A 25-year-old woman recalled a health scare when she was comatose for a month in 2017.
Larry Mae Uson said that she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 10 years old.
“’Yung bowl po namin sa CR, nagugulat ‘yung papa ko.May mga black po na langgam.Yung sa laundry namin, du’n sa underwear ko po, nilalanggam siya. Tapos, napapansin po nila, papayat ako nang papayat kahit okay naman po ‘yung kinakain ko. So, pina-checkup po ako. Nagulat ‘yung doktor kasi pagkakuha po ng blood sugar ko, nasa 500 plus. Eh, ang normal po, is 120. Pina-admit na ko sa ospital,” she told in an exclusive interview with The Philippine STAR.
Since then, she was under medication to manage her blood sugar and even inject insulin when she was a grade 5 student. Larry said she was able to live normally through her medication.
Not until she experienced flu-like symptoms in 2017 and was shocked that it led to something more serious.
“‘Yung diabetic ketoacidosis na tinatawag nila. Super high nu’ng blood sugar ko, before kasi mangyari ‘yun, parang three days na po akong nilalagnat, pabalik-balik siya. Sa kili-kili ko po, nagkapigsa ako, Grade 12 ako. Hindi na po ako nakakapasok nu’n,” she said.
Since she was a product of a broken family, her father who was then an OFW suggested to her to travel to their home in Pangasinan to accompany her to the hospital. While enroute to the province, Larry’s condition got worse.
“Nu’ng time na po kasi ‘yun, masama na ‘yung pakiramdam ko na parang hinahabol ko na hininga ko. Pagdating po sa Tarlac, nagpaakyat po sila ng medic. Ang magkausap is ‘yung conductor, ‘tas si papa. Yung papa ko po, ta’s ‘yung tita ko, nakaantabay na dun sa labas ng bahay. Para, diretso na po ako sa ospital. Kasi, hindi ko na po talaga kaya,” she narrated.
Since her confinement at the hospital, Larry couldn’t remember any of it. She stayed at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after she went into a coma.
“Magfo-four weeks na po akong comatose. Naghalo-halo na po ‘yung sakit po. ‘Yung mga tita, tito ko galing sa Manila, umuwi na sila sa Pangasinan, kasi nga po, baka nga daw po hindi na nila ako maabutan, nag-iyakan na sila sa labas. Tapos ‘yung mga teacher ko din po, mga sisters. Bumiyahe pa sila pa Pangasinan. Tapos dinasalan din daw po nila ako,” she said.
Her family was distressed about her condition, not to mention the expensive hospital bills. The doctors also asked if the apparatuses that were keeping Larry alive would be removed after being comatose for four weeks.
“Bawat inject po sa akin ng mga gamot, P10,000 daw. So pataas nang pataas ‘yung bill. Hanggang sa ‘yung papa ko, parang nababaliw na. Sinusuntok niya na daw po ‘yung pader, gano’n. Hindi na din niya daw po alam ‘yung gagawin niya. And ‘yung mother ko po, hindi din makapunta. Kasi nga po, nanganak na po siya noon,” Larry noted.
Adding, “Nung araw na parang pinirmahan na po ni papa, tatanggalin na daw po ‘yung mga life support ko and nagtawag na din daw sila nu’ng funeral kasi nga, tanggap na nila. Nag-iiyakan na daw po sila lahat.”
Minutes before removing the ventilation, they were surprised when Larry woke up.
“Du’n po nagising po ako. Sabi nila, since lumalaban nga daw po ako, nagising ako, why not? Ilaban na din daw talaga nila. Paggising ko po kasi noon, hindi ko din sila kilala. ‘yung feeling noon is para kang baby ulit. Hindi ako marunong magsalita. Hindi din po ako marunong magsulat. Lahat daw ng katabi ko du’n sa ICU is talagang namamatay daw. Tapos, ako lang daw talagang bukod-tanging natira daw po. Tapos, ako din daw ‘yung pinakabata,” Larry recalled.
Larry’s recovery took time, and she even became bedridden after she was discharged from the hospital. Her condition also affected her kidneys and had to undergo eight sessions of dialysis.
She said that she learned a lot from her near-death experience.
“Na-realize ko po doon is ‘yung faith kay God po, na mas maging strong. ‘Yung papa ko po, lagi po ako nire-remind na magdasal, magsimba.Kasi talagang miracle po talaga ‘yung nangyari, and second life ko na po ‘yun. Lesson na din po sa akin ‘yun, na alagaan ko na po. Mas naging pursigido na mas maging successful pa sa life. Kasi bagong buhay po ulit. Para ‘yun na ‘yung time para bumawi sa sarili ko tsaka din po sa family ko,” she said.
“Super thankful ako kasi the whole time na nasa hospital po ako, ‘yung papa ko po talaga ‘yung nagbabantay.Mga tita ko po, tito ko, tsaka ‘yung mga pinsan ko din po sa father side ko po. Super dami po talagang tumulong sa akin nu’n. Kaya, nag-give back po talaga ako,” she added.
