A Legacy by Che Alfonso

A Legacy (posted 01-25-10 at gift2life.ning.com)

Life’s full of challenges, some are bearable and within our limits but did you notice that most of the time, all the emotional, psychological, physical and all other attributes are pushed and pulled to the fullest? 

To me, there have been countless but the most is joining a cancer support group where the slightest idea never crossed my mind nor bits of knowledge and experience made me take the plunge. For unknown reasons, one thing led to another.

The formal training, first on Hospice and Palliative Care Volunteer Works, introduced me to a broader perspective of what cancer is.The succeeding years of hands-on approach opened my eyes to the real world much more.

BAPTISM OF FIRE…. as you may call it cause I felt I was a soldier heeding to my superior’s orders, not having the right to say no cause I made several house visitation to every hospice patient assigned to me regardless of the travel distance, time and weather condition. 

Hospice patients are "end-termers". They always look forward to our next visit and each visit entails moral, psycho-social, spiritual and emotional upliftments. The medical aspect is taken care of by the medical staff we have in our team. Suffice it to say..they are just waiting for their time (and miracle) while endless medication,chemo, radiation and bone scan treatments keep draining their body.. and being.. and pockets as well.

AGONIES, SUFFERINGS AND DEATH. When I work, I give my all. It seems that my world revolved in this advocacy that even my family has been involved- bringing goodies and things that we think could make them happy in their remaining days.

But contrary to our training that we, Hospice Volunteers, are not supposed to be seriously immersed in their situation, I found it really hard. Why? You cannot help it !

I had six (6) of them- Severino from Sta Rosa, Laguna(lung CA S4), Gilda (Cervical CA S3C with bone mets, another Gilda from Cabuyao, Laguna (Naso-pharyngeal CA S4 with brain mets), Yolanda from Canlubang, Laguna (breast CA S3C with bone mets) Cris-Ann from Cabuyao, Laguna (Myelogenous Leukemia S4) and Rouel from Canlubang (liver CA S4 with bone mets). I saw how they struggled, suffered and died.

A RESPITE, AND ANOTHER TRY. I needed a breather. It wasn’t easy. What’s a Thursday afternoon without them? It’s in my system. It took sometime, yes.. six (6) long months of (still) thinking of them but another door was opened, and I let them rest.

Saw an invitation in the newspaper, grabbed the phone and reserved a seat. Looked for the place. And then there was I.. listening to the speaker as she dissects the word cancer. After an hour or so, they were looking for volunteers. Is this another calling?

Weeks after, I was already in the Breast Care Clinic of the East Avenue Medical Center. Another training.More focused, this time on breast cancer- awareness, early detection, palpation equals
advocacy.

The group had been going places but I never had the chance to be invited. Instead, I stayed with patients in the Chemo Room, listened to their plights. During non-chemo days, I just have to contend myself beside Debbie, the Chemo Nurse, cutting plaster tapes.

More trainings from the Philippine Foundation for Breast Care, Inc. came and I saw myself coordinating an advocacy for the Naval Education and Training Command in Zambales, the very first.

MORE CHANGES…. FOR THE BETTER. Things happen. Unforeseen events came. New place, old faces.Endless meetings, brainstormings and the first advocacy at Bgy Alas-Asin, next was Bgy. Lucanin and then the Kiwanis Intl- Mariveles Chapter, all in Bataan but this time for Gift2Life, Inc. More requests followed but didn’t materialize.

It’s been two (2) years or so. Gift2Life continue to go places, touching people’s lives, with or without cancer.. but they are so many…wanting to learn, to be educated, to be touched. And our military personnel is not an exception, thus.. the Camp Tour started.

FRIENDSHIP STARTED IT ALL. When my friend’s husband took the helm of the Philippine Navy Command, protocol dictated that she, as the Navy Ladies Adviser, spearheads the ladies club. Being a military officer’s wife myself (and an Adviser to BNS Ladies Group when my husband was Commander of Ft. Bonifacio Naval Station), I knew the responsibilities were not confined to only handling the group effectively, harmoniously and productively but also to come up with meritorious projects that would compliment ,at least, the basic needs of the military personnel, their families and the civilian staff as well.

Seminars on Protocol and Social Graces, Psycho-Social and Stress Management, Livelihood are mainstays in the agenda but health awareness campaigns would also make a good impact, thus, The Phil Navy Officers’s Wives Association, thru its Adviser Ms Shirley M Golez and President Siony L Abogado welcomed the Breast Cancer Awareness Program.

From June 2009 onward, powerpoint lectures, breast screening and high-risk factor assessment were conducted at Bonifacio Naval Station, Naval Base Cavite, Naval Forces Northern Luzon, Phil Military Academy, Naval Education and Training Command, Naval Forces Central Command, Naval Forces Eastern Mindanao. By word of mouth and thru reports of the PNOWA, the Phil Army and Phil Air Force Ladies Groupsknew it and requested one for their group which Gift2Life readily accommodated.

We also did the Armed Forces of the Philippines Officers’ Ladies Club (AFPOLC) and The Southern Luzon Command. On February 4-7, we will be at Naval Forces Western Command.

We hope to continue with our advocacy, for as long as our body and mind can withstand early morning calls, endure long travels, late night caps, but as my friend’s husband is bowing out of the service come May 2010 and the very energetic former PNOWA President Siony Abogado had relinguished her post on last January 23, I couldn’t express my sincerest gratitude to these people, who also made it possible for us to deliver our Breast Cancer Advocacy, with flying colors!