157. OUR DAUGHTER’S A.V.M. TRUDGE

 

OUR DAUGHTER’S A.V.M. TRUDGE

Dr. Troy Alexander Gozum Miano, LPT

08 July 2022

Today is the first of six sessions of physical therapy to improve the movement or ability and regain the original strength of our daughter, Jasmine Alexandra, who underwent a major surgery – evacuation of intracranial hemorrhage and arteriovenous malformation last Wednesday, June 22 at the Capitol Medical Center in Quezon City.

Medical dictionaries in the net reveal that an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) is an abnormal tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins, which disrupts normal blood flow and oxygen circulation. Arteries are responsible for taking oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain. Veins carry the oxygen-depleted blood back to the lungs and heart.

When an AVM disrupts this critical process, the surrounding tissues may not get enough oxygen. Also, because the tangled blood vessels that form the AVM are abnormal, they can weaken and rupture. If the AVM is in the brain and ruptures, it can cause bleeding in the brain (hemorrhage), stroke or brain damage.

The cause of AVMs is not clear. They're rarely passed down among families. Once diagnosed, a brain AVM can often be treated successfully to prevent or reduce the risk of complications.

My wife Jasmin and I just had a three-day bonding with the leaders of the Cabatuan Women’s Organization at Blue Coast Beach Hotel, Centro, Santa Ana, Cagayan and as we headed for home in the morning of June 19, Dr. Jose Rizal’s 161st birthday anniversary, we decided to attend the Holy Mass at the church of Cagayan Valley’s patron, Nuestra Señora de Piat at the Spanish-period pueblo of Piat (founded 1596) in southwestern Cagayan province. We made our traditional love offering when Jasmin received a call from my brother-in-law informing us that our daughter strongly insisted that she be brought to the hospital due to severe headache and vomiting.

My wife and I immediately proceeded to the metropolis and arrived before midnight of the same day. I was the first to see my daughter and instantly broke down when I saw the condition of Jasmine at the emergency room violently struggling on her hospital bed due to intense pain in the head. We were informed that a blood formation in the head was seen on her CT scan. She was transferred to the seventh floor at the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and regularly received doses of pain killers whenever extreme agony was evaluated by the attending nurses and physicians.

Over a dozen doctors including ten specialists headed by A1 Dr. Eric Dennis C. Legazpi, one of the best neuro-surgeon in the country, studied Jasmine’s case and recommended that the AVM should be clipped but eventually resolved to totally remove the cause of the disruption the following day. Before the procedure, an angiogram was made on Tuesday to secure the exact images of the arteries and veins in the brain. I personally experienced an angiogram procedure when my cardiologist discovered my heart ailment five years ago and this was the very first time I learned that it can also be used for the brain. The net defines: an angiogram is an x-ray or computer image (CT scan or MRI) of the blood vessels and blood flow in the body. A dye may be injected through a catheter (small tube) into an artery or vein to make the blood vessels easier to see. An angiogram may be used to check for an aneurysm (a bulge in a blood vessel wall), blockages in arteries, blood clots, or other problems, such as a tumor.

The necessary preparations were made and we escorted Jasmine to the operating room at the third floor at past five in the afternoon on Wednesday. Time seemed to have stopped as we waited for almost seven hours. At one time, though very morbid, I uttered, “Anak, ikaw dapat ang magpapalibing sa akin sa hinaharap, hinding-hindi puwedeng ako maglilibing sa ’yo”. The anxiety was very high and our nervousness and uneasiness were remedied with prayers. As devoted Roman Catholic Christians, we always believed in the power of praying. We regularly visited the Saint Claire Monastery in Guibang, Gamu, Isabela and when we were in Metro Manila, we made it a point to stop-over for a short prayer at the Real Monasterio de Santa Clara de Manila, a colonial-style 20th century nunnery with modernist interiors, where people leave eggs as offerings located at Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City. Aside from visiting the church, we also solicited prayers to our personal friends and even virtual friends in Facebook and the responses were overflowing with many other religions joining us for Divine intervention for a successful operation of Jasmine.

A couple of minutes before midnight, the doors of the operating room burst opened and we witnessed that our dear Jasmine was given her second life. Our sincerest thanks and gratitude to the team of medical practitioners whose hands the Lord Almighty guided and made the efficacious procedures.

Aside from the prayers, financial help also poured in led by my two bosses, immediate family members, friends from different groups and entities and supporters. Unexpected help by old time friends and peers were also unprecedentedly available. This made us realize that there is truth that whatever good you sow to your fellow men will surely return a thousand folds. Serving the people for over 26 years earned us true friends who now came to our rescue in these very difficult times.

According to mayoclinic.org: symptoms of AVM vary based on where it's located. Often the first signs and symptoms appear after bleeding occurs. Besides bleeding, signs and symptoms can include: progressive loss of neurological function, headaches, nausea and vomiting, seizures and loss of consciousness.

Other possible signs and symptoms include: weak muscles, paralysis in one part of the body, loss of coordination that can cause problems with gait, problems performing tasks that require planning, weakness in the lower extremities, back pain, dizziness, vision problems, including losing part of your field of vision, loss of control of eye movements, or swelling of part of the optic nerve, problems with speech or understanding language, unusual sensations including numbness, tingling or sudden pain, memory loss or dementia, hallucinations and confusion.

On June 27 Monday, Jasmine was transferred from the PICU to the ward and on July 4, after 15 days in the hospital, she was discharged and headed for our home in Philand, Tandang Sora, Quezon City. The doctors, nurses, other medical staff including the billing and finance section up to the elevator men and security guards of the Capitol Medical Center offered excellent professional and courteous services. We salute!

Our family passed through many trials in life and being always united, we survived the test of times with the aide of Almighty God. Maraming maraming salamat po Panginoon!