Tommy Osmeña doing well after suffering from bleeding in the brain

CEBU CITY — Mayor Tomas Osmeña has tested negative for aneurysm, which means that no surgery is needed to ease bleeding in his brain.

"As reported earlier, there was a small amount of bleeding in his brain. But the bleeding has slowed down due to medical treatment," according to Osmeña’s doctor, cardiologist Manuel Lim.

Osmeña was rushed to the Chong Hua Hospital last Saturday after he collapsed while attending a wedding, where he stood as one of the sponsors, at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral.

The mayor was brought to the Cebu Doctors Hospital last Monday to undergo a procedure called "four-vessel cerebral angiography," to determine whether he was suffering from a ruptured aneurysm.

The result did not show any evidence of aneurysm, Lim said. As a result, he said the likelihood of re-bleeding is very remote.

But had the test showed evidence of aneurysm, Osmeña would have to undergo surgery to ease the bleeding in his brain, Lim said.

Aneurysm is the dilation or bulging of the walls of the artery due to increased blood pressure, which sometimes causes the artery to pop. People with congenitally thin arterial walls are prone to aneurysm.

When Osmeña collapsed, the doctor said there were small blood vessels that were ruptured, but denied it was a case of aneurysm.

Coherent, eating well

Lim, however, told The Freeman that Osmeña was doing well at the Intensive Care Unit of Chong Hua Hospital. He added that the mayor was coherent and eating well, cracking jokes with hospital staff and even getting mad about something over his cellular phone.

Lim reiterated that Osmeña’s hypertension was due to fatigue and work-related stress and pressure. The mayor’s collapse was triggered by his blood pressure shooting up to 240 over 120.

The mayor’s blood pressure subsequently stabilized at 130 over 90.

Lim said he recommended a four- to five-day rest for Osmeña.

The mayor’s wife, Margot Osmeña, said she and the mayor considers the hypertension attack as a "wake-up call" for him "to slow down."

Mrs. Osmeña said the incident reminded the mayor that his body can only take so much pressure and that he needs to rest.

"Thank and praise God. What happened is a wake-up call. Even God had to rest on the seventh day. I always tell him that," she said.

She dispelled rumors that Mayor Osmeña was in the ICU because he was in critical condition. She said his extended stay in the ICU of the Chong Hua Hospital was upon Lim’s advice.

"I think it’s best for him to be in the ICU," she said.

Lim confirmed that it was his recommendation for Osmeña to stay longer in the ICU to allow him more time to rest.

No acting mayor

City Hall information officer Nagiel Banacia defended the mayor’s decision not to appoint an acting mayor while he is indisposed. He said Osmeña can still discharge his functions and perform his duties while in the hospital.

"Everything is under control," Banacia said.

Banacia said the mayor wanted to check out of the hospital to sign documents and papers at City Hall but his doctor advised him against it.

City administrator Nigel Paul Villarete, meanwhile, said Osmeña has delegated to him and three assistant administrators the authority to sign documents.

Villarete said the situation is much like when the mayor is on a trip outside of Cebu City.

"Work at City Hall doesn’t stop and our people still need the services they expect of us everyday. Let us go forward and work harder following the example of our mayor who was hospitalized for working hard," he said.

Osmeña was in Manila for two days last week for a tourism congress. When he returned Thursday afternoon, he proceeded immediately to the Cebu City Sports Center where he was the guest speaker at a trade forum.

Last Friday, the mayor attended another forum sponsored by the WG&A.

Osmeña usually wakes up at 6 a.m. and takes his breakfast. He, however, always takes his lunch and dinner late.

He is a known heavy drinker but smokes only sparingly, about three or four sticks a day. — Freeman News Service