(From my old blog. Edited. Some parts deleted.)
Ten years ago, nanay was diagnosed of a disease which she announced to our friends and family on her birthday, during a small gathering held in our house. People who know the disease were shocked upon hearing the news, some got sad, some cried, some said words of encouragement, everyone prayed while some, well, were totally clueless.
After that event, I started to notice things which I thought were just normal before. There were times when her skin and face got so red with a butterfly rash forming on it. She used to ask “Chay, sobra bang mapula/maitim na ako? Pangit ba?” Also, she always carried with her an umbrella which she uses most especially when it’s too hot or the sun is too high. When I asked her why, she always had the same answer, “S’yempre. Kasi mestisa ako.” When I make her mad, ate Micah would always tell me, “Bawal ngang mastress at mapagod si nanay eh!” When I iron the clothes and leave most of them for nanay to finish, ate would again tell me, “Bawal ngang mainitan si nanay eh!”.
You must be wondering now what my mom’s disease is and what it is that takes a lot of courage to be opened up to other people.
Nanay has Lupus. She has SLE (Systemic Lupus Erythematosus). At that time, all I knew was it’s the worst of its kind. What would a 10 year old kid supposed to now by that time, right? Especially about such a hell-of-a-kind disease that’s killing her mom. All I knew for sure was nanay is sick and, well, ‘dying’ as the disease is fatal and there are no direct cures for it. I tried reading about it, but crap! I barely understand it.
Later, I started to know the disease more (I’m not giving you full details, though). SLE is something that can be placed with AIDS as it is also a disease of the immune system. And as the word systemic implies, the disease attacks the whole body. It’s an autoimmune disease and it’s systemic and that makes it worse. Her body is being attacked by its own self. Immune system failure. No more ‘body’s fighting corps’. You can’t determine when is it going to attack or what part is it particularly attacking at the moment. It’s unpredictable. It’s fatal. So and so. What now? Less protection and defense against non-self stuff means greater vulnerability to other forms of disease.
So why am I telling this now (knowing that nanay might scold me if she finds out that I shared it here)? To hopefully inspire you to never be deterred by setbacks in life and to never lose faith in our almighty God.
What would a person do if her own body is destroying itself? Cry in one corner? Lock herself in a room? Blame the world? Not my mom’s thing. At that point in time, I saw her become even more active in the church (not to mention the district and BULPAC). I saw her faith in God grow even more. In return, He poured back so many blessings unto her (job promotion, salary increase, great family (haha), etc.) and I am a living testimony, a witness to that. For a woman with a disease like that, what more can she ask for? God has given her more than what she expected. She worked, served and spent her life for Him and what did He give back? Everything she asked for, only even more.
Now, nanay’s disease is on remission. (We do not know when it will flare up again but I hope it won’t ever again.) Thank God. He’s working all the while.
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NANAY! You’re really an inspiration to us. You’re the greatest! I love you so much! ♥♥♥
