Hanggang sa kanilang mga huling sandali, paglilingkod pa rin sa kapwa ang nasa isip ng mag-asawang doktor na pumanaw dahil sa COVID-19 sa Cebu. Paliwanag nila sa anak, "Anong silbi ng buhay kung hindi sila makatutulong sa iba."
Pumanaw sa edad na 66-anyos si Dra. Helen Tudtud, isang kilalang pathologist sa Cebu, noong Marso 27; at tatlong araw lang matapos ang pagdadalamhati ng kaniyang pamilya, sumunod naman ang mister niyang si Dr. Dennis Ramon Tudtud, na isang oncologist.
Ayon sa anak nilang si DJ, pinaalalahanan daw niya ang kaniyang mga magulang na huwag nang pumunta sa trabaho dahil sa banta ng virus lalo pa’t kabilang ang dalawa sa mga person at risk dahil sa kanilang edad at pre-existing conditions.
Ngunit tumanggi raw ang mag-asawa dahil ayaw nilang iwan ang kanilang trabaho lalo na ang kaniyang ama na nag-aalaga ng mga pasyenteng may cancer.
"I kept on telling my dad not to go na to the hospitals because of his age and his preexisting condition (diabetes) but he keeps on saying na who will help those in need. I said na there are people naman who'll cover for you, pero sabi niya, sobrang laking burden nu'n for them. Kasi he's actually one of the top oncologists that's why he has a lot of patients and if aano (titigil) siya, ma-o-overburdened niya ang ibang oncologists din. Because he's covering maybe a significant number of people in Cebu," kuwento ni DJ.
Hindi rin daw nila alam kung saan at kanino mismo nanggaling ang virus pero hinala ng kanilang pamilya, dahil ito sa paglalabas-pasok ng mag-asawa sa iba’t-ibang ospital sa Cebu.
"The chance is that they might have got it from a patient kasi the patients of my dad are all immunocompromised. My mom is a pathologist, she already retired na from Vicente Sotto (Memorial Medical Center) but she kept on going as someone in the society of infectious diseases. She's still doing community work," aniya.
SYMPTOMS
Ayon kay DJ, nagsimula lamang daw na makaramdam ng mga sintomas ang kaniyang Mommy Helen gaya ng konting lagnat at ubo noong March 17.
"I think she had symptoms nu'ng Friday. But she considered it as small fever, not even high fever and then lack of appetite and maybe slight cough pero hindi naman sobra. She just thinks of it as flu. She said, "I think I might have a flu ha so don't come near me, I'm gonna eat in the room lang and then I'll stay in the room indefinitely,"' pagbalik-tanaw ni DJ.
Patuloy niya, "That's why after Friday or Saturday, di na siya lumabas sa room niya. She ate in her room and then food will be served in her room lang but she didn't eat that much kasi she doesn't like the food na, she doesn't eat a lot. Nag-anorexia siya. So nag-alala kami, we wanted her to be checked up sana but she said that she's scared to go to the hospital kasi she might get COVID daw. Sabi niya, "Anyway, I'll rest this muna lang." And there, she rested lang."
Paglilinaw din ni DJ, simula pa lamang ng pagkakaroon ng mommy niya ng mga sintomas, naka-self isolate na ito sa isang hiwalay na kuwarto at nakakalakad-lakad pa nga raw ito.
“On Saturday (March 21), it kinda got worse pero she just felt tired, she just slept lang most of the day. And then Sunday, she stayed lang at home the whole time pero she said she felt better. She was walking around na sa house, sa kanyang room. She said, "I'm okay na. I'm okay na," pagbahagi ni DJ.
"She's walking na, back to sitting down and then reading stuff. Hindi naman na bumalik ang lagnat niya up until Monday. So she felt okay na, na lumipas na. She doesn't have cough or everything. Pero pag Tuesday, bumalik ang lagnat niya to 39. So na-prompted na kami na di na talaga to okay, we need to go to the hospital to get yourself checked up,” patuloy niya.
Matapos sumailalim sa check-up at x-ray si Dra. Helen, may mga nakita sa kaniyang baga at doon na siya dinala sa isolation rooms para sa Persons Under Investigation (PUI). At dahil bawal lumapit ang pamilya nina DJ sa kaniyang ina, sa mga video calls at chats lang daw sila nagkakausap.
“We can only communicate (through video call), kasi she was in isolation ward, we could not visit her. After she got intubated kasi, she fell na into coma. ‘Di ba, gabi ng 21 siya na-intubate, everyday we kept on calling her and she was saying na "I love you. I love you!" And she was reassuring us if are we okay, do we feel sick ba raw. Everyday, nagtatanong siya sa amin ‘cos she is really worried about us. Ganoon siya ka-selfless,” pag-alaala ng anak.
Samantala, nang matapos ang check-up kay Dra. Helen, minabuti na rin ng asawa nitong si Dr. Dennis na magpa-test at mag-self isolate na rin, na kahit sa mga panahong iyon ay wala pa siyang nararamdamang kakaiba sa kanyang kalusugan.
“So ang dad ko, nagpa-test nalang din ng COVID test, and then yun, on that day sa March 17. After that, that's the thing, my dad, nagpa-xray din, nagpa lahat, and then clear naman so he was sent home. Pina-strict isolation in his roon,” patuloy ni DJ.
Kilala raw si Dra. Helen sa mga katrabaho at kaibigan nito na mahilig magpatawa. Sa isang Facebook post nga ni DJ, pabirong ikinuwento niya na bago pa man pumanaw ang ina, naunahan pa raw siyang tapusin ang isang series na pareho nilang sinusubaybayan at huwag daw siyang i-sspoil nito.
“When you actually read it online sa mga people na nag-testimonial, actually she's very fun, loving at grabe siyang tumawa. She laughs a lot, she smiles a lot and then she's very bubbly ba. She tries as much as she can to please everyone. She's actually a very funny person. That's why a lot of people misses her,” dagdag ni DJ.
FAKE NEWS
Marami raw ang nagpapaabot ng magagandang mensahe bago pumanaw ang kanyang ina para magbigay ng lakas ng loob, ngunit may ilang masasakit din na posts sa social media ang nababasa ng kanilang pamilya.
“The saddest thing is, mommy called me, "I was able to read na may nag-condolence on my wall even though I'm still alive." She said na bakit daw nag-rest in peace sila na I'm still alive man, can you do something about it? Sabi ko, okay so I posted na she was stable ‘tsaka bakit kumalat yang mga ganyan na may COVID kahit di pa nga lumalabas ang test results. It hurts kasi pinangalanan talaga silang dalawa,” pahayag niya.
Ngunit imbes na patulan ang mga taong ito, hindi na raw muna ito gaanong pinansin nina DJ lalo pa’t ang kaniyang Daddy Dennis, nag-aagaw buhay na rin sa mga oras na iyon.
HULING HILING
Nang tuluyang pumanaw ang ina ni DJ, mas nadagdagan daw ang kanilang pangungulila sa ina dahil hindi man lang nito natupad ang kagustuhang magkaroon ng masayang lamay.
“The hardest thing, she actually asked us before to celebrate her, because we discuss openly this kasi in the family na how do you like your ano (wake). She actually said that she wanted big celebration. ‘Cos she's the type of person kasi na everytime a friend or an acquaintance (mourns), she really finds time to visit everyone talaga sa wake. How ironic na siya naman ang naano, then they weren't able to visit her,” aniya.
MABUBUTING DOKTOR
Ibinahagi naman sa isang post sa social media ng isang Mavz Amoncio, isa sa mga nurses na nag-alaga kay Dra. Helen, pinangakuan daw sila nito na i-treat sa isang restaurant ‘pag nakalabas siya. Lagi rin daw pinapa-monitor ni Dra. Helen ang kaniyang oxygen dahil desidido nga raw itong gumaling.
Si Tita Malolot, isang cancer patient na nakasalamuha si Dr. Dennis noong siya’y nagpapa-chemotherapy ay hindi rin makalimutan ang pagkabusilak ng kalooban ng doktor.
“May time nu’n na sobrang baba ng hemoglobin ko at pinautang niya ako ng vaccine para tumaas ito . Lagi niya rin kaming sinasabihan na ‘di kami mamatay sa cancer. Tinutulungan niya kaming mga indigent patients,” saad niya.
Naikwento rin ni DJ kung paano siya dating nakikipagtalo pa sa kanyang magulang na ipaubaya na lang ang pagseserbisyo sa ibang mga kasamahang doktor dahil baka mapahamak pa ang mga ito.
“We keep on telling them na not to do anything na. But they're very persistent with their service to the community. Then they said na what's the point in living daw if they can't help daw the people. The same thing with my dad, my dad keeps on saying na who's gonna take care of the cancer patients who needed him. He said that I have to go to the hospital talaga to facilitate my patients,” ani DJ.
“Even when he got admitted na, he gave a lot of instructions, "Can you tell...to send this to..." And then, in and out siya sa kanyang sedation, when he wakes up, magte-text siya na "Hello, can you monitor this patient, Can you tell her na…” Imagine ganoon siya ka-dedicated sa kanyang pasyente,” dagdag nito.
Hindi raw makapaniwala si DJ sa nangyari sa kaniyang mga magulang lalo pa’t strikto raw ang kaniyang tatay sa proper hygiene sa loob ng bahay. “Actually, he's being very very cautious nga. In fact, very ironic lang ba na at home, sasabihin niyang, "Everybody! Do the 20-seconds wash."
Nang aking mapanayam si DJ, nasa kritikal na kondisyon pa raw ang ama nito ngunit nito lang umaga, inanunsiyo niya sa kanyang Facebook account na pumanaw na rin ang kaniyang ama.
“Our Daddy Dennis has joined Mommy Helen. I and my sister are in deep sorrow that God had to take both of them but I take comfort that they are happy together in their journey to paradise.”
Kinumpirma rin ito ng spokesperson ng Department of Health Region VII na si Shelbay Blanco at nagpaabot din ng kanilang pakikiramay sa pamilya.
Hindi raw madali ang pinagdadaanan ng kanilang pamilya at ayaw daw ni DJ na pagdaanan pa ito ng iba pang tao.
“Stay at home talaga and if you have preexisting condition or you're senior, despite your call to help, it's safer to not risk it. Especially when they are older. I don't want anyone else to experience the thing that we had na kinastigo kami even nothing was happening ba. Maybe it's the importance of privacy, and also bakit nauna pa ang fake news, san sila kumuha ng ganitong information,” pahayag niya.
Sa isang digmaang hindi nakikita ang kalaban, nararapat lang na magbigay pugay sa mga bayaning isinasakripisyo ang kanilang kaligtasan, maprotektahan lamang ang taumbayan. Kaya mensahe ni DJ sa mamamayan, “Let the healthcare professionals work. Just stay at home as much as they can para hindi dumami at ma-overburdened ang hospitals.”-- FRJ/RSJ, GMA News
