the most boring summer vacation ever, yet no incidents or illnesses transpired during the whole of that summer. Roy was asthma free and continued to be healthy for a duration of 8 months since we left Cotabato. Thank you O Lord! Thank you my God for taking care, and taking very good care of them while we were away. I love you my God!!! The rosary indeed was and is powerful. Thank you so very very much!!!
8. Lucas and I came home from our tour in June, from which the school year had already begun. We brought the kids home to Cotabato. I was overwhelmed with catching up with my school work at CCI, at the same time catching up with my own children school loads too. By July, I missed my period. It had been 7 years since my last pregnancy.
9. The following is the history of my children’s birth, before the arrival of my twins:
a. Roy was born in 1975 in Cotabato City. I underwent classical Caesarian section. He weighted 8.6 pounds. I had a most traumatic experience during the course of my delivery and recuperation because of the crude methods they practiced at the hospital. Because of my traumatic experience in Cotabato during the birth of Roy, I decided to have my second child delivered in Manila.
b. Tomas my second baby was delivered in Manila on November 7, 1977. My new very efficient obi-gynecologist Dra. Alice Sy (God rest her soul) in Manila made a new incision. She deemed my previous classical operation and healing in Cotabato too crude. She delivered and gave me a low cervical Caesarian section instead. Tomas weighted 8.4 pounds. The doctor advised me that due to my very thin uterus and massive adhesion, I could only have one more baby henceforth.
b. Emil, my third son was born in Manila on September 5, 1979. I chose to be attended by the same efficient doctor, Dra. Alice Sy. It was supposed to be my third and last Caesarian delivery. I was advised for tubal ligation. Lucas and I were tasked to sign for the procedure. The doctor also prepared and readied the hospital for possible blood transfusions. But in the course of affixing my signature, I made a bargain with Dra. Sy. I said, maybe she could possible save me for another baby. Probably I would like to have another baby again in 5 years time. She dismissed me out rightly that I would be in grave danger to have another pregnancy, besides I would be too old already in five years time according to her. Astounded because I was only 28 years old then. But, okay; the doctor knew best, so my husband and I consented and signed. Yet, right after the Caesarian operation, when I was in semi consciousness, Dra. Alice Sy whispered in my ear...”It’s a baby boy, and I did not have you ligated.”
To be continued.......
To be continued.......
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