Taking it easy this Christmas

With every setback in life, I believe that we should try to forge ahead (even if we have to inch our way through) and hope that everything would turn out for the best (Read: Blessing in disguise). This is the only way for us to survive this very imperfect world.

The most recent setback I experienced was when I fell ill the other week. For most people, getting sick is normal and very much part of human life. But not for me because – in spite of the fact that I was never fed vitamins as a kid (not even today when there are so many things to pop in the market) – I’m the type who gets sick only once every three years.

I never had asthma. I don’t have lactose intolerance like my brother, who probably no longer knows how leche flan tastes like (what a tragic life!). Spoiled food! You can feed me that and you don’t have to worry about me ending up with an upset stomach. (How do you think we get rid of leftovers in the house?)

My only problem is my skin because I’m highly allergic to dust which we have to live with day in and day out in this very polluted place called Metro Manila. But I have Dr. Vicki Belo and her team of doctors to attend to that.

When Milenyo destroyed my house, however, I immediately began construction and life was never the same for us at home. We lived like nomads, except that we only had to move from room to room – depending on which area of the house was being repaired.

And since I needed funds to finance the reconstruction, I accepted anything that came my way (racket in showbiz parlance) – including taking my shirt off in a gag show. (I was hoping they’d pay me extra for going shirtless – sigh, they didn’t.) Of course, there was this birthday here, a baptismal party there – and I could never, never find it in my heart to say no, so I went to everything.

First week of December, I began running a temperature at night. Then I would be feverish even during the day. I knew I had gotten sick, but I was ignoring it. There was a lot to do. There was the Cinema Evaluation Board (CEB) – the screenings of which have to be done in Makati (at My Cinema in Greenbelt)… like they didn’t have a theater in Ortigas Center or in Greenhills, which is my area. There were marathon tapings for Now Na! (my game show on QTV 11), Startalk and this column.

One Monday evening, I could hardly drive back home because I was very feverish. At 2 a.m. the following day, I made a decision to drive myself to the hospital. I didn’t bother to wake up anyone. I just packed my bag and brought myself to the emergency room. Fatigue – that was all the doctors told me.

With an IV needle stuck in my veins, I was able to do a lot of thinking (there really isn’t much you can do when you are in the hospital). Maybe it was time I slowed down I was wrapping up construction anyway.

We had two CEB screenings scheduled that day, but for the first time I called in sick – and didn’t feel guilty about it. There was a series of Now Na! tapings, but I passed and didn’t feel bad losing additional income because you know how it is in this supposedly glamorous business: No work, no pay.

I had a deadline for this column. But a phone call to my editor Ricky Lo did the trick. I could miss this one, he assured me.

Problem was, Gretchen Barretto was only available on this Wednesday morning and I had to do the interview for Startalk. With a pass from my doctor, I left the hospital and did the interview. In the afternoon, we had a taping for the GMA 7 Christmas special and since I was out on pass already, I decided to make the most of it and decided not to cancel that appearance.

That was a risky decision because the format of the segment we were going to do was Bulagaan – where those who score 0 in the roulette get doused with water.

While killing time at the GMA EDSA studio (our taping was scheduled in Broadway at 4 p.m.), I got a call from Ricky Lo and from the sound of his voice I knew he had a cold. But he had to show up for that segment – and risk getting wet and worsening his condition.

At the parking lot of Broadway Centrum, I saw Lolit Solis waiting in her van. She, too, had a bad cold. Goodness, all of us were in bad shape.

Later, Lorna Tolentino arrived and thank heavens because – at least – there was one healthy body among us. But that wasn’t for long (she went to her Mano Po dubbing after that and eventually fell ill). Our group – Startalk and Showbiz Stripped – ended up getting a 0 and we were put under the shower.

I left Broadway with my pants and socks soaked. (Ricky had to change his shirt.) Back to the hospital I went with a 38.9 fever. All in a day’s work.

In my hospital bed, I did a lot of thinking again. The stressful Christmas season is upon us. But no way would I allow myself to be stressed out this time – that much promised myself. I’m not accepting any invitation to anything. Christmas shopping can wait. The only work I was doing was Startalk that weekend and I had to show up because that was my birthday episode. (I had gone out of the hospital the day before still feeling weak.)

For one whole week after I was discharged, I didn’t leave the house. But at one point I had to go to Makati to buy a wedding present for our Startalk cameraman Gerry Tibayan and his (now) wife Malou. It was only then that I realized that it now takes almost two hours to travel from Greenhills to Makati.

I still have to make trips to Makati because of the CEB screening – now going on marathon sessions because of these Metro Manila Film Festival entries.

In the past I had difficulty forgiving myself if I missed even just one film. But not this time. Work can go hang if I don’t feel well enough to get up from my sick bed (I’m still recuperating).

That was one of the blessings (in disguise) that I received when I fell seriously ill – the realization that I’m not necessarily indolent if I took a break from work. Okay, I’ve been missing out on parties. That’s just fine. I would have been boring company anyway – plus the fact that I’m contagious (it was viral infection that did me in).

This Christmas – except to buy raffle items for the party being organized by good friend Celeste Tuviera for her Symmetria salon – I haven’t done anything to bring in the Yuletide spirit. I have the perfect excuse to miss out on Christmas this year. I’m sick and I shouldn’t feel guilty about it.

I guess that was the one positive thing that was brought about by my illness. It gave me the chance to rearrange my priorities.

This year, I have decided that Christmas will not be a priority. Only Christ will be.