news that you never wish to get
To those of you living thousands of miles away from your family, did you ever got scared when you hear some bad news from any of them? I have some worries now when my youngest sister, 26 years old, emailed me in few words this:
“Musta na po???
Just got released from CArdinal hospital yesterday… Muscle Stress. pero ang symptoms, same as that of mild stroke.
Medyo natakot ako kc nanigas left side ng body ko, naninikip dibdib, hirap huminga, dizziness ska medyo nanakit din batok ko. as of now medyo ok na ako. back to work na.”
This sister of mine is sooo used to checking in herself to the ER, yes to the ER since her teen years. She’s got an acute asthma that made her land to the ER many times that it became ‘normal’ for her to check in when she’s experiencing a terrible attack. You wouldn’t want to hear her gasping for air, really. It will break your heart.
I guess she’s pretty unfortunate (or maybe she has this invisible ‘hospital magnet’ written on her forehead) since she’s been operated on due to heavy bleeding, appendix was removed, and even had a mishap when a metal cable protruding in front of a jeepney hit her face -penetrating her skin face and dragged her a few yards before people who were witnessing it happen screamed at the driver to stop. My sister was just standing at the cross section waiting to walk the other side. Minalas talaga.
anyway going back to her short email, I of course got scared and worried so I asked back what exactly happened. A short reply again.
“Tietze’s syndrome, also known as costochondritis. yun daw yung sakit ko. me similarity sa heart ailment kaya feeling ko na mild stroke ako.
haay katakot. dami ng bawal kahit ayaw ko need ko iwasan muna…
haay..”
I can’t wait to go back home. In fact after posting this, I’m on my way to the travel agency to get my plane ticket. Well, I was already planning to visit home but news like this made me want it to happen now. After a death in my husband’s family few months ago, I realize how important for me to be with my family too. It’s been 4 years since I last saw any of them.
Call me Thess. Married to a wonderful Dutchman.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
hugs thess. i always dread receiving phone calls or emails from home sometimes, precisely because i’m afraid of receiving not-so-good news.
i’ll be praying for your sis.
di bale konti na lang makakauwi ka na and you’ll be able to see all of your loved ones again.
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June 27th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
Mahirap talaga, te. I can somehow relate. Imagine nasa office nga lang ako, text sa akin sis ko na kailangan ko raw umuwi dahil nag-collapse mom ko (nung 1st namin malaman yung sakit niya). Sa taxi, lahat na ng santo natawag ko sa kaba ko talaga. Wala pa sya sa hospital nun at nasa bahay pero sobrang putla raw. Hay katakot yang ganyan. Ibang usapan na kasi talaga kapag pamilya ang involved.
Let’s pray everything will be okay, ate. I know how you feel.
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June 28th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
eh ikaw, okay na ba ang mga kasu-kasuan mo? wag kasing araw-araw maligo at di na advisable sa matatanda ang araw-araw naliligo. kailangan ma-retain ang natural oil sa katawan para hindi rayumahin. kitam mo ko tuwing kuwaresma lang ako naliligo e di malangis ang buhok ko. doon na rin ako kumukuha ng salad dressing na oil and vinegar. maasim ba liki-liki mo? hehehehehehhe
biro lang, manang naman!
June 28th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Ohhh I’m sorry for you - and your sis of course! You know my wife from America lost her Mom last fall and for her of course, but also for me, it was hard to live so long apart from her and the family.
I do understand you want to go there right away and I wish you the best trip in the meaning of seeing all your family again - you (and they!) deserves that.
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June 28th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
I do hope your younger sister will have better luck on her health. I had asthma too when I was in my elementary years.
That’s the difficult part of living far away from our families, even getting a missed call in the middle of the night gets our hearts pounding.
I’m happy for you that you have decided to visit your family back in the Philippines.
Hugs for you.
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July 1st, 2008 at 4:48 am
i hope your sister is ok now. Oo tama ka ang hirap, yung worries natin sometimes is killing us. Lalo na wala naman tayong magawa kasi ang layo natin. I wish your sister well, and I can’t wait to finally meet you, wahoo malapit na
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July 1st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
i know how you feel. :( good thing at ok na ang sis mo. take care and have a safe trip home.. :)
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July 2nd, 2008 at 10:47 am
Naku, Thess, no one really wants to hear news of that kind - whether you live in the Philippines or abroad. It just makes it doubly difficult for us who are separated from family.
I’m glad your sister is okay na. She is just in her 20’s and yet she has experienced so much. The jeepney dragging thing is a nightmare! My gosh, buti na lang at mala-pusa siya no? Despite all the difficulties she has experienced, buti na lang at binabantayan pa rin siya ng kanyang anghel.
Better fix your ticket na and be with your family. Four years is a really long time to be away from them.
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