The Day Daddy's Heart Stopped

 

March 8 – The Day Daddy was rushed to the ER

While I was conducting an online class at 7am, I missed a couple of calls from my mom and sister. Kinutuban na ako at biglang kinabahan. A few minutes later, I got a message from my sister that they were bringing Daddy to the hospital because he was having trouble breathing.

An hour later, I spoke to my mom on the phone; I heard her crying and my heart almost beat out of my chest when Mama said, “Umuwi ka dito, please.” I knew things were getting worse. I leapt out of my seat, and left my team at my client’s office and traveled home to Lipa.

Little did everyone know that Daddy had suffered a heart attack and his lungs were severely congested and filled with fluid – which was why he couldn’t breathe well.

When I got to the hospital ER, Daddy had an oxygen mask on, was grumpy, and breathing a bit heavily. Apparently, the doctors at the ER gave him a diuretic, but he turned out to be severely allergic to it and he suffered another attack. Thank goodness the doctors were able to get things under control and stabilized him. It wasn’t their fault; allergic reaction to Furosemide was rare, although they could have tested him since he was evidently exhibiting signs of allergic reaction.

A few minutes later, the doctor approach Mama and me and told us that Daddy had suffered a heart attack, that fluid was filling up in his lungs, and that he might have clots in his heart that caused the heart attack. In order to confirm the diagnosis and fix his heart, the doctors advised that Daddy be confined at the Coronary Care Unit of the Mediatrix Heart Institute. There they could closely monitor him and his heart, and perform angiogram and angioplasty if necessary.

 

Telling Daddy that he needed to go through the procedure was a problem in itself since he detested needles and hospitals, but telling him that visitors weren’t allowed in the CCU was a totally different story. You see Mama and Daddy are rarely apart, and Daddy surely would be upset if he knew Mama or anyone of us wouldn’t be able to visit him inside. It wasn’t easy but we finally were able to convince him to get himself admitted and go through an angiogram. We walked him all the way to the doors of the CCU and kissed him before they brought him inside. We were told patients usually stay in there for 24-48 hours – he ended up staying there for 192.

Mama never left the hospital in the eight days Daddy was in the CCU. She camped outside the CCU doors and did nothing but pray everyday the entire week.

This was the corner that Mama had made into her own space; this was where we received visitors, where she had breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For eight days, this was her receiving room, dining room, and bedroom. Di na alintana ang daang-daang taong dumaan sa hallway.

Even though we weren’t allowed inside the CCU, we kept in touch with Daddy via videocall. My brother who also worked in the hospital was the only one allowed in. We called Daddy from time to time to comfort him and check on him. Init ni ulo ni Dad at gutom na daw siya.

 

March 9 – The Day Daddy’s Heart Stopped

The doctors were getting him ready with medications and tests, and finally, it was 3PM; time for his angiogram. One of the nurses informed us that the procedure was starting and that we would be called shortly by the doctors for them to explain the state of Daddy’s heart. Mama and I grabbed our rosaries and started praying with all our hearts.

 

No less than thirty minutes later, Dr. Ramos calls us in and shows us a video of Daddy’s heart blood vessels, beating in time with his heart. The bad news, there were three clots; the good news, they can dissolve the two clots with stents, and try dissolving the third with medications. Dr. Ramos showed us the three clots; one of which was obviously the biggest and causing Daddy the most problem. They ushered Mama and me out of the room and informed us that they were about to start Angioplasty - a procedure where balloons or stents are placed inside blood vessels to dissolve blood clots and de-clog blood vessels.

A few minutes later, we were called back by the doctor. We were confused seeing the doctor out of the CCU; surely the procedure wasn't done yet. He approached us and told us that they were able to successfully remove the first big clot, but as they were starting to remove the second one, Daddy starting scratching himself, started fidgeting, and then his BP started to drop. He was having an allergic reaction to the contrast being used in the procedure! The last thing the doctor said before he rushed back into the OR was, “We’re stabilizing him.”

 

After another set of minutes which felt like a lifetime, I was called inside by one of the nurses and she said the words a daughter must never hear, “Tumigil po ang puso ng Daddy niyo. Si-ni-CPR po siya ngayon.” Your dad's heart stopped. They're performing CPR on him right now.

And at that moment, I felt my own heart stop too.

*stay tuned for part 2*