Meeting ‘Francis,’ my third kidney

AT MY age, every extra day is a blessing from the Almighty.

Exactly one month ago, for the seventh time in my life, I went under the knife, this time to accept a complete stranger into my system. After years of haphazard dietary discipline, my kidneys finally decided it was time for them to go out of business, leaving me to look for an alternative cleansing mechanism to remove all the toxic waste that gradually accumulated in my body.

Eighteen years ago in January 1997, I underwent what some people call a “CABG (Cabbage)” operation, meaning a coronary artery bypass graft at

St. Luke’s Medical Center. Most of us just refer to the whole thing as a “bypass.” And as the word implies, it involves creating a bridge over blocked arteries. In my case, three of them were affected with one completely closed. My cardiologist was Dr. Cesar “Butch” Recto, a classmate of my son at the UP College of Medicine. The surgeon who performed the operation was Dr. Stan de Castro and the anesthesiologist was Dr. Dahlia Estrera.

A few days after the operation, I was in a cardiac rehabilitation program handled by Dr. Helen Ong-Garcia. Among my “classmates” in the rehab program were Butz Aquino; Renato Constantino Jr.; Dean Rodolfo Palma, whose wife Supreme Court Justice Cecilia Muñoz-Palma was also in the hospital after suffering from a severe asthma attack; Brig. Gen. Zosimo Paredes, father of Renato and Zosimo Jr., both members of PMA Class 1971; and GMA executive Dan de Padua, who happened to be the youngest in the group.

This time around, it was my kidneys. They started to malfunction, causing me a lot of discomfort. Normally a person has two kidneys. The function of this particular

organ is to filter waste products and excess sodium and water from the blood and help eliminate them from the body. It also helps regulate blood pressure and red blood cell production, so one can appreciate the importance of a well-functioning kidney.

The first signs of trouble were gradually increasing creatinine levels, coupled with decreasing hemoglobin readings. Let me just say that these are alarm bells that should be heeded before things get out of hand. But, as often happens, we refuse to believe that something is wrong until it is too late.

At any rate, I ended up first in a dialysis center and finally, as in 1997, in the operating unit at St. Luke’s for transplant surgery.

My transplant surgeon was Dr. Rose Marie Liquete, a UP College of Medicine graduate, Class of 1973, and the first woman kidney transplant surgeon in the Philippines. As a British Council scholar on organ transplantation, Doctor Liquete trained under Prof. Sir Roy Calne, Britain’s “premier transplant surgeon” at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Incidentally, her husband, Dr. Michael Jamias Liquete, and I are related on our mothers’ side. The Jamias roots can be traced to Sarrat, Ilocos Norte.

My nephrologist, Dr. Oscar Naidas, is a UST College of Medicine graduate and was former head of the medical department at St. Luke’s. A native of Badoc, Ilocos Norte, Doctor Naidas is also a marathon runner, having participated in a number of international and local marathon competitions. At times, I see him using the stairs leading to his fourth floor office, instead of taking the elevator.

My cardiologist, Dr. Helen Ong-Garcia, and anesthesiologist, Dr. Dahlia Estrera, both attended to me during and after my bypass operation. They were also by my side at this one.

As I was being prepped for major surgery, a few thoughts crossed my mind just as the anesthesia began to slowly take effect.

• First and foremost is family. My wife Penny has stayed by me through good times and bad. She has given me three great kids—one doctor, a lawyer, and a school administrator; all are responsible and productive members of society. We

also have three beautiful granddaughters. Should St. Peter call on the hotline, I am prepared and have no regrets.

• As a young boy, I entered the Philippine Military Academy not out of any sense of patriotism or desire to serve my country. I didn’t know what those words meant. I was at a loss as to what to do with the rest of my life. A few of my classmates at UP High were headed for the PMA and I figured the academy offered something new and mysterious. I then decided to join the corps of cadets. As things turned out, a career in the Armed Forces opened up many doors and other opportunities. I have had no reason to regret this decision; in fact, it was probably one of my best.

• As our country approaches another presidential election, I am not particularly optimistic. Our history has shown that many of our wounds have been self-inflicted. Emilio Aguinaldo got rid of Andres Bonifacio and Antonio Luna. Aguinaldo, in turn, was betrayed by Macabebe mercenaries hired by the US army. I sometimes wonder who among our politicians aspiring for public office are on the payroll of foreign entities or hold permanent residency cards issued by foreign governments. We remain a collection of regional tribes with a weak sense of nationhood. The most important job of the new leadership in 2016 will be to strengthen and broaden this sense of nationhood and unity among our people. For the sake of our children and grandchildren, we continue to hope and pray for the best.

After awhile, I opened my eyes and a voice whispered to me that all went well and that I was back in my hospital room.

So now I have a third kidney implanted on the right side of my body. I have dubbed him “Francis.” Just as the Holy Father in Rome has given new hope and new beginnings for the Church, my friend Francis has also provided me with a new lease on life as well as hope for a few more years of quality living. There are a few restrictions to be observed, a few medications that have to be taken for a lifetime, but as the saying goes, “There is no such thing as a free lunch” and I am only too happy to pay the price.

One last word. Let me express my gratitude to the doctors and nurses at St. Luke’s Medical Center for their expertise and services. It is important for the public to know that here in our country we have some of the finest medical facilities and the best physicians in the world. There is absolutely no need to go abroad for treatment. St. Luke’s continues to deliver excellent healthcare with advanced technology and expert medical professionals.