What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

“Patricia, Patricia, it’s time to wake up now!”

I heard an unfamiliar voice. And I thought it was weird that a stranger is calling me by my first name with such power. That’s when I realized I was already in the recovery room. My eyes shut and unwilling to open.

“You have to wake up now. Or else we’re not going to move you in your room” she warned.

I was taken aback. Then fear came flashing that if I couldn’t open my eyes, I might die. Right there, I knew that the only way to wake up is to move a single muscle in my body.

I continued to lie in that cold room. The silence that followed was deafening, the piercing cold was motivating me to wake up so I can grab an extra blanket. I even thought I was in a morgue. With a body I couldn’t control and a mind so awake, I felt like I’m a spirit without a body floating in the air, I started looking back to what happened few days before finding myself in the operating rate (OR).

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_{July 6, 2018 around five (5) in the afternoon, I rushed myself in the emergency room.}

4th of July, 2018. I wake up with an excruciating stomach pain but that’s it, a pain that can normally occur any given day. I endured the pain for two days but on July 6th, the pain localized in my right lower abdomen. I could barely move that morning but by virtue of no choice, I reported to the office for an important meeting with my boss. At lunchtime, the pain tripled that if I try to straighten and align my feet to my head, just like this, I’d definitely pass out. That’s how bad the pain was. I took a few pain relievers just so I can walk. After the meeting, I told myself I could no longer tolerate the agony. I took a cab to the nearest hospital, rushed myself to the emergency room (ER).

And when the attending nurse asked me: What’s your pain score, Ma’am? Ten (10) as the highest?

I was like twenty (20), Nurse! Twenty over ten!!! 🥺😭😩

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_{Two hours later, I was due for an appendectomy. Grateful to all these ER doctors and nurses for taking excellent care of my needs.}

In less than two hours, they’ve discovered that my appendix has enlarged, fortunately, it hasn’t ruptured. They told me there’s no other way to get rid of the pain than getting a surgery. I have no one with me at that moment and my then enlarged appendix couldn’t wait for my family to come over. So the nurses and doctors in the ER had to take care of everything for me — from the laboratory tests I had to get, finding a surgeon and anesthesiologist accredited by my insurance, scheduling the surgery, to processing all the necessary documents prior to the surgery, to finding a regular room where I can transfer after the operation, even securing my personal belongings. All I had to do is lie in bed and wait to get operated on.

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_{After hearing the big news, my friends rushed to the ER to, apparently, take selfies with their sick friend. LOL! 😂 They even waited until it's time for my surgery. Grateful for this bunch!😘}

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_{Do I look like someone who needs surgery ASAP? I doubt it! 😂😂😂}

With all honesty, I didn’t see it coming. That time, I was on my 4th month in my #fitagain journey. It’s my personal project to get fit again. I was around 76kgs when I started my journey in April 2018 and that July I was weighing 68kgs already. What an improvement!

I’ve lined up the running events I’d participate in, there’s RunRio August of that year and Cebu Marathon the following year. But because of what happened, I have to park my goals until further notice.

I couldn’t help but ask: How can this be happening to me? Why now? Why now when I am already starting to get fit?

I find it bizarre that someone exercising regularly, who’s so particular with eating a balanced meal, getting at least 7 hours of sleep every day, and making sure that she has enough time to rest and recuperate will have to send herself to the ER one day. It didn’t make sense.

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_{My first meal after almost two days of no solid food intake.😞}

That event could’ve put off the fire in me but it didn’t. I took it as a challenge to start all over again. If you’ve seen me walk a day after the operation, you’d thought I’m a toddler trying to figure out how to stand on her own for the very first time. Walking as if 10 meters is 10 miles.

_{The battle scar as they'd call it! 😍}

_{You will learn to walk again. Be patient.❤️}

With permission from my doctor, I’d go on slow evening walks, and in less than two months after the surgery, I was already back on the running track slowly but surely, three months later I was back on my solo backpacking in our neighboring Province - Bohol, seven months after the operation I ran my first half marathon back to back with my solo journey to Mt. Pulag and Central Luzon.

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_{In February 2019, roughly seven (7) months from my appendectomy I ran my first half marathon. After a week from my run, I went to Mt. Pulag on my own. Talk to you about the details later!😊}

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_{Say hello to my cool doctors, Dr. Roger Forroza (in blue long sleeves) and Dr. Miranda (Anesthesiologist). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a photo with Dr. Elmer Po, my surgeon. 😊}

Wake up sleepyhead!

Finally, after being too irritated by the nurse's voice, I wake up from my general anesthesia and was moved to my regular room.

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_{And look who stayed?😌God must love me so much that He sent such a wonderful person to be my friend.❤️ Janelle stayed that night until early morning just so I have company. She was soundly sleeping when the nurses transferred me.}

And the next few days were just wonderful. Although I've always been loved and cared for by the people around me, my operation was an exemption. There were friends, schoolmates I haven't seen for years who came to visit me. They brought food and stayed for a few hours to chat. My boss even brought pizza and chicken for me. Too bad, I was advised not toeat until two days later.

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_{Reunions in my room! Do I need to have an operation just to see you guys? 😂}

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_{I have to warn my officemates not to make me laugh or else they'll be accountable to my doctors!🤣🤣🤣}

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!

An old friend once taught me that “We can’t control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond to it” It turned out he was right.

In our journey towards reaching our goals, our dreams, whatever those goals and dreams may be, we will encounter countless stumbling blocks. And some of these hurdles are beyond our control, what we can control is our reaction towards these hurdles. Are these hurdles going to stop us from moving forward? Or are we ready to fight and get past these hurdles no matter what?

Dear friends, if you are struggling right now – face life’s struggles with your head up high. You are mighty brave for continuing the fight even if you know that it’s not going to be easy. And one day, you’ll look back on your trying times and tell yourself “Good job self, you finally made it!”

For now, take your life’s challenges one at a time. Rest if you must but don’t you quit!

I’ll see you on the bright side one day. Aja!❤️

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