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When I was young and innocent.

I was like one of those nauseatingly nice children. 

I was very, very well behaved and boring.

I used to be obedient.

(take note: USED TO BE)

“delicacy and nobility,” that’s how my family called it. :|

ehem

Dear future Prince Charming, 
     I don’t want you to treat me like another one of the girls you dated and I certainly don’t want you to compare me to them either.I think it would be nice if you looked like Brad Pitt, but really any resemblance to a passably attractive Hollywood actor would be a plus. Hmm, what else? An interest in spontaneous travel and spontaneous things in general would also be very much appreciated. And maybe just the ability,and want, to lie next to me in a warm, clean, white bed and touch my hands.
     I won’t look for you because I know you’ll come one day. 


                                                                      Surprise me,
                                                                                Princess Pat

Another health update: Vicks VapoRub Linked to Infant Breathing Problems

The popular cold remedy Vicks VapoRub may cause airway inflammation that can restrict breathing in infants and toddlers, a new study says.

Doctors at Wake Forest University started their study after treating an 18-month-old girl who had developed severe respiratory distress after the salve had been put directly under her nose to relieve cold symptoms.

“The company is really clear that you don’t put it in the nose, and you never use it in kids under 2,” said lead researcher Dr. Bruce K. Rubin, professor and vice chair for research at Wake Forest’s Department of Pediatrics. “Sure enough, when we stopped all the medicine, the child got much better very quickly.”


Rubin’s experience prompted him to see if there had been other similar cases. “We encountered a few others that appeared to develop problems after using Vicks VapoRub. Parents never volunteered it, because they always thought it is just something you buy over-the-counter, and it’s not a real medicine, because you just rub it on, after all,” he said.

Rubin said Vicks VapoRub can make some adults feel better without really making them better. “For kids, because it can induce some inflammation, even a little bit, that little bit might be enough to tip over a child to having problems,” he said.

The findings were published in the January issue of the journal Chest.

To test whether Vicks VapoRub could cause respiratory distress, the researchers conducted experiments with ferrets. The animals were chosen because they have airways similar to human airways, Rubin said.

The researchers found that Vicks VapoRub increased mucus production by up to 59 percent; the ability to clear mucus was reduced by 36 percent.

David Bernens, a spokesman for Proctor & Gamble, the makers of Vicks VapoRub, doesn’t think one incident involving one child means that the product is unsafe.

“The product is safe and effective when used as directed,” he said. “To say it was the Vicks VapoRub that caused the respiratory distress — I’m not sure we have made that link yet.”

Dr. James A. L. Mathers Jr., president of the American College of Chest Physicians, said in an association news release: “Parents should consult with a physician before administering any over-the-counter medicine to infants and young children. Furthermore, the American College of Chest Physicians and several other health-care organizations have concluded that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines can be harmful for infants and young children and are, therefore, not recommended.”

In October, major manufacturers and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be used by children younger than 4 years old.

Dr. Daniel Craven, a pediatric pulmonologist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, said parents shouldn’t use Vicks VapoRub, because it has no medicinal value and may even be dangerous.

“Previous research has failed to demonstrate any respiratory benefits of VapoRub, and conscientious pediatricians have thus usually tried to dissuade families from spending money on this and similarly ineffective therapies,” Craven said. “Although the findings are someone limited, this study raises the possibility that this product may not just be ineffective, but possibly might have adverse respiratory consequences — particularly if there is an intense exposure — as when it is applied directly under the nostrils.”

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Reaction:
I was shocked when I read  this article on the internet. I didn't know Vicks VapoRub was harmful to children. My mom used to rub Vicks below my nostrils, on my back and chest whever I have a cold or clogged nose even when I was a little girl. I didn't experience any breathing problems after that. And up to now, I still use Vicks. I always thought that Vicks was like an ointment similar to Pau, Tai-Chi and other chinese ointments. It was mentioned in the article that Vicks is actually a form of topical medicine. Most parents do not know that it is harmful to children 2years old and below since it increases mucus production by up to 59% and may cause airway inflammation that can restrict breathing. I think the problem in there is that a lot of people do not read the labels and the warning that is found on the container of these products. It is really important to read the labels of every product that we use speciall the ones that we put in our bodies.

Secrecy Folder

690M pesos!!!

Out of this world ba itong folder na ito at sobrang mahal?

Unique ba masyado ito at wala kang mabibili sa National Book Store?

Yari ba sa ginto ito!?

Yari ba sa bakal ito!?

Oh, baka sa sobrang mahal pwede na namin iuwi pagkatapos iboto?

Kanta nalang tayo.

"May bilog, may bilog na hugis itlog!" sing!

Music Shown To Speed Recovery for Stroke Patients

Read this. I found this article from health-updates.org. 


Strokes occur when the blood flow to the brain is blocked. A stroke can kill brain tissue and is one of the world’s leading causes of death and permanent disability. Accepted treatment options include medications, surgery, hospital care and rehabilitation, which may soon include music therapy to speed recovery.

A recent study published in the Oxford University Press journal Brain reports that when stroke patients in Finland listened to music for a couple of hours each day, their verbal memory and attention span improved significantly compared to patients who either received no musical stimulation or who listened only to stories read aloud.


These findings support growing research pointing to the benefits of music and music therapy for conditions including autism, schizophrenia and dementia. However, “this is the first time music alone has been shown to have a positive effect on victims of brain injury such as stroke” said the study’s lead author Teppo Sarkamo, a psychologist at the Cognitive Brain Research Unit at the University of Helsinki.

The trial, conducted between March 2004 and May 2006, involved 60 patients whose ages averaged just under 60. All had recently experienced a stroke of the middle cerebral artery in the left or right side of the brain, which is the most common type of stroke. Most had problems with movement, as well as cognitive processes such as memory and focusing their attention.

Sarkamo and colleagues started working with the patients as soon as possible after they had been admitted to the hospital. “We thought that it was important to start the listening as soon as possible during the acute post-stroke stage, as the brain can undergo dramatic changes during the first weeks and months of recovery and we know these changes can be enhanced by stimulation from the environment,” Sarkamo said.
The patients were randomly divided into three groups. All participants received standard rehabilitation treatment. One group listened to at least two hours of their favorite music each day, mostly Finnish or English-language pop. The second group listened to audio books, and the third group to neither.

The 54 patients who completed the study received a battery of cognitive and psychological tests that showed a vast improvement. Three months after their stroke, the verbal memory of the music listeners was boosted by 60 percent, by 18 percent in audio book listeners, and by 29 percent for those who listened to neither. “These differences were still essentially the same six months after the stroke,” said Sarkamo.
The music listeners also had a 17 percent improvement in their ability to focus attention. In addition, the music-exposed patients experienced less depression than the other two groups.

“These differences in cognitive recovery can be directly attributed to the effect of listening to music,” Sarkamo said. He continued by saying that “furthermore, the fact that most of the music (63 percent) also contained lyrics would suggest that it is the musical component or the combination of music and voice that plays a crucial role in the patients’ improved recovery.”

“We can’t say what is happening in the brain, but based on previous research and theory it may be music listening could actually activate the brain areas that are recovering,” Sarkamo said. “Music might also in some way activate more general mechanisms that repair and renew the brain’s neural networks after stroke.”
Sarkamo said that larger studies are needed to better understand exactly what is going on and that if validated could offer a cheap, easy additional treatment for stroke patients. “This could be considered a pilot study. It is a promising start.”

http://www.health-updates.org/conditions/hypertension/music-shown-to-speed-recovery-for-stroke-patients/#more-461

An open letter to Mom

Dearest Mama,

Adolescence is a very critical period in a person's life. It isn't easy, you know. Specially when you try to make it so difficult (peace!). Anyway, this letter isn't only for my mom. This is also for the other mom's out there with daughters whose ages range from 12-18.

Let us have our dramas. Teenage years are emotional years--and a confusing one at that. We're not quite kids, but we're not yet grown-ups either, so when I come home with a problem, no matter how silly it may seem, if we say it's a big deal, believe us, IT'S A BIG DEAL. Sometimes we won't talk because we don't think you'd understand. Sometimes, we just need you to listen. Other times we just need you to put our world back together with ice cream instead of I-told-you-so's. Try to put yourself in our shoes if you can't take us shoe shopping.

Let us have our dreams. Right now, we want to be rock stars, models, actresses, not for the fortune, but for the fame. We still know what it means to reach for the stars and dream big. We can't quite grasp the idea of "settle" yet. Let the world teach us that someday. For now, president, Olympic gold medalist, supermodel, you name it, we can still become it!

Let us know we're beautiful. We learn what's beautiful from celebs, boys-and you. Even before we knew who Ashley Tisdale is, we wanted to look like you. But you're not too happy with the way you look so we started wondering, if you're not pretty like we thought you we're, maybe we're not pretty either. It's hard enough not to be the "crush" of our "crush," but if you don't tell us that we're beautiful, then someone else might tell us we're not--and we'll believe them. We'll change for them, try to be more like them, and compromise who we are just so we could be beautiful for them. And once our self-image is shattered, it's so hard to put back together again. So come on mom, say it, even on-especially on-days is not even close to being Vanessa-Hudgens-like: "You're beautiful."

We're like you but we're different. I look a lot like you, I learned a lot from you, people often say I'm a mini version of you-but mom, I'm not you. I have my own interests, opinions and even values-sometimes they're just like yours but sometimes they're not. Differences don't have to be all bad right? You and I can have our disagreements like what I should wear, who I should listen to, and what will make me happy in life-but we can still be friends. You may hate my music, my friends, my choices, but they are my choices for a reason. Talk to me, find out why I think such and such is the coolest thing on earth, or why I like going to the mall with my pals on a school night, just this once. You don't always have to say yes--you're still my mom--but first, hear me out before you say no. All I need from you is respect. Respect that I'm an individual. Respect that I'm growing up to be the person I want to be. You may not always understand me, but I'll be forever grateful if you try.


Infinite x's and o's,
Mara

REPLAY =)

The RULES:
1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, iPod etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag 20 friends (make me #21 so I can see your results).
5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.
6. Have Fun!


IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?
>>Beep by the pussycat dolls (ok?)

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
>> Love like this (by natasha bedingfield) >.<

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
>>eh eh nothing else I can say (Lady Gaga). Haha. cge. wala ako masabi

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
>> With a Smile (eraserheads) =)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
>> Stop and Stare (by One Republic). Haha. lang kwenta pala purpose ko

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?
>> IMAGINE (the beatles)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
>>Best I ever had (di ko lam singer..haha)..yeah! I'm the f*ckin best..haha

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
>>Fuzzy Blue Lights (by owl city)--- huh?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
>> Leaving on a Jet Plane (by Chantal Kreviazuk)---haha. Unga. Gusto ko lumayas..ambored here

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
>>For you I will (by Monica)---wth?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
>>Halaga (Parokya ni Edgar)----haha. Pwede!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
>> half alive (by secondhand serenade)---aww. save me? haha

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
>>All Star (by Smashmouth)---yess!! ALL STAR! Taob! I wouldn't settle for less..haha =)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
>I believe (by ewan ko..haha)---oo, i believe!

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
>> Bad Girl (by Rihanna ft. Chris Brown)---wtf?? haha!!!

HOW'S YOUR SEX LIFE?
>>Insomnia (by Craig David)---woah! haha...so that's what's keeping me up all night? LOL!

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
>>I'll make love to You (by Boys II men)---hahaha...takte. Anu ba yan!

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
>> Photograph (by Nickelback)---haa??

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
>>Party in the USA (by Miley Cyrus)---haha. Yeah! Party pips ako. jk.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO RIGHT NOW?
>> Dangerously In Love (by Beyonce)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
>> My life would suck w/o you (by Kelly Clarkson)---aww. I love my friends!

WHAT IS THE FIRST IMPRESSION YOU GET FROM OTHER PEOPLE?
>> Let me be the One (by Jimmy Bondoc)--haha. ako na lang kasi!

WHAT IS BOTHERING YOU RIGHT NOW?
>>Complicated (by Avril Lavigne)---yep. as usual. haha. (i thought i deleted this song??)

WHAT DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE LAST PERSON YOU KISSED?
>>Used to (by Chris Daughtry)---aww.. =(

WHAT DOES YOUR DREAM OFTEN COMPRISE OF?
>>The Climb (by Miley Cyrus)---yes. Pwede.

WHAT DO YOU SING WHENEVER YOU'RE IN THE SHOWER?
>>Birthday Sex (by Jeremiah)---aba! Over na ha? LOL! pota..

WHAT WERE YOUR PARENTS' REACTION WHEN THEY FIRST SAW YOU IN THIS WORLD?
>>If I were a Boy (by Beyonce)---aww..oo nga. My dad would've liked it if i were a boy

WHAT IS YOUR DRINKING SONG?
>> Once when i was little (by James Morrison)--huh? ok.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE YOU?
>>Just Stand up (various artists) =)

HOW ABOUT THOSE WHO HATE YOU?
>> No One (by Alicia Keys)---haha. No one hates me? Naman!

IF YOU WOULD BE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO CHANGE YOUR COUNTRY'S NATIONAL ANTHEM, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
>>Bad Romance (by Lady GaGa)---LOL! Yess! bongga ang flag ceremony nito. haha!

IF SOMEONE LIKED YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU WANT THEM TO TELL YOU?
>>You Give Me Something (James Morrison)--- =)

WHAT TIME IN YOUR LIFE WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUT ON REPEAT FOREVER?
>>Do You Remember (Let's Bring it back) by jay sean---no i don't remember, but let's bring it back. Haha!

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE DOWN?
>> Sway (by the Pussycat dolls)---haha. I sway when I'm down. bongga!

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT COMES INTO YOUR MIND WHEN YOU HEAR THE WORD "SEX"?
>> I like it rough (by Lady GaGa)---hahaha! OMG.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU WISH YOU HAD MORE OF?
>> A place in this world (by Taylor Swift)--- OP ako eh. haha

THINK BACK FEBRUARY, HOW WAS YOUR LOVE LIFE THEN?
>> Stay (by Bic Runga)---aww. hindi kaya! haha

THE PERSON YOU LIKE SAYS THEY LIKE YOU, YOU SAY?
>>Forever (by Marc Nelson)--- =)

WHAT'S A FACT ABOUT THE LAST PERSON YOU KISSED?
>>I don't care (2ne1)--ha? I still care!! haha!

WHAT'S THE GREATEST THING THAT HAPPENED TO YOU BY FAR?
>> Birthday Sex (by ewan ko)---nanaman? aba! nananadya na ang iPod ko. haha! Sinungaling. binabagyo kaya nung debut ko. haha!

IF SOMEONE WERE TO ASK YOU TO BE THEIR GIRLFRIEND/BOYFRIEND RIGHT NOW, YOU WOULD SAY?
>>Out of my league (by Stephen speaks)---weh??

WHAT IS THE QUOTATION YOU LIVE BY?
>>Beautiful (by Christina aguilera)---yess!! inside and out..hahaha. takte.


WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
>> Replay

(haha...katuwa naman 2!)

Suuuuuuuper long hiatus!

3 months of abandonment. Is that forgivable in the blogging world? I hope so because I don't plan to lose this blog forever. Anyway, I can't believe I haven't updated this thing for ages!! 3 months is a long time for me considering that when I first started this blog, I was always updating it everyday. Sometimes even 5 times a day! I told myself I was gonna a be consistent blogger. At that time, I was a frustrated writer. I was frustrated because I can't pursue Journalism as my course (my mom just won't allow it. sad). But then after a couple of months, my eagerness to update decreased..mostly because of my hectic schedule. I began to update once or twice a week. Hanggang sa yun, tumagal ng tumagal. Not because of my hectic schedule. Not because of my lack of ideas. Maybe because I just started to lose interest? Ningas-kugon ba ang tawag dun? Sa simula lang magaling, sa huli, wala na? Well I hope I can still change it.



Time for a change.


MAG-UUPDATE NA AKO NG BLOG! PROMI....oops!

I don't wanna say the "P" word anymore. I told myself I won't say anymore promises. It's just so frustrating when you don't get to keep them even though how hard you try.

Sorry for the long hiatus!

oh my, oh my..I almost forgot about my blog! Haha.. I was getting lazy for the past three months. I can't even remember the last time I wrote here.

Anyhoo, I just got home. I went shopping today..woo! But it's not fun, I only shopped for school supplies for the next sem. Why wasn't it fun? Because I have a budget (that's because I used my own money). At first I think it's cool to spend your own money for your school stuff. I'm feeling a bit independent this semester. Like last week, I processed my enrollment by myself. It feels good when you don't rely on other people (specially your parents). But using your money to buy your own necessities is not included. It sucks! I used to enjoy shopping for school stuff, but now I kinda hate it! Whenever I pick an item, say..a really cool binder, I think twice before I put it in the basket. I had make computations in my head. I don't have a lot of money, you know. I'm on a really tight budget right now. I only have to buy stuff that I really need. Only the necessary stuff. And the worst and most difficult part was passing by the fiction section of the bookstore. Man, I was dying to take a peek of the new books on display! But I know that if I go to that area, I'll only get frustrated because I'm not supposed to buy a book.

Anyway, I'm thinking of making my mom pay for everything I spent today. Haha! Just kidding.

Ayan..tinatamad na ulit akong magtype. haha! Saka na lang ulit..promise!

The Controversial Dinner

Mga kababayan silipin nga natin kung ano itong pinag iinitang mga kinain daw ni Kamahal-mahalang Pangulong Gloria sa Le Cirque New York at ang kanyang mga kampon. Since may ambag naman tayo (as a taxpayer )
dapat lang sigurong makita natin kahit sa picture man lang ang mga pagkaing nararapat daw para sa ating mga
honorable public servants. Take note mga kaibigan, US DOLLARS yan.....


These are just a few pics of what they ate..

Golden Osetra Caviar . Sa Tagalog, kumpol-kumpol na itlog ng isda. Rare daw ito. Malansa at lasang bagoong, sabi ng iba. Kulay itim lang to pero
ang lasa siguro nito ay kagaya din ng itlog ng galunggong, di kaya? Php13,720/order

California Osetra Caviar . Kumpol-kumpol na itlog ng isda na mula naman sa California . Hmmph..mukha namang buto ng papaya yan eh! Mas mura kesa sa Golden Osetra Caviar. P4,900/order

Le Cirque Salad . Pinaghalo-halong mga gulay tulad ng lettuce (wag kayong jologs, hindi [let-us] ang pronunciation nyan, kundi [let-is] , okay?)
…sige na nga litsugas nalang… ano pa ba yan? er…sibuyas, balat ng sibuyas, sitaw, mayana, langka, dahon ng gumamela, etc… P1,078/order lang yan

Le Cirque Lobster Salad . Merong lobster meat, pipino, avocado, kamatis, okra saka dahon ng sibuyas. P2,842/ isang plato niyan

Le Cirque Tuna . Syempre merong tuna dyan (na posibleng galing sa GenSan), orange, sesame seeds, wasabe ata yung green paste sa ilalim,
anim na pirasong halamang ligaw (dami dito samin nyang dahon na yan!) saka ilang patak na orange sauce. P1,029/order naba yang apat na hiwang yan?

Le Cirque Soft Shell Crab Tempura . Ngayon ko lang nalaman na meron palang crab na soft ang shell nya…ahihihihi…So ang ingredients dyan ay crab
saka harina tapos may kamote at ang paborito ni Popeye na spinach P1,078 /platter

Le Cirque Spring Pea Soup . Mga pataning pinaikot at pinalamutak sa blender para maging soup. A.k.a. Etchas ng baby P1,176 isang bowl?

Le Cirque Wild Burgundy Escargot. Pronounced as [es-kahr-goh] . Tandaan nyo yan para hindi kayo magmukhang enggot pag kumain kayo sa Le Cirque in the future, okay? Ang escargot ay kuhol. Madami niyan sa palayan kapag tag-ulan. Hmmmmmmmmm…sarap ng ginataang escargot! Kasama ng escargot dyan ay 2 munchkin donuts, makapuno, itlog ng isda saka ferns. Ito daw ang nagustuhan ni Senator Lapid dahil favorite nya ang kuhol. P1,421/order grabeng mahal naman ng kuhol na yan!

Le Cirque Torchon of Foie Gras . Ang foie gras ay atay ng bibe or gansa. Ang pagbigkas nito ay [fwah-grah] . Ang torchon naman ay isang paraan ng pagluto ng foei gras na kung saan ibinabalot ito sa isang tuwalya at niluluto sa mainit na likido tulad ng alak o tubig. P1,715/order lang naman yan

Paupiette of Black Cod . Ito’y manipis na piraso ng isda (black cod) na nirolyong parang shawarma at merong mga gulay sa gitna.
Paupiette is pronounced as [poh-pyet] . P2,401.00 / order (pun-yeta!!! !!)

Le Cirque Halibut Poached in Cocunut Milk. Halibut is pronounced as [hal-uh-buht] . Ito ay isang uri ng isda. Ang price P1,960 /order

Dover Sole . Isa rin itong uri ng isda at ito rin ang pinakamahal sa main course na inorder ng ating mga public servant P3,675/order wow na wow. Ano kaya ang lasa nyan, noh?

Le Cirque Saddle of Lamb . Ano ba ang saddle sa Tagalog. Hmmmmmmm…part daw ng backbone and loins. Eh ano yung loins sa Tagalog? Tadyang o pigi? Ay basta tupa lang yan! May kasama pa atang snickers bar sa tabi. P2,548/order naman yan (anak ng tupa naman....)

Krug Champagne . Sa sobrang sarap ng Krug, umorder sina Gloria ng labing-isang bote nito. Kulang-kulang Php 249,000 lang naman iyang 11 bottles na yan. Ilang ginbulag kaya ang mabibili sa Php 249,000.00? Teka, downpayment na yan para sa isang bahay ah! Tsk…tsk…tsk…
Sorry wala yung pix ng ibang entrees.

(Grabe ano?? Tsk tsk..regardless of who paid for that lavish dinner, I still think it's not right for them to splurge on good food abroad while a lot of people back at home are starving. )

Sleepless

It's almost 2 am and I'm still not sleepy yet. Insomnia strikes again..or at least that's what I think. It's either the insomnia or the fact that I took a 2 hour afternoon nap that's making me very much alive at 2 am. I usually don't take naps partly because I have no time for it. But I remembered taking a nap every afternoon when I was a kid. My mother always instructed our nanny to make us take a nap every afternoon. She said it will help us grow taller. Nah! I'm still shorter than everybody else. My younger cousins are wayy taller than me. So I guess the usual afternoon naps didn't work out for my height.

Anyway, I spent practically the whole day in finishing mg paperworks. So far, I've finished my critical paper in philosophy about Hinduism's view of the human person (yeah, pretty boring!). I did a pretty lame job yesterday so I decided to repeat the whole thing. I'm trying to improve this term because last term, I didn't exert a lot of effort on my minor subjects. And so far, I think I'm doing good. The only thing that pissed me off is that my professor told us to limit our paper to 2-3pages. 2-3pages??? What sensible critical paper in philosophy can you make out of 2-3 pages. 5 pages would've been more reasonable! I mean, my introduction already took up half a page! And I pretty much enjoyed making it so I had to exclude some of my "wonderful" ideas just so I can stick to the 3-page limit. But anyway, I already finished the damn thing. I just need to print it out tomorrow morning.


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god! I'm still not sleepy? What's the matter with me?? ugh.

Facabook fever

alright!!!...my facebook is back! Well, kinda. I used to have an old account pero mejo napabayaan ko na..so I made a new one..ngaun lang. Hahaha..

26

Oh, btw...another thing that I look forward to:

I'll be turning 18! Yay! Mark your calendars, because on september 26, 2009, I will finally become a lady. Hmm..sounds a bit cheesy..but hey, it's the truth. I'm pretty much excited about it, although I'm also nervous about it. I'm about to leave my childhood behind (as in literally). Hindi na ako minor, that means I can be held fully responsible for my acts. But I hope it will also give me more freedom (I'm not getting a lot of that from my mom lately).

26 days to go before the 26th

-pat

She's coming HOME!

Finally, I'm going to see Bianca again! The kid wearing fuchsia pink--that's her. She's coming home. It's been so long since we've since her. She moved to Canada with her mom and younger brother. That picture was taken three years ago--the night before she left..it was her last night with her (we were still very young in that picture btw). Anyway, my mom announced that they'll be coming home for Christmas this year. Yay! I can't wait to see my cousin. She's all grown up now, and i'm really excited to see her.

hmm..that's all. Haha. I just want to share my happiness.
Finally, something to look forward to this holiday season

Of failing grades and hospital duties

Antagal ko nang hindi naguupdate ng blog. Anyway..I was busy as a bee these past few weeks. Kakatapos lang ng midterms pero bumulaga agad ang finals. I had one hell of a week! Our midterm grades were released, so far ok naman. Okay as in pwede na considering that i was expecting one failing grade in one particular subject: CoHealth. That is one hell of a subject for me. I hate it. As in I seriously, seriously hate every part of it. To say that Cohealth is difficult is probably an understatement. Well, hindi lang naman ako nahihirapan, lahat naman ata kami. Actually konti lang ang pumasa dun. And I'm just lucky enough to be one of the passers. Pero actually, lahat naman ng major subjects ko mahirap, specially if it's a nursing subject. Ang pinagkaiba lang e ung ibang nursing subjects, mahirap din but at least I can still manage to understand the lessons. Pwede ko xang pagpuyatan kc at least at the end of it, maiintindihan ko. But Cohealth isn't like that. Kahit pagpuyatan ko pa sya, in the end hindi ko pa rin maiintindihan. I feel stupid. Ewan ko, but i just don't get it! Everytime we are in the lecture room, I always get lost in the middle of everything! I jot down notes that I don't even understand. I bought a freakin' book even though it's not required just so I can at least understand that freakin' subject. I tried to read it but it still doesn't help me in any way. The worst thing is that I have to deal with this particular subject for the next 2 years of my college life! Good luck to me.

Anyway, I'm still thankful that I got more than what I hoped for. Maybe there was some kind of miraculous divine intercession that took place while I was taking my cohealth exams. Or at least I'd like to think of it that way.

Change topic. So this week, my next hospital duty is LMMC (Lipa Medix Medical Center). Honestly, I hate having duties at that hospital. For one thing, my shift starts at 6 am (earlier compared to other hospitals) so we have to be there before 6:45am. When you arrive at 6: 46, sorry but you're already late so that means you have to have two "make-up duties." And when you arrive at 6:01, you are already considered absent, don't even dare to enter the hospital premises because you're sure to receive a 5minute scolding from your clinical instructor. The people there are mean and cranky, well at least I think most of them are. And the patients are always complaining about every little detail. That's the difference between private and public hospital patients. Patients at the private hospitals complain a lot. Probably because they expect to get more quality services because they pay a lot of money. Well, my mother is like that too. But what I hate about them is that they always blame it on the nurse. For example, I had this patient who blamed me because her episiotomy hurts a lot (*An episiotomy is the surgical incision done by doctors on the perineal area during the 3rd stage of labor to prevent the massive tearing or damage to the vaginal walls during vaginal delivery). She's blaming me for the pain in her vajayjay!!! I just don't get it. I didn't even stitch up the damn thing! She just gave birth to a 7pound baby for god's sake. Of course it's gonna hurt. It's supposed to hurt. And it's nobody's fault. She gave me a hard time explaining that to her. I had a lot of traumatizing experiences in that hospital. One such example was the day I assisted in cleaning the incision site of one of the post-CS patient. The doctor was mean to me, and she scowled at every little detail about me including the loose thread on my white uniform and the stray hair sticking out behind my ear. She seems to have microscopic eyes and xray vision. The worst part is that she humiliated me in front of the patient and her family. She didn't even give me a goddamned break considering that I'm only a level 2 BSN student and I'm practically a newcomer in the medical world. She reprimanded me for the very little details and she didn't even recognize that I assisted her well while she was cleaning the patient's incision. She even used my mayo scissors and my crile forceps! I hope she knew that! That was the single, most humiliating day in my life as a nursing student. My stomach still flips whenever I recall that incident. It's a good thing I didn't cry. That would be even more humiliating. Usually, I feel like crying whenever I feel extremely humiliated. God, I hate that doctor. Oh, and btw, that doctor (she's a resident OB-GYN) is the mother of my former classmate in highschool. Her son gave me flowers on valentine's day when we were in Level 7. She has a really nice son so it's kind of hard to imagine that they're realted. I wanted to tell her that but I think that's just stupid and irrelevant and it's gonna make her hate me even more. Lol! The good thing is that she's too preoccupied torturing nurses she didn't even had the time to tell anything to my CI. Hah! Buti na lang di nya ako sinumbong sa CI ko, that would have made things worse. That's the only consolation I get. Honestly, I think she's not a good doctor. Sure, she finished her degree with flying colors. She even took fellowships. But I think that even though how smart you are or how many degrees you've finished or how many titles are attached to your name, they're all worthless if you're not a good person. And I think every doctor should know that. I don't hate her because she's mean to me (well, just a little bit). I hate her because she's an arrogant person. The other nurses told me that she's always like that to the nurses and interns (and to whoever she considers as inferior to her). I think I have better bedside manners that her (seriously!), which is just pathetic because I used to look up to her. So to all the future doctors out there, please remember that professional success does not compensate for a bad attitude.

Well, the good thing is that I won't have to deal with her this week at the hospital. I'm assigned to the pediatric ward. Bye-bye, OB ward! I'm sure as hell that I'm gonna miss all those vajayjays. I did pedia once before on san jose district hospital. It was as tough as OB because almost every kid cries at the sight of a person wearing white. I blame their parents. Lagi na lang nilang ginagawang panakot ang mga nurse sa mga anak nila. Children always connote nurses to needles and injections.

..ooops, gotta go. I still haven't written anything on my critical paper on PhilMan. I gotta finish that tonight so that I won't have to deal with it during my duty week.

so that's it for now. Sorry for the crappy update.

Paalam, Tita Cory (quickie post)

MAY WE ALL NEVER FORGET



Corazon Cojuanco-Aquino
January 25, 1933 – August 1, 2009

And she's done it again...

54 minutes.
126 applauds.
More than 6 billion audience.

And so, she's done it again. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has given her "last" (and longest) state of the nation address today at the Batasang Pambansa. And as usual, I watched the whole event on TV just like I always do. Well, I'm not really into politics or anything. I'm not even pro-administration or anti-administration. I just enjoy watching Madame President whenever she gives out her speeches about the country's "development" and what her administration has done to improve our struggling nation. Dunno, ever since I watched her SONA for the first time, I always wanted to finish it. Some people at my age find it boring, I find it..well..entertaining for the most part. I can't help but laugh on some of the things that she says. I don't wanna comment on them anymore, but if you watched her on TV, I think you might actually understand what I mean.

But anyway, even though how much the people hate her, I still find her amazing. Not in a sense that she's a good leader or anything, but because of her unique personality that I find very amazing. Despite of everything, she still has the courage to stand up and look strong in front of her people. Yes, she may be in to a lot of controversies lately, but the president still stays strong and brave to face her people with both love and authority. I may not like her when it comes to governing, but I do admire her personality.

"Governance, however, is not about looking back and getting even
But it is looking forward and giving more to the people
who has given us the hardest and greatest gift of all,
to care for a country.."
-PGMA

(I just hope this really is her LAST state of the nation address! )

Hospital duty: Day 2

My second day in the area was a mixture of excitement and disappointment. I still had the same patient that I had yesterday. Apparently, the woman's husband doesn't have the money yet so they still can't leave the hospital although both the mother and her baby are cleared for discharge. Because I had the same patient as yesterday, it means that I have less jobs to do..and it sucks!! All my other groupmates in the ward are busy doing their physical assessment while I just stand there watching them getting busy. It's not fair, I wanna be busy too. Plus, their cases are better than mine. My case is just the typical postmaternity mother who had a normal spontaneous delivery. She's fine, her baby is fine and their only problem is that they still can't pay their hospital bills. The others got the chance to be assigned to new patients with cooler cases like CS, preterm labor or Dilation&Curettage. One of my classmate regulated the IV fluids and had to check her patient's vital signs EVERY 15 MINUTES. One of us was given the chance to take out a urinary catheter (I wanna do that too!). As for me, I just waited for what seems like eternity! I waited for my patient to be discharged, I waited for a new patient, a new case, a new assignment.

I hate my 2nd day of duty!

Hospital Duty: Day 1

Lipa City District Hospital. 7am-3pm. Dra. Anita Urbi RN, MAN, PhD

I woke up at 4:30 am this morning because I don't wanna be late on my first hospital duty at the Lipa District Hospital. I left home at 5:40 am and arrived at lipa at exactly 6:00am. I still had to wait for the others so that we could all go to LCDH at the same time to meet our Clinical Instructor. We arrived there 30 minutes earlier than the call time which was 6:45. I was early..or so I thought. Many students were already there together with their clinical instructors. I thought we were gonna be the first ones to arrive. Then we realized that we have different times. The hospital time was 30 minutes in advance, meaning, we were not early. We were almost late!!!! What the..??? What kind of place sets its clock 30 minutes in advance??? 5 minutes is okay but 30 minutes is "OA"

The good thing is that we weren't considered as late..plus, it wasn't our fault that we don't know the official hospital time. I just looked at the brighter side of it. The earlier we start, the earlier we finish.

Anyway, I forgot to mention the hospital part. The hospital doesn't look like a hospital at all! It was more like a construction site. I haven't seen the whole vicinity yet (we never had the time to get familiarized with the place) but I'm guessing that 60% of the hospital is under construction. There were hollow blocks and sacks of cement everywhere! Trucks carrying wood and gravel were parked outside the hospital. What a mess!!It was so unruly, not to mention the distracting sounds of the machineries. Not ideal for patients who are trying to recover. But that wasn't the worst part yet..inside the hospital is a different kind of mess. There were so many patients and the hospital can't accomodate them anymore. A lot of patients were already in the hallways! A typical scenario of a public hospital. There wasn't enough space to walk on to. There was poor ventilation so there was a mixed smell of sweat and urine that dominated the place. They didn't have enough hospital facilities so some of the patients in the hallways even had to bring their own beds and improvise their IV poles!! I know it's not polite to react but I really can't help myself! It's my first time so I was really shocked..not that I'm not aware of the condition in public hospitals, it's just that it was my first time to actually see one. What I don't understand is that most of the people working there, specially the nurses, don't seem to care. My partner said that maybe they are just used to that kind of situation..like it's normal to have a lot of patients staying in the hallway.

We didn't do much on our first day. We just attended the very boring orientation until 11 then we we're given a chance to have some nurse-patient interaction in the OB ward. We were only asked to do a physical assessment and initial examination on the patients but I still felt very nervous. We were brought to the ward and instead of assigning a patient to each of us, we were asked to pick our own. I picked the one in Bed F. Her name is Marissa Guab and she just gave birth to a baby boy (who was really cute, btw). She was really nice (thank God!) although the woman with her was kinda annoying. I think she was the girl's mother-in-law or something.

I kinda messed up with the arrangement of my Phys. exam and assessment and the notes I wrote weren't organized enough. But that's okay..the others had worse notes. hehe.. I interviewed the mother and I found out that she was admitted 3 days ago. She just had a normal spontaneous delivery so it means that she should only be confined for 24 hours. She said that she was supposed to be discharged yesterday but because they can't pay their bills yet, they still can't go home even if they wanted to. The longer they stay, the bigger they'll end up paying. She seemed so stressed and problematic but what can I do?? Kahit gaano kadaming beses ko syang kunan ng vital signs, wala akong magagawa sa problema nya..di ba? I wish I could help her get discharged but I felt helpless. I'm just new at this, and it's only my first day in the area. Until now, i still can't get that out of my mind. I felt this odd sympathy for that woman. And I can do nothing except to pray to God to help her get discharged.

This day has been very tiring to me even though I only handled one patient in the OB ward (well, it was actually two patients including the baby). I think I can handle the job, what I can't handle are my feelings. I become too attached to the patients. But that's just me. My mom said that I'll get used to it. I hope so coz it's really difficult if you keep on feeling sorry for all the patients there.

Okay..that's it for now. I still have to do homework.

Wish me luck for tomorrow!