An eye for an eye

Many of my friends and readers were well aware that I had an eye ailment early this year. Happily, after six months, I have fully recovered from an eye operation for a detached retina. While abroad during the Christmas holidays, I woke up one morning with what seemed like a gray veil covering my left eye – which I thought was due to the freezing weather. The next morning, my eyesight didn’t improve. A bit panicky, I decided to proceed to the emergency room of the St. Paul’s Hospital in downtown Vancouver. After several tests, the doctors diagnosed my condition as a detached retina – a serious eye ailment that, if left untreated, could lead to blindness.

The doctors recommended immediate surgery. When I asked for details about recovery, I was told it would take at least three months with the first three weeks requiring me to maintain a “face down” position – keeping the eyes parallel to the ground when sitting, standing, walking, eating, and even sleeping so the retina can reattach itself better. I took a chance and decided to fly back to Manila.

I was quite lucky to have a good friend like Dr. Art de la Peña – the medical director at St. Luke’s Global City – who immediately scheduled my eye operation the very next day after I arrived from Canada.

Thanks to Dr. Art, he arranged for Dr. Albert Mamaril – one of the top ophthalmologists and eye surgeons in the country whose sub-specialty is retina and vitreous surgery – to do the procedure. Dr. Mamaril explained that retinal detachment occurs when a hole or tear in the retina causes vitreous (a gel-like material) to leak and settle underneath the retina.

The operation involved the injection of SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride) gas bubble to take the place of vitreous. The gas bubble keeps the retina in place, but the patient has to maintain the “face down” position for several weeks to keep the bubble in position until the retina reattaches itself.

The doctor advised me to avoid traveling at high altitudes and told me full recovery would take six months. His prognosis was spot on because six months on the dot, I have fully recovered with almost 20/20 vision, although I developed astigmatism which is a fairly common eye condition.

Among the warning symptoms of a detached retina are blurred vision, a seeming veil covering the eye, and sudden flashes of light. Aside from aging, other causes of retinal detachment could be injury, diabetes and possibly allergic rhinitis, which I happen to have.

Recently, a teenage son of a friend was hit in the eye while playing soccer. The boy could not see very well in his right eye for almost three weeks before realizing he already had a detached retina.

I hope this personal story would help people realize how important the eye is and not take it for granted, because obviously the sense of sight is integral in everything we do – from walking to reading, working to driving – so always thank God for our eyes. We should never lose sight (pardon the pun) of how important our eyes are.

Last December, President Duterte appointed me as Ambassador to the United States – a position which I was most honored to accept. But after my emergency eye surgery, I had to be fair to the president and informed him that I could no longer take up the post because of my condition. The other day, I was informed – and I’m truly honored and humbled by the president’s continued trust and confidence – that he appointed me as Special Envoy to the United States.

I will be going to the United States sometime in September with a group of business associates to help promote “Dutertenomics” as my initial mission, and I also expect to reconnect with some of our American friends and associates in New York and Washington, D.C. No doubt, Filipinos have a close affinity for the United States, owing to the long-standing friendship and alliance between the two countries. US Ambassador Sung Kim has become our good friend, and he has certainly made a lot of Filipino friends in the seven months that he has been here.

During the Fourth of July celebrations at the Shangri-La Makati ballroom (see photos in “This Week on PeopleAsia” at the Allure section of the Philippine Star today), Ambassador Kim reiterated the United States’ deep commitment to its alliance with the Philippines, and that it stands by the AFP’s fight against terrorism. In a meeting at Malacañang the other week, the Ambassador informed President Rody that the US is committed to assist in rebuilding Marawi. He also said they support the President’s determination to keep the country secure from terrorists.

The president’s decision to impose martial law in Mindanao has received a positive response from the international community headed by the US, which provided technical support and conducted surveillance over Marawi with the P-3 Orion aircraft. Australia has followed suit, while Indonesia and Malaysia are conducting joint maritime patrols with the Philippines to prevent the entry of terrorists via North Sulawesi and Sulu Sea.

The fact is, even President Duterte admits that our troops are “pro-American,” with trainings conducted by US counterparts with whom our military has been working closely for decades. Our soldiers firmly believe – as do majority of Filipinos – that the affinity and friendship between both countries and the people are mutual – pretty much like “an eye for an eye” where everything is reciprocal in a positive context. Let’s not forget – it’s also a “people to people” relationship with over four million Filipinos living in the United States.

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