Dolphy
Comedy King Dolphy underwent a medical procedure called a tracheostomy on Saturday night “to alleviate his discomfort and make it easier for his organs to function properly,” his son Eric Quizon said Sunday.
“We are aware of the risk of this procedure—he will now be more prone to infection—but this has made him feel more comfortable,” Quizon told reporters Sunday afternoon at Makati Medical Center, where his father has been confined in the intensive care unit (ICU) since last week.
A tracheostomy is a surgical procedure where an opening is made in the neck to the trachea as windpipe to allow a patient to breathe easier.
“After the tracheostomy at 10 p.m. Saturday, his blood pressure normalized and his heart rate improved. Although there are still fluctuations, these have become less frequent and less radical,” Quizon added.
Quizon clarified that contrary to some reports, Dolphy was still in critical condition and confined in the ICU. “He was taken out of the ICU only because the doctors needed to perform the tracheostomy,” he explained.
Dolphy also underwent kidney dialysis for almost seven hours Sunday, Quizon reported. “Since his body responded well to it, his doctors said this would be performed on him as long as he needs it. They said there could still be a solution to my dad’s kidney problem.”
Dolphy first underwent dialysis on Thursday, but doctors discontinued it on Friday after the comedian’s heart rate shot up and his blood pressure went down. The dialysis was resumed at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, Quizon said.
“His progress is steady, albeit very slow,” he added. “The family is relieved because of this. At least, there’s progress.” Quizon also pointed out that the comedian still had pneumonia and was being treated for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
He said his father was still on a respirator, “which has been removed from his mouth and now passes through his neck.”
Asked about the possibility of Dolphy being moved from the ICU soon, Quizon said: “We’re not losing hope. It really depends on how fast or slow his health improves. What’s good is that he’s more responsive these days. He’s awake longer.”
Quizon also reported that the doctors were still trying to find the cause of an internal bleeding. “It’s still there. Doctors still can’t perform surgery on him to remedy this.” On Saturday, he explained that, “this could be in the stomach. Since this is where his medicines pass through, the stomach lining could be thinning. It could also be in the colon or in the intestines.”
The actor-director then called on his father’s supporters to “please continue praying for him. Whatever you’re doing, it’s working. I hope you will also include us, his family, in your prayers.”
Quizon added: “The family has already accepted the fact that there would be more episodes like this in the future, probably worse than this, but we’re prepared.” Dolphy was diagnosed with Stage 4 COPD in 2009. The disease causes the airways of a person to narrow. It gradually gets worse over time, and a person diagnosed with the disease may have more frequent lung infections such as pneumonia.
Dolphy has survived 10 episodes of pneumonia since his birthday last year, Quizon said. He turns 84 on July 25.
Originally posted at 04:12 pm | Sunday, June 24, 2012