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by Philipina A. Marcelo
Like I said last Sunday, the past week had been a long one... long in silent hope for an affirmative answer for a prayed miracle. But God, indeed, is a
merciful God, I didn't get just one awesome miracle, He showed me many! Today, I got another one to add to that amazing chain of miracles - a great result from my surgical pathology report: zero life threat! :) Therefore, this is a day of great joy, not only for myself but for all my loved ones as well! While I decided to keep my quest for a miracle "private" then, I would be a remiss now if I didn't express my gratitude to those who, together served as channel, through which God sent his incredible love and merciful miracles my way. I felt absolutely loved and will be forever grateful!***
The Knights in white jackets
They wear white jackets rather than shining armors. But they are Knights - the gentle kind. They marched to big battles everyday... and they are relentless in conquering their enemy: illness... and sometimes death itself.
Last week, I entrusted my own life to a band of them "Knights in White", as I let them crush what was threatening to crush me and my
The University of Santo Tomas Hospitalfuture. I was confident that they will see me through it all, because they encouraged me to ask for help, and guidance for them, from Him - the One true and merciful God for whose amazing miracles and grace they valiantly fight... everyday.
It was a normal day for me... waking up early, eating breakfast, and then went through all my "usual" daily stuff, including writing an entry for this blog! :) But I had to make that "planned" trip to the UST hospital with my niece, who is a nurse and volunteered to accompany me - a true angel she is.
Because I love my freedom, I considered my stay in the hospital as a "detention", and my hospital room, my "detention cell". :) But even
My "detainee's kit". :) after a "name tag" was strapped around my right wrist, handed my detainee's kit, and showed to my "detention cell", everything still felt "normal" even when I knew that it was an "extra-ordinary" day. :) Even my vitals were normal as indicated by my initial check. My faith in God, the love from my family and good friends, and my confidence in my Knights lent me the steel courage to go through my "detention" period.
After about 24 hours since then, regaining consciousness in the Recovery Room, I realized that... I made it! I went through the surgery with my Knights in White and I made it back to life - a new life! Hopefully, a life with a healthier body. I then closed my eyes and uttered some heartfelt words of thanks to God. What I was feeling then was nothing short to truly incredible! :)
Another 48 hours and my fabulous Knights in White were satisfied at how I was healing. I knew that the road to recovery is long, but I was glad to be on track. As I listened to my Knights' positive assessment, I closed my eyes momentarily to whisper a small "thank you" to Him who sent these
Joy and salvation... just behind the clouds.wonderful people my way... and as I did so, I can feel the clouds dissipating from the sky above to allow the warmth of sunshine to touch my "detention cell"! Another 24 hours and I was headed home. I looked at my younger sister, and my niece who stayed with me the whole time, and I felt nothing but immeasurable love and gratitude for them! They were amazing! They, and my whole family who came to share my moments of pain and triumph over pain in those four challenging days, made me want to celebrate my "new life" all the more! :)
While I am aware that when human health problems are involved, no solution is absolutely permanent, I am certain that my Knights have just given me a lot of wonderful reasons to hope for great years ahead! Therefore, I hope for great years ahead! :)
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Post script... a world of thanks!
You know what they say about friendship?
Well, time is immaterial in friendship. Sometimes, you are friends with people you've been with since childhood, and you stay friends for the rest of your lives... and that's wonderful! In other cases, you meet people for a short period time, and in most desperate moments, too... and they touch your life in the warmest possible ways! Those Knights in Whites in that old castle along España Blvd. - at the Pontifical University of Asia - are that kind of friends. I barely knew them, and yet they took care of me... as eager as my own family to bring relief when there was pain, and as happy as my family and I when pain was finally conquered. They inspired me to confront my illness. They educated me about my illness, which empowered me and gave me the confidence to conquer it! You know
Awesomeness!when people do this just because it was their job and they enjoyed the money... but you could also tell when they do this out of passion - the passion to help people... and the desire to serve God by serving others. My Knights are a bunch of the latter... and I feel truly fortunate to have them! :)
I know that the hand of God is in all of this... and yet, I feel truly indebted to my supercool and absolutely awesome otorhinolaryngologist (whew!)/surgeon, Raymond G. Belmonte, M.D., DPBO-HNS and my super intelligent and "rockstar" (very popular) of an endocrinologist/attending physician Sjoberg A. Kho, M.D., FPCP. I feel A WORLD OF THANKS for both of them... and to their wonderful mini-knights (a.k.a. residents and interns. Hehe...), and the gentle sub-knights (a.k.a. nurses) who worked with them, for helping me through my ordeal! I am also thankful to my anesthesiologist, the youthful and dynamic Dr. Sheri Ann Liquete, as well as the kind and humorous cardiologist, Dr. Rodelio S. De Sagun, who gave me my CP clearance with a seal of being a "medical bore" (o, yah!) and some words of wisdom on RH Bill. I am also thankful to the wonderful minions (a.k.a. office staffs) of Dr. Belmonte and Dr. Kho for all their personalized service and endearing sense of humor... and the UST Hospital Cashier and Philhealth staff for their efficiency and admirable work ethic that paying our bills was a breeze! :)
I wish all of them great things ahead, and an abundant source of passion to keep doing what they do! May our good Lord bless them and their loved ones always. :)
Thank you! Gracias! Tack! Grazie! Xièxiè! Arigatogozaimasu! Obrigado! Gràcies! Je vous remercie! Terima kasih! MARAMING SALAMAT! :)
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Photo credit: The UST Hospital photo was grabbed from the UST Hospital website. - Thanks! All other photos are mine.
