Day 1: My Ninja
Day 1. It has been a very tiring day. Hospital admission, literally no sleep due to coordinating with numerous texts and calls from well-wishers and kind-hearted individuals not just in Cebu, but all around the Philippines and around the world.. Overwhelming. Touched. Blessed. Salamat.
Many asked how we discovered this so I'll explain it here. Lito has been complaining about his hearing for a few weeks already (left ear a bit deaf) and there are swollen lymph nodes under his ear and jaw. Upon check-up with EENT, he was given antibiotics. No effect. Another check-up with another EENT, we found swollen tonsils and swollen lymph nodes still. So he was advised to have tonsil operation on January 2, together with a scheduled biopsy of his lymph nodes. On his pre-operational lab tests, he had abnormally high White Blood Cell count. If the normal count is 4000-10,000, his count is 145,000. That is extremely high. So his EENT immediately referred him to our hematologist now. He then had a bone marrow biopsy/aspirate (i'll blog about this soon), apparently the first of many. :(
Yesterday, January 3, we had a checkup with his hematologist. She then confirmed of her diagnosis-- Acute Myeloid Leukemia. You know that feeling when your spirit just rose and you're looking at your other self, not believing it's happening to you? Well, that's how I felt. Lito was so brave in asking questions, urging real answers. He was advised to be admitted right away for chemotherapy because of his rapid cancer cell growth.
Jokingly, Lito said, "Why me? Funny there are people who don't have any direction in life but are very healthy..." I cannot answer again. Lito has always been health-conscious and it's dumbfounding that this is happening. He said, apparently, cancer does not choose. If you have it, you have it.
We have been through so so so much in 2011. And another one hits us. I wondered where we got all the strength to face all these. During our first day, we were answered. Our strength is not in us alone. If that's the case, we would have crumbled into pieces. Our strength is in you. Yes, you. If you are reading this, then somehow you care. And it's so overwhelming. 24hours after Lito posted his status, he received multitudes of comments and shares, heartfelt messages, willingness from people to support. People we know, people we barely know, people we used to know, people we don't know..
There will be days that we will question a lot of things, doubt some things, cry... These are one of those days and yet, this is also a day wherein I see that somehow, despite the hurdles and blow-by-blow battles, God has equipped us with our battle gears-- friends, people, prayers. The social media is proof of it all. It only proves how blessed my husband is because he has been a blessing to others, too... You don't know it but your words of encouragement and stories of how Lito is to you.. I just can't describe it. It's added strength... And in behalf of Lito, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for uplifting our souls and enriching our hearts.
It all starts here. It will be a long ride and it's going to be bumpy. But we will never lose hope. Thank you, friends. Thank you.
Note that most of the time I am using the collective, "we" or "us". It's because this is not Lito's battle alone. He will never be alone in this. His fights are my fights. And together, we will face this head-on.
Day 1 Pics:
P.S. Blood Type O- listing still being updated. We might not be able to contact everyone as we are prioritizing, but rest assured we are updating our list. Thank you thank you thank you.
PS 2: Update: 6 Possible donors for screening tomorrow. The rest on our list who are referred will be on STANDBY just gamay ra makapasar sa screening and just in case we need more platelets and red blood depending on Lito's reaction to chemo. For those who referred, kindly inform your referrals as well. I will text them one by one tomorrow if i have the time to give them updates. His chemo therapy starts this Friday. Prayers are needed. Thank you.
Many asked how we discovered this so I'll explain it here. Lito has been complaining about his hearing for a few weeks already (left ear a bit deaf) and there are swollen lymph nodes under his ear and jaw. Upon check-up with EENT, he was given antibiotics. No effect. Another check-up with another EENT, we found swollen tonsils and swollen lymph nodes still. So he was advised to have tonsil operation on January 2, together with a scheduled biopsy of his lymph nodes. On his pre-operational lab tests, he had abnormally high White Blood Cell count. If the normal count is 4000-10,000, his count is 145,000. That is extremely high. So his EENT immediately referred him to our hematologist now. He then had a bone marrow biopsy/aspirate (i'll blog about this soon), apparently the first of many. :(
Yesterday, January 3, we had a checkup with his hematologist. She then confirmed of her diagnosis-- Acute Myeloid Leukemia. You know that feeling when your spirit just rose and you're looking at your other self, not believing it's happening to you? Well, that's how I felt. Lito was so brave in asking questions, urging real answers. He was advised to be admitted right away for chemotherapy because of his rapid cancer cell growth.
Jokingly, Lito said, "Why me? Funny there are people who don't have any direction in life but are very healthy..." I cannot answer again. Lito has always been health-conscious and it's dumbfounding that this is happening. He said, apparently, cancer does not choose. If you have it, you have it.
We have been through so so so much in 2011. And another one hits us. I wondered where we got all the strength to face all these. During our first day, we were answered. Our strength is not in us alone. If that's the case, we would have crumbled into pieces. Our strength is in you. Yes, you. If you are reading this, then somehow you care. And it's so overwhelming. 24hours after Lito posted his status, he received multitudes of comments and shares, heartfelt messages, willingness from people to support. People we know, people we barely know, people we used to know, people we don't know..
There will be days that we will question a lot of things, doubt some things, cry... These are one of those days and yet, this is also a day wherein I see that somehow, despite the hurdles and blow-by-blow battles, God has equipped us with our battle gears-- friends, people, prayers. The social media is proof of it all. It only proves how blessed my husband is because he has been a blessing to others, too... You don't know it but your words of encouragement and stories of how Lito is to you.. I just can't describe it. It's added strength... And in behalf of Lito, thank you from the bottom of our hearts for uplifting our souls and enriching our hearts.
It all starts here. It will be a long ride and it's going to be bumpy. But we will never lose hope. Thank you, friends. Thank you.
Note that most of the time I am using the collective, "we" or "us". It's because this is not Lito's battle alone. He will never be alone in this. His fights are my fights. And together, we will face this head-on.
Day 1 Pics:
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| Lito loves his facial mask. He thinks he's a ninja. In the same room, he tweeted me, "Now you see me, now you don't! Coz I'm a ninja..." That brought me to tears. In his weak moments, he never fails to make me smile or laugh. I am that lucky. I love you my ninja. P.S. Another joke: All things are made in China, even my blood... hehehe.. crazy. :) |
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| Blessings and love. Thank you Ninong Jan Rodriguez for delivering ilaPuti faves. |
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| The ninja trying to devour his food... Mask on? What do you think? |
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| together together. forever. i love you. |
P.S. Blood Type O- listing still being updated. We might not be able to contact everyone as we are prioritizing, but rest assured we are updating our list. Thank you thank you thank you.
PS 2: Update: 6 Possible donors for screening tomorrow. The rest on our list who are referred will be on STANDBY just gamay ra makapasar sa screening and just in case we need more platelets and red blood depending on Lito's reaction to chemo. For those who referred, kindly inform your referrals as well. I will text them one by one tomorrow if i have the time to give them updates. His chemo therapy starts this Friday. Prayers are needed. Thank you.
