Going Home

(This is from 11 November 2004.)

"I want to go home on Monday."

This was Daddy's request on Saturday, 6 November 2004, as he lay on his hospital bed at Medical City General Hospital. He had been there since early that morning, when he was rushed to the Emergency Room. He was scheduled for an upper GI examination on Monday morning, which we'd hoped would shed some light on the cause of the deterioration of his health.

He had not been well. We knew he was sick. In 2001, he experienced a swelling in his tongue, which affected his speech and caused difficulty in swallowing. He was diagnosed in April 2002 to have amyloidosis**, which is a very rare disease. Although the disease is not called 'cancer,' the treatment and prognosis are the same. Over the next two years, Daddy underwent chemotherapy which seemed to slow down the progress of the disease.

Daddy increasingly had difficulty in swallowing, so Mommy would lovingly prepare osterized meals. A few months ago, he complained that even if he hadn't finished his food, there was a sensation of being full. He was diagnosed to have liver cancer. There was a 10 cm liver mass exerting pressure on his stomach. He was experiencing a lot of pain. Standing up and lying down required a lot of effort on his part, and careful assistance on the part of his companion.

Over the past few weeks, his health deteriorated rapidly. A peg (a feeding tube straight to the stomach) was inserted to supplement his food intake, which was low, and was worsened by frequent vomiting. When traces of blood were noted as he vomited last Saturday morning, they immediately set for the hospital.

Daddy was able to rest on Saturday and Sunday. Medical City was like a second home to Daddy. His spirits were lifted when Dr. Alran Bengzon visited him on Sunday afternoon. He and Dr. Bengzon were friends from way back.

However, Daddy turned for the worse on Monday morning. He requested for his last rites, and received the Sacrament of Extreme Unction at about 5 a.m. 

Daddy died peacefully at 11:00 a.m., 08 November 2004, in the presence of his family. (God granted him his request.)

Please pray for the eternal repose of the soul of my father-in-law, Antonio. He was 73 years old. He was a simple man, a very kind and caring man. I will miss him a lot.

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**Amyloidosis is "a generic term for a collection of diseases that results in the abnormal deposition of amyloid protein throughout the body." In layman terms, the bone marrow produces proteins in the blood that the body is unable to break down and excrete. These proteins get deposited between cells of organs, causing it to swell until it fails. Common organs affected are the tongue, heart, liver and kidneys, although virtually any organ of the body may be affected.