Hello! Again, hehe. Para akong barko noh? Lulubog, tapos lilitaw. Tapos, lulubog uli. Kelan ang sunod na litaw, nobody knows. 😛

Hmmnnn, where to begin? Let me just forewarn you, this is gonna be a looong post. At baka manibago kayo, kasi may tinge of melancholy. I haven’t been my usual bubbly self -and honestly, I don’t think I’ll ever get back to that stage again, ever. So pagpasensyahan nyo na ako if I seem like a Debbie Downer with this share.

I’ve been out of sorts lately, is it because of my age? Or is it just LIFE in general?

3 more of our friends passed away just recently. Heart failure for 2, cancer for 1 – two of them under 60. Kinda gets real, doesn’t it? One minute humihinga pa, the next, waley na. Hay buhay. So many deaths, one after another. Pang-ilan na ba ito? I’ve lost count. Am I becoming numb already?

Since my brother’s passing, many a nights I lie awake, listening to my heartbeat. Feeling ko, titigil sya any moment and I think to myself.. is this the day that I die?

Yes, truly, I have become so morbid.

Then I wake up to another morning, another beautiful day, and I thank God for allowing me to live for one more day with my beloved family.

Death brings forth gratitude, don’t you agree? Especially when you’re at that certain “age” na nagkakaubusan na. OMG. Pasalamat talaga every morning na gigising ka.

1. Babyson’s Graduation

What a happy occasion right? In many ways, yes. WOW! Finally, tapos na ang favorite son ko ng Med!! 2 down, 1 to go! <3

https://youtu.be/YoGGbrAgPYo

Unfortunately though, sa sobrang excitement ko, I took my maintenance meds TWICE. Too late the hero when I realized 2 beses pala ako uminom ng diabetes & hypertension meds ko. I tried puking it out when I felt dizzy after a 30-minute observation, but we had to leave na for the ceremony. So grin & bear it nalang ang nanay. But I felt super loopy the whole time.

I actually fell asleep on my seat during the ceremony sa sobrang hilo ko (in fairness 463 silang grumadweyt + the almost 200 leapmed students pa na nakisabay – hong domi!!), buti nalang I woke up right when my Babyson was about to go on stage na. I opened my eyes, and behold, there he was below, looking up at me wondering siguro “Eh? bakit natutulog ang nanay ko sa mismong graduation ko??” :)) I’m 100% certain my guardian angel nudged me, making sure I didn’t miss out on this most important milestone!

Right after he went on stage, ayan umikot na ang paningin ko. I had to run to the nearest restroom -TWICE, and puked my heart (guts??) out. Nerbyos? Init (hindi kinaya ng aircon yung dami ng tao)? Excitement? Mega-droga?? Yes, most probably the latter, lol!

Diba? Sumusuka na nga yung nanay nila, pinagtripan at tinawanan pa talaga ako? @_@ Asan ang empathy???

Dasal ko talaga jan.. Lord, please, not on my Babyson’s graduation. Not yet please, THE TRAUMA! Kawawa naman sya huhu. Ibang araw nalang pohwz.

2. Japan Trip

I will post a separate series on our last family trip to Japan (when I find the energy and WILL, that is). In the meantime, share ko lang sa inyo yung misadventure na dinanas ko, as usual.

For this trip, we split 7 days into 2 parts. Kyoto (again), and Osaka (again). Masyado nilang gusto ang Japan kaya no choice ang mami, sunod lang.

My babylove, si bunso, had her MBA summer program during ate’s leave & kuya‘s break. So up to the last minute, we were praying that it will just be online para makasama din kaming 2. God is sooooo good at pinagbigyan kami. Jena (and I) had to stay in the hotel half the days for her online classes, but it was still waaay better than getting left behind. #grateful

So ayan, on our 1st day in Kyoto, while the trio went out to explore, nabagot (at nagutom) si nanay, so I went to the nearest Family Mart and bought snacks & drinks for me & Meni. My gut feel told me not to buy the burger. 3x ako nagdaan-daan sa harap nya, tingin tingin, pero gusto talaga ng mata ko si burger kahit mukhang questionable.

I ate it happily in my room while I waited for Jena to finish her class. Aba, maya-maya, nahihilo at nasusuka na ako. 🙁  I thought of emptying the contents of my tummy, but then heto na, kumakatok na si bunso. Tapos na daw sya & ready for a day of catching up!

So lumisan kami habang hilong-talilong me. I begged her to get us a taxi kasi it was the height of summer last month, SUPER INIT! Hindi ko na sinabing I was feeling bad, kasi she’s sacrificial. Kilala ko sya, sasabihin sya we’ll just stay sa hotel, kawawa naman. But as soon as we stepped down from the vehicle, I rushed to the nearest Family Mart (mabuti nalang at nagkalat sila sa Japan, gah!) at nag mala-exorcist na ako. As in puke galore sa CR!

I thought I would be relieved after that suka sesh, but I got clammy & mega hilo. Panic attack na si babylove. She didn’t know what to do, tapos may language barrier pa, so no one could help!

Long story short, takbo sya sa labas at naghanap ng taxi. TWICE kaming pinababa kasi hindi nila alam kung saan yung hotel namin. (Note to self: Get a calling card next time to show the driver!!!) Finally, she was able to get a ride & just used her phone app for direction to our hotel.

Dasal ko (part 2).. Looord, not yet please, THE TRAUMA! Kawawa naman si babylove huhu mag-isa lang sya. Wag sa Japan at mahihirapan silang iuwi ang bangkay ko. Ibang araw nalang pohwz. 

Nakabawi naman sya, kasi may Chanel siyang uwi kalaunan for the stress I caused, hehe. 😛 As you can see in the middle pic, nakahilata sya sa sahig after getting me to bed, kasi sya naman yung hinimatay due to stress!!! Kawawang bata huhu.

3. Positional Vertigo!

ZOMG! Kung kailan ako tumanda, saka pa ako nakaranas for the first time ever ng vertigo!

August 1, it was my Babyson’s first day at work in MMC. I made sure to wake up early so I can feed him brekky & send him off with a smile. Syempre naman, proud nanay!

I normally sleep on my side kasi I snore pag naka-supine, maingay! So when I got up from my right side position, nahilo ako bigla, as in umikot yung mundo ko, daig pa ang intensity 10 earthquake, I kid you not!

I didn’t think much of it, sabi ko nabigla lang siguro. I even went down to let the dogs out to do their business. When I went back up & lay down on my left since I still had 30 minutes left before my Babyson was due to wake up, I turned to look at Kap to check if gising na din (he sleeps on my right), tapos, umikot na naman uli ng major-major yung mundo ko!

It took 3 tries before I finally decided to wake up Duktura. “Maaaaw, can you help me? I’m dizzy, I think I’m having a stroke huhu,”

Thank God talaga I have 2 doctors on call! Imagine, kung wala sila, eh di part 3 prayer na naman ako ng: Looord, not yet please, THE TRAUMA! Kawawa naman si babyson huhu, 1st day of work nya, it’s too memorable. Ibang araw nalang pohwz. 

May kasabihan, it comes in three’s. Sana naman, tapos na. Ayaw ko na ng hilo, waah! Napakahirap. Duktura made me reseta 3 meds: Serc, Stugeron (walang mabili!) & Exigo (pero hindi ako hiyang sa 3, parang mas lalo akong nahihilo!).

She also did the EPLEY manuever kung saan umiyak talaga ako sa tindi ng hilo, but it helped, kaya thank you my duktura! <3 And thank you also Menica for being the usual aliping-saguiguilid to mommy.

https://youtube.com/shorts/t-ZHQomm3RE?feature=share

Today is my 6th day of experiencing vertigo & I’m still woozy. Dati, I cannot look to the right. Now, I can na basta dahan-dahan, no sudden movements. Ngayon naman ang problema ko, I cannot look up or look down so much. So nagbago na, maybe the crystals in my ears are repositioning. Hopefully by next week, lumagay na sila sa tahimik at tamang lugar!

Psalm 91:10-12 “No harm will overtake you, no disaster will come near your house. For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.”

Amen. <3

Oh! On a side note, thank you also SO SO MUCH dear Lord, for Jonah’s health clearance & general well-being.

We had a 2-week health scare prior to his admission into MMC as a medical intern. He had a high hemoglobin level result from his mandatory blood work, so he was urged by his training officer to see a Hematologist before clearing him for duty.

The sungit hematologist (with her equally sungit secretary) asked for 3 tests: 2D Echo for Congenital Heart, Whole body abdomen Utz for his Liver, and Jak2 Mutation test (cancer). Just the thought of my son having any of those dreadful diseases, ESPECIALLY THE LAST ONE, had me in a state of panic & worry over 2 weeks! I’m just so so SO thankful to God that all results were unremarkable. Ang tagal pa naman lumabas bawat resulta.

Praise be to God!

Isaiah 43:1-3 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

PS: Please refer to me naman a decent hematologist based in MMC for my Babyson if you happen to know one. The one we went to is HELLA NASTY!! @_@  Grabe pa, feeling  sobrang VIP, she makes us wait for over 4 hours kada consult. Ang laki pang maningil!