Anyway, it's 2005. New Year's celebration is over. Thank God. I totally dread the celebration of the new year. All because I am scared of firecrackers. I don't know how people can stand the sound of super lolos, five star, kwitis, sinturon ni hudas, and gawd, that crying cow. I totally appreciate fireworks displays such as those of Enchanted Kingdom, because I can view them from afar, and the sound is not too much for my ears. Even when I was a kid, it took all the courage I had in me for me to play with watusi. If the watusi broke in half when I scratch it on the wall, I throw it away. I can't light it with my fingers about half an inch from the tip.
So last night, while everyone was busy waiting for the new year to arrive, I was busy looking for something to cover my ears. And what did I find? My stethoscope. I turned the diaphragm in such a way that the least amount of sound could be heard, and I clasped my hand around it to even more lessen the sound passing through. So yeah, I was wearing a stethoscope as 2005 came.
And then when we woke up this morning, my tita told us news that my Tito Rey was in a critical condition, and that the doctors told his wife that all we can do now is wait for that time to finally come. He was vomiting blood at 1 am of the first day of the new year, and his blood pressure dropped again drastically.
All the siblings of my tito went to St. Luke's Medical Center, prepared for the worst. We went there a little later because my tatay wouldn't let us miss the tradition of celebrating the first day of the year with the rest of the Sulit family. When we arrived, we were surprised when we saw him; he was okay.
Grabe. Ang tatag ng tito ko. This was not the first time that his condition went critical. He has gone through a lot of collapses, very low blood pressures and hemoglobin count, GI bleeding, and numerous transfusions. But he has never given up. Even his doctors are amazed by his strength, and can't believe that he still can talk and smile despite his condition.
The first time I saw him, all I felt for him was pity, and all I could do was cry, because I was seeing him in a situation that my mother went through. Now, it's amazement.. awe.. wonder. Lumalaban sya.
My sister took this pic earlier this evening, when we went to visit him. Can you see his faint smile? This was a 2nd shot. The first one, he complained "Di ako nakangiti". He has about 6 tubes connected to his body, including a naso-gastric tube, but he could still talk to us, and he was even joking, making us laugh. He used to be muscular and energetic, now he's thin and weak. But the strength he has shown because of his willingness to survive is much greater than what Arnold Schwarzenegger's muscles could account for.
The woman beside him in the picture is his wife, my Tita Ninia. She just lost her father early December 2004, and now her husband is very sick. But here she is, staying strong, fighting cancer with him.
I understand St. Luke's strict implementation of its rules and regulation, but I hope they would consider letting my Tito's daughters (8 yrs old and 2 yrs old, children are not allowed) see him. I guess it won't be too much to ask them to allow 2 young children to be with their sick father in the hospital.
I know my Tito hasn't much time left, especially when his doctor explained in detail what has been happening inside his body. But whatever happens, we are all prepared. We know we have done everything we could do to help him, he has done everything he could do to help himself, and that God is with us and with him.
Sana, maputol na sa kanya ang cancer sa pamilya namin, at sana, mawala na din ang cancer sa mundo.
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