Brain Cancer Awareness: My Story

May is Brain Cancer Awareness Month. Our local television station, WKBN in Youngstown, Ohio, contacted me to share the story of my father and my story during this month to raise awareness for brain cancer. I’ve learned a lot about this tragic disease, and I have learned a lot about myself in the process.

The TV interview was recently broadcast, and it was a well done three minute report. What I want to share with you here is the rest of the story, and the behind the scenes interview in which I really open up in a way that I never have publicly, and probably never will again.

What you’ll see in this article is the video of most of the 15 minute interview that WKBN reporter Jacob Thompson did at my office, which is the Family Practice Center of Salem. His opening questions were about me describing my father and him enjoying being the life of the party, and enjoying activities like karaoke.

In the middle and end of this video, he really started digging deeper into what was happening to my dad during the course of his symptoms, his diagnosis, and the family’s decision to have dad at home at the end, with hospice, to let nature take its course. The questions became more personal, which caused me to dig deeper into my emotions, to places where I haven’t been in a few months. I knew at anytime, I could have paused the interview, or stopped the interview altogether. But, I challenged myself to journey onward to those intense emotions, where I haven’t been in months.

I was asked to describe that final day and night of my dad’s life, which I really haven’t shared publicly, until now. This was very painful to re-live, but in a way, I felt ok telling the story, getting it out there, and to no longer have it within me. The last thing I share in this video is the guilt that I still occasionally feel about being a son and being a physician, and still not able to help my father to survive this cancer. You’ll see me really trying to hold it together for the last 2 minutes of this video as the emotions surge inside of me.

Also during this interview, I share how I have been dealing with grieving process, and I shared that being transparent, and utilizing social media, this is one way that I have been trying to process my emotions, and trying to share with all of you where I am at with things. I’ll probably never do a public interview like this again. But, I wanted to share it with all of you as a snapshot where I’m at. If I can help one of you out there by sharing this, then I’m glad that I helped someone today….

Bereavement During The Holidays

It has been a little more than a month since the passing of my father. And, I knew that Christmas time was going to be tough, and here we are. As I write this, it is Christmas Eve, and the photo above was taken one year ago, on our last Christmas together as a family.

As I have said before, I do not pretend to have all the answers when it comes to the grieving process, I guess I’m utilizing this blog as my was as self-expression, a way to check in with all of you, and to share my process.

For us as a family, Christmas Eve was really the holiday for us. Our family traditions are solid. Back in the day, we went to Midnight Mass, but as the years have gone on, we ended up going to an afternoon or evening service. Our family would always opt for opening gifts on Christmas Eve, as opposed to Christmas Day. And, in the recent past, I’ve taken to recording video to remember these nights. I was going to post some Christmas Eve videos, but it was just too emotionally difficult to do that tonight. Maybe next Christmas.

They say that holidays are tough following the passing of a loved one, and the first holidays, birthdays, and other events, are especially challenging. I guess for this Christmas, it has not really hit me until right now. And, while I feel tremendously sad, I know that I have all these Christmas Eve memories that I can call on to bring that smile to my face, to still remember the good times. Miss you Dad….

Thoughts Before COVID Vaccine

Later today, I’ll be receiving my first dose of the COVID Vaccine. Since I see COVID patients every day in my office and in the hospital, I’ve been designated in category 1A by the CDC. My office also has been working with our local hospital (Salem Regional Medical Center) and with our local health departments, and I’m very thankful for that.

Last night, I recorded the video above sharing some thoughts and observations prior to receiving my first dose of COVID Vaccine. I’ve been seeing some trends on social media and in the conversations that I’ve been having with patients, over the past week when first seeing health care workers posting their vaccine selfies

First off, I’ve heard from a lot of patients about their hesitancy on getting the COVID Vaccine. And, please believe me when I say that I do get it, and I do understand the hesitancy. Like many other people in the health care community, we have been talking about this vaccine for months. However, I understand that most people in the general public may not have been following the development, testing, and distribution, as much as I have.

However, I also talk to many of my patients about an outright fear of the vaccine, and this paralyzes them, and this really prevents them from considering receiving this important vaccine. In my discussions with patients, I encourage them to talk to me about it, and I encourage people to talk to their Family Physician about their concerns. In addition, I encourage people to check out reputable websites to get more information. In this video, I mention a website from my professional organization the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Finally, I caution the general public not to misinterpret enthusiasm and excitement for the COVID Vaccine, to translate into bullying the general public into getting the vaccine. I definitely understand many people’s points of view of vaccine hesitancy. However, I also ask that population to understand the point of view of many health care workers, in what we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, namely the illness, the sickness, and death associated with COVID-19. And, for many health care workers, including myself, this vaccine represents a shot of hope to get us through and out of this pandemic. I hope you’re able to check out my video above. Happy Holidays!

Bereavement in 2020

The word “bereavement” has to do with the suffering due to the death of a loved one. As I previously mentioned, my father recently passed away, in normal times, this would be especially tough. But in these times of the coronavirus pandemic, everything is tougher, including the grief process before and following a loved one’s death, and I think that this is something that should be talked about more.

The main thing that I have learned about is that everyone’s bereavement process is different. While I very much appreciate everyone reaching out with messages of support, no one really knows what you’re doing through, and just like I would not try to relate how another person is dealing with their loved one’s death.

I just wanted to share a brief part of my story of how I have been trying to deal with things. Through the years, my father has never been shy when there is a camera around, whether it be at a large Filipino event, or just with our family members, dad always saw an opportunity to entertain. I was lucky to record some of these episodes, and in the days following his death, I started to review some of those videos, and it brought a smile to my face, and I share some of those videos below.

In addition, i wanted to share with people my bereavement process, especially since I was asked not to post on social media for the longest time. Also in the videos below, you’ll see how I broke the news to my social media contacts. You’ll see me being very emotional, and I wanted to share that with my friends.

I hope to share more on this topic in the future. I admit that I miss writing and posting to my blog. Many people were wondering if I still had a blog and if I still wrote essays. The way life was running the last few years, it was hard to just sit down and write. My plan is to take some time to write and to share. We’ll see how the plan works out. Thanks to everyone who is reading this, whether you’re a long time reader, or a new visitor to my website. I also encourage you to subscribe so that these essays will be delivered right to your e-mail box. Thanks again for everyone support!

Dad's Eulogy

It is with a heavy heart that I report the recent death of my father. You can read the official obituary at this link. I have a lot to say and a lot to write in the days and weeks to come. For now, in the video above, I’ll share the words that I said during his funeral service last week. For those who want to read the words, I’ll include the transcript below.

When thinking about my dad, there are three words that keep flashing back in my mind over the past few days. The first is “driven,” meaning driven to succeed. My father had a goal of coming to this country from the Philippines to find a better life. He left pretty much his entire family back in his homeland and was not even sure whether if he would return or when he would return. But he had that goal of coming to America for a better life. This was one of many qualities and one of the many lessons that I learned from him and has shaped my life.

He was also driven to beat this cancer. We don’t talk about it that much as a family, but he was diagnosed with the aggressive brain cancer called glioblastoma just a few weeks ago. I am a physician myself and I admit that I did not know much about this cancer other than it was a tough one to beat. However, my father was driven and always had hope that he would not only beat this cancer but he would get back to his life before cancer which included things like playing golf with his church buddies and also traveling the world with my mother.

The second word that keeps popping into my mind is the word “servant” meaning servant leader or giving service. My father gave service to this community as a surgeon for over 30 years. I remember that there were times that he took me to the hospital with him on his hospital rounds. But even though I was very young, I remember the kindness that he showed other people and the kindness that he received from his patients and from the people who work at the hospital. And just by watching him when I was a child, I learned a lot of skills that I use today both professionally and personally. My father was always a man of few words. However, he did have the gift of listening, listening to his patients, listening to people in the community, and listening to his family. I also learned skills like sympathy and empathy, skills that I have had to use especially during his own illness.

My father also was a servant leader to the Filipino community who welcomed him to Youngstown about 50 years ago. Officially, he was one of the first elected leaders of the Filipino American Organization of Northeastern Ohio. In later years, he really grew into the role of an elder statesman in the Filipino community in Youngstown, still always attending the Filipino meetings and parties.

He was also a leader here at St. Christine Church. I would remember seeing some conversations between my father and people like Dr. Cuttica [deacon at church], and the church leaders at the time. One of his favorite groups was the church golf league which he enjoyed every year and was able to grow many friendships through their fellowship in the Church and through their love of the game of golf. I remember many stories of dad and his “golf buddies.”

The final word that keeps coming into my mind is simply the word “love.” I remember talking to my dad about coming to the United States. He loves this country so much the he went through the process of becoming a citizen of the United States, and I was either in grade school or high school at the time, but I remember both mom and dad being very proud about going through the process to become naturalized citizens of the United States. Following this, when he would make trips to the Philippines or when he was doing his world traveling with mom, he would always have a smile on his face going through customs probably showing his United States passport.

Also, when I think about love, I think about my dad’s love of life. Even in my early impressions and memories of dad, he would always be the life of the party at Filipino gathering and other events. I’ve been told that I inherited my father’s very infectious laugh, which I also learned from those Filipino parties when everyone would gather together and tell stories and tell jokes and just have a lot of fun.

My dad also loved to dance, whether it was showcasing traditional Filipino dancing, or even popular dances with my mom like the boogie-woogie or even line dancing. My dad also had this love of karaoke and I remember times recently when our family would get together for really bad karaoke, but this would bring a smile to my father’s face.

Which leads me to my last point which is his love of family, our family. Especially in the past few weeks where he had difficulty expressing himself because of the cancer, we were able to understand that he still loved his family and wanted to provide for his family, even though physically he was unable to fully express this. Even to the end, he was a provider for us, someone who watched over us. Now, he watches us from above. Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and Thanksgiving will never be the same to me. But, I’m thankful to God for the time that he gave us with dad. I love you dad, and I’ll miss you….

Escarlito Sevilla, MD, 1942-2020

Escarlito Uminga Sevilla, MD, FACS, 77, passed away at his home early Saturday morning, November 21, 2020 surrounded by his family.

He was born on November 23, 1942, in Balungao, Pangasinan, Philippines, a son of Emilio and Segunda Sevilla. Dr. Lito Sevilla graduated with a doctor of medicine and surgery degree from the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, Philippines. He emigrated to the United States in 1967 and completed the general surgery program at the Youngstown Hospital Association. Adding a surgery specialty, Dr. Sevilla completed the Otolaryngology and Maxiofacial Surgery program at the University of Tennessee in Memphis.

Throughout his career, Dr. Sevilla held many hospital appointments, including positions at Forum Health Medical Center and St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. To help underserved communities in the Philippines, Dr. Sevilla participated in the Society of Philippine Surgeons in America’s effort to provide surgeries to those in need. His commitment to medicine also included working as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology in surgery at Northeastern Ohio Medical University.

Dr. Sevilla owned his own medical practice in Austintown for 33 years until his retirement in 2011. His medical work has been celebrated with numerous awards, including special recognition for 50 years in medicine from the Ohio State Medical Association.

In retirement, Dr. Sevilla ramped up his travel agenda, traveling the world with his wife and best friend, Lita. He also planned beautiful family vacations in recent years to include his two sons and their wives in his adventures. For each trip, he would create a meticulous itinerary in a scrapbook-style binder to include maps, destinations and tour information. He was a talented photographer who captured special moments from events and vacations. He always made things special for his family.

As an active member of the community, Dr. Sevilla was a dedicated member of the Filipino America Organization of Northeastern Ohio, the Ohio Cultural Alliance, and the Lovag Golf League. He was a longtime parishioner at St. Christine Church in Youngstown as well as a member of the church’s Men’s Renewal Team.

He made friends and close connections with people everywhere he went. Dr. Sevilla enjoyed life to the fullest, always trying out new activities like learning to play piano, taking dancing lessons, golfing, and singing karaoke. His upbeat energy, hearty laugh, fun stories, genuine kindness, and zeal for life will be missed by all who knew him.

Dr. Sevilla is survived by his beloved wife of 49 years, Estrellita “Lita” Jose Sevilla, BSMT, whom he married May 1, 1971; two sons , of whom he was very proud. Michael (Christine) Sevilla, MD of Salem and Marvin (Amanda) Sevilla of Austintown; his brother Rodolfo “Rudy” (Delia “Terry” Teresita) Sevilla of Chicago; and along list of cherished family and friends here and in the Philippines.

The family requests that any memorial tributes for Dr. Sevilla be made in his name in the form of donations to Hospice of the Valley in Boardman. Due to COVID-19 concerns, a private family service was held with the Rev. Leo Wehrlin and Dr. Robert Cuttica, deacon, at St. Christine Parish, and the Higgins Reardon Funeral Home. A celebration of Dr. Sevilla’s life will be announced at a later date.

Dad’s obituary also posted at The Vindicator newspaper in Youngstown, Ohio and also Higgins-Reardon Funeral Home.

73rd President of Ohio Academy of Family Physicians

One of my lifelong professional dreams came true tonight. When I was a medical student, many, many years ago, I didn’t know what kind of doctor I wanted to be. My father is a surgeon. So, naturally, I leaned in that direction, just because of familiarity.

But, then I found my calling as a Family Physician. I loved seeing children, and younger adults, and older adults. I enjoyed seeing patients in my office, at the hospital, at the nursing home, and other places. I enjoyed geriatrics, sports medicine, acute care, chronic care, and I knew that was pointing me in the direction of being a Primary Care physician.

Then, I started meeting a lot of great people through an organization called the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. And for those of you involved in your professional organization at a state and national level, if you find the right group, you feel at home. You feel like you found your tribe. And, that happened to me more than 20 years ago when I was a medical student.

One of the things I envisioned an dreamed about was taking that oath of office, as the organization’s president. And, that happened tonight, being sworn in as the 73rd President of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians. The video is above. In addition, I just came up with a 10 minute speech earlier today with the theme, “Be The Change,” which is a phrase that really changed my life, and I think about during transitions like this.

It’s been really a reflective day and night. And, I might write more about it some day (like what’s it’s like being sworn in as president on video conference during a pandemic). But for now, I’m thankful. I’m thankful that I have been given the opportunity to live out my dreams. Let’s see what tomorrow brings….

Hey Feds: Save Salem Hospital from Prison COVID Surge

Who gets the last ventilator at Salem Hospital: My next door neighbor or a Federal prisoner? This is not an awkward thought exercise. This is a real scenario that may occur soon at Salem Regional Medical Center in Salem, Ohio.

While I feel awful about the national COVID hotspots that you hear every day in the national news, I want to share a new story with you about an emerging COVID hotspot which is Northeastern Ohio, specifically here in Columbiana County.

The Federal Correctional Institution Elkton, (Elkton Prison) is operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, and is the only Federal prison in Ohio. Within the past five days, a COVID surge is happening at Elkton. On April 5, it was reported that seven inmates tested positive for COVID. On April 6, it was reported that 23 inmates and two staff members tested positive for COVID (this is out of 53 total COVID cases in the entire county). This in addition to the three Elkton prisoners who have died from COVID. This is included in the five total deaths in the county so far. It is also reported in the Salem News that 29 inmates are currently hospitalized at area hospitals, and nine of them are on ventilators.

Last month, it was reported by WKBN that more testing kits were requested from the Federal Bureau of Prisons, because Elkton Prison was initially only given FIVE testing kits for 2500 inmates. What is the real number of COVID cases at Elkton Prison? Is it possible that there could be 2500 cases of COVID at Elkton right now? CBS News is reporting that a local nursing home has given up on testing, and is assuming that ALL 450 residents and 300 employees have COVID. What if that happened at Elkton Prison?

Tonight, the local US Congressman, Bill Johnson, released a statement: “We’ve got to protect the staff and inmates at Elkton from the COVID-19 outbreak, and right now that facility is like a Petri dish, a breeding ground for the virus.” As you can probably guess, this “petri dish” of COVID cases do not practice social distancing. According to this article from The American Prospect, sources say that the “prison is ‘overrun’ with the virus.” In addition, in an article from Vice News, an inmate allegedly said, “They literally leaving us in here to die.”

This begs the next question: When federal prisoners are ill and need to go to the hospital, where do they go? No, they do not go to a hospital run by the Federal Government. They go to the hospitals that you and I go to for care. One of these hospitals is Salem Regional Medical Center. Salem Hospital has the same struggles of what is happening nationally: not enough ventilators and not enough PPE. Will this pending Federal Prison COVID surge overwhelm Salem Hospital? It is possible, and we’ll learn that very soon.

Before I go on, I want to give many thanks to Governor Dewine, Dr. Acton, and the officials from the State of Ohio who have been recognized locally, nationally, and internationally, for their response to the COVID epidemic. Unfortunately, as the Governor stated the state of Ohio has no jurisdiction on a Federal prison, and the state of Ohio can only help so much.

Now, I want to make it clear that I am not a spokesperson for Salem Hospital. As a Family Physician in the community, I do see patients at the hospital, but my statements here are of a concerned citizen. I’m concerned that Salem Hospital needs more resources from the Federal Government (namely more ventilators and more PPE) to help with the impending COVID surge from Elkton Federal Prison. There has a lot been written about supporting the prison, the staff at the prison, and the prisoners. But, what about supporting the hospitals that these prisoners are going to, and supporting the communities where these hospitals live?

You have read stories from New York City asking the question “Which Coronavirus Patients will get Life-Saving Ventilators?” With this impending Elkton COVID surge, those questions will also be asked soon if no help arrives. Why should the citizens of Salem, Ohio and Columbiana County have to be denied resources like a ventilator, if these resources are taken up by Federal prisoners? The situation of who should and who should not have a ventilator - should not happen.

I appreciate that Congressman Bill Johnson is involved in the situation. I’m also calling on Senators Brown and Portman to see what they can do to help the situation. Heck, I’m even asking President Trump to see if he can do anything to assist the citizens of Salem, Ohio and Columbiana County. Salem Hospital needs Federal resources, and hopefully we can make this happen.

Coronavirus: Frequently Asked Questions

I have received lots and lots of questions from my patients and from my community about Coronavirus and COVID-19. In addition, there are a lot of different opinions and information on the internet. This can cause confusion and increased anxiety and panic. In this article, I’ll answer some of the most frequently asked of me this week. Now, if you are ill or if you are elderly and/or with many chronic medical problems, I would practice the most conservative method of Social Distancing, by staying home.

Question: Should I be avoiding restaurants and bars, especially with the upcoming St Patrick’s Day holiday? I have to be honest here. I really sympathize with our local restaurant owners. However, I would avoid crowded restaurants and bars. Maybe try to go during off hours, when they are not as busy, especially to make sure that you are at least 6-10 feet away from other people like the CDC recommends. I have seen a lot of restaurant owners on television who are emphasizing the constant cleaning that they are doing, and how they are trying to space out patrons. Especially in Ohio, it’s going to be a long 3 weeks trying to stay in the four walls of your home. If you’re not practicing strict social distancing, these are some guidelines to consider.

Question: Can I have a small group of friends at my home and still call that social distancing? I get this question a lot. We are naturally social creatures, and strict social distancing will be difficult. When it comes to having people in your home, you have to have a lot of trust - Trust that they are not ill, and trust that the people that are not in contact with them are not ill. If you choose to have people over, please practice good public health - Wash your hands, keep a good distance away from one another, try to avoid touching your face, and routinely disinfect.

Question: Should I be worried about going to the store? I think that this is a good time to use (or to try) online ordering and mobile pickup so that you don’t have to set foot in the store. If you must enter the store, try to go during non-peak times.

Question: Should I stop visiting elderly relatives? In the early data that we are learning from other countries, those who are at higher risk of complications of COVID-19 include the elderly and those with many chronic medical problems. If your elderly loved one lives in an assisted living center or a nursing home, I would really consider limiting visitation. Some of my elderly patients have been able to embrace technology, and have been able to continue to video chat with their family members to keep in touch. Unfortunately, many elders have a fear of technology, so other creative methods have to be implemented.

Question: If I have to self-quarantine, can I have friends over? Absolutely not! If you are in a situation of self-quarantine, you are at risk of infecting other people. So, you cannot leave your home, and no one can be in your physical space.

Question: How do you know if it’s COVID-19 or my typical allergy symptoms? With the first day of spring quickly coming, it can be difficult to distinguish between allergies and coronavirus. Typical allergy symptoms include sneezing, itchy nose, itchy eyes, runny/stuffy nose, and watery, red or swollen eyes. Typical symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, and shortness of breath, with symptoms typically appearing 2-14 days after exposure.

Question: What are the best resources for information about COVID-19? For the best information, I recommended the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Especially for Ohio, I recommend the Ohio Department of Health. And also, my twitter and facebook feeds :)

Health Effects of Daylight Saving Time

I know that it’s been a relatively mild winter for Northeastern Ohio, but it’s hard to believe that March is here and the first day of spring is right around the corner. Daylight Saving Time starts Sunday, March 8, 2020, in which we turn the clocks forward one hour, and, unfortunately, lose one hour of sleep.

This may not seem like a big deal, but this small time shift with Daylight Saving Time can cause a lot of Sleep Deprivation and Health Related Issues (CNN):

• Increased Number of Heart Attacks: A 2012 research study at the University of Alabama showed a 10 percent increase in heart attacks on the Monday and Tuesday after the start of Daylight Saving Time.

• Increased Number of Strokes: A 2016 study from the University of Finland showed an 8 percent increase in stroke in the 2 days following the start of Daylight Saving Time.

• Increased Workplace Injuries: From 1983-2006, a study from the mining industry showed more injuries on the Monday after the time change versus the rest of the year

• Increased Number of Car Accidents: Sleep deprivation can delay reaction time and impair you from making good decisions

Daylight Saving Time does not have to be dangerous. Here are Four Tips to help you “Spring Forward” into Daylight Saving Time (UConn):

• Gradual Transition To Time Change: Especially for those taking care of children, start now by putting your children to bed 15 minutes earlier, and then moving that back until it is an entire hour earlier than previous

• Avoid Bright Lights Before Bed: This includes TV, phone/tablet screens, and computers

• Get Some Exercise During The Day: Aim for at least 30 minutes, most days of the week

• Get Up If You Cannot Sleep: If you’ve been awake for more than 20 minutes, get up, go to another room, and do something relaxing to help you get drowsy, like read a book