'GMA has not regained her appetite after 3rd surgery'

MANILA, Philippines - Ailing former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has not yet regained her appetite after undergoing her third spine surgery a month ago at St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC) in Taguig City, her lawyer revealed yesterday.

Arroyo was discharged from the hospital last Sept. 3 after the dislodged bone implants in her neck were successfully reconstructed on Aug. 23.

“She can walk, she can talk, but she does not eat well. She has no appetite since the surgery,” Raul Lambino, Arroyo’s legal spokesman, told The STAR.

He said doctors have advised Arroyo to eat foods that are rich in potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Lambino said Arroyo does not have any food restriction and could eat anything she wants.

“But she refused to eat,” Lambino said, adding that he saw Arroyo five days ago and she was noticeably thinner.

He said her relatives and friends are worried that her refusal to eat could make her immune system weak.

“It would be difficult if she develops a weak immune system because she can easily catch colds, or other sickness. And that is not good,” he said.

He said that the former president and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo undergo medical checkup every Tuesday at SLMC.

Marilen Lagniton, SLMC vice president for corporate communications, said she is not sure if the checkup pushed through last Tuesday.

Lambino also confirmed that some of Arroyo’s close friends, allies, and some family members have asked her to seek medical treatment abroad.

“But she refused. She is sensitive to public opinion. People might think she would escape from her cases if she leaves. We told her let it be but she needs to get well,” said Lambino.

Arroyo has yet to make a decision on the recommendation, even as her camp decided not to talk about it in the meantime, Lambino added.

He said the former president is aware of all the accusations hurled against her.

She is always reading the papers, in front of her laptop, watching television and talking to government leaders.

Arroyo first underwent spine surgery on July 29 to address her pinched nerve in the neck.

Four of her cervical vertebra were replaced with titanium implants, until these were dislodged by what doctors initially thought was an infection.

She underwent a second surgery to repair the implants but the reconstruction failed after the doctors found that her calcium levels dropped and caused the implant displacement.

Her third surgery last Aug. 23 was considered successful after the doctors were able to reconstruct the dislodged implants.

Arroyo, however, will continue to wear a halo vest, or a metal contraption meant to immobilize her head and neck, to ensure the healing of her neck vertebrae.