Fighting our Battles

It pains me to see in the news the continuing bloodshed in Zamboanga. Just this evening, I read that a 2-year old boy was killed by a stray bullet. My heart goes to the innocent civilians, the hostages, the men, women and children caught in the crossfire and our soldiers. In this case, I prefer that there be NO battles fought. Let peace reign.

On the other hand, there is these news of the filing of charges of plunder against several Philippine lawmakers related to the pork barrel issue, a continuing battle against corruption that every ordinary citizen should support. The Cebu Coalition Against Corruption supported by Cebu Archbishop Palma has an online petition calling for the abolition of the pork barrel system, the prosecution of the scammers and transformation for the common good. Their stand is contained in a Unity Statement Against Corruption found here https://www.change.org/petitions/the-government-of-the-republic-of-the-philippines-abolish-the-pork-barrel-system-prosecute-the-scammers-transform-for-the-common-good?share_id=yIVfBZGTrn&utm_campaign=twitter_link_action_box&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=share_petition. You may want to take a look and perhaps sign to support the said petition.

I know. This is not a political blog. But I just can't help think of our countrymen even if myself have my own health problems. It is just a battle I too have too fight along with my battle against polycystic kidney disease.

As for this health battle of mine, I am happy to say that I feel I have improved a lot. I am slowly gaining weight. People who see me say I look better. I feel good, thank God. I am back finishing my thesis. My electrolytes and other blood tests are normal except for some elevation in the phosphorus and creatinine. Really having a positive attitude works. Even if dialysis is financially draining, help continues to come and I thank many for that. I still need your continued support though as I prepare for possible kidney transplant still especially that dialysis has started eating up some of the transplant fund.

I have a prospective donor whose being tested and he is a very pleasant young person. He met with me and my wife the other week and may God bless him. We are just waiting for the initial test results. Let us see where God wills me to be.

Seeing a new "classmate" in the dialysis facility with an IJ catheter on her neck reminds me of my first few months of dialysis with the IJ access. That was one heck of an ordeal and I have the many scars on my neck to prove it. Battle scars if I may so.

But even with those scars and the constant pain felt with the insertion of that big dialysis needle, this is a battle I am not turning my back on. Not when so many, even my current and former students are fighting with me. I am not just going into battle for myself. I am doing this for the other patients in chronic renal failure and for other PKD patients so they will also have the courage to face their own battles.

I am not going down without a fight. We are not going down without a fight!