Director Jason Paul Laxamana opens up about COVID-19 experience

Director Jason Paul Laxamana spoke about his experience with COVID-19, after testing positive for the virus on March 17.

Jason shared in a March 23 Facebook post that he initially experienced only mild symptoms – a fever and chills that went away with paracetamol.

He said he woke up the following day feeling okay, until he started experiencing difficulty in breathing.

“Inhaling deeply was becoming challenging, as it either triggered an itch in the chest, resulting in coughing; or no matter how deep I inhaled, I didn’t feel I was getting enough air in my lungs,” he said.

“I was afraid to sleep. I kept thinking of my severe obstructive sleep apnea, which, when partnered with difficulty in breathing, can only result in death as I sleep. Not to mention my fatness,” he said.

What followed were nights when he found himself crying in bed at the thought of dying and people not finding his body right away.

He also opened up about suviving a suicide attempt over a decade ago, and said that some days he didn’t feel shaken at the thought of dying because “being intimate with the idea of death is a scenario I am very much familiar with.”

“After letting all the drama out of my system, I just found myself going through the motions. Hard to breathe? Stay still and avoid moving a lot. Gasping for air while sleeping? Deal with it and sleep again if awakened. Night sweats? Sleep with a towel over your pillow. My sense of taste did not disappear, but there were days I felt my tongue wasn’t performing 100%,” he said.

Eventually, his condition eased up and his airways felt freer. He shared that while he still has mucus in his chest, he is now able to inhale deeply, he feels more energetic, and his sense of taste has been fully restored.

“I guess the worst is over for me,” he said, as he thanked the friends and family who sent him food while he was quarantined.

“And now, back to regular life, but armed with yet another experience of flirting with the idea of death,” he said. “I guess as you grow older, you just accept the fact that life can fuck with you sometimes, the same way it can occasionally shower you good fortune. All random.”

Jason, is the director behind films like 100 Tula Para Kay Stella, Between Maybes, and Just a Stranger.

The Philippines is now experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases, with new cases reaching numbers much higher than in 2020. As of March 23, the country recorded a total of 677,653 cases of COVID-19, after 5,867 new cases were reported. – Rappler.com