Long and Busy February

Continuing from previous and updated post entitled Busy February.....

February 14 - Lucas and I attended Sunday mass in the morning. At night we went to a birthday party. During the party, I narrated to my friends about my scary back and buttock painful experience in Manila. After which many of my friends related their own experiences too. I then realized that many had had this malady before. Yet I think, mine could have been more painful. Hehehe.

February 16 - My Canadian visitors arrived Cotabato in the persons of Dr. Antonio Tan the second elder brother of Lucas, his wife Peck Ka and daughter Sharleen. 

February 17 - my visitors and Peck Ka's siblings went to Lake Sebu for an over night stay. Lucas and I spent a peaceful and quiet day at home at LCT without much fun fare on this our 42nd wedding anniversary date. We treated our store workers with cha-mi, bread, cakes and soft drinks though. May our life together be blessed by God with good health, safety, peace and happiness with all my children and grandchildren. I always do ask for mercy from God and I am ever thankful for the many blessings and help He has given me.

February 18 - my visitors arrived home safely from their trip to Lake Sebu.

February 19 - today, Antonio, peck ka, Sharleen and peck ka's siblings went to Asik Asik to see the fabulous panoramic curtain falls. It was a newly discovered falls that came directly not from a lake but from the mountain slopes. I have seen it featured on tv and in papers but I haven't actually been there yet. Someday, I hope to be able to see it too.

February 20, 21 - I bought food and fruits, prepared home cooked dishes for my visitors. They had very different tastes and preferences, but I did my best to feed them. On Sunday, since it was the day-off of my househelps, I suggested that the family eat out. It was a dinner among Tan family members only for Peck Ka did not like having big parties. The dinner at Connie's restaurant was set for 9 people namely: Lucio, conchita, Antonio, peck ka, Luna, Tina, Lucas, Sharleen and me. I ordered crabs, calamares, sinigang na hipon, steam laps lapu, rice and fruit platters. I specifically ordered the food to be brought to the table still hot coming from the stove. Sharleen had weak stomach. Twice or trice she suffered from stomach trouble while vacationing in Cotabato. Tomorrow they would be going home.

February 22 - Alas! Sharleen got sick the night after the dinner. She could have eaten something wrong. She vomitted and had loose bowel movements twice in the night. Yet no one got sick except her. There might be something she ate that made her stomach reacted that way. I was guessing she must be allergic to crabs, because I clearly remember she also got sick after eating crabs from her mother's side of the family during one of her many vacations in Cotabato City. She got better I think after resting awhile in the morning, and they all left for Manila to go back to Canada.

February 25 - I am back in Manila now. It being the EDSA Revolution holiday, there was not much traffic on the way. I came by myself. Lucas will follow suit on March 6. What a long and busy February it is to me! And February is not over yet. Tomorrow I will have some brain storming meeting with my friends in preparation for our class 68, 48th leap year anniversary which will take place on March 2 to 5. See you very soon In March, my friends.

Busy February

It has been a very busy February personally for me:

February 2 - Lucas arrived Manila. I went to the airport to fetch him.

February 3 - I accompanied Lucas to his gastro doctor for a check up at Cardinal Santos Hospital.

February 4 - Driver Benny was absent. The driver was sick, so Lucas and I took the taxi to UST Hospital to see his eye doctor. We didn't get to see his doctor though, because the doctor instead of seeing us for our appointed schedule, went to a meeting instead. We circumnavigated UST Hospital long maze looking for the physician's office, the laboratory, the comfort rooms, the cafeteria for our lunch, etc ....  UST Hospital had very very inefficient directory signages. And I was also so infrurated at how that doctor was so inconsiderate of his patients, specially that Lucas was already a 75 year old senior citizen.

February 6 - I had stomach discomfort. I could not pass out the gas in my stomach. Late at night I thought I was going to die from my discomfort. I kept calling on my blessed mother and my guardian angel to help me. My guardian angel might have whispered in my ears, for I remembered the emergency herbal medicine sister Helen gave me when we were in Hong Kong. Thus during that February long night, I applied the solution and put a drop underneath my tongue. Despite the discomfort, it helped me go to sleep. 

February 7 -  Today was Chinese New Year's Eve. Martha left for Puerto Princesa for a vacation early in the morning. That same day, Marion was going to New Zealand for a three year doctorate program. She was leaving at night. The family together with Marion's boyfriend Marion Olmillo ate an early dinner at home. We all sent her off at the airport. God speed on this her journey to New Zealand. May the good Lord keep her safe and healthy and happy.

February 8 - I woke up with a sore back specially on the right buttock. It's a holiday and I wanted to spend my day out. Emil dropped Lucas and me at the BGC. My right buttock was getting painful, I took a pain pill which I intentionall brought the medicine with me. After doing so, Lucas and I continued to walk the long stretch of Serendra. Surely in pain, I was walking very slowly. Seeing me thus, lucas suggested to take a taxi home but I insisted I wanted to spend my day out. After lunch, we met up with Emil and his girlfriend Sue and decided to watch a movie 'Divergent' all together at Robinson Magnolia which was closer to home. The movie was long and difficult to watch. After sitting for more than an hour, I could hardly get up. When I went to the toilet, I could hardly even bend. Near the end of the  movie, I quickly took another pill but it wasn't working as fast. When I got down from the theater, I was almost in near screaming condition from the horrendous pain. Quickly Emil and some mall attendants got me a wheel chair for I could hardly walk a step, but alas, I couldn't even sit down on the wheelchair. The pain was too much. When I was able to, I was all hoping the pain pill I took would work some miracle quickly, but it did not hurriedly do so, so Emil, Lucas and Sue rushed me to Cardinal Santos emergency center instead. When we reached the hospital, I was still in much pain. A doctor  was quickly called to attend to me. I was given another kind of pain pill, and this time it seemed to be working. I had blood test, urine test and several X-rays done. Now, while doing all the tests, I starting passing out my stomach air. I was feeling much better already. The good news was, the X-rays did not show any cracks or fractures. I had urinary track infection they found out, but I didn't need to be confined. Thank God! Oh, I was so happy to get home. ( to be continued)

Updating.......

February 9 - Lucas called up his brother mason and friend and spare parts dealer Mr. Jessy Young for help. Since our driver was still sick, we were in dire need to borrow a car and driver from him. Thank God, Jessy Young was very accommodating. His driver and car came to pick us up to go to Cardinal Santos Hospital to get my Asianlife Insurance card which I left the night before at the Cardinal Santos emergency center. The insurance card of Emil sure came in handy. I used it to pay for my emergency medical expenses last night. We also proceeded to visit Lucas neurologist and bought medicine at Mercury Drug.

February 10 - despite the lingering soreness on my right buttocks, I went with Lucas to Cardinal Santos Hospital again, for his hemorrhoid procedure. It was a quick out-patient ligation procedure. It was the waiting that took long. 

February 12 - I went with Lucas for his derma follow-ups. We had been borrowing Jessy Young's car and driver for days. So grateful to him.

February 13 - Happily, Lucas and I came back home to Cotabato.  ( to be continued in another blog )

Sick Before the Holidays

First, I came to Manila and had a disturbing soar throat. I went to my doctor and he prescribed antibiotics. Instead of 250 mg twice a day dosage, I changed it to 500 mg once a day in the morning. My throat felt better but I  kind of experienced heart burn in the evening despite an active day. Then I also took a wrong dosage of omega 3 supplement, instead of two capsules of 500 mg, I mistakenly took 2 capsules of 1000 mg. I had a terrible stomach discomfort yesterday. I think my stomach could not digest the strong medicines I was taking. I could not pass out the air inside of me. I was scared that I might have urinary tract infection, or some stomach flu and I did not like to infect people with the flu virus specially my daughter Marion is leaving for New Zealand tonight on the eve of the Chinese New Year for a thee year doctorate program. I also worry about Emil's girl friend Sue who has low body resistance and my husband who depends a lot on me. And to make thing worse, our family driver is also sick and is absent. 

Today, on the eve of the Chinese New Year, there are a lot of on-going activities. At three am in the morning, martha left for Puerto Princesa, Palawan with her Meralco tennis friends for a 3 day vacation. Emil had a fun run in makati at four, and Marion is leaving for nz at 7 pm. And here I am helpless with my stomach discomfort. Earlier, I was even thinking of going to st. Luke emergency center for diagnosis. But I may just try to rest at home today, maybe I will feel better later. I hate myself for being sick and careless and stupid regarding my physical welfare, whatever....

Gang xi fa cai everyone! Good health, peace, prosperity and happiness and success to all!