Parokya ni Edgar drummer marks birthday in Hawaii hospital

Moreno (left) with Parokya ni Edgar bandmates Chito Miranda, Gab Chee Kee, Darius Semana and Buwi Meneses
—PAROKYA NI EDGAR FACEBOOK

While going on a foreign trip is often something many people look forward to, coming home is also cause for a celebration because it means being reunited with family and friends. For Parokya ni Edgar drummer Dindin Moreno, his flight to Manila from Hawaii had to be postponed indefinitely because of a medical condition.

He and his bandmates had just completed a successful monthlong concert tour that included stops in the US West Coast (Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas), and Toronto in Canada with their final concert scheduled on March 2 in Honolulu. But even before then, Dindin was already feeling poorly.

On his Facebook page on his 48th birthday, March 16 (March 17 in the Philippines), he shared a detailed post narrating his experience during the tail end of the tour and why he could have died if he hadn’t undergone an emergency operation.

“[In late February], our US tour was going into its final stage. We were getting ready to fly from LAX in Los Angeles to Hawaii. Our last show was going to be in Honolulu and everyone was excited—not just because of the sea, sand and beaches, but because we were flying home to the Philippines the day after the show,” Dindin wrote.

Even before the flight to Hawaii, however, he was already not feeling well.

“He stayed in his room most of the time. He couldn’t eat, but we know Din has always had a good appetite,” his bandmate, rhythm guitarist Gab Chee Kee, recalled.

“I felt bloated,” Dindin said. “They would call me to eat or join them to go to a restaurant, but I had packs of granola bars, cookies, fruits and crackers [to tide me over] until I felt better. The ultimate thing in my mind was to rest, and gather some more energy to play the final show and finally see my family back in the Philippines. But that was when everything started spiraling downwards.”

On the six-hour flight from Los Angeles to Hawaii, Dindin couldn’t stop hiccuping and belching throughout. Once they touched down, he requested to be rushed to the ER where he was diagnosed with gastroenteritis. Since they had a couple of days free before the actual concert, he surmised he’d be able to regain his strength with bed rest and the aid of antibiotics.

“All I had in my heart and mind was to finish this final show so I could finally see my family,” he recounted.

‘Hardest gig’

On March 2, the day of the concert, Dindin mustered up the energy to perform for fans who had come to watch one of their favorite Pinoy bands play. It turned out to be the “hardest gig” he ever had to play through.

“Cold sweat and pain were the things that reminded me that I was still alive. During breaks, I would lie down backstage with people fanning me. Dedication and sheer will power were what kept my drumsticks going,” he said.

As soon as the concert ended, he excused himself because, as he put it, he was already “running on fumes.”

On the day of their flight back to Manila, the band was already at the airport when a doctor who had noticed that Dindin was in obvious pain checked if he was fit to fly. “That was when I felt the ball drop. They didn’t allow me to board the plane. I had to get treatment in order to get clearance to fly.”

Dindin Moreno with wife Billie—DINDIN MORENO/FACEBOOK

The rest of the band boarded the flight, but he had to be taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a distended sigmoid colon due to Diverticular Colitis. He was then given the option whether to power through the pain aided by antibiotics or undergo surgery that would excise the affected colon.

“Since they said that it would take the same amount of time to recuperate, I decided on the antibiotic route. That is when my wife Billie booked an emergency flight to join me here during my treatment. She has stayed by my side ever since.”

Powering through

Unfortunately, the antibiotics prescribed did not work the way the doctors hoped they would and Dindin had to undergo surgery.

“Looking back at everything that I had done, the flying and playing the final gig, could have ruptured my colon, and I [could’ve just died] right there.”

Gab, who also underwent a medical scare last year, commented on Dindin’s post: “Tindi mo, Din. Thank you so much for powering through sa last gig. We felt how hard it must’ve been for you. Grabe dedication mo.”

The two have been friends and bandmates for close to 30 years. Now they have another shared experience and call themselves “Team Hiwa” as they both underwent surgery.

After almost two weeks in the hospital, Dindin’s diet restrictions were lifted by his doctors. His birthday meal of choice? Jollibee.

“So here I am at 7 a.m. on a hospital bed, far away from home on my 48th. Thinking, reflecting and realizing how lucky I am to still be alive. God is Good… God is Great. Happy 48th to me…” INQ