Retired messenger battling thyroid cancer hopes to be able to speak again
In 2022, Lyn Peralta had to undergo two operations to remove stones in her kidney and gallbladder. The 66-year-old housewife recalled that before she had the stones removed, she survived on just prayers and hot water as she could not keep anything down.
“Little did I know that God still had a purpose for me, that’s why I’m still alive,” Lyn told the Inquirer.
In August, her husband, 70-year-old Virgilio Peralta or Mang Ver, was admitted at V. Luna General Hospital in Quezon City after he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer (stage 3). He underwent surgery to remove his thyroid gland while doctors created an opening in his neck to help him breathe. The operation, however, damaged his voice box, leaving him unable to speak.
Mang Ver also underwent radiation as a precaution although a CT scan later revealed new nodules in his neck. “For now, the doctor has prescribed medication to shrink the nodules. He will undergo monitoring every six months. If the nodules are still there, he will undergo radiation again,” Lyn said.
While the costs for the surgical procedure and some of the laboratory tests and medication have been shouldered by the government because one of the couple’s three children is a soldier, Lyn said they are still struggling financially.
“We depend only on his small pension for our expenses. Sometimes, we get donations from friends who visit him. Our children are married and they just make enough money to sustain their families,” she added.
Mang Ver is a retired messenger for a law firm while Lyn said she used to sell items on commission. But caring for her husband and their other child who has a disability is now taking up all of her time.
Maintenance medications
The family’s meager financial resources are further being stretched to the limit by the maintenance medicines Mang Ver needs to take. Lyn said that on average, they need around P10,000 a month for her husband’s medications against high blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes (Atorvastatin, Clovixa and Vilantra). This is on top of thyroid hormone replacement medicine (levothyroxine sodium) plus oral and nasal sprays (Breztri, Humer and Nasoflo) to help him breathe easier. For monitoring purposes, Mang Ver also needs to undergo a blood test every three months (FBS, HBA1C) which costs P3,350.
But aside from the financial strain, also equally difficult for Lyn is seeing her husband struggling with his condition, especially during the holiday season.
“My Christmas wish is for him to be healed if it is the Lord’s will. I know he wants to live so I tell him to pray and to be strong. If you’re weak, you will die. Look at me, I almost died but I’m still here,” she said.
As for Mang Ver’s Christmas wish, Lyn said that he is hoping to be able to talk again with the help of a device. “We don’t know what it’s called or how much it costs. We have yet to ask the doctor about it,” she added. Right now, the couple communicate by writing messages to each other.
Those who want to help Mang Ver can deposit their donations in his BDO Unibank savings account (Virgilio Samson Peralta with account no. 004580490137) or in Lyn’s GCash (Leonida Millar with account no. 09288717495). Lyn can be contacted at 0928-8717495.
