Easter Message 2024
by Ruben Pascual
"Bitsigma" and
"ATEB AMGIS") chat groups
Good morning brods. Tomorrow (Jan. 18) I go under the knife for a kidney
transplant operation at NKTI. This procedure is a culmination of more than 3
years ordeal of medical challenges - bout with colon cancer, 2 Covid, 4 surgical
operations, in the colon and lungs, 6 months of TB, 2x pneumonia, fall from
stairs, 3x weekly dialysis and a slew of other medical diseases I cannot even
recall - I am finally cleared to have a kidney transplant.
I am writing to tell you brods how grateful I am to brods who hand held me through these years - Ick Angeles, the quarterback of fraternity support for me, Dan Bautista, Butch Madarang, Ron Justo and his crew of brods at HOR who sought Guarantee Letters from Congressional friends, as well as Karen Musni-Lamorena and Iris Montes, LC sisters who also approached their bosses, my prayer partners, constant cheerleaders and moral supporters Henry Gutierrez, Dave de la Torre, Nonoy Bautista, Mon Paje, Nilo Espino for my Prepian batchmates Lionel Latoja and Edwin Acuña, and many, many more.
I also thank brod Usec Okang Dumama for assisting me avail of the
Z package from Philhealth and brod Dr. Christian Pawhay, my cardiologist, and
especially brod Dr. Leo Baloloy, the foremost transplant surgeon of the country,
who will perform the surgery tomorrow. I request prayers too for my son Bolo who
is my organ donor and the safe and great hands of the transplant team. Thank you
for your faithful prayers. To paraphrase a saying, it does take a village of
Beta Sigma to raise a brother. As I say as a mantra, laban lang lagi! See you
brothers in a few months as I undergo an isolation period.
"Betan Sundays" chat group
This Lenten season, the grace I am most present to is GRATITUDE as I experienced
the darkest time of my life when I battled a dozen illnesses these past three
years.
In June 2021, I found out that I had end-stage kidney failure. In early July
that year, I started hemodialysis three times a week where a machine took over
my kidney function. This required 7-8 hours of my day to do the sessions that
included travelling time to and from the hospital. Just when I was preparing
myself for a kidney transplant, my gastroenterologist found out through a
colonoscopy that I also have cancer of the colon. This disqualified me for an
immediate transplant. Our brod, Dr. Noneng Monroy, did a sigmoidectomy at PGH in
March 2022, resecting my colon that was affected by the cancer. From then on, it
was a tense-filled monitoring by my oncologist to check if the cancer has
spread. At one point two doctors concluded that the cancer had spread as I had
pleural effusion (fluid in my lungs) for almost a year.
The pleural effusion necessitated two operations that attached bags and tubes in
my body to drain the fluid which I had throughout for months. Breathing was so
difficult that I had various tanks of oxygen in my house, car and office. I also
had been diagnosed with a kind of tuberculosis (non-TB mycobacterium) which
required six months of treatment. Aside from these, I suffered from related
pulmonary diseases as pneumonia (twice) and COVID (twice also) during this
period. The doctors said these were signs of metastasis of the cancer. Amidst
all the hospitalizations and treatment for these challenges, plus the thrice
weekly dialysis, I had 5-6 ER visits due to breathing distress and loss of
consciousness.
As I recovered from each of these illnesses, tests for cancer in all the organs,
from the lungs to the colon, were continued. Thankfully, the tests did not show
any evidence of any metastasis in any of my organs. To cut the story short, by
mid-2023, my oncologist gave me clearance to do the kidney transplant and with
this clearance, my 29 year old son Bolo, offered to be my donor for the
transplant. This was the time also I learned about Dr. Leo Baloloy, a FEU
initiated brod, who is one of the top transplant surgeons of the country. The
availability of the donor and surgeon then triggered a half year of treatment
and tests to be given clearances by my cardiologist, pulmonologist,
endocrinologist, gastroenterologist, dentist and the supervising nephrologist.
On January 18, brod Leo performed the transplant at NKTI.
I have never prayed so much in my life. And never been prayed over by so many,
through visits, daily rosaries, and masses. I also was given the last sacrament
of the sick, extreme unction. In all these, I never gave up hope. I had this
mantra of “Laban Lagi… God is with me.” My family, friends and I, especially
those who saw me during these times, thought my time was up.
During this season of Lent, it is clear to me that God has a plan for me
(Jeremiah 29:11). He calmed my storms (Mark:35-41).
As I discern what His plans are for me, I thought of various works I can do to show gratitude. This week I realize that I am back to “I”- what I should do - but that to receive His grace and gifts, I should do more “listening”, spending more quiet time to be open to His message.
I also realize this week that while the Holy Week reassures us of the Lord’s
infinite mercy for our sins, one has to have a greater sense of sin, recognizing
our sinful patterns, to earn His forgiveness.
On a final note, I am most present to Gratitude, not only from being saved from
the major upheavals we face like the flurry of medical challenges I experienced
in recent years, but in the simplest of things that He has given us – like the
ability to pee (3 years I hardly urinated and depended on a machine to clean the
toxins in my body), the gift of drinking water (3 years I was not allowed to
drink more a liter of water or it would spill over to the other organs like my
lungs), and to a family He entrusted to me – my children (and their children)
and most especially to my wife who has been my driver, messenger, home maker and
nurse as I weave through various recoveries from illnesses. That in being
grateful to God’s gifts, I am truly present that Love is His very message to all
of us this Holy Week and Easter (John 3:16).
I know brothers, all of us have had our own versions of storms, and our enduring
trust in the Lord. Betan Sundays is a testament to this, that HE has a plan for
each of us.
I am present to these life changing moments of grace and mercy that I have
received and the new journey that I will live out in the world.
I am not out of the woods yet though. In this period of forced isolation of 3-6
months, I am vulnerable to any disease as my immune system is down due to the
anti-rejection medicines that I take. The cancer, even as I am free from it for
more than 2 years, can always come back. And I have to do extreme care of the
kidney of my son gifted me with.
Whatever it is, I know I will be okay and all will be well. Let’s keep this
fellowship alive and guide each other to a life with Christ.
Happy Easter brothers.
Brod Dr. Noneng Monroy, who did a sigmoidectomy to resect my colon,
receiving the Distinguished Service Award at UP Beta Sigma Anniversary 2017.
With Brod Dr. Leo Baloloy (Batch 87B) who performed the kidney transplant at
NKTI last January 18. Brod Leo is the top kidney transplant surgeon in the country
who performs 60-70 operations per year aside from other surgical operations.
A Year Before the Transplant
"At our UP Prep HS reunion, with Brods Ruben Pascual 76c (leftmost) and Yay Topacio 77a to my right." - Edwin Acuña, Feb. 2023