I COULD HAVE DANCE ALL NIGHT!!!

My Niece and Nephews who attended the wedding reception. Christine and Kevin, on the right , are brothers and sisters. Noel is their first cousin from Sacramento, California.

My charlies angels. My wife in the middle with pinkish blouse and the rest are all sisters and sister in laws.

My nephew Drichmon, leading the the line dance on the dance floor.

My wife trying to support me because I am not holding my cain with me and standing infront of the camera for a long time. I am still hurting from my surgery last 01 July'08.

My wife with her nephew Noel who is always present to any family gatherings, even if he needs to fly from Sacramento, California where he works as a Physical Therapy in their family business enterprise.

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

Last Saturday 28th of July, I ventured for the first time outside the house using my cain. I have to attend my wife's niece wedding that we have already promised that we will be attending. We cannot absent ourselves because my two sons cannot attend it. They have their own occasion to attend.

I did not informed my nurse and physical therapy that I will be attending, but I think the physical therapist can sense that I will be attending the party. She told me that in case I will be attending the party, I have to bring my walker and cain with me, and I need to stand up from where I sit every one hour so that the muscle on the left hip where I had the surgery will not be stiff. So off I went to attend the party.

I was so jealous because everybody is dancing while I just sit and watch all of them having a good time and some are already wasted and drunk because there was an open bar. There were lots of line dancing and other funky music and dancing of the younger ones, that I really cannot relate into. There lots of ball room dancing that I really wanted to involve myself but I am imprisoned temporarily with this walker and cain. I stood up at the dance floor holding my cain and just watch people dance. My wife nearly had a heart attack because she was worried I might start dancing. She escorted me back to our dinner table.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, I could have dance all night if I don't have these contraptions with me. Maybe next time, when all is well and my body is well.

Sincerely Yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM

WHAT I DID LAST WINTER

My clinical instructor with one of the patient and with one of my classmate. She is an Indian/British nationality who was born in South Africa and speaks more than five languages. Very intelligent and A good clinical instructor.

My two classmates. The one with the eyeglasses has lived in the Philippines for more than five years. Her family lives in Quezon City at Scout Delgado. She graduated from Faith Academy in Cainta,Rizal.

This is my whole class. Nobody wants to enroll anymore in allied sciences and the school will not allow more than 13 students per class, if there are students enrolling. I was the only male in the class and I love the attention. The lady on my left is always seated besides me in class. We are the two senior in the class.

I love this picture very much. This classmate of mine studied CNA for her mother. She wants to take care of her own mother herslef. Isn't that nice.

The nice pretty young girl besides me is the youngest in our class and in the entire college that graduated for that semester. 17 years of age and the darling of the class.

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

Before my surgery last July 2008, I went back to school last winter of 2008. I was not able to download the pictures because I lost the camera. I just found it today, when I was not looking for it.

Since i retired from the airline business for 14 years, my eldest son told me I will just be bored at home doing nothing and advised me to do something. So, I looked for a part time job close to home and something that will interst me. I found one, took the exams and passed the exams, got qualified and now working and taking care of the mentally handicap. During the time that I have been working for these "Twice Blest", it hit me to further understand them and learn more in a clinical way to take care of them, so I enrolled at College of Lake County in Gurnee, Illinois. It was a 30 mins drive from home, depending on weather (since I enrolled during winter time).

I enrolled as a Nursing Assistant and graduated last May 2008. I got my certificate and now a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA).

I thought I won't make it because of my age and the schooling and the study is too much. I am at school from 5:00 pm till 10:00 pm from Mondays to Fridays. It was very comprehensive. We are only allowed to be absent for one day by the school. We cannot be absent more than the required days/hours by the government or else we will be removed from the program.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, I am sharing you this picture and by the time you are looking at it and reading it, I will be in my physical theraphy for another four week s and will be back at work, by October the first,taking care of the mentally handicap, using what I learn from school.

Sincerely yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM

IT STILL HURTS

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

I will see my surgeon this 30th of July to see if the surgery is alright and if there is no further problem or complications.

While trying to let the hours and day pass, especially now that I am all alone, when the Physical Therapist and Nurse leaves the house after their daily routine check on me, I am again alone. I do some small things and light chores in the house if I am already bored of reading and watching the TV and pounding the computer. I decided to clear some of the files that I have in the filing cabinet inside the computer room/den in the house.

I tried to discard some of the file that has been inside the filing cabinet for ages, but not the income tax returns. I always keep it even it's already ten years old. One can never tell about the IRS of this country. So I pulled out some of the folder that is no longer used, then I saw a particular folder that does not have any title on it. I opened the folder and it was the death certificate of my kid brother who died two years ago. It brought memories again, when I was with him during the time he was having his chemo therapy at Manila Doctors Hospital. It was a sight that I don't want to go back to plus the sound of my kid brother crying and asking the doctor to stop. It was a dreadful event to recall and remember.

I placed the Death Certificate in another folder again and place it in the active files that I have. I don't want to throw it away. I guess I still want to cling on to the memories, even if it was so hard and painful. I cried in my room, me being all by myself made it more hard and painful. My dog was staring at me and most probably wondering what is happening with me.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, I think I am still mourning. The death of my brother still brings back memories that is not nice to remember. At least he is at peace now and no more pains and aches.

Requiem Aeternam Donaes Domine, Philip.


Sincerely Yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM

I HAVE A VERY GOOD DOG

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

Now that I am always left alone at the house the whole day, during my recovery, life could be boring after watching TV, Cable, using the computer, reading a book. The Physical Therapist and the nurse just left awhile ago. They will continue coming to the house to check on me until the end of the month. As soon as they leave, I am all by myself.

I have a two year old dog, named Bombolino, who is always at my side. He is a mix Shitzu and Maltese. Two years old just last month and very a good dog. He will stay inside my room the whole day and night, will lie on the floor when I sit down on the chair to watch TV and will be on the floor if I am in the computer room. He is on the floor right now, while I am in the computer. He will only go down stairs at the basement to eat and relieve himself on the newspaper that is on the floor.

If I look at him and talk to him while I am seated either on the bed or on my special chair, he will stand up on my lap and kiss my hands and put his head on my lap. Then he will lie down on the floor and spread his tummy and asked to be scratched. Since I cannot bed down, I am using my scratcher or sometimes my cain to rub and scratch his tummy. I have a very obedient and very loving dog. I cannot ask for more.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, I see to it that the love my dog is giving, I also give it to him in return. I cannot find any more loving animal than my Bombolino.

Sincerely Yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM

THE LONELINESS OF BEING ALONE AT THE HOUSE

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

I am still doing my therapy at home and I was told that this is a long process of recovery. My wife has returned back to work since I can now move inside the house with the aid of my walker and cain and the Physical Therapist comes daily and the nurse to check on me.

But when they are all gone, I am left all by myself in house with my dog. I cannot watch TV and cable the whole day. I try to read books but at times it is so boring also. I need to do something but I was advised by the nurse and the Physical Therapist that I still have limited movements even at home until the surgeon gives me a clearance.

It is so hard to undergo this Hip Replacement Surgery. All of my movements during the recovery are as if being measured. I can only go down the stairs with my therapist because she straps me with a Gait Belt just in case. In the absence of my therapist, I have to call my son to assists me in going down the stairs and be able to sit at the veranda of the house to see some movements outside. I cannot sit in a chair more than two hours without standing up and moving a little bit. My hips has to be exercised.

Now I am all by myself inside the house, I have to wait for my wife to come home and help me go downstairs. I don't want to venture on my own because I have a nightmare one night that I have fallen on the stairs and my hip got hit badly. I was awaken by my wife sweating and screaming. That was a very horrible nightmare. This is the reason I am having a hard time going down the stairs because that night mare is still in my mind.

And so Auntie Patti Koh, I take consolation in my computer at home.In time I am sure, all be well again and I will be active and will be able to move around without the aid of my walker or cain.

Sincerely Yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM

THE AFTERMATH OF HIP REPLACEMENT SURGERY

Dear Auntie Pattie Koh,

Finally, the dreaded hip replacement surgery was done last 01Jul.'08 and it was very painful. I had the Epidural anesthesia, instead of the General Anesthesia last Nov. when I had the Umbilical Hernia Repair. The anesthesiologist said it is better because the General Anesthesia has lots of side effects.

I stayed at the hospital for four days and decided to stay at my house and do the rehab, using my own bed instead of going to a nursing home rehab center. I really prefer my own bed. The nurse comes to the house everyday and the physical therapist to check of me. The nurse gest sample of my blood to see if my blood is thickening . The surgeon is very particular about it, because when the blood thickens he says I might have internal bleeding and it might enter my lungs and it will be very dangerous. The physical therapist do the regimentary exercises to strengthen my left hip, where I had the surgery.

I am now all by myself art the house. I told my wife to go to her office, since she has been taking care of me for the last two weeks and a half. She needed some break and change of atmosphere also. The post operative was very hard on me. Even if I have taken the pain killer, it is so painful, especially at night. I cannot sleep properly because my best position in bed is in the left lateral position, but that is where I had the surgery. My dog keeps me company when I am left at home, but the stillness and the quietness is so deafening. I cannot watch TV and movies all of the time, much more so read all of the time. I fell sleepy after I have taken the pain killer.

Now, I can move inside the house with the aid of the walker and the cain. I am religiously following the regimental exercises that has been given to me. I want to get well soon. I am still wearing the TED hose, to prevent blood clot in my legs. The nurse said the surgeon will ask me to remove it, maybe by the end of this month.

In the stillness of the house, I have all the time to reflect on so many things. I tried to go down and be able to see the front lawn of my house, which is now being taken cared of by my brother in law. It is so hard to go down stairs. We have 16 steps and the last four steps going up does not have any railing. This is the hardest part and the therapist was telling me to take some baby steps on these particular steps. But still I dare not come downstairs if I am by myself. I either call my eldest son to stop by and help me go down stairs or wait for my wife. They have to strap me the Gait Belt, in case I slip, they have something to cling on to support me and stop my fall.

I tell you, Auntie Pattie Koh, I now feel what it is to be handicap. I hope I get well soon and be able to move around easily just like before.

Sincerely Yours,

INFRATERNAM MEAM