If the title sounds familiar, it's because it's a paraphrase of a novel by Nobel-winning Columbian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. The novel Love in the Time of Cholera is a love story involving three main characters. Except for dialysis and cholera, both deadly ailments, the common denominator of the main characters of the two separate stories is the love angle. Never mind that it has different circumstances as to the love story but just the same the plot is more concerned on the life threatening diseases which is at the heart of the entire episode. In this case our present battle with renal failure resulting in dialysis. Against this backdrop, is this an indication of an end game of a love affair which we nurtured as one hoping it will be lovelier the second time around? We are referring to a relationship with our girlfriend which has been shaken by petty quarrels because of foolish pride. More than seven months since our last contact, all indications showed that it will go bust if neither party remains unyielding to their mistaken notion that both are right.

The only consolation is that whatever it takes, we are comforted with the thought that love is all there is to keep the shaky relations going and therefore we are both confident that we will be together in the end. That is if we have our way. What if the other party is doubting our sincerity. The worse part is when our physical condition is subjected to the minutest scrutiny. If so, then, there's no point arguing our case. All we can say is it's all over but the shouting-- that it was a losing battle to fight when you negotiate on the position of weakness. Grounded all of 17 years during the first edition, all through the years, this love affair, has withstood the most trying of circumstances. We are on the second part of the relationship and it was made potent as we are reeling with this life-threatening ailment. Thus, our thesis on love in the time of dialysis. Under this present state of health, is this aging lover boy still in the position to negotiate in the position of strength amidst the danger of death arising from dialysis? The ball is on her court. If she thinks dialysis is no hindrance to a love built on trust then by all means let's start mapping out our future as a couple. Then and only then that we will realize that indeed love is lovelier the second time around.