Well, That Was a Plot Twist

Well, that was a plot twist.

I went into surgery thinking I had a fibroid. Turns out, it wasn't just extra-sized. It was humongous. And because apparently my body enjoys plot twists, it came with an ovarian cyst too.

People have been asking how I'm doing and what recovery feels like. Imagine every movement requiring a committee meeting between your brain, your abdominal muscles, and your pain tolerance.

Getting out of bed? A project.

Sneezing? A near-death experience.

Laughing? Absolutely not.

But mostly, I'm just amazed that I carried this around for who knows how long and somehow still managed to cycle, walk, run, work, raise two kids, a husband, and some cats... and still had the audacity to complain about trivial things.

The human body is a remarkable thing. Mine just happened to be a bit of an overachiever.

I went silent after posting about my mom's birthday. Truth be told, while everyone else was remembering that she would have been 71, I was being "disassembled" in the OR.

Thing is, my surgery was planned. I could have picked any date on the calendar. But somehow, I chose July 18. Maybe because, deep down, I knew that if there was ever a day I'd need my mom the most, it would be her birthday.

Surgery went well, and I am now home and recovering.

Thank you to everyone who sent messages, prayers, and well wishes. To those who visited, sent flowers, cards, food, and little acts of kindness. To everyone who quietly checked in on Jay and the kids while I was in the hospital—thank you.

To my siblings (represented by Ali), thank you for the constant support, the check-ins, and for being there when it mattered most. We may not always say it, but moments like these remind me how lucky I am to have you.

To Mama Blanet, who came all the way from Baguio to help Jay and, in many ways, fill in for my Daddy—thank you. To Mama Edna, for making sure we never had to worry about food or finances while I recovered. Apparently, recovering from surgery takes a village, and ours showed up.

A special thank you to the SSC-R de Cavite community for including me in your daily Mass intentions. There is something incredibly comforting about knowing that an entire community was praying for you while you were in an operating room.

And to Jay for proving that "in sickness and in health" includes hunting for blood units, cleaning surgical wounds, surviving on very little sleep, and becoming an expert in helping your wife get out of bed. Marriage is funny that way. One day you're arguing about where to eat dinner, and the next you're helping each other through major surgery. I couldn't have asked for a better partner to do life and this chapter with.

And to my fellow women: don't ignore your body. Sometimes, "I'm just getting older" turns out to be something else. Get checked.

Recovery is painful and humbling, but you've all made it feel a lot less lonely.

For now, I'll be focusing on healing, appreciating modern medicine, and trying not to laugh until my abdominal muscles and I are on speaking terms again. 🤕