Just Another Prompt

What was the best compliment you’ve received?

Not all of my friends knew that I underwent sigmoid surgery then six cycles of chemotherapy almost fourteen years ago but those who are close to me knew about what I went through back then. A friend who is a nun told me to keep the faith and she admired my bravery in facing this predicament. She had always told me before that I am a strong woman taking care of my two kids and at the same time keeping a job when the hubby went abroad to work.

Brave, strong and faithful to the Lord that He won’t abandon me. And the best compliment that I received? Despite everything that happened in my life, I am still standing tall.

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Musings On A Friday Morning

They come in droves

And I always wonder

Most of us are probably feeling low

And sick at heart.

Older ones come in wheelchairs

Wearing sweaters down to their socks.

Sometimes I feel that despite everything

I am blessed that I could still walk

dine at my favorite place

And enjoy the breeze touching my face.

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Being Brave And Strong

Sometimes I wonder how is it to win all the battles in my life.

It is quite hard to smile when your heart is scarred. I have to be brave, I know that. I have to be strong, I know that too. Sometimes when I am alone in my thoughts, a lot of things play in my mind.

I was at the Medical City Clinic as early as 6:30am and waited for it to open at 8am. One should be there early since there are so many patients waiting. Sometimes I wonder, there are so many people who are not healthy. The only advantage for senior citizens like me is that we are always given priorities. After blood extraction for my FBS test, I had my breakfast at 9am at the supermarket of SM City Ortigas. I bought a Zinger sandwich at KFC before going to the clinic.

Imagine the two hours of waiting for my ENT for another check-up. She downloaded the results of my CT scan from the DVD provided by The Medical City Radiology and uploaded them on her phone. So many images, she compared how a normal ear looks like (my right) versus the infected one on my left. Although she told me that that there was no need to clean it and it is dry and not painful, I was not that happy about the results. She gave another free bottle of Candiva ear drops. Clotrimazole is antifungal.There are issues that she needs to explain to someone with a normal hearing. I asked Josef if he could accompany me to her other clinic at Sta. Lucia mall on Saturday. It is really hard if I cannot understand all of it and she can’t write them all down. Good thing Josef agreed.

Prayers, always prayers. The peace and quiet of the place is conducive enough for praying. With eyes closed and holding the bracelet rosary that Josef gave me years ago, I finished the whole gamut of fifteen mysteries. So uplifting.

Mom does not understand why I have to leave the house twice a week. At her age, things are quite hard to explain, besides her sense of hearing is not good too. I wonder if this is hereditary because Noel, our youngest has hearing aids on both ears.

Trying to smile despite the tears, trying to be brave despite the fears😀😘🥰

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Health Is Wealth

My gosh, what’s happening to me?

For the past three days now, my left ear was throbbing like crazy. I’ve taken pain reliever twice already. My appointment with my ENT is not until Thursday next week. She asked me if I could bring along a companion so I asked Josef to accompany me. Maybe some of you would say that I keep complaining about my health. Life has to go on though despite what I feel.

I took advantage of Josef’ sched of working from home yesterday (it’s Saturday morning now) to attend to some pressing matters. Finally, I was able to file mom’s requirements for social pension at our LGU (local govt. unit) . If it is approved, it will start next year. I went to the bank to withdraw from our $ acct. to finance my hearing aid if ever. The peso is strengthening a little against the dollar. Just the same I have it exchanged to Philippine peso at the bank where they buy it back a little lower than in the market. It’s the convenience of not going to the latter. I had to compute even the value of stocks I invested into when I was still working at the bank. Just waiting for the two banks to declare cash dividends again late this year and early next year. The house needs some minor repairs, I really want have it repainted but Josef told me to take care of my health complaints first.

When one’s health is compromised, one gets stressed out. I always believe in the adage that health is wealth. Since Nissa was born, my health has become simply erratic. That was the time I experienced preeclamsia. I was admitted at the hospital on my seventh month of pregnancy and stayed there a whole month before I was induced to give birth to Nissa on my 8th month. She was left at the nursery incubator for almost a month. Imagine a 3.9 lbs baby when she was born, she was so small.

Since then, I had two major operations, a kidney bypass, six cycles of chemotherapy and chronic UTI. Added to that are my right eye needs cataract operation, my sense of hearing has severe loss. I read a few studies that having Covid before also affects the sense of hearing. In my case, I guess it is true.

Health is wealth.

U

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Sad

A friend who used to be an officemate also used to visit my wall at Facebook and occasionally comment on my posts here although she is not a blogger.

These last few days, I missed her words and the inspiring comments that she usually write. I had a sudden inkling to visit her wall, there was nothing there for the last four months. I tried some friends of hers who have the same surname as she has. Probably her kids? We have some common friends at Bank of PI on Facebook but I’ve never read nor heard about Minnah.

What a sad ending when I read that she passed on last July 19. We used to talk about her having dialysis twice a week before. I told her about my dad’s plight having dialysis before he died. In our hospitals here, it is not free. I wonder if that has changed now. My dad died fourteen years ago after six months of treatment. Minnah said, it was hard to put up money for her dialysis twice a week.

When Dad died, I promised myself that I would never submit to that treatment if (God forbids)I would be in that same predicament. Imagine, they drain out your blood and put it back clean, same procedure after two or three days. All the nutrients your body absorbed in those days in between come to naught.

My dad passed away because of end stage renal disease. I have chronic UTI since I gave birth to Nissa. I haven’t been to my doctor since this pandemic started.

They always say health is wealth and I agree.

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She Is So Kind

Covid changed the world and it is also changing the outlook of each and everyone of us.

Nissa is doing well except for a little back pain and her arms ache too, otherwise she is good.

Nate and Obet are temporarily here with us. They had another swab tests the other day and it came out yesterday. It was negative, thank God. We decided to let them stay here for a while meantime that Nissa is in the hospital. In between classes, Nate is a typical eight-year-old playing with a toy gun. First time I saw him participate in an online class. Our dining table is his temporary study area.

Nate is fond of creating whistle tunes. I asked how he does it. “Watch me Nonna” he said and shaped his mouth and whistled. I just laughed. Life is crazy when Nate is here.

I commented on Vice-Pres. Leni Robredo’s post on Covid. I was surprised when she answered and there were so many of her fans who commented too. I took a screen shot earlier.

There are now a hundred likes on what I wrote and more than 80 likes on VP Leni’s answer. More comments are coming in telling me that they are praying formy daughter. I am so touched. A collective prayer is powerful, right?

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Life Goes On

I am not so inspired to write. I’d rather read but I can’t finish a chapter.  I am focused on what is happening around.  I went out for a while early this morning to buy more provisions for us here in  our village store. They sell pork, dressed chicken, vegetables, fruits and other necessities needed in the kitchen.  Today is supposed to be our marketing day  but I am afraid to go out with so many people around.

One of the sellers remarked that I am lucky I am wearing disposable gloves. That is for extra protection, I told him. I bought a box of vinyl examination gloves two weeks ago. It contain hundred pieces.  Those found positive of the virus are on the rise and there are PUMs and PUIs by the hundreds. The problem is, this government still lacks testing kits.  Even if we are on a lockdown if we lack those necessary tools  to aid our health workers, it would be useless.

Josef brought down our large and heavy book of Mythology yesterday. Then he played with his collection of  Magic cards last night. He has several sets. I got curious how it is played. There is this station in the radio that plays 60s, 70s and 80s songs all day  and all night long without commercial break.

Priceless bonding with family, getting in touch with long lost friends, eating together, they are those moments that this COVID-19 brought us. Of course the fear is still there, you can’t erase that  but I lift it all to the Lord.

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It’s Gone

The sun is showing its face….finally.

The typhoon is now on its way to the West Philippine Sea but we are still under signal number 1. Most schools here in Metro Manila don’t have classes yet. It is still windy outside but the sun is shining bright and early.

I took some shots in the garden. Here you’ll see the lone calamity  of typhoon Tisoy, a bent street light in front of the house.

I have good news for you guys. Nissa is going home today. Just talked to her a while ago and she said she will just take a Grab car on the way home.

They measured the level of toxicity  (radioactive iodine) from the patient via the distance from where one is standing. When one is a meter apart, it measures ten, but if you are near her throat, it measures a hundred.  She’ll have another body scan next year. She told me her doctor is also surnamed Isidro so maybe, he is a distant relative of Obet. They came from the same province. Obet is from a family of doctors too. His aunt, uncle and cousin are all doctors.

Again, thank you for all your prayers. I forwarded your messages  to Nissa and she said you are all so sweet 🙂

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Comforting A Friend

My  neighbor (a kumare, I was one of the sponsors of her daughter’s baptism fifteen years ago) and I were waiting for the garbage truck to arrive a few hours ago and she asked me about Nissa. So I told her today is Nissa’s check-up with her surgical oncologist.

She told me about her plight nowadays. She could not stand now for long and when she walks she drags her feet slowly. She even said that when they are at the mall, people look at her askance on the way she walks. I told her to not mind them. A few months ago, she still could do morning rounds of walking at the village park. She was crying when she told me that she is just waiting  for the end of it all. I didn’t know how to comfort her so we just held each other tight. Those patients that she used to see at her doctor’s clinic are now on wheel chairs. She is suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

Parkinson’s disease is progressive. It gets worse over time.  Symptoms start gradually, sometimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. Tremors are common, but the disorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement. Back in 2009 when typhoon Ondoy struck and five families were in their house including us, we noticed her slow movement. That was the start.

Knowing how to comfort a friend. We are quite afraid at times that we might say the wrong words. It’s okay to just listen and empathize. Don’t act as if you know it all. Just tell them you understand.

Habang may buhay, may pag-asa. 

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Oh But I Am Hopeful

Today I learned another sad news. Nissa messaged me earlier today that she already went to her doctor with the result of  her biopsy a week ago.  There is an 80% possibility that it is thyroid cancer, stage 1. I told her to seek second opinion and go the to one of the clinics where my brother is having his treatment. I am confident she does not need that costly surgical operation which one of her doctors suggested. They have a clinic near  our place. I contacted one of their doctors this afternoon and he said to just drop by. One thing that I also learned from research is that thyroid cancer is slow-growing and treatable.  Still praying for the best.

My brother has twice visited the clinic of Kaibigan sa Kalusugan in San Fernando, Pampanga and had his latest laboratory tests last Friday, check-up last Monday. Except for  his blood sugar  and uric acid, everything is quite normal. Even his CEA marker is below borderline. I was amazed. He was given additional medication though for his uric acid and sugar and was also advised to have SGOT and SGPT tests for his liver before his next check-up first week of September. His medications and diet are working, thank God. I still call him every day.

Gosh, when you think of what is happening around, you’d be very careful about your health. Until now, ten years after, I still could feel the effect of chemotherapy –  low immune system. I am always afraid to catch cold since it takes too long to heal. Sometimes, skin allergy shows.

I am hopeful though. God is good and God is great.

 

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