Miracles of Prayers, Part Four

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!!!