No:82-04

November 13, 2022

Yesterday i was so tired i slept early and did'nt bother to check messages on my phone. And so this morning , i open my messenger and read the messages . I am disheartened by my bestie's bad news.

Michelle is her name but i fondly call her "Chengky" . She has chinita eyes and her family call her Cheng so i just combined Cheng and her chinky eyes. We are bestie's for 24 years. @Ruffa and her has the same birthday August 29. That's why i kinda love the vibe of Ms. Ruffa coz my bestie is a fighter , introvert , humble and practical soul like her.

My emotional state is somehow like a roller coaster this past few days. I can't help but got affected on my bestie's state. One just migrated to Australia as i've written in my previos article . Am happy for her of course but sad at the same time coz i'm missing her and it'll probably take 5 years before we see each other again.

The other one ,my bestie since high school is in deep sorrow at the moment coz of the recent demise of her husband due to Acute Leukaemia. I was with her yesterday for her husband's 40th day. A tight hug is all i can give her. I can see in her face how devastated she is and can't seem to overcome the pain yet. Her face is pale and weight loss is apparent. I promised to see her once again in the coming days. As much as i want to console and be with her often , i can't coz her place is one and half hour drive away from my place.

Going back to Chengky

We are bestie for 24 years , Chengky is having a not so good health issues right now. It's been over a year now that doctor's are confused on her CBC result from her routine Annual Executive check up.

She's handling a high position in the company she's working with, a GM or General Manager. If in the office , she's the boss , when she's with me she's just an ordinary down to earth girl.

We had lots of fun moments together. I used to live in Quezon City and she's from Sta. Mesa. We used to work in the vicinity of Mandaluyong. Our offices was just walking distance from each other then. Until we have our own families and i stayed here in our province of Bulacan and she's living now in Las Pinas.

Quite far from each other but from time to time , at least once or twice a year we see each other. Our usual place was in Shangrila coz it's near her workplace.

We have constant communication for 24 years. She refers to me as her sister from a different mother and vice versa. Her mom is our Godmother when i got married and she's the Godmother of my first child. I am also one of the Godmother of her only child.

Let's Cross the Bridge when we get there...

Over the years , doctors are being confused on her CBC results ,she has low RBC ,low HEMOGLOBIN yet HIGH PLATELET and HIGH IRON but since she's not feeling any unusual things , and other tests are normal , like her colonoscopy , endoscopy and other py's haha! It was disregarded and thought it was not a matter of concern.

But just this year when they had covid early this year , things get more confusing. Her Annual Executive check up got the same results as above. But this time , she was endorsed to a HEMATOLOGIST and undergoes series of blood tests thinking the indifferent results might be covid triggerred.

Her blood clot easily , that the blood samples taken from her was not good for testing anymore . So blood extraction from her was taken many times as in more than a hundred times since last August.

The Hematologist from Asian Hospital advised her to go to two different laboratories for her blood test to make sure of the result. So she had test from Hi-Precision Lab and the one from Makati Medical Hospital. After repeating the blood tests for many times that she lost count of anymore , both labs are giving the same results. Low RBC , Low Hemoglobin yet High platelet and High Iron.

So just a few days ago after getting the result of her last tests , her doctor finally talked to her. Doctor says she might have a disease called MDS.

MDS or Myelodysplastic Syndromes -a rare type of blood cancer where you don't have enough healthy blood cells. There are many types of it and some types can stay mild for years and others are more serious.

The condition can develop slowly or quickly , and in some people it can develop into a type of LEUKAEMIA called Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/myelodysplasia/#:~:text=Myelodysplastic%20syndromes%20(MDS)%20are%20a,and%20others%20are%20more%20serious.

I was shocked by her news , i can't seem to grasp what's going on. I was aware of AML coz of my other bestie's husband caused of death. AML is a progressive type of leukaemia that also the caused of death of Francis Magalona , a famous actor and Musician here in our country.

She has to undergo a BONE MARROW TEST asap , to confirm the diagnosis. What is worse is , the doctor says there is no cure of the disease but Bone Marrow transplant . She could undergo chemotheraphy but just to delay the progress of the disease.

I was like being hit by something hard i can't think clearly . The feeling of being knocked out , you feel numb and unconscious. It was totally hard for me but what more for her and her family?

I told her to cry it all out , to relieve all the burden from her heart then after, face the ordeal with all her might. She's a very strong woman , i know , but this is too much to handle.

She told me that after her Bone Marrow Tests we will see each other. She told me that she will cross the bridge when she get there... and i promised i will hold her hand while crossing it , be beside her and will not let her stumble and if she does i will try my best to pull her up again just like the old days.

I am not really good at the moment but i need to be tough for her. As my fave line from Robert Schuller goes... TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST BUT TOUGH PEOPLE DO!

Nothing is impossible from above. We are hoping for a wrong diagnosis and so her Hematologist.

When i am hearing of Cancer , my heart is beating fast . The lost of my loved ones due to different kinds of cancer gave me uncomfortable feeling whenever i heard of it. We lost Mom and my beloved Granny due to it. I just can't imagine another love one will suffer from it once again.

That will be all for tonight . Please do include her in your prayers🙏 My sincere thanks to all of you in advance.

Thank you readers as always. To my Sponsors " Salamat ng Marami!" Good health be upon all of you!

All images are all owned by yours truly.

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