My husband woke up on the second day after his spine surgery feeling good. He enthusiastically declared “Doc, I feel good!” He proudly told Dr. Bae “I walked ten times already”.
Dr, Junseok Bae replied “Don’t do that”.
The doctor showed us the results of the post op MRI taken 8 hours after the surgery.
The images on the screen looked promising. I hope my husband will have a speedy and full recovery.
My husband was planning to have lunch the next day at the Korean hot pot restaurant we discovered on the first day we came here at Wooridul. Aba hindi pa sya pwede. It’s a short walk for people with no physical issues but for people who just had a spine surgery, naku, naghahanap sya ng sakit ng katawan. Baka sya mabinat.
He was ecstatic and kept saying okay na sya. Wala ng sakit.
Eto nagpa picture with the surgeon, Dr. Junseok Bae and the interpreter, Ruth. My husband was very happy.
Dr. Bae asked me to join in the photo but I was wearing daster, hindi pa ako nakasuklay at naka hilamos. Ako na lang ang photographer. I took this photo at exactly 8:41 am, or 7:41 Manila time.
Dr. Bae makes his rounds early in the morning before he starts his clinic at 9 am. On time dito unlike in the Philippines. The doctors are the originators of Filipino time.
At 9:14 am, a nurse came to remove the plastic tube inserted into Edmund’s back to drain the blood. I thought removing it was too soon because there’s still blood dripping into the plastic container.
My dearest husband SPOKE TOO SOON. The high came from being loaded with strong painkillers and steroid.
We were initially told before the operation that recovery would take two to three days. So we planned on moving back to Intercontinental Hotel to stay for two nights to relax prior to our flight on Saturday.
That plan was never going to happen. We had to stay here for two days more. So we made a plan, we’ll just leave on Saturday at 2 pm, go straight to the airport to take the 8 pm flight to Manila. I messaged Michael, who works at the PAL ticketing office, to move our flight. No rebooking charge.
Edmund suffered tremendous pain after the nurses removed the 3 kinds of IVs fed to his veins.
Painkillers, steroids, antihistamine, etc. I am worried about the long term effects of these opioids in his kidneys. Sana wala naman.
The pain was not a 10 but a 100. He said what he feels is 100 times worst than the chronic pain he endured before the surgery. Our fear is instead of getting rid of his back pain, the pain will worsen. Eto na nga.
I have never seen my husband grimace and shake in pain like that. He has a very high threshold of pain. Matapang ito, laging sasabihin “kaya ko ito”. But not this one. I could see and feel how hard he was trying to manage the incredible pain shaking his being. I was so worried it could affect his heart.
I felt so bad I couldn’t do anything to help alleviate his pain.
The hospital foreign customer coordinator assigned to Edmund, Ruth, saw me in the hallway crying. I didn’t want my husband to see me crying. Baka makadagdag pa sa stress nya. But I couldn’t control my tears. Naiyak na ako talaga. I didn’t know what to do to help him. I felt useless and helpless.
I came back to the room, hinagod-hagod ko na lang buttocks and legs nya while calling on the heavens to please relieve my husband of whatever is tormenting his physical being. I closed my eyes and imagined I have the inner strength to cast away the pain consuming my husband’s body.
The nurse on duty, Min, came and attached an IV again, with pain killer. Edmund also got an injection on his buttocks after the IV and a pain tablet didn’t help reduce the pain.
To the many friends and strangers who offered prayers and kind wishes, please know that we do appreciate your kindness. Thank you.
