UPDATE: 30 May 2021

• Today, Mama Elvira was transferred to the Lung Center of the Philippines for her continuing treatment. She was discharged from the Metro Antipolo Hospital and Medical Center via a promissory note with an outstanding balance of Php 375,000 payable within two months. Our family is still looking for means to fund this overwhelming hospital debt.

UPDATE: 15 May 2021

(This covers updates from May 13-15, 2021.)

• Mama Elvira cannot sustain normal breathing without the BiPAP machine.

• After multiple tests for several days, the attending pulmonologist concludes that she is already a carbon dioxide retainer which results in chronic breathing difficulty.

• Her breathing would need to be supported by the BiPAP machine 24/7.

• Her oral nutrition is still through nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding.

• The attending neurologist said that she needs to get trained to breathe without the BiPAP machine before NGT removal.

• Comparison of previous (2019) and current x-ray films reveal similar results which are unremarkable and no longer require further tests.

• With our already unmanageable hospital bills in the ICU, we are exploring transferring her to a government hospital for her continuing treatment.

• As of today, our outstanding bill has reached Php 206,000. The overall bill is Php 648,000.

UPDATE: 12 May 2021

(This covers updates from May 10-12, 2021.)

• Mama Elvira has been improving steadily as noted by the attending pulmonologist.

• However, she still depends on ventilator support but will be attempted to get weaned off again today. If vital signs stay normal, she may be transferred to a regular room.

• They found excess fluids in her lungs (62 ml only) but the pulmonologist said that it can be treated with antibiotics.

• Her x-ray on the right lung reveals remarkable findings which need a comparison of previous chest x-ray films and/or further assessment via chest CT scan.

• Hospital discharge is being explored but this will depend on successful ventilator weaning and final findings on the right lung.

• As part of the hospital agreement, we continued to procure the medicines from outside pharmacies (around Php 8,000 daily) and pay for laboratory tests out of pocket (around Php 5,000 - Php 8,000 daily) to avoid having to pay a large amount of hospital deposit (Php 50,000) every other day.

• With few medical funds left, we have begun exploring access to medical aid from government agencies.

• As of 12NN today, our outstanding bill has reached Php 137,000.

UPDATE: 9 May 2021

• Today (Mother's Day) is Mama Elvira's 7th day in the ICU and 9th day in the hospital.

• She is mostly awake during the day. The doctor noted that this is a good sign.

• Another chest x-ray will be performed to further assess the status of her pneumonia. Her last chest x-ray was on May 4, wherein signs of clearing of pneumonia were first seen.

• A test to check the carbon dioxide level in her body called the ABG examination was done once again. This will determine if reintubation and ventilator support would again be necessary.

• The doctor's assessment and next steps will be discussed tomorrow.

• We sent our well wishes and Mother's Day video greetings to Mama Elvira. The attending nurse remarked that she was really happy to see our messages.

UPDATE: 8 May 2021

• Mama Elvira's intubation has been removed but her breathing remains to be supported by a Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure (BPAP) machine.

• Unfortunately, her carbon dioxide level increased again and she may have to be reintubated if this remains elevated.

• New antibiotics were prescribed for the staphylococcal bacteria found in her sputum.

• We continued to purchase her medicines from outside pharmacies as these are cheaper than hospital prices. The latest today was at Php 23,000 in total.

• In a phone call tonight, one of us got to talk to Mama Elvira with the help of her attending nurse. We learned that she's been mostly awake at daytime and doing crossword puzzles from the newspaper.

UPDATE: 7 May 2021

• Mama Elvira's condition continues to improve.

• Today, she requested the daily newspaper and a thick sweater. She communicates to the nurses by writing.

• The attending physician is currently trying to wean her off completely from the ventilator. As of 8:30 PM, she has managed to breathe on her own for two hours now.

• Our Php 50,000 deposit yesterday was again fully consumed but this time in less than 24 hours.

• With our nearly depleted funds, we are exploring other means to avoid having to pay a huge downpayment upfront.

• Before the day ended, we procured Mama Elvira's medicines in a local pharmacy. The outside purchase will entail corkage fees but will still hopefully minimize the costs.

UPDATE: 6 May 2021

• Mama Elvira is still weak but her progress is steady.

• Her dependence on ventilator support was further decreased today.

• On our 7th day in the hospital, our running bill has reached around Php 300,000 (after the senior citizen discount).

• After only two days, our second Php 50,000 deposit was all spent. A third Php 50K deposit was made today to ensure her uninterrupted medical treatment.

• Our funds are running short as we brace for a Php 50k-per-two-days trend in the coming days.

• The fund drive for Mama Elvira continues while we also look for other options to raise funds and ways to help minimize the ballooning hospital expenses. [Leads/suggestions are welcome.]

UPDATE: 5 May 2021

• Mama Elvira's condition is stable.

• Her chest x-ray results showed signs of clearing of pneumonia.

• However, other x-ray findings require further tests that cannot be performed yet at this point due to her condition.

• She is gradually being weaned out from ventilator support.

• She is still intubated and her oral nutrition is supported via nasogastric tube (NGT) feeding.

UPDATE: 4 May 2021

• Mama Elvira's infection levels in the body have gone down overall. She is improving steadily.

• Her potassium level is still low but this is being managed by medications.

• She is responsive despite being intubated.

• She also had another chest x-ray to evaluate the status of her pneumonia. Results will be available tomorrow.

• She might be weaned out from the ventilator tomorrow if her condition continues to improve.

• Our Php 50,000 deposit for the ICU two days ago was already fully consumed so we had to make another deposit today in compliance with hospital policy. Hopefully, she will get cleared for transfer to a regular room soon.

UPDATE: 3 May 2021

• Mama Elvira's condition has stabilized.

• Her vital signs are now all normal. These include blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature.

• She is lucid and responds with gestures to nurses' instructions.

• She is still being treated with potent antibiotics for her pneumonia and medications for stroke.

• An egg crate mattress has been procured for Mama Elvira to avoid the build-up of lung fluids and bed sores.

• Visitors are still discouraged in the ICU to prevent possible risks of infection such as COVID-19.

UPDATE: 2 May 2021

• Mama Elvira's swab test result came out NEGATIVE. She is now transferred to a non-covid/clean ICU.

• Her carbon dioxide level in the blood has normalized. (This was at critical levels yesterday.)

• Her pneumonia is being managed by medications.

• Her stroke can be managed by medications too because they found no blood clot in the brain.

• She was awake and responding with facial gestures during the family video call before she was transferred to the ICU where visitors are no longer allowed.

• She is a fighter and she will win this battle. 🙏

1 May 2021

On the afternoon of April 30, 2021 (Friday), our Mama Elvira, 83 years old, was rushed to the Metro Antipolo Hospital via ambulance because she was unresponsive and couldn’t be roused from sleep despite our efforts.

After performing medical tests for the last 24 hours in the emergency room, the attending physician found out that Mama Elvira has suffered from a stroke and is battling pneumonia. Doctors are still trying to rule out infection from COVID-19 but we’ll only know for sure after swab results come out in the next 24 hours.

The swab result will also be our ticket to have Mama Elvira transferred to a proper room (COVID or NON-COVID) in the intensive care unit where she will receive appropriate care without exposure to risks if she ever turns out negative.

She is currently intubated due to carbon dioxide retention in her blood.

Our family has pooled in funds to settle the sum of medical expenses on the first day reaching almost Php 100,000 (April 30-May 1). The next hours and days will be critical with intensive procedures underway and we are expecting Mama Elvira’s hospital bill to grow by the hour. Unfortunately, our family’s funds are running thin.

OUR ASK

We are humbly knocking on your hearts to help Mama Elvira in this time of great need. Your financial assistance will help us save Mama Elvira’s life and get through this tough time.

We hope to celebrate Mother’s Day with Mama Elvira soon and see her do the things she enjoys like watching soap operas, reading magazines, and crocheting.

Thank you. Our family will never forget your support for Mama Elvira. We hope to repay you in other ways when we are able.

God bless and stay safe!