Before we visited Ely Buendia at the Philippine Heart Center Monday night, we knew that he was already preparing to be transferred to a regular room because he was progressing well in his recovery that day.
But when we got there at past 9 p.m. Monday, we were surprised to find out that he had to stay at the CCU unit of the Philippine Heart Center for another two days at least because he just had angioplasty that same morning.
It turned out that his doctors found another blocked artery that same morning when his preparatory ECG test showed that. "He was all sprightly and enthusiastic when he came for a supposed stress test that morning. But the doctors recommended angioplasty right away instead," Day told us.
When we saw him, he was already stable and was being administered medicine to pull up his blood pressure which was a bit low due to the procedure that morning. We asked him how he was feeling when we saw his blood pressure reading was only 89/45 and he said, "sa akin, okay lang yan kasi low blood talaga ako," he told us. The nurses were explaining to Ely the medicines they were giving him.
Although still looking pale, Ely smiles warmly to his visitors. My heart truly went out t for him. We told him he gave everyone the scare of their lives again and he replied by just smiling back and pressing our hand. He gave us the thumbs up sign when we inquired how he was feeling.
Ely was conversing with everyone and even expressed desire to go home for the wake of his mom. He was asking questions about the show, about the recording done by SonyBMG and even narrated how he actually felt that fateful Saturday night.
He said, "Towards the last song of the first set, I was already feeling chest pains. Nung matapos, parang hindi na ako makahinga. Kaya umupo ako. When we reached backstage, I was asking for oxygen already kasi nahirapan na talaga ako huminga."
Ely said the chest pain he felt Saturday night was the same pain he felt one year ago when he had his heart attack in January.
With Ely that night were his ever so loyal manager Day Cabuhat and his sister Lira. His wife Diane was talking to some visitors from Philip Morris outside. It looked to me like there was an endless stream of visitors for the Eraserheads vocalist. Sony BMG bosses Rudy Tee and Vic Valenciano also came shortly. Then Pupil’s Yam and Doc arrived, too, along with Twinky Lagdameo who told us Gary Valenciano visited a bit earlier to pray with Ely that day, too. Ely said Marcus Adoro was there too, earlier.
He gives all of us a grateful smile when we speak with him and when we said our goodbyes so he can sleep and rest already, he shook hands with the boys and kissed our hand and thanked us all for being there.
Why not part 2?
Everyone’s hoping that there will be Part 2 of the Eraserheads’ reunion concert. And the possibility is big.
We’ve spoken with some people from in and around the concert production, including those very close to the band members and they all have the same high hopes for a repeat of part 2.
The band members were quite receptive to the possibility, having been evidently buoyed up by the amazing reception that the public gave them during the momentous one night music event at The Fort’s open field. We were told that Raymund Marasigan, after speaking with Pupil manager Day Cabuhat and was assured that Ely was in a stable and far better condition Sunday night, sort of made a promise to their followers that the reunion will see its ultimate fruition soon, or something to that effect.
Buddy Zabala, who went to visit Ely at the hospital Sunday night (with his wife Earnest Mangulabnan and good friend Rommel Sanchez), reportedly shares the same excitement reminiscing those marvelous moments on stage again.
The organizers are hopeful, too, including Sony BMG executives who recorded the gig for DVD release as an excellent alternative for those who failed to get there that night when the history of local rock music charted a milestone with the reunion that nobody believed was ever possible.
Breaking social barriers
Eraserheads’ supporters, clearly transcending social classes, are once again united for this purpose. Looks like the heavens are responding as Ely gets better and better even while we were writing this column.
Day told us in a phone conversation Monday morning, "his doctors were very careful because all the triggering factors of a heart attack were present at his condition and being a cardiac patient, they just couldn’t take chances."
She said all Ely wanted is "to get out of his hospital bed already. He wanted to go back to the wake of his Mom and we’re really hoping he will be strong enough. We’re just waiting for the doctor’s recommendations."
Fateful night at The Fort
Ely was transferred to the Philippine Heart Center at about 1 a.m. last Sunday after getting initial treatments from the Makati Medical Center where he was rushed from the concert venue Saturday night (at around 9:30 p.m.) during the 20-minute concert break. The organizers took care of his bills at the Makati Medical Center.
The band just finished the first 15 songs (the last one being "Light Years" from the internationally-released "Aloha Milkyway" album).
Ely was seen, just before the lights went out, sitting down at a platform props with his head turned towards his guitar signaling something to the technical guy.
Unknown to the expectant crowd, some of whom are even betting on what the final song will be, Ely almost collapsed already when he reached his dressing room, ashen-faced, cold, and profusedly sweating.
"It was then that we decided to stop the concert and rushed Ely to the hospital. He was not really talking but he kept pointing towards his chest. If you see his very pale face, cold and clammy, you will really decide to stop the show and just seek medical attention right away," Day said telling us that although she was bravely taking hold of the situation, she was really scared when she rode with him in the ambulance in what could be the longest short distance ride she ever took with him.
While Ely was being wheeled out of the venue, Diane, his wife, was breaking down already and his sisters were all crying that’s why it was decided that they stay behind and just follow Ely to Makati Medical Center. The scariest thing happened on the way, Day said, when Ely’s blood pressure dropped to 90/60. Later on, it was noted that it was due to sheer exhaustion, hypotension and dehydration (because he didn’t drink water during the entire first set of the show) and thankfully not another heart attack that caused it.
Ely is so brave
Day told us that Ely was obviously in pain but he was trying his best to keep a brave front for the sake of his family. His family is sort of depending on him for strength being the unofficial "captain of the ship" at this very difficult time of their mother’s passing.
But what was really heartbreaking to see was his son Eon crying beside his dad while at the Makati Med emergency room. "When he asked his Dad what was happening to him, I saw Ely really go out of his way to give his son a smile and assured him that he is fine and that he just needed to rest a little bit," Day said citing the fact that the father and son are so close.
He told us that although the guys were sort of "uncomfortable" around each other during the very first meeting, that feeling vanished totally when the rehearsals proceeded.
"They had gimmicks for some of those songs. The band had a fun time doing video recordings to complement some of the songs. Too bad, the public didn’t get to see that last Saturday," we were told.
But then again, who said the reunion concert is already finished?
http://www.mb.com.ph/archive_pages.php?url=http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/09/03/ENTR20080903134119.html
Angioplasty is the technique of mechanically widening a narrowed or totally obstructed blood vessel; typically as a result of atherosclerosis. Tightly folded balloons are passed into the narrowed locations and then inflated to a fixed size using water pressures some 75 to 500 times normal blood pressure (6 to 20 atmospheres).
The word is composed of the medical combining forms of the Greek words αγγειος aggeîos meaning "vessel" and πλαστός plastós meaning "formed" or "moulded". Angioplasty has come to include all manner of vascular interventions typically performed in a minimally invasive or percutaneous method.
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