Recalling the days before the operation

It was 1135 am when I woke up in the recovery room. There was a nurse beside me holding my hand and keeping a piece of plastic still in my nostrils. It was an oxygen tube. I saw her rolled a piece of cloth and asked me to hold it firm against my upper right abdomen. I didn't feel any pain. I am alive. I have survived. I closed my eyes and let myself sank into a deep sleep.

I remember to be in front of my immediate supervisor last Friday. I was telling him that I need to be away from work for a month since I have to undergo a major operation. The pain really convinced me to decide this time. I was not sure if the money I have on hand would be enough, but just the same, I have to do it. I also talked to my staff leaving instructions. I knew then during the meeting that I will still report for work for two more days before the operation. But I was wrong. I went ot my doctor in the afternoon of the same day. After the check-up, she advised me to return that same day to be admitted to the hospital. No matter how much I haggle for the dates, she was determined to have me admitted the same day. She explained that I need to be prepared for the procedure. Two days would be needed for that. I complied. I wanted to live. I want to live...

I went home to tell my family about it. I went to the mall to buy things I would be needing. I pack the necessary things I would be needing for the five-day stay in the hospital.

8 PM, June 19, I was back to the hospital. After the usual admission procedure, the nurse showed me to my room. Gladly, though the room was made for two patients, I will be alone tonight. My youngest sister was with me. Different things were going around my mind. I was not really sure what will happen. The doctor explained the procedure in one of my check ups. It sounded so easy but fear was there. The nurse came to give me IV and gave further instructions left by the doctor. I had high fever. I was chilling though the aircon unit was off. The nurses brought a drop light to warm me.

I was glad I decided to be admitted. That Friday night was like a hell to me. The pain was killing me. I cried the whole time and I was begging for pain killer. Glady I had two kinds of pain killer. The one was Novaine and the other I forgot the name. The effect of Novaine in me was good for an hour only. Then there went the pain again. After an hour, the nurse gave me the other pain killer which really calmed me down and let me sleep for more than four hours.

The following day was different. Still no food. I was in IV and pain killers. The doctor came and discussed with me the results of the laboratory test. The operation would be on Monday morning. She said I need to undergo further preparation because the lab test results showed that the infection really set in.

Later that day, I transfered to another room. Then another doctor checked on me for clearance - my heart, my lungs, and other aspects before the operation. Friends from school and office visited me. Later that day, I was sedated again since the pain was bugging me again.

I wonder how could I have managed the pain should I not agree to be admitted to the hospital earlier. I do not know.

Kaya ng Pinoy Talaga!

On June 24, 2009, Manila will commemorate its founding anniversary. As practiced, Manilenos will be looking forward to festive celebrations, concerts, and other merrymaking activities in different parts of the city. Well, I expect some key areas in the city to be crowded. And I will be part of the crowd, not only to celebrate Manila Day but to be part of another milestone in the Philippine history as Balangay starts its voyage to Mindanao!

To kick off its five-year voyage around the world, the Balangay will sail on June 24 to visit more than 75 Philippine ports. The last port that the Balangay will visit is somewhere in Siluag before crossing the boundary of Sabah in 2010 to mark the beginning of another exploration. This time, Balangay will brave the waves and waters as it traces other coastlines in Southeast Asia.

But even before it can sail to dock in its first stop, the Sangley Point in Cavite, I had experienced to be in the Balangay. Together with some bloggers, I had the chance to be in the Balangay! Not only to take pictures and learn more about it from Mr. Art Valdez, I was able to commune with the rest of the bloggers just like what our early ancestors did in Balangay when they cross the seas from one island to another. Though it was not in the water yet, the rain and the cold breeze from Manila Bay set the mood.

The Voyage of Balangay is another good news from Kaya ng Pino(a)y Movement. It is the same movement that took courage to put the Filipinos in the Mt. Everest peak. No mountains are high enough. This time, no seas are deep or wide enough for Pinoy! Kaya talaga iyon ng Pinoy!

Another good news! The usual late me in meetings was not late in this event. Kaya ko pala na hindi ma-late... Kaya talaga ng Pinoy!

Summer is Over

Yes, it is over! You might have realized it by now with the weather hitting the country i nthe past few days. So replace your buri hats and slip ons with umbrellas and boots to brave the heavy rain and floods around the metro. 

Summer is over. Rainy days are here again. And it is back to school season once again! And that is a good news and bad news. Good news, since school is back and students have more time to go out. Bad news, since it is raining cats and dogs lately, expect to get wet! 

Nagkataon o Tinaon?

For the past few days, I have immersed myself on a deep thought regarding my life direction. I have been on a crossroads and on the midst of choosing which road to take. I hope it is as easy as to take the road less taken as what Robert Frost would whisper in my ears. But it is not.

Few minutes ago, I opened my inbox to check on my mail. I got one from a person who seldom send me an email. She sent something from Bo Sanchez. After reading the story, now at least, I am having a clearer perspective of my crossroads.

I want to share this with you....


TUYO, TINAPA AND GALUNGGONG

By: Bo Sanchez
Let me tell you a story. Three construction workers were on top of their half-finished skyscraper. Rrrrring!" the lunch bell sounded, and the three men sat on a steel beam jutting out of the 56th floor with their lunch boxes in hand.

The first guy opens his and groans in exasperation, "Tuyo!" There is not a day that I don't get tuyo for lunch!" He turns to hisbuddies and announces, "Mark my words. If I still get tuyo tomorrow, I'm going to throw myself from this building."

The second guy opens his lunch box and moans, "Tinapa". Everyday, I get tinapa!" He looks at his friends and declares, "Believe me when I say this. If I get tinapa tomorrow, I'm going to jump and kil! l myself."

The third guy opens his lunch box and it was his turn to despair.

"Galunggong" . All I get is galunggong!" I'm telling you, if I still get galunggong tomorrow, I'm going to jump from this building and die."

The next day, the lunch bell rings and all three men are again seated on the 56th floor. The first guy opens his lunch box and starts crying,

"Tuyoooooo!" And so he jumps and crashes on the ground.

The second guy opens his lunch box and wails loudly, "Tinapaaaa!" And he also hurls himself off the building and dies.

The third guy opens his lunch box and screams, "Galunggonggggg! " And so he too jumps off the building and splatters on the ground.

Days later, during the funeral of the three men, their three wives embrace and weep together. The first wife cries out, "I didn't know my husband didn't like tuyo anymore! Why didn't he tell me? If only he told me, I would have prepared something else."

The second wife echoes her statement, "Yes! If only I knew, I would have cooked something else, not tinapa!"

The third wife, between sobs, speaks up, "I don't know why my husband killed himself." The two wives look at her curiously.

"Why?"

She went on, "Because ... my husband prepares his own lunch everyday..."

I love this crazy story because it presents a very important truth: all of us prepare our own lunch. If we don't like our jobs,if we don't like the state of our relationships, if! we don't like what's happening to our spiritual lives - we have no one to blame but ourselves. Because God has given us free will. He has given us the power to prepare our own lunch.

If you want to earn more and be free from debt, if you're sick and tired of your bad habits, if we want to put more joy in our marriages, if we want to grow in our relationship with God - then go back to your kitchen and prepare yourself another dish. Because you design your own future. You create your own destiny. Ask yourself what kind of future do you want to have? What kind of life? What kind of eternity? You decide.

The Trip to San Felipe

I have heard so much about Zambales. The places, the beaches, and the water. When my classmate invited some of us in the class to go with her for a weekend, I immediately agreed to join her. Her brother has a place in San Felipe. 

When I mentioned it to my mother, she said San Felipe is a beach area. The water and the waves are great too. 
 April 18,  seven of us went to San Felipe. We took the last flight of Victory Liner-Espana to Iba. The bus fare was Php278.00  only. We almost missed that chance because we never reserved for our seats and we just took on our luck. We were fortunate really to get seats. 

The ride was a little bumpy. I felt that way because it was my first time to sit at the end of the bus. It put me to sleep actually. My classmate woke me up when we were near the tricycle terminal near San Felipe Market. 

We reached San Felipe Market at 2am. My classmate said our trip was fast. She was expectin us to reach the province by 3am or 4am at most. Good thing there were trikes even at that wee hour. The trike took us to the resort. We paid 25/pax for the one-way trip. 

The ride to the resort was all grasses in the dark. It was too quiet. Funny, I was thinking then that anytime there might be stray dog that will attack us. Or a ghost crossing that small path. 

Since another group was still occupying the bigger house with four rooms, we stayed at the family house for the night. No aircon or electric fan, but my sleep was great. I prefered to sleep by the window, without a mosquito net. The numerous pine trees helped to keep the night cool. 

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