Marking the Beginning: Day 1 in Sean's Brave Colostomy Journey Towards Full Recovery and Surgery

Hello everyone, how are you? It's me again, AngelicAura, your friendly Hiver😊. I hope you're all doing well. Regardless of how tough life may be, just pray to God and He will take care of the rest. Maintain your faith because God never allows us to suffer beyond our means. The challenges He presents to us serve a purpose. I apologize for my long hiatus since posting my last blog. My time has been consumed by coordinating and planning with my partner for Sean's upcoming operation. Anyways guys I just wanted to share with you all that the process has begun. Please bear with me and enjoy reading.

It was Wednesday, April 9, 2015, at 6:30 in the morning when my husband decided we should visit Sean's surgeon, Dr. Noel Astrologo. Initially, I hesitated to leave because it was a holiday. However, my husband felt strongly that we should go because it had been a while since we last visited Sean's doctor. As far as I remember, my last visit to his doctor was four years ago. Therefore, I agreed to go so we could start preparing for Sean's surgery. We quickly took a bath so we could arrive early at Dr. Noel's clinic. We finished around 7:30 AM and then we took a bus. We asked @dark.rose to watch our younger child since her plans were canceled. She insisted on watching the child so we could go on our trip without any interruptions.

While on the bus, I was captivated by the clouds, which reminded me that no matter how large or tumultuous your problems are, you have to keep moving forward. If you remain still, you won't achieve any of your dreams. The sight also gave me a sense of peace and calm. As I was observing the clouds, I didn't realize that we were nearing our destination at the south bus. If Sean hadn't pinched me, I wouldn't have noticed our arrival. There was no traffic at the time because it was a holiday, so we arrived at the south bus terminal quite quickly. I don't know why, but I felt a bit absent-minded the whole day.

After getting off the bus, we walked towards the ACT school to catch a jeep going to Cybergate, where Dr. Noel's clinic is located. The clinic is part of CyberDocs, a network of veteran doctors from Chong Hua Hospital. We boarded the jeep around 8:10 AM. I felt like a newcomer in the city, amazed by the sight of the towering buildings around me. It might sound silly, but every time I see large buildings, I feel a sense of joy and excitement.

We arrived at Cybergate around 8:30 AM. The guard asked us where we were headed, and I replied that we were visiting Dr. Noel Astrologo. We quickly went to the lobby to find out which room and floor the doctor's clinic was in. Unfortunately, I couldn't find his name on the list of doctors in the building. We called the guard for assistance, but his name wasn't listed in the logbook either. The guard tried to radio his colleagues to ask for help in locating the floor where the doctor's office was, but our attempts were unsuccessful. The guard then suggested that we try looking for Dr. Astrologo on the 3rd floor, where the specialist doctors usually have their offices. We asked several people, but no one seemed to be familiar with him. Eventually, a janitress named Janet approached me and said that Dr. Astrologo had left the building a long time ago. I asked her where he could be, but she was unaware. However, she mentioned that we could try asking someone in a particular office because they might know where he had relocated to.

We arrived at the building a little past 8 AM, but the clinic was scheduled to open at 10 AM, so we had to wait for quite some time. Around 9 AM, a woman in a medical staff uniform approached and tried to open the door. I quickly approached her and asked if she knew where Dr. Astrologo had relocated. Luckily, she was aware and informed me that his clinic is now located at Cebu Medical Arts, next to Chung Hua Hospital.

We took a photo at the back of Chung Hua Hospital before standing by to grab some water and have a snack. We were feeling quite hungry, especially since we didn't have a proper breakfast. After that, we proceeded to head towards Cebu Medical Arts.

Finally, here we are! After all the wandering and getting lost, we found ourselves in front of Dr. Astrologo's office. We couldn't help but laugh because were struggling to use the elevator, showing a bit of ignorance. But we eventually located the office, and we saw the sign - "Whooo!" However, it was still 10:00 AM, and the clinic wouldn't open until 2:00 PM. So we decided to go back at 1:00 PM, grab lunch, and visit the Sto. Niño Church to pass the time until Doc's clinic hours.

We had dusty and haggard faces, but we couldn't help but laugh about it. All the struggles we went through were tiring, but it's all worth it because we're doing it for Sean. There's no reason for us to back off because Sean is a fighter, and we're right there beside him. ❤️

Our first stop was the famous landmark in Cebu, Colon Street. And head towards to untitop to buy some slippers . I insisted on stopping here because my feet were already swollen. I made the mistake of wearing heels, not realizing that we would be doing a lot of walking. Please don't judge me; I didn't anticipate the consequences, and I regret it.

Our second stop was Mang Inasal. I preferred eating here because of their unlimited rice option. It really satisfied our hunger and filled our growling stomachs. Call me messy, but I enjoy eating with my bare hands as it brings more enjoyment to the food and enhances the taste. Don't worry, I also made sure to sanitize my hands, prioritizing safety and cleanliness to prevent any illnesses. Safety always comes first before indulging in delicious meals.

Presenting the Halo-halo with ube ice cream on top, along with a delightful combination of leche flan and ube halaya. Overall, it was a fantastic treat. The sweetness was perfectly balanced, and the creaminess was exceptional. I would rate it 9.9 out of 10, only because I wanted more of it! Haha!

Our third stop was the Basilica Del Sto. Niño, where we offered prayers of gratitude for the blessings and good health that the Lord has bestowed upon us, especially for Sean, whom He did not forsake. The challenges we have faced, we were able to overcome because of the guidance given by our dear Lord. It is because of Him that the seemingly impossible became possible, and Sean's surgery can now be performed. Thank you, our dear Lord. 🙏

Our last stop was at Dr. Astrologo's clinic. We arrived exactly at 1 PM, and we were grateful that his clinic was already open. However, only his secretary was present at that time. We waited patiently, and around 3 PM, Dr. Astrologo arrived after performing surgery at UC Med. Once he arrived, we went inside his clinic and he prescribed us a Barium Enema at Chung Hua Hospital. Since it was already late in the afternoon, we decided to return to the city and come back for the Barium Enema. That's all for today, guys. See you in my next blog. Thank you for supporting me since day one. I hope you continue to support me in my upcoming blogs. Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. Take care and stay safe. 🫶