This is the day!

Dr. Lee went to see Omar late last night. No check-ups. Just to cheer on Omar. We were then advised that Omar's procedure will be moved from 7:30am to 8:30am. 

Nurses started coming in at 5am to prepare Omar for the procedure. He was given his first dose for anesthesia, as per our request. 

It was then that it finally struck me that Omar will undergo the knife. I was scared and cried for the first time. He asked me to pray with him but I ignored him knowing we won't be able to finish the prayer. 

Mama and Papa came in early with Kuya Olejoe for the send off. Kuya Dojoe and Jenny also made it. With everybody, except for Papa, we brought Omar to the operating room. 

I must say I was brave! I must be brave for Omar. 

Jenny and I thought that we can witness lots of emotions at the airport. But not anymore, nothing beats sending off at the operating room. 

Prep Day

Omar will finally have his surgery tomorrow IF...

... He can complete his blood requirements. Dr. H requested for 2 units of blood. Martha helped us with it with the Red Cross and the driver will pick it up in the afternoon as it expires fast. 1 bag has 6 units. Only to find out that Dr. H meant 2 bags and not 2 units. So here we are again begging for blood. 

Vicky, my barkada from college, sent his brother for blood donation, and he passed the screening. 

Martha is sick too but I was able to get in touch with her after lunch and we were granted with our request for 2 bags. God is with us!  

Omar and I were brought down to the operating room for the orientation for tomorrow's procedure. 

They discussed with us from preparation to the procedure to the recovery until Omar can be transferred to the telemetry. 

It's a go! We will have the procedure tomorrow. Please pray with us. 

Simply amazing.

The night before Omar's admission, he wanted to sleep over with his family at Gaiety. 

Come Sunday, it was chaos. Kids playing around. Adults getting pedicure and manicure services. Some were getting a massage. And some went to bring the kids to the mall. 

Summer and I went school shoes buying in the morning. 

Kuya and his family, together with Jenny, came to see Omar just before he gets admitted at Chinese Gen. Hospital. 

Just before dinner, we finally got a room. We had an early dinner first, headed home to finish packing our stuff and headed to the hospital. 

Papa, Mama, Kuya and Kaye brought us to the hospital. Ojay and Yang met us there as Ojay attempted to donate blood for Omar. Yes, attempted! Ojay was rejected due to high blood pressure. 

Bernie Serrano came with his girlfriend to donate but was rejected too. A friend of a neighbor posted that she donated and said that Omar is blessed for people in the blood bank donating was all for Omar. Little did she know that more were rejected than passed the screening. 

We cannot thank people enough to go out of their way just to donate for people they do not know. 

Simply amazing. 

Not once, but twice.

We heard the anticipated Sunday Mass with the family. 

Omar, again, was annointed by Fr. Mario. 

Reception followed at Pepper Lunch, Omar's promise for the kids granted. 

Blood please.

Aside from prayers, we've been asking for blood donors as well. And with Omar having type AB+ makes it even harder. 

I posted it on facebook and it's so amazing how a friend of a friend can be so willing to go out of their way just to donate blood and be rejected from the screening. 

Family, friends, and friends of families and friends are helping solicit blood for Omar. 

Got our first bag of RBC from Jenny's friend from NKTI. 

I confirmed Martha's reservation, through a friend, of 5 bags of RBC and a bag of apheresis from Red Cross to be picked up on Monday afternoon. 

I got a call from Mon that he was able to get me 3 bags of RBC as well. 

We are down now to 1 bag of RBC and we are all set for the cardiologist's requirement. I still do not know if the thoracic cardiovascular surgeon will require more. Will know that tomorrow. 

Thank you. Given a chance, even if I'm scared of needles, I will pay back by donating blood and will encourage my family to as well. 

Checking out

We are checking out this year on our wedding anniversary, and not checking in like the other years. 

We can go home now. Nuclear scan is no longer necessary. 

Had lunch at 1618 and got a cake from the inlaws. 

Did my grocery so I can leave some food for my kids during Omar's procedure. 

Final Prep

Coronary angiogram, final prep before Omar's surgery. 

Woke up at 5am of January 30 for Omar's medication and left the room for the cath lab at 6am for the 7am angiogram. 

Kuya came, bought me breakfast and joined me as we listened to Dr. Habana with Omar's angiogram's result. 

Omar's right coronaries are clear from blockage. Unfortunately, with his big aorta, the catheter cannot reach the opening for the left coronaries. Due to the expansion of the aortic valve, both the right and the left coronaries are displaced. Based from the CT aorto gram, looks like the left coronaries are clear too. But Dr. Habana will discuss it first with Dr. Lee if the nuclear scan will still be necessary. 

Thank you for your prayers.