BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines — It all started with her back pain.
Then, in a quick turn of unfortunate events, her simple back pain deteriorated and progressed to a point where she could not anymore move her lower extremities, paralyzed, with a pain so excruciating that the smallest movement proves unbearable.
Eda Mae Berio-Arcilla, or “Doc Eda” to her colleagues in the university, lives a storied life as a Professor. A professor complete with a doctorate degree, happily married to a supportive spouse, with a precocious daughter who is already an accomplished author at age seven. She’s physically fit, hardly has any vices, and conscious about her health.
So, when she started experiencing back pains, nobody thought it would be anything serious.
Her husband, Rene, said it started with a simple back pain last April.
“She transferred to a different area, a different table last April (in their faculty room), where the air from the AC directly hit her, so it was cooler,” Rene Arcilla tells DNX. Then, it led to a series of events that quickly deteriorated for his wife, Eda Mae which ended with a condition that left half of her body paralyzed.
Eda decided to try the services of a blind masseuse, but the pain persisted so they decided to go to the orthopedist, who came up with a diagnosis of fibromyalgia and muscle cramps, and was sent to a reflexologist.
This didn’t work so Wednesday last week, they consulted a rheumatologist, who prescribed her anti inflammatory meds, and pain relievers, including steroidal drugs which left her bloated, and led to more problems with her bodily functions.
Rene noticed that the trip to the rheumatologist was already a struggle for his wife; Eda was already limping, and had to slow down as every step was apparently painful.
By Thursday, she already had a paralysis on her right leg, so she had to be carried just to go from one place to another. The next day, she was already paralyzed from the waist down, and experiencing unbearable pain with the slightest movement.
When doctors did an Xray on her, they discovered that her condition was already progressive, and they recommended confinement.
The hospital performed an MRI scan on her, and the extent of the damage was finally made clear: a tumor was pressing against one of her vertebrae, causing her spine to collapse, thus the paralysis.
The doctors, however, were puzzled as to the cause of the tumor.
She was recommended for surgery to remove the pressure, and doctors said her prognosis is positive: about 90 percent recovery rate.
The problem, however, is the cost, almost P500,000 is needed for surgery alone, and Rene is now doing the best he can to make Eda better.
He’s thankful, though, for the support of family and friends who had stormed the heavens for prayers, and those who had initiated a fundraising to help defray costs.
But more is needed. Thus, the appeal for generous hearts and kind souls.
For donations, send to 09478279474.
