Nanay Meets My Doctor for the First Time.

TUESDAY, May 17, 2016. 7:46 pm, Ermin Garcia.

Just got home from NKTI. It was a very tiring and emotional day.

It was 8:00 am when I received an SMS from Nanay. She said that they were on NLEX already. She was with Ate Ising and Kuya Rannie. Me and my wife decided to prepare breakfast early.

It was 10:00 am when we met them on NKTI's car park. They were all excited because this is the first time that they would meet my doctor. Nanay, of all people, was the one who was very optimistic. She's optimistic that dialysis and transplant are not needed anymore because my latest blood test result was good. My creatinine level went down from 4.2 to 3.9. We went up to the clinic to be listed on the patient's que. To our surprise, there were many patients than usual and I was the 28th. One of the patients told us that she arrived at 8:00 am and yet, she was the 21st on the list. Time passed.

It was almost 12 noon but still, only six patients got consulted. I asked the secretary and she told me to take our lunch and return by 2:00 pm. We decided to go to the nearest mall to take our lunch. After eating, Ate Ising bought a bag for her daughter and we strolled the mall to kill time. It was hot and humid outside and it was the best place to relax and stand by. Nanay was still optimistic.

It was 2 pm when we returned to the clinic. Waiting was very tiring. To cut the story short, we slept at the waiting que and I got called at around 4:30pm.

Waiting for our Turn. From Left to Right: Ate Ising, Reizel, Karrynne, and Nanay

The first meeting of Nanay and Chad, my doctor, was a bit heavy. I know that she was rating and assessing him silently. She did all the talking and bombarded him with all her questions. What would be better? What would save me? What would save me from the situation my father is in right now. Are dialysis and transplant avoidable? As Chad replied to all ofher questions, she started to feel the gravity and the reality of the situation. She began to cry.

My heart broke when I saw Nanay cried. All the things that made her cry (because of me) flooded my memory. I suddenly realized that all this time, I always brought sadness to her life. I told this to a friend and he said to stay positive and it's not too late. He was right and I moved on. It was good that Ate Ising came because she kept Nanay calm. After a short burst of cry, she calmed down and regained her composure. With a firm but a gentle voice, Chad told her that there is hope. That she doesn't need to feel down because there is hope. There is a cure. It's kidney transplant.

His opinion/diagnosis did not change. I need an urgent transplant to avoid complications. My creatinine levels are rising and we don't want to gamble. Chad said that it's harder when we wait for my creation levels to fully arise than opt for a transplant than to transplant now. He also told us that it is possible to go to dialysis first before transplant but it has many complications. In short, the best option is to transplant now.

There were many blessings right after the consultation. Nanay started to take it positively and her optimism returned back. She pleaded Chad to take care of me and Chad promised to do so. It was 6:15 pm when they left NKTI.

It was a very difficult scene to watch Nanay cry. I know how that feels. I'ved been there when I first knew my disease. But, it was a very positive experience when Chad reached out her hand and affirmed her that he will take care of me.

I bet Nanay is okay now. He met my doctor and had a heart to heart talk with him. I bet she would have peace of mind now. Please pray for her as you pray for me. Please pray for my family.

Thank you so much for reading :)