A Reunion of Friends

A fun-filled mini high school reunion! 

Dad got a special treat this long weekend with a visit from his high school classmates who arrived bearing food and cheer last Monday. I've met some of them several times before, and it's always funny to see them suddenly revert to their jolly, younger selves.

Dad with his old seatmates Tito Edwin Fernandez and Tito

They're a really close-knit bunch who has stuck together through thick and thin all these years. That afternoon, they traded stories, looked over old graduation pictures, recalled old jokes and pranks, all while feasting over hearty portions of hot lomi, barbecue, and sapin-sapin. Most importantly, dad's classmates lent their moral support and prayers to him just in time for his next chemotherapy treatment tomorrow.

A thanksgiving prayer before the meal

So far Dad is doing fine. His last blood test results showed favorable signs that his immune system is very normal. We hope that this will continue throughout the next sessions. Aside from traditional medical treatment, we've also opted to go for complementary treatment ranging from Chinese herbal supplements, healing enzymes, fruit and vegetable juicing, and lately, pranic healing - a form of energy healing. Above it all, prayer is the biggest factor, and we thank dad's classmates for keeping our family in their intentions. I'm looking forward to another one of their mini high school reunions! - Ryan

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Thank you all for visiting!

A "Small" Victory

Pain is a very ugly word- specially if it stops one from walking and doing the very basic things like going to the bathroom to pee. For several days now, Ernie was experiencing pain of such nature coming from the fracture in the pubic bone. It was equally painful for me - although mine wasn't a physical pain, it was intense nonetheless.

Pain specialist Dr Dong's prescriptions worked wonders, thank goodness - Ernie was much improved yesterday and completely pain free today!! He was thrilled with his condition and joined me for organic veggie shopping at Centris Sunday market. He enjoyed looking around the stalls, chatting with vendors and bought a chic native cowboy hat-something he had always dreamed owning!

What pleased us more was that his most recent x-ray done Friday night showed the words "NO BONE FRACTURE SEEN"!!  I am not an orthopedic onco surgeon and I don't understand fully what the report meant, but last time we looked (Biopsy surgery done ) - his pubic bone was really broken, not a hair line crack but broken into 2 moving parts! Truly and really PRAYERS ARE POWERFUL! All praise and glory to GOD for this "SMALL" victory!! Thank you all for your love and prayers!

"This, the first of HIS miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in HIM" - John 2 : 11 NIV

Olive  

The Best Painkillers

Praise and thank GOD! Ernie's whiteblood count and platelet count is normal after a week of treatment! (No need for that dreadful face mask) He also has not experienced any of the side effects that usually go with chemotheraphy - we all know what these are. He still suffers much though from the pain in the pubic bone fracture which seems to radiate down to the knee. Walking is difficult. This is the same pain he felt last January 2011.

His spirit remains strong and attitude positive despite pain. I truly admire him!!!

Thanks to our dear friend- pain specialist from St Lukes - Dr Dong Brodit who paid us a home visit today. He checked and interviewed Ernie about his pain and movement in great detail. He prescribed the best pain killers for Ernie's current condition. We will also continue to administer the ultimate medicine for killing pain - PRAYERS! Thank you always for all your love and prayers!----Olive

Integrative Approach

Alternative medicine specialist Dr. Bryan Virtusio tests
 Ernie for supplements that can help him during chemotherapy

Dear Friends and Relatives,

Outside the realm of conventional medicine is a whole different world for healing - alternative medicine or better word would be complimentary medicine. It is the world that uses natural medicine found in plants, that God made for our healing (bible talks about this), including attitude, emotion, energy and more. Yes of course, we believe firmly in the value of complimentary medicine- all the way!! It's purpose is to boost immune system and even stop cancer cells dead on its tracks!

Ernie is now into guyabano tea (powerful cancer killer), a banana enzyme, Zilongen pills (from various chinese herbs), pancreatic enzymes (which destroys the tough outer covering of cancer cells so immune system can eradicate it), an "onion" water which shrinks tumors and soon probiatics and more. Most important are his Nutrilite supplements which is 100% organic from plants harvested from 100% certified organic farms- which can super boost immune system so it can fight and destroy cancer. Ryan was on Nutrilite 4 years ago when he had chemo, and miraculously he hardly had anyside effects from treatment and responded so well to the treatment!

 I believe the body can heal itself - that is how wonderful GOD made us. We just need to give it all the boost!!!-including love, care, positive environment and even laughter!

At the end of the day, the most powerful drug is prayer and the greatest physician is this our Almighty FATHER!- Olive. PS - Ernie blacked out today while in mass. Fortunately many parish friends where there to help me - they brought him water and fanned him until he gained back his senses. It was just a couple of minutes. Our onco said it is not chemo side effects. She suspects it is his blood pressure medication that got his BP too low

24 Hours after Treatment

Ernie with dispenser of hope, Dr. Charity Viado-Gorrospe right before his first chemotherapy

The single word -"chemotheraphy" is enough to send chills down one's spine. I searched on the internent Ernie's main drug component Alimta - a powerful drug to shrink and eradicate lung tumors looking for side effects. I regret looking at the internet - it had all negative information that made me sick just reading. I will discipline my mind not to think negative - ever again - GOD help me!

24 hours after Ernie's first chemo session and he is up and about, gardening, reading the papers, and eating a hearty breakfast with freshly juiced carrot, cucumber, red beets, green apple and celery with lots of Nutrilite supplements. No pain and very positive with a great spirit and humor! Praise and thank GOD!

With Ryan's chemo experience 4 years ago (now completely healed!), we were not so fearful of Ernie's first. The 3 of us went, 1 patient and 2 cheerleaders. It was uneventful (meaning nothing strange or bad happened) except that we made new friends!!! In the out-patient program, patients having chemo all sit together for hours and hours (Ernie's took 6 hours intravenous ) chatting,sharing stories about their cancer journey, what suppplements/herbal products work  and lots of other topics. Ernie actually enjoyed the interaction-he is truly a genuine people-person.

Here in our parish, the Apostleship of Prayer group started a 9 day novena for Ernie - what a loving and warm gesture from our Philam community. Words are not enough to express our THANKS!

Next chemo will be 21 days from now.

 In the name of Jesus Christ - the greatest healer and miracle worker - we REBUKE all negative side effects of treatment, and all the invading cells in Ernie's body! We command you all to leave his body and make his body NEW again! This we ask in the name of JESUS!

The Great PROMISE of Jesus to all believers. Part of it says "....these signs will accompany those who BELIEVE...they will place their hand on sick people. and they will get well" Mark 16:17.18

Thank you all for your love and prayers.-Olive

Next c

My Brother's Wife - Joselyn

Miracles didn't just happen in the ancient past in the bible - there are real healing miracles today too. Take the account of my sister-in-law Joselyn, whose story and interview was featured at GMA 7's the 700 Club last week.

Diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer a few years back, Joselyn quickly sought both alternative and conventional chemo to treat her disease spending a lot of  money over a long period of treatment. All strategies didn't work, in fact her condition slowly degenerated until metastasis to the bone was from head to foot. Pain was excruciating. This was a time that brought her intimately closer to the LORD. She found comfort and peace in being a student of the WORD and trusting entirely in HIM.

At the height of her pain, almost giving up all hope, she went to a prayer/healing meeting in a small Church called "Church so Blessed" in QC. She had been confined to a wheeelchair for months.There, hands were lain upon her while faithful church leaders rebuked and cast out the disease from her body.

Her account of what happened next - the pain completely drifting away from her body until she could jump and jump and jump -will bring tears to anyone's eyes.  Months have passed and the pain never returned. She got an x-ray of her pelvic bone - suppose to be badly eaten up by cancer and it showed a pelvic bone restored like normal! JESUS is the same healer, yesterday, today and tomorrow!!

What an inspiring real story of Gods immense love for us!-Olive

Tracing the Footsteps of the Past

When Ryan got sick in 2007, I searched for individuals with a gift of healing.  Among them were Fr. Soy Hernando, whom I never met or talked or heard before.  He looked like a college student or a priest newly ordained.  But he has been a devotee of St Ezequiel Moreno, patron of cancer patients ( he was a spanish priest who was assigned in the Philippines but returned in his country where he died of cancer).

Fr Soy would come to our house regularly, pray over Ryan, Olive and me included. We became friends and out of gratitude, I would go around and distribute stampitas or novenas or prayer of St Ezequiel to those afflicted. Now, Fr Soy is a regular txmate sending me short prayers of healing.

Sister Raquel, a RVM (Religious of the Virgin Mary) healing nun, was also instrumental in cleansing Ryan.  I saw her a few days ago and when she saw me, she remembered me and asked me to make kwento our 2007 experience. That afternoon, I served in the healing mass and shared with others who were there for healing - Ryan's miracle.

I have shared this story to many and it has encouraged/gave hope to many. Including me...

Count your blessings.

Esto

A Doctor Who Dispenses HOPE

Ernie's cell samples didn't qualify for oral chemo-even if he took the very expensive daily pills he would not respond to it. No other recourse but to proceed with the conventional intravenous chemo treatment. Just the thought of the word already sends chills down my spine....because of all the dreaded side effects. But I don't question the LORD - I trust in GOD's perfect plan for us.

Our medical oncologist, director of the St Lukes Cancer Institute in QC, and dear friend - Dr Charity Gorospe (Ryan's onco) is God-sent to us. She is one doctor that dispenses not just drugs to heal you but more important HOPE. She is trained and experiences at par if not better than the best oncos in the world. She immediately drew up various treatment protocals with various drug combinations explaining in detail how they work (including side effects) and costs. Chemo drugs best work in combination to confuse cancer cells and leave them defenseless for the kill. If drugs are administered alone, cancer cells quickly recognize them and become ressistant.

Of course the best drug combination is also the most expensive. We chose the best.

Ernie would be given 3 cycles (drug intravenous infusion) every 21 days, then we go for a CT scan to check if the tumors are regressing, and then proceed another 3 cycles of 21 days each and then evaluate again. This should continue indefinitely until :
1. Cancer is eliminated - no sign of active disease
2. Cancer grows resistant in which case  drugs will be changed
3. Ernie's body can't take the side effects of therapy and so drugs will be changed (second line of
    treatment will be adminstered)

Treatment starts Wed next week on a out-patient basis. In the meantime he was injected with Vitamin B complex and is taking high doses of iron folic to prepare his body.

This Bible passage gives me great comfort and I wish you read on :

PSALMS 23 : 1-6
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD;
I HAVE EVERYTHING I NEED.
HE LETS ME REST IN FIELDS OF GREEN GRASS
AND LEADS ME TO QUIET POOLS OF FRESH WATER
HE GIVES ME NEW STRENGTH;
HE GUIDES ME IN THE RIGHT PATHS,
AS HE HAS PROMISED,
EVEN IF I GO THROUGH THE DEEPEST DARKNESS,
I WILL NOT BE AFRAID, LORD
FOR YOU ARE WITH ME.
YOUR SHEPHERDS ROD AND STAFF PROTECT ME
YOU PREPARE A BANQUET FOR ME,
WHERE ALL ME ENEMIES CAN SEE ME;
YOU WELCOME ME AS AN HONORED GUEST
AND FILL MY CUP TO THE BRIM,
I KNOW YOUR GOODNESS AND LOVE WILL BE WITH ME ALL MY LIFE,
AND YOUR HOUSE WILL BE MY HOME AS LONG AS I LIVE

Thank you for praying with me-Olive

Swamped with Calls and Text Messages

We have been swamped with phone calls and text messages and comforting "kamusta na si Ernie?" from friends, associates, community and even from family abroad. Thank you so much for your concern and
prayers...thank you so much for being there for us!

Ernie is unbelievably strong, positive and optimistic about this health challenge. He has no pain or difficulty anywhere in his body and continous to have such a great sense of humor at home and with people! Experts say that the mind and body are like scrambled eggs, you can't separate them. If that were the case then we have the best attitude of mind here for healing.

Awaiting lung biopsy results - and the best medical therapy (depends on results) to match his positive spirit.-Olive