Super MAMAnette’s Fight Against Multiple Cancer

Hello Everyone!

My super mom needs your help.

Antonina Pimentel was recently diagnosed with stage 4 bone cancer and lung cancer. Both are identified only as secondary cancers as doctors are still looking for her primary cancer. She has since gone numb below the breast down to her feet.

My mom and I only have each other. She raised me as a single mom for 22 years and I am her only child. She worked as a Flight attendant on various airline companies, became a school nurse for 10 years, then worked as a company nurse. She stopped working last September 2016, which was actually my first day of work. I have been providing for the two of us ever since.

It all started when she complained about a progressive back ache during the last week of February 2019. She was confined in Commonwealth Medical Hospital. They didn't find anything other than her old diagnoses which were Cervical Herniated disk, Thoracic Dextroscoliosis, Lumbar Spondylosis, and Partial ACL tears on both knees. She also has Hypertension. Her Anesthesiologist then decided to give her 50 mcg Fentanyl and 10mg Oxycodone which are both dangerous drugs aside from Pregabalin and Norgesic, which are also very strong painkillers. She has been recommended to take these meds constantly to alleviate her agonizing pain, since bone cancer is the most painful type of cancer. She was then discharged 5 days later. Our hospital bill reached Php 55,000 which was covered by Medicard, Philhealth, and her PWD ID.

We decided to go to FEU NRMF for 2nd opinion. She was then recommended for Bone Scan, which she had at National Kidney Transplant Institute last April 3 2019. The Doctors in FEU decided to confine her as her bone scan yielded results that she has bone metastasis, which are cancer cells spreading around her body. During her 6 days of confinement, they did several lab test like ultrasound, blood tests, and mammography. They didn't find anything wrong with her kidneys, liver, ovaries, etc., but they found small nodules on her chest. The dosage of her medicines were increased due to the extreme pain she feels. She also developed pneumonia in the hospital. She was recommended for CT scan from the chest to the abdomen, however, FEU's Machine malfunctioned, so they discharged her so she can have a CT scan on another hospital. Our bill here cost Php 107,000 which was also covered by Medicard, Philhealth, and her PWD ID.

She was scheduled for a CT scan on iScan last April 16, 2019. Here, we discovered that her Medicard has been fully consumed. Her scan cost Php19,500.

Upon knowing this, I started to look for a hospital near GMA since I am almost at the limit of my leaves and because PCSO and other charities give bigger discounts at government hospitals. I chose Philippine Heart Center since her Oncologist in FEU is affiliated there, but we recently found out that she wasn’t Medicard accredited so we looked for a new one.

My mom was confined at PHC last Holy Thursday, April 18 2019. Upon reading her CT scan results, the doctors found out she has Lung Cancer too, but it was also secondary. Since her confinement, they have been doing procedures to look for her primary cancer. She had undergone various blood tests, X-rays, and even colonoscopy to look for it, but all have been unsuccessful. The last resort would be biopsy, which the doctors are hesitant to perform, since her lungs will be at risk of infection. Last Tuesday, April 23, her knees started getting weak, to the point where she couldn’t stand anymore. Slowly, her legs went numb. The numbness started progressing through her waist, then to her abdomen, and lastly, below her chest. She has been on diapers ever since. By April 26, 2019, she couldn’t even move her toes anymore. They also inserted a catheter inside her so she can urinate. Last April 29, 2019, they put compressors on her legs since she is at risk of being paralyzed forever. The doctors found out that her tumors have been spreading around her spine with her Thoracic 4 vertebra receiving the most damage, causing the paralysis and numbness. We risked putting her under radiotherapy to shrink the tumors on her T4 vertebra without still knowing what her primary cancer is.

Currently, our initial bill is over Php175,000. With no available Medicard allowance left, and my Philhealth nearly reaching its limit, I am running out of ways to support my mother’s lab tests and continuous treatment/s financially. I am also reaching out to other government offices for help. I am having a difficult time tirelessly balancing everything from work, to taking care of her, buying all needed medicines and supplies, processing all her bills and documents, and other matters that concern my mom.

I am reaching out all of you for any type of assistance in this challenge my mom and I are facing. We will greatly appreciate whatever help you can give us.

You may also send your donations straight thru my Bank Account:

Joshua Moses Pimentel

BDO East Avenue Branch

004690169783