Mauie Flores

Marahil ay nabigla kayo sa aking lahok ngayon linggong ito? Akala ko ba puso ang tema? Eh bakit si Rap ang nandiyan? Ganito kasi yan...

You are probably wondering why this is my entry for the week. If the theme for this week is "heart" then what is my son's photo doing on that spot. Here's why...

Lingid sa kaalaman ng mga bago naming kakilala, si Rap ay nagkaroon ng Kawasaki Disease dalawang linggo bago niya ipagdiwang ang ika-apat niyang kaarawan. Ang Kawasaki Disease ay isang sakit sa puso na karaniwang tumatama sa mga batang limang taon pababa.

Most of our new friends do not know that Rap had Kawasaki Disease two weeks before he celebrated his fourth birthday. Kawasaki Disease is an uncommon heart disease that affects children five years old and below.

Nilalagnat siya noon at maraming mga rashes sa kanyang braso, hita, at tiyan. Ayaw niyang tumayo at maglakad dahil masakit daw ang mga paa niya kapag itinatapak sa lupa. Namula ang kanyang mga mata na parang may sore eyes at namumula ang mga dila at labi. Dinala ko sa doktor at ang sabi ay tigdas lang. Binigyan ako ng isang linggo para obserbahan siya. Isang linggo rin kaming naka paracetamol.

He had fever and rashes on his arms, thighs, and tummy. He didn't want to stand up because the soles of his feet hurt everytime they touch the ground. His eyes were blood red just like when one has sore eyes and his lips and tongue were blood red too. The pediatrician told us that it could be measles. I was advised to observe him for a week and he was only given paracetamol for the fever.

Inabot ang lagnat niya ng 11 araw. Nangingitim na at nagbabalat ang dulo ng kanyang mga daliri. Nung dinala uli namin sa klinika, alam na agad ng doktor na Kawasaki Disease nga. Hanggang ngayon daw ay hindi alam kung anong nagdadala ng sakit na iyon dahil hindi nga siya pangkaraniwan.

On the 11th day of his fever, his fingertips became blue and the skin near his nail beds peeled. The doctor finally diagnosed that it was Kawasaki Disease. Up to now, researchers are still finding concrete evidences on what causes the disease.

Na-confine agad siya sa ospital. Ni-rekomenda agad ng cardiologist niya na bumili kami ng sampung IVIG (intravenous immuno gamma globulin) na kinakailangan ng puso niya. Ito kasi ang magpapaliit ng pamamaga ng mga ugat ng puso niya na nagiging dahilan ng lagnat niyang hindi mawala. Pinainom din siya ng aspirin para hindi lumapot ang kanyang dugo at hindi mahirapan ang mga ugat ng kanyang puso. Agad-agad akong nagtawag sa kung saan saang ospital para sa IVIG na iyon. Kailangang mag-window shop at ang pinakamura ay nasa sampung libo isang botelya. Hindi covered ng aming insurance ang ganoong kalaking halaga kaya't naisip na rin namin noon na maghanap ng buyer ng aming kotse.

He was confined in the hospital. His cardiologist told us to buy 10 vials of IVIG (intravenous immuno gamma globulin) that his heart needs. This medicine will treat the swelling of the vessels of his heart. He was also given aspirin so his blood will not be thick enough to cause strain on his blood vessels. I started to look for the cheapest supplier of IVIG. The cheapest the I was able to find was at ten thousand pesos a vial. The large amount needed for the purchase cannot covered by our medical insurance and we already thought of selling the car.

Ewan ko ba pero, siguro dahil marami na ring nagdasal para sa amin, bigla na lang bumababa ang lagnat niya. Nadala sa pag-inom ng aspirin, pagmamahal, at pagdarasal ika nga. Natuwa ang aming mabait na pediatrician. Hindi na raw kailangan ang IVIG at makakaiwas na kami sa gastos. Iyon nga lang, hindi ito garantiya na ligtas na siya sa pag-atake muli ng sakit paglaki niya o kung mayroon mang mga kumplikasyon. Hindi rin kasi nila alam dahil hindi pare-pareho ang mga datos tungkol sa mga pasyenteng nagkaroon ng Kawasaki.

His fever miraculously subsided probably because there were so many people praying for us. My son was healed with only aspirin, love, and prayers. Our pediatrician advised us not to buy the IVIG vials anymore but she did not guarantee that there will be no more repeat attacks or complications. She wasn't that sure because there were no concrete data available yet regarding the future of patients who have had the disease.

May mga nakilala rin akong mga Pilipinong magulang na may mga anak na nagkaroon ng Kawasaki. Lahat sila ay bumili ng IVIG dahil nga sa ika-apat na araw pa lang ng lagnat ay nalaman na agad ang sakit ng anak nila. Sabi nila sa akin, dapat daw ay nag-IVIG na rin kami. Ang sabi naman ng doktor namin, wala nang magagawa ang IVIG dahil naka-11 araw na ang lagnat ng anak ko. Dapat daw ay nasa ika-4 na araw lang ng lagnat kung ibibigay ito. Sa tingin ko naman ay ayos na ang lagay niya dahil pagkatapos ng isang taon ng pabalik balik na check-up at echocardiogram ay nasiguro na ng mga doktor niya na malusog na uli ang kanyang puso. Sa katunayan nga, noong 6 na taong gulang na siya ay nag-football varsity pa siya sa Don Bosco Makati. Goal keeper pa! Nananalig na lang kami sa Panginoon na kung sakali mang bumalik ang sakit niya ay hindi Niya uli pababayaan ang kaisa-isa naming anak.

I was able to meet up with other Filipino parents who have kids who had the disease but all of these kids had the IVIG treatment. They told me that we should have asked the doctors to give IVIG to our son instead. But our doctors said that the IVIG treatment will not have any effect on our son anymore because it was supposed to be given on the fourth day of fever. I think my son is okay now. Even the countless check-ups and echocardiograms within the year after his bout with the disease showed that his heart is healthy now. He was even the goal keeper of his school's football team in Don Bosco Makati when he was 6 years old. I just have this firm faith on the Lord that He will take care of our only son if he suffers from the disease again.

Pasensya na sa larawan ha. Noong 2004 kasi ay wala pa kaming digicam. Kaya ayan, kinuhanan ko na lang ang pahina ng scrapbook ko na inilaan ko para sa mga larawang kuha noong kanyang ika-apat na kaarawan sa beach. Naging espesyal ang araw na iyon dahil alam naming nalusutan niya ang Kawasaki.

I'm so sorry for the blurry photo. That was in 2004 when we still had no digicam. I just took a shot of the page in my scrapbook remembering his fourth birthday at the beach. That day was very special because we know that we are also celebrating his triumph over Kawasaki Disease.