Bucket List

Chapter 2 Fast Forward Year 2021

30 long years had passed by...

Alliah's life turned out to be like this...

It was the most painful surgery that happened to Alliah after several battles from her illness. She needed to drive alone to reach the hospital's emergency as she can no longer handle her stomach pain. It's quite difficult as well, since it's the pandemic season. The hospitals were full of Covid 19 cases and Alliah needed to wait for her turn to be accommodated.

"Please help me," Alliah said to the guard at the hospital's entrance. The hospital staff attended Alliah immediately, who had almost drained the color of her face already due to severe pain. She could no longer experience the pain and fainted while she was transferred to the stretcher. One of the medical staff searched for her mobile phone and her identification card to contact her family members.

She underwent different laboratory tests before she was diagnosed with diverticulitis and needed emergency exploratory surgery on her abdomen. Diverticulitis is a common digestive or colon illness in which there is an infection and inflammation of pouches in the form of the intestines. It originated in Western countries and it a rare case in Asian countries. Unluckily, Alliah suffered from it and needed immediate medical attention to survive since her diverticulitis was severe and formed a large amount of mass inside her upper colon. Almost half of her colon or intestine will be removed to save the other half of her colon. It is a 50/50 case of survival.

She hadn't been sent to the Operating Room since there would be someone from her family to be with her during her surgery. Since it was a pandemic, her sister Apple wasn't able to get a pass to accompany her to the hospital. It took Apple more than four hours to get a pass from their Barangay.

Alliah was in deep pain and underwent a series of pain relievers via vials. She kept on texting her sister Apple to come as it was urgent. The surgeon wouldn't do a procedure for Alliah without her family's consent and presence.

"I will be there. I have only got my pass now. Please hold on my dear sister," Apple was almost crying as she knew how her sister Alliah was handling her pain.

She brought some things and clothes for Alliah too. Their mother prepared all the necessities needed to be brought to the hospital as Apple would be the only one allowed to be with Alliah in the hospital. Pandemic has so many restrictions and it was so sudden that Alliah was in this situation.

Alliah was dismissed from her employment without prior justification. She was blamed for a corporate crime she hadn't done and was forced to resign. Perhaps her stress brought her pain and triggered her diverticulitis.

Alliah's life suffered so many difficulties in terms of her marriage, health, and her career.

She was also a single mother of a 7-year-old, Joshua. Alliah had been a battered wife for almost 12 years from her irresponsible husband. When she decided to part ways with her husband, she didn't even know that she was almost 4 months pregnant already.

She doesn't even expect that her journey in life will be like this. Her only wish when she was in her early stage of adulthood was to have a happy married life with lots of kids.

But then she knew that everything had a reason. She survived so many difficulties in her life and became a survivor most of the time. She knew that she had a purpose.

That was all she thought before she closed her eyes.

"She's now sleepy Doctor Pachero," nurse Alvin told her Surgeon.

"Alright, let her sleep then so that we can start the procedure right away," Doctor Pachero, Alliah's surgeon, instructed the medical team to get ready.

During the surgery, Doctor Pachero accidentally touched a hard mass inside Alliah's upper colon and he immediately asked for the attention of his patient's family, Apple.

"Your sister needs to undergo another surgery as there's a big mass needed to be removed from her upper colon. Half of her colon needs to be removed immediately," Doctor Pacheco explained to Apple.

Apple can't just react accordingly. She was so shocked. She just thought that it would be ordinary surgery. It was her first time to encounter and hear this kind of surgical procedure. She loves her sister so much and she cried upon hearing that her life is in deep danger if her half colon isn't be removed within 30 minutes.

"Doctor, can I ask our elder sister first? She was the one who could decide about it," Apple asked Doctor Pacheco, as her mind couldn't just think right as of the moment.

Hyacinth talked to Doctor Pacheco via videocall," Can you please don't remove half of her colon. You can remove the hard mass only please," she asked the doctor. Alliah has a Chronic Kidney Disease also and Hyacynt is quite afraid that Alliah might not recover and might lose her life if half of her colon is removed. She will die.

"If we do not remove her half colon, there's a possibility of repeat surgery in the future as her upper colon has so many infected pouches already. We can remove the big mass but if the result of her biopsy is malignant, we will need to open and remove all her intestine then," Doctor Pacheco explained to Alliah's elder sister.

Hyacinth and Apple don't know how to decide immediately, but the time given to them was almost consumed.

"I need your decision now," Doctor Pacheco asked Hyacynt. She does not tell it to their senior citizen parents as being the elder sister of Alliah, she doesn't want them to worry more.

Hyacinth decided then, "Just removed the mass Doctor, I am positive that the result will be benign."

Doctor Pacheco then continued the exploratory surgery on Alliah.

Alliah suddenly woke up in the middle of her surgery when she felt that her colon was cut. She shouted in pain and the Anesthesiologist immediately injected another shot an anaesthesiologist. Alliah slowly closed her eyes with tears again.

She felt the pain. She saw the medical team. When darkness took her, she could no longer feel and hear anything once more.

She was almost 5 hours in the operating room as her surgery was so complicated and delicate.

Apple waited for her in the recovery room. She already had a VIP room for Alliah since this was the only room offered with her case. Other rooms were pre-occupied by Covid patients. It was hard for them to have Alliah's survival now during this pandemic season. Apple was the only one allowed to be with her and they would be quarantined too, after her release from the hospital.

Early morning the following day, Alliah was brought to her VIP room. Still asleep.

Apple touched her sister's pale face. It was Alliah's 3rd surgery and she was praying that it should be the last. She pitied her sister who had been through so many difficulties and hardships in life.

Alliah's son was in their mother's custody and still asking about his mother's whereabouts.

Apple called Hyacynt and informed her that Alliah was already in the VIP room. Hyacinth was in Singapore and working as a nurse. It was difficult for her to make this kind of decision for their sister. She wanted to go home and be with Alliah but she lacked for 5 years of not going back to the Philippines as the protocol of global pandemic.