Rep. Garcia now recovering after undergoing hip surgery

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu third district Representative Gwendolyn Garcia will be missing the last three days of session and would no longer achieve a perfect attendance in Congress after she injured her hip a week ago.  

Garcia, in an interview with the media yesterday, confirmed that she just underwent surgery and a partial hip replacement and is now undergoing rehab.  

“I know that the previous statement that we had issued just raised even more questions. That was deliberately done because at that time I still was not well enough to face you and I really wanted to face all of you. If we went into details, those details might get misinterpreted,” Garcia said.  

Garcia narrated that last Thursday, January 21, she was rushing to catch her 11:00 flight from Manila to Cebu. Garcia is usually in Manila from Monday to Wednesday every week to attend the regular session of the House of Representatives.  

Garcia said she went to the bathroom of the condominium she was renting to change her clothes when her foot stumbled on a step and she fell down on her left side and felt an excruciating pain.  

“I did not pass out, mura ni-blur lang kadali and then when I tried to move, it got even more painful,” she said.  

Garcia managed to drag herself and put on her clothes and tried to stand up. She said she shouted for her helper and her staff, who were waiting for her outside.  

Garcia refused to be brought to the hospital and instead asked to be brought to her car then to the airport.  

“The first thought that went to my mind was that kung adto ko didto pa-admit, it will make it difficult for my children,” she said.  

Garcia was met by airport personnel with a wheelchair and was given a pain reliever by the doctor of the airport’s clinic.  

When she arrived at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, Garcia was brought straight to Chong Hua Hospital where she had a computerized tomography (CAT) scan and an X-ray procedure.

The results later showed that there was an impacted fracture on the head part of Garcia’s hip, which needed surgery.  

Garcia said she and her son, Paolo, wanted a second opinion at first but her aunt, Dr. Veneranda Fiel Cagande, an anesthesiologist, arrived from Ormoc and was the one who confirmed that she needed to undergo surgery.  

“Thursday night we decided on surgery. I think the opinion of my aunt was very influential because I knew that she only had my best interest in mind,” Garcia said. 

They asked for the services of Dr. Jose Antonio San Juan, whom Garcia said is known for his good reputation in the field of orthopedics on hip replacement.  

The surgery was conducted last Saturday morning and Garcia checked out from the hospital last Tuesday.  

Garcia said her parents, former deputy speaker Pablo Garcia and retired judge Esperanza Garcia, only learned of the incident last Sunday during the family’s regular luncheon in their house where she was absent. 

 “I did not want my parents to know before the surgery kay I would cause them unnecessary worry na pud nga how the surgery might turn out… Part of the secrecy was that I did not want to spread to the extent nga somebody might hear unya motawag ni mommy or ni daddy,” she explained.  

Garcia said she has a very good rehab doctor and a therapist would come to her house every day.  

She said San Juan is optimistic of her full recovery in a month.  (FREEMAN)