May 10 is World Lupus Day

Hello Mommies!

I have been thinking on adding another section to this blog of mine which I believe is still part of what I have been doing professionally. For all those who don't know me yet, I am a Nurse by profession and a Clinical Instructor for almost 12 years. I have changed nursing careers, but still my fervor to teach is still there. With this, I decided to launch today the Health and Wellness category where I will be talking about health concerns that are relevant and this will also be a sort of an educational tool to all who will visit this site.

For this maiden post, I will start off by informing you all that May 10 is World Lupus Day.

This is from Nursing Mnemonics and you can see how lupus affects the body in the lungs, heart and kidneys.

What is Lupus?

It is a chronic autoimmune disease that attacks different parts of the body. The body's immune system cannot identify what foreign agents are attacking the body that it creates a wide array of signs and symptoms particularly in the lungs, heart, skin, and kidneys. This is a prolonged medical condition, thus the word chronic, which can last from 6 weeks or even longer.

The word lupus means 'wolf''. The medical condition was named after this because the butterfly rash on the face of the person resembles the bite marks of a wolf attack.

What are the Signs and Symptoms?

Lupus is mostly hidden from view and undefined, has a range of symptoms, strikes without warning, and has no known cause and no known cure. Its health effects can range from a skin rash to a heart attack. Lupus is debilitating and destructive and can be fatal. From our illustration above, allow me to translate the identifies clinical manifestation and some of its complications:

In the lungs:

• Tachypnea - fast breathing
• Pleural inflammation/Effusion - the protective lining of the pleural cavity (the one that encase the lungs) is inflamed and can sometimes lead to water entering this area or effusion.

In the Skin:

• The person develops photosensitivity when outdoors. The person can develop erythematous rash (redness of the skin) whenever he/she is exposed directly to sunlight. 
• The very distinct mark of lupus is the butterfly rash or malar rash on the face because its shape resembles the outstretched wings of a butterfly across the nose and cheeks. The rash can be mild or severe but is not usually painful.  It can be itchy if it is more like a rash than a blush and some patients even report a ‘hot’ feeling with more severe malar rashes. 

In the Heart:

• Raynaud's phenomenon, commonly affecting women, is when fingers turn white or blue with exposure to cold or during stressful situations, caused by the constriction of small blood vessels in those areas. 
• Pericarditis is the inflammation of the muscle of the heart.

In the Kidneys:

• Lupus Nephritis it inflammation of the kidneys that is caused by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). This inflammation can lead to kidney failure, but like most lupus symptoms the effect on the kidneys is quite variable and hard to predict. 
• Proteinuria is increased protein (showing as blood --hematuria) in the urine, swelling of the feet and legs, and high blood pressure can be indicators that the kidneys may be affected.

Other signs and symptoms:

Perhaps the most earliest signs of lupus are unexplained fatigue and fever. There would also be constant headache and confusion, joint pain, sores in the mouth, and digestive disturbances.

Diagnosing Lupus

There is no specific test to tell if you have lupus or not. If you have some symptoms that you think you have lupus, talk to your doctor and he/she will be taking samples of your blood for a variety of tests.

Be honest to tell your doctor your family health history and your own health history as the disease is oftentimes linked to be familial or hereditary. If your doctor strongly suspects that you have lupus, you will be referred to a specialist (a rheumatologist for joint and muscle problems and dermatologist for skin problems) for further medical assessment and treatment plans.

Life with Lupus

Although there is no cure for lupus, living well should not hinder you from doing so. It means balancing your daily life activities with rest, and trying to avoid stress. I suggest that you do the following:

• Listen to your body, but don't give up your goals and dreams. 
• Learn to take a rest for a while if your body is wary enough and then pick up the pieces again and strive on.
• Accept help from others, but do something proactive every day.
• Question your doctors, but don't ignore their advice.
• Follow instructions carefully when taking medications
• Closely monitor your condition with your doctor.

I hope I have given you enough basic information on this one. What topic do you like me to write about next time? I'd love to hear from you.

DISCLAIMER: This post contains general information about medical conditions and treatments. The information above is not advice, and should not be treated as such. You must not rely on the information on this website as an alternative to medical advice from your doctor or other professional healthcare provider.  If you have any specific questions about any medical matter you should consult your doctor or other professional healthcare provider. If you think you may be suffering from any medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this website.

Last Week in Review

I've been up since 11:30 PM. I can't go back to sleep anymore so I might as well put these thoughts of mine into writing.

It's Monday already and the start of Week 19. Remember last week, I posted my weekly planner spread for Week 18 and Week 19? Well, here's the post-Week 18th page:

The aftermath of Week 18.

What can you say about my week page? As I have mentioned before, it's mostly work-related and my personal entries or activities were only added on tiny spaces in between my client's appointments and other office-related stuff. I'm going to share to you what transpired during this week:

Monday - this is usually my "checking-in" day with my clients. Since I have a 3-day off, I make sure to follow-up on my clients by calling them, checking-in on their conditions, and try to determine if all went well during the weekend. I usually ask about their current physical and medical conditions and monitor their treatment processes. For this particular day, I had 3 client calls only.

Tuesday - Ahh..this was Didi's 44th birthday. The original plan was to go to a comedy bar and celebrate with small and selected friends. But since, it's the height of the election fever, every one has their own red alert statuses and we decided to have a home celebration on Friday instead. Here's my birthday message to my loving husband over Facebook with matching video that I made over Blackberry:

Who knew that the day you were born 44 years ago today was the day the stars would laugh in the face of fate, for they knew they had already planned a match for you✨

You are my advisor when I'm lost, you are my clown when I'm unhappy, you are my companion when I'm lonely, you are my all in all.

Thank you for being a very supportive and loving husband; for being a number one fan and cheerleader to our children, and for taking good care of us despite of all the hardships and tests of life. I pray to God that He will continue to give you the spark of life, the endurance, and vitality to go on till we see our children grow old together.

I love you infinitely beyond all the galaxies!

Wednesday and Thursday - As my weekend is fast approaching, the amount of work is also increasing. I reviewed medical reports and provided status update reports, called doctor's offices to schedule medical appointments for our crewmembers then called them to ensure that they attend these appointments, and tried to contact a doctor in Argentina to discuss a medical management. I really don't like Thursdays!

I was reminded by Facebook that it was Sr. Marilyn's birthday. She's my former Dean and a musical genius who can play several musical instruments. Several years ago, I wrote a poem in honor of her birthday.This time, I decided to write her a letter: 

Dear Sr. Marilyn B. Bacsain Dc,

I remember vividly the first time I met you during our choir practice for our Capping and Candlelighting ceremony. Boy! I was so nervous of missing a note because we have to repeat the whole song again until we finally get it right.

Yes, you are that person who do not settle for "Ok na yan" philosophy. You always make things perfect, pristine, in order, organized, and leaving no trace of breadcrumbs in any undertakings that you are involved in. A lot of people misunderstand (and not like) you because of this - that perfectionism attitude. Nonetheless, this is the best thing that I learned from you -- Always strive to be the best and not settle for just "Ok na yan".

I will never cease on thanking you for all the wonderful experiences that we shared together and thanking God that He allowed me to meet and learn from you. Happy, happy birthday to you! I pray that you will be more blessed than ever....

Love you! heart emoticon heart emoticon heart emoticon heart emoticon heart emoticon

Friday - I slept for 5 hours only and then Gabie and I went to SM to buy our mini-birthday meals for Didi. I did not cook any fancy this time because I was so tired from all the week's work. I also paid our PLDT and electric bills.

We had crispy pata and pancit canton from Kuya J's, the pork and shrimp siomai from Rustan's supermarket, my own version of Dynamite, and the Chocolate Indulgence cake from Red Ribbon. Plus 2 bottles of Franzia California Red Wine to cap this celebration. 

Saturday and Sunday - lazzzyyyy days....well, it's a long weekend for us since Monday, which is today, is National and Local Election Day. Last Saturday, each political parties went out to stage their last campaign rallies and by the looks of it, it is already expected that there's going to be heavy traffic on the road. We stayed at home, watched movies, and the news after that. As I have said...lazzzyyyy days!

Oh, before I forget, Sunday is Mother's Day! Here's what I wrote for this occasion:

10 Superpowers that Mothers possess:

1. We have X-ray vision that we see microbes whenever you touch unidentified objects.

2. We have heightened senses that allow us to anticipate what's going to happen.

3. We have the strength of Strennua and can carry loads of groceries, baby bags, and other shopping bags at the same time.

4. We have the angst of Bellona and will fight for our children until our last breath.

5. We have the wisdom of Athena, as we teach our children the knowledge that will bring them wealth as they grow old.

6. We have the patience of the monks as we can hold on to anything thus allowing everyone to be at peace. But if all goes unwell, you can always go back to #4.

7. We can be at 2 places at the same time -- believe me, we can do that.

8. We have been taught by the world's Master Chefs that we can cook and whip delicious food for our family to eat even if the ingredients are not complete.

9. We have developed special skills like speaking different language, deciphering wall paintings, and sing like opera singers.

10. We have the biggest heart that we give our children all the days of their lives.

Ain't that cool? Happy Supermom's day!

So, that's all folks! I hope and pray that today's election will be peaceful and whatever will be the results, I pray that we will all be blessed.

Weekly Planner Spread: Week 18 and 19

It's the first week and first Monday of May!

Gosh.... just how time flies! Anytime soon, we all be scurrying off to bookstores and department stores to buy school supplies for our children just in time for the school opening in June. But since it's only May, I will just focus on what's going to take place this month. First of all, here's my weekly planner spread for the Week 18 and Week 19.

As you can see, most of the entries in this spread are mostly related to work. These are my client's medical appointments and follow-ups for this week. To all who just visited my blog, I am presently working as an International and USA Medical Nurse Case Manager. Having a planner is a must for me as I keep track of these appointments and deadlines. Aside from that, I have other things that I put in Filofax planner. I'll try to discuss and show them to you next time. :))

I also like to design my planner for the sake of art! LOL! I lined the pages with design tapes and motivational quotes or passages from the bible. I have discovered this very cute device, similar to a wipe out tape, but they dispense cute and lovely kawaii designs where you can easily lay out in any paper. Here are the materials that I used for this weekly spread:

We have a lot of things to look forward to this month. There's the National and Local Election on May 9 where we get to elect the next President of the Philippines. Most importantly, this month is very special to my family, because the love of my life will celebrate his 44th birthday.

I hope that we can achieve whatever we have outlined for this week. Till next time!

Our Sarsa Bar and Kitchen Experience

I can't sleep! This has been my weekend struggle since I started to work in the US time zone. My whole family are already deep in their slumbers, yet I am still wide awake and can't get Morpheus to visit me. Maybe he don't love me anymore. Oh well, better put this insomnia to a better use. Let me tell you about this local restaurant that we went to last weekend.

This summer season is by far the hottest temperature I've encountered. You surely don't want to go out and feel the scorching heat of summer if the heat index is at the staggering reading of 42-51 degrees Celcius, right? But last weekend was an exemption. The whole family trooped to SM Mall of Asia to meet our very dear friend Wendell, who is also Ninong to our second daughter Mika. He surprised us that he's visiting the country at this time of the year, so we decided to have some catching up moments with him. 

Sarsa Bar and Kitchen

We went to Sarsa Bar and Kitchen located at the second floor of the Entertainment Complex. It's also our first time here and I just have to experience what they have to offer. Sarsa Bar and Kitchen is owned by Chef Jayps Angelo. He's not only famous among circles of restauratuers, but he's also among the judges in the Master Chef Pinoy Edition TV show before. I have read from internet reviews and was also featured in Kris TV, that this new restaurant is serving local and traditional Negrense cuisine with a modern twist. So we finally had the chance to taste their food! And of course, allowing our dear friend to eat his favorite country meals by heart. We ordered a lot of food but I only got to take few photos of them since everybody was already hungry and can't wait to eat them. That's alright, Just visit the place and get the chance to taste their food.

Here are our delicious photos:

That's their Kinilaw Corner.

Crispy Pata

Crispy hito sa gata

Sizzling Kansi. The bone is literally cut in half so that it will not be difficult to extract the bone marrow. Can you see that whole bone marrow oozing with goodness? Yummmmyyyy!

Special Batchoy

Sinuglaw.

My habit of taking the ceiling shot.

I wrote a caption on what were they doing here. Read it here: http://bit.ly/1VZlVXm 

For their full menu and prices (as of this writing), please check below:

Overall, the food was splendid! I really love the sizzling kansi and crispy hito sa gata. Serving time was also very quick. We ordered several food items and yet all of them were served immediately. The place is also very homey and child-friendly. And because of this, I'll give them 4 stars for the food, service, and ambiance.

Let me know if you have been to this place and what's your favorite food.

More Chairs from the Chairathon Exhibit

I thought I already covered all the chairs from the Chairathon Furniture Design Exhibit which I have posted last time. When I visited Uptown Mall again, there were 12 more chairs displayed on the other side of the lobby -- just opposite to location of the first 14 chairs. I'm glad that they haven't removed the chairs yet and I was still able to take photos of them.

Here are the rest of the movie-inspired chairs:

From Simpsons the Movie. I thought it was from a cartoon where it rained all foods. what movie was that again?

Inspired from The Little Prince. I think this was the part where the grown up was drawing/doodling something and he asked some persons to identify what it was. An elephant was an answer that was given.

When I saw this, I immediately said --Ahhh.. Belle! 

From Harry Potter (?) How? What gives? What is the relation? Please explain so that I may be enlightened. 

At first I thought I was looking at a confession box. I did not even see the legs of the chairs there. Well, it says this is inspired from the movie Maze Runner.

The designer offered us two movies where she patterned this chair from -- Tangled and The Grudge. Do you agree?

No explanations. From the shadow backdrop it's Peter Pan. But that was only a standee and not part of the chair. Without it, I cannot relate the chair to Peter Pan.. Can you?

I get this one. From The Black Swan. It represents the two personalities of Natalie Portman as she struggles with the pressure of stardom, maternal conflicts, and perfectionism.

It's cute right? Cogsworth would be very happy with this.

EVE is that you???

I did not see The Exorcism of Emily Rose, but this chair has an Eastern flair on it with matching bamboo sticks as side designs.

Okay...Where's the Fault here?

So there you are Lovies...
What designs do you like and appealing to be added to your home?

Books and Coffee

The best partner ever! What are your thoughts? 

The Mommy Blogger's Workshop

Hello Lovies!

Yesterday, I attended the first ever Mommy Blogger's Workshop organized by Good Housekeeping Philippines.

I was so excited because this is the first seminar-workshop in blogging that I have attended since I started my blogging career (yep, I want to move on to that next level-- making a career in blogging). So, here what transpired during this event.