Mike Enriquez, a veteran broadcast journalist, radio and TV host, and RGMA President, recently surprised the public with a statement on its home network GMA-7.
According to the statement, the news anchor and TV host informed them that it would be gone for an extended period because he needed to pay attention to his condition and underg0 med!cal procedure.
Mike is not leaving work for the first time; in 2018, he took a medical leave of absence to prepare for quadruple heart bypass surg-ry.
According to the network management’s full release, “GMA Network, Inc. has announced that its senior radio-tv anchor and concurrent RGMA Network, Inc. president Mike Enriquez will take a medical leave of absence. He will undergo a medical procedure that will require hospital confinement and, afterward, a minimum of three months isolation periods as advised by his doctor. He is expected to be back at work in time for GMA’s massive Eleksyon 2022 coverage.
“In a statement, GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon said, ‘We support Mike’s decision to undergo the procedure that he needs. We ask for everyone’s prayers and we wish him Godspeed. We look forward to welcoming Mike back as soon as he is cleared to return to work.
“Mike said he looks forward to the healing he has been praying and preparing for. He also looks forward to resuming his duties, especially for GMA’s Eleksyon 2022 coverage.”
Mike made public his scheduled bypass surg-ry as well as the fact that he had a k!dney problem on August 22, 2018. According to him, he inh3rited the d!s3ase from his father and required ongoing treatment
He also stated that the heart s-rgery he had to undergo was a routine procedure that he did not have to be concerned about. His doctors also ensured that he could resume his normal activities after the procedure.
It was revealed the following year that his k!dney dis3ase had progressed to the point where he required a tr@nsplant. He is hoping that he will be able to receive a kidney tr@nsplant as he prepares for his heart bypass surg-ry. It’s also difficult because he’s undergoing treatment that requires him to have dialys!s three times per week. He felt better after each session, and those procedures were difficult for his age because his body had already been beaten down by dialys!s.
In addition, his doctors prepared him for a tr@nsplant. He was also subjected to additional testing to see if he qualified.
It should also be noted that in a previous interview, he stated that the original reason for his hospitalization was not due to his heart condition, but rather to his congested lungs, which were likely caused by his di@betes. He claimed that the rise in his bl00d sugar was caused by kidney damage. After undergoing a series of medical tests, doctors discovered this.
The doctors discovered something wrong with his he@rt during the ECG or Electr0cardiogram, so he underwent a 2D echo and audiogram. He was told there that he needed a heart bypass because three to four art3ries in his heart were blocked.
The only good thing about Mike’s situation was that it was not an emergency, and he even planned his op3ration. He was also di@gn0sed with a physical problem early on and was able to deal with it. He was fitted with a pigtail or coil tube to drain the water from his lungs prior to his heart bypass. He went on to say that the doctors who examined him also assisted with his father’s treatment.
Mike also mentioned that he and his family would go to his father’s grave once a month to lay flowers. Mike even joked with his father about having k1dney, heart, and lung problems during one of his visits.
He has to avoid many foods after his heart bypass surg-ry, including nuts and beans, as well as one of his favorite forbidden fruits, bananas. He claimed it was bad for his k1dneys and that he had to eat a lot of protein while on dialys!s. He must also limit his water intake and is not permitted to consume coffee. But, as a coffee drinker, he can’t always avoid it.
He must also exercise frequently but not excessively, and he must avoid stress. His card1@c rehab is also ongoing following the heart surg-ry. He was also advised to avoid long travel hours because he enjoys traveling with his wife and a few friends.
Mike admitted that unless he receives a k-dney transplant, he will need dialys!s for the rest of his life. But he couldn’t do that because his heart was still w3ak, so he hoped that when the right time and time came, they would find a k-dney donor when they needed it