June 2021

Last June, I was busy attending to my husband because he had a sudden attack of lower back, lumbar pain. It was so painful that Lucas could hardly walk. I quickly asked and called up his Masonic brother and orthopedic doctor, Doctor Dimaren Dimatingcal at Cotabato Regional Medical Center for help. The good brother and doctor prescribed pain medicines for him through the cellphone. I also further consulted my husband neuro doctor in Manila. With the help of the two doctors advices, I also added my own personal lumbar attack experience by binding his back and stomach with my own girdle which helped him a lot. Lucas’ lower back got better but the pain transferred to his left leg and calf and ankle. His neurosurgeon told us for Lucas to do an mri, but we were so scared to go the hospital because there were a lot of new cases of covid in Cotabato. We however make do of some home remedies like hot compress, pain balm application, reducing his high in uric acid food intake, etc etc. 

I prayed to God, I asked Mama Mary, Saint Joseph and the Angels and Saints in heaven for help. I hang on to pray on the Feast Day of the Sacred  Heart of Jesus, also during the Feast Day of  Our Mother of Perpetual Help. With the help of Jesus our Lord, and our Blessed Mother, Lucas slowly got better. I also slowly weaned him from all his pain medicines. Thank God, he is okay now. He still has a lot of issues regarding muscles and nerve maladies but his lumbar and leg pains are gone. 

Thank God for your great help! Thank you so very very much! I love you Lord for you have love us first and will always love us. Thank you.

Something Good......

I wish I could write something nice, aside from all the pandemic scares and anxiety. Anyway, let me say something good. Yes, members of the family have been vaccinated already: Roy got his moderna shot in USA. Lucas and I got our sinovac in Cotabato City. Martha had her first and second sinovac too. Emil and Suiling got their first AstraZeneca dose and so too did Tom and Angel. Marion remains unvaccinated, but she is in New Zealand. My grandchildren still have to wait for their turn, to get the vaccination for children. I really hope that more vaccines will come so that our workers can get vaccinated very soon too. Well, China sent in two millions of sinovac recently. I hope they rollout the vaccine soon and fast. In the meantime, we still continue to wear masks and observe safety and health protocols. One still needs to be careful and keeps safe. I pray to God to end this pandemic very very soon. 

Below are pictures taken during Lucas and my vaccination.

      

Lucas’ first sinovac dose on April 28, 2021.

Second sinovac shot on May 26, 2021.

Second Sinovac Dose

Yesterday, May 26, 2021, my husband and I got our second dose of Sinovac vaccine. This second time around I was not so anxious as compared to the first time, because I knew before hand the site where we were going to and also the time of my choice to get the jab. I was only apprehensive because the rollouts also included not only the second dose but also the first dose vaccers, hence there would be more people. 

Lucas and took our early lunch at 10AM and we were at the center at almost 11AM. There were few people going for vaccination at 11 o’clock. However as we arrived, we could clearly see that there were a number of people who were already vaccinated, seated, and waiting to be released. We saw Yubeng Chua, Ramon Cua, Desiree Chiong, Henry and Judith Uy etc, who were all ahead of us, seated waiting to be released. Lucas and I got through easily for our shots, but after the vaccination, I did not like to be seated in the waiting section; so I pulled two chairs separately and seated ourselves apart but nearby. Somehow the attendants sensing my apprehension, checked our blood pressure and oxygen earlier than usual. As we were monitored with normal bp and oxygen level, we were released sooner, even earlier than Yubeng and Henry and Judith Uy. After we were released, I verily thank God for giving us this opportunity to get our second dose of vaccine peacefully, and for keeping us safe in his love and safekeeping. Lord, keep us safe always.

And to add more people, Lucio and Conchita Tan, my sister-in-law Lechu and her husband Manuel, my neighbors Conchita, Sofia, Vicente Co and friends Siolan Yap, Norma Lim, Lolita Uy, etc, got their second dose of Sinovac too yesterday. I was most happy though that my sister, Jeannette Yu finally took her first dose too yesterday. I hope more people will get vaccinated, so that we can soon end the spread of the virus and the pandemic very very soon. 

O God, please help us. Thank you.

May 2021

The month of May is dedicated in honor of our Lady. Ever since long time ago, I have always been confident that Our Blessed Mother is with us during the month of May. May is always a beautiful and blessed month. When my children were young, I offered my children to her as my flowers offerings, my Flores de Mayo, that they may all grow up to be good Catholics and well protected by our most blessed Mother. Until now, I continue to be confident that she is with us. I pray for her intercessions during this difficult time. O Blessed Mother, intercede for us to your only son Jesus. He loves you and he listens and obeys his most loving mother. I pray for all members of my family’s safety and good health, wherever dispersed we may be in different places and at different homes. O Blessed Mother hear my prayers. May 13 is the feast day of your apparition in Fatima. Please, may your immaculate heart triumph during this dark and difficult time. Help us please. May God put an end to this pandemic very very soon. O Blessed Mother pray for us and the whole world. 

Sinovac

 At long last, my husband Lucas and I were vaccinated with our first dose of Sinovac yesterday at the Norte Dame Village Elementary School. Two days before, and even few hours before we had our shots, we were so distraught because of confusing informations regarding vaccination sites and schedules. The night before, we were sleepless because of anxiety. and Lucas even had an accidental slip at the bathroom. It was a good thing nothing worse happened. We were supposed to go before three pm, but a friend called up Dominic to inform us, that the site was closing at two pm. We hurriedly ate lunch before noon and left early. The vaccination site was well coordinated though, it was clean and spacious and people administering the inoculation were kind and friendly. During that lunch time hour, the place was not crowded. The doctor who screened us, was Dr. Kirby Plando. He was my pupil at St. Martha School. He was thorough and good. Thank you God for providing us the shots. Thank you dear Lord. Thank you.

Healing Rosary from Fort del Pilar, Zamboanga City

Last night, my husband Lucas, our house helps and myself attended our more than a year healing rosary streamed online every Wednesday night. We have been doing this for more than a year now since last year March 19, 2020. Last night the prayers were done from the shrine of Fort del Pilar in Zamboanga city. I was particularly drawn to it because of Our Lady of Pillar. I wrote about our Lady of Pillar last May 20, 2020, when we were doing the rosary online from Cavite. This year I am confident, our Blessed Mother will intercede for us and help us from this pandemic, most specially our country the Philippines which is on the surge of the second wave. 

Blessed Mother, the people are all suffering. Please help us and intercede for us to your only son Jesus Christ. He will listen to you. Keep us under the mantle of your maternal protection where ever each member of the family maybe in different places. We pray and hope more vaccines will arrive. We are still waiting for our turn to be vaccinated here in Cotabato. 

Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy. Lord have mercy.

Waiting........

Today is April 9, 2021. We are still waiting for the rollout of vaccines for senior citizens. Additional one million of sinovac arrived last week in the Philippines, but the department of health just very recently approved the use of sinovac for senior citizens; that is because the AstraZeneca is out of stock. My husband and I are amenable to use the sinovac. 50% protection is better than no protection at all. Infact the neurologist of my husband in Manila, cautioned him not to use AstraZeneca because of his muscle auto immune some kind of an ailment. 

Manila right now is scary because of the upsurge of new cases. It has been under lockdown for more than a week now but the cases are still going up. My cousin Henry Go Lim died from the covid. All his family members went through trying and traumatic experiences because other members got infected as well. We know of other people and their families in Metro Manila who tested positive too. Some had to be hospitalized, others went through isolations from family members at home. We heard of one person, the brother of an employee, who died in the hospital sitting on a monobloc plastic chair, although accordingly it was not covid related death but he had pneumonia. O God, we need help! Please help our country the Philippines!!! But the rollout of the sinovac vaccine is going too slow. As of present only 1% of the Philippine population has been vaccinated. O God, how and when are you going to help us out?!

Dear Lord, it is the Easter already. You have risen and is seated at the right hand of the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever. Please come to us, please reign over us and encompass us with your saving grace and healing power. Help us Lord, rescue us and save us all. O God, my Lord Jesus Christ, in you we trust. Come Lord Jesus come!!!