post lap chole ERCP

I had abdominal pain radiating to the back last Tuesday afternoon so I had to go to Evangelista MHS. They gave me omeprazole IV and buscopan. Pain went away but I was groggy. They referred me back to Alabang Medical so I went there this morning. I had to do some blood works and then whole abdomen ultrasound with fasting this morning at 7am. Dr. Tantuco referred to Dr. Sarmiento for ERCP and I have an appointment with him at 2pm in Asian Hospital today. I am just hoping that we could still afford it or else I have to wait until I am able to save for the proceure. 

Cholecystectomy and Hyperthyroidism

At last! I'm done with my laparoscopy cholecystectomy or in other words, minimal invasive gallbladder removal. I had it in July 31 at 10am. I am still subclinical hyperthyroid, T3, FT4 are normal but my TSH was at  less than 0.005 uIU. 

I went to work on July 30 at 3pm to 12mn and went straight to Alabang Medical Center. I need to be there so that they can monitor me though Dr. Ivor Tantuco and Dr. Dumana already cleared me for the surgery in the morning. I thought I will be operated after lunch but Dr. Tantuco had it done earlier so I had to make some arrangements with our nanny Ate Del and her friend Mercy. They arrived around 8.30 and at 9: 15, I was brought to the operating room. 

I had chills the moment I entered the operating room. The nurses had to lower the temperature and cover my extremeties. The anethaesiologist was trying to converse with me but the moment they injected the anesthesia, I was in a minute. The operation lasted for i guess barely 45 minutes but I had to stay in the recovery room for 3 hours because my blood pressure shoot up to 170/120. 

I went back to my bedroom conscious but felt asleep after a few minutes. The stones are like guava seeds, more or less 50 stones were removed. I was able to sat up, walked to the restroom to pee and was discharged after a day. 

The only problem was on the night of July 31, I was in pain but the nurses doesn't want to give me additional pain relievers so I was not able to sleep and my BP went up to 150/110 again at 6 am August 1. I was still taking methimazole 20 mg for my hyperthyroidism and additional propranolol inderal for the palpitation twice a day.  I went home morning of August and was advised to be on bed rest for 6 more days. 

Stubborn me, I was on bedrest but I always wanted time with my kids so I had to sit up, wrote some reviewers for Keiichi and spend some time with Mariel. 

I went to work last Monday but I need to endure stomach pain. The call queue was so high and I could hardly breath. I gave up at 2am Aug 11 because the pain was unbearable already I needed to take celecoxib and stayed at the clinic for almost an hour. 

Venting out and sleeping 9 hours

I was grumpy today because I do feel so low, I am only sleeping 5 hours in installment for the past 3 days. My schedule changed last Monday from 3pm till 12mn to 7pm till 4am. Our break sched is also terrible because my first break is at 9:30 and my lunch is at 1am. By the time I am about to eat lunch, my stomach is already aching and I have already lost my appetite. It was only last night that I was able to eat rice during just because Andrei Ferreria brought ginatang langka. Last Monday, I just stayed in the diner and on Tuesday, I slept in the clinic because the sleeping room us full and my backpain was killing me. I already had a back massage yesterday but it didn't help at all. 

I broke down this morning when my teammates did not even bother to keep the spreads. I bring tasty and spreads for the team everyday and I was just so pissed off that I would still be the one to pack those things away after shift. I really told my boss my grievances and I decided to stop bringing food next week. 

When I got home this morning (around 5am), my daily routine was to open my mails, read news and play in Facebook but I feel so tired and I just hit the bed and fallen asleep in no time while Daddy is massaging my back. After an hour, I have to wake up and clean Keiichi's wound but I let Ate Del do it. I just woke up and I feel well-rested. 

Now, I am preparing to work again while Keiichi is making her assignment. I just had my first meal and now I am playing while venting out. I know I may be rude but sometimes I need to so that other people would learn.

I have more than a week before my cholecystectomy. I am really pre-occupied with that so bear with me if I am not my usual self.

I am back!

Haven't visited this blog for a long time...been so busy with work and struggling with my sched.

Let me do a quick update on Mariel's progress...

1) Mariel is now having her speech therapy in Pacita Commercial Center, just a tricycle ride from our home which makes it comfortable to both of us. I'll ask Teacher Agnes, who is also a member of the board of directors in Philippine Institute for the Deaf, if I could post some pics during their therapy session. So far, Mariel is enjoying her therapy, she is getting used to her hearing aid and she is mouthing and verbalizing a lot this days. 

2) Mariel is communicating more with gestures, facial expressions and point- and  - pull system hehe I mean she either points at what she wants or pull somebody else to get that thing for her.

3) She always looks up at her Ate Keiichi - whatever ate does, she should do it too. Just this evening, we were curing ate Keiichi's wound and she would come to us and point at her healing wound and we must cover it too. 

4) Sponge Bob, Dora the Explorer, Tom and Jerry, Mr. Bean, Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse to name a few of Mariel's favorite characters.  She also like pulang bubuyog  as long as there will be fries and softdrinks :-)

I have more stories to tell but I'll just reserve it on my next entry. Mariel is now known by my officemates as "pogi". By the way, I now work with the best place to bank and the best place to work. 

Ate Keiichi is also now in Grade III in Casa del Nino Montessori School in Phase 6. 

Speech Therapy for Mariel

I know how frustrating it is if your 1-year and 9 -month old baby can't even utter the word "mama" but it would be easier to understand when you know that she is profound deaf. Basically, she can't hear so she don't know that sounds exist. She would look at our lips but she might just be wondering why our mouth is opening even when you are not partaking food. 

For her, she opens her mouth because she was about eat and that is the reason why she eats a lot - as in everything. 

  

But on May 15, I enrolled my Keiichi in Casa del Nino and inquired if they have an inhouse speech pathologist that could help Mariel in her speech therapy but unfortunately, they don't have one. They suggested that I contact Trails Center in La Marea, San Pedro, Laguna but they don't have any slot anymore to accomodate my child, unless I enroll her in their class perhaps. So I remembered taking note of Maria Lena Buhay Memorial Foundation, the only oral school for the deaf here in the Philippines which is located in Blue Ridge-B, Quezon City. I called the school and viola! I was give a call back on that night and we scheduled Mariel's first speech therapy. 

The first session was just a warm welcome and orientation for Mariel. She doesn't like to put on her hearing aid which made the session almost impossible to handle since she needs to hear us speak and label things. What we just did is to let her hold our throat as we say MAMA, MOO, AWW, KOKAK, etc or feel the air coming our of our mouth everytime we say PAPA. I know she was sleepy but what made the session a success is her willingness to see our mouth moving, coloring pictures when asked, trying to move her oral mechanisms even if no sounds are formed and her courage to try a lot of things - except of course at that time, wearing her HA. 

According to Mrs. Buhay, Mariel has a graet chance to talk because she makes sounds and she imitates our mouth movements. Just tonight, she started trying to say "mama" which she can sometimes say when she is crying. She also puts her little hands on my throat as I talk and feels the vibration. I do wanna cry but it is not the right thing to do. 

At least in our end, we have started a milestones that will surely made a difference in our lives. QC is indeed that far from Pacita but I did finished in Diliman so I can't see any reason for my child not to attend therapy sessions in Libis. 

I am now working in Convergys, Nuvali, Sta. Rosa and I am glad that my day off is on Fridays and Saturdays and I can accompany Mariel in QC. I will try to post more pics soon and perhaps, more milestones of Mariel. 

Cochlear implant is not a priority anymore since I don't wanna take the risk. If the speech therapy could do good to Mariel, then that is what we will have.

Mariel and Keiichi's Day Out

Just posting pics from my kids day out in Festival Supermal in Alabang. Taken in Pixie Forest. 

Those are not matchboxes :-)

Be Very Busy

Why so? Simply to divert attention, to pass time, to just move on - these are my reasons.

It's impossible not to feel pain especially when you lost someone so important in your life. Moving on means having to live your life unaffected by loneliness and longing and for me, the best way is to be occupied most of the time.

Right after finishing my caregiving course in San Pedro Manpower Development Institute on March 20, I started training for Convergys Philippines in Alabang on the 23rd. I will be assigned in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa and I must say, I am really excited and eager to earn (money, experience, fun, friends...you name it!) :-) The Convergys Nuvali building is such an spectacular site - it is situated in an "eco-zone", the building is eco-friendly and a colleague told us that you can see the Tagaytay skyline from the building. It also has a lagoon and I must say, I remember my walks in the UP Science complex area in Diliman during my college days - from NIGS or CS to the Math Building, when I went there to submit my documents. The place is so relaxing - the trees, the lagoon, the green grass, the landscape.

I still have lot of plans but I think I have to learn what to prioritize. Right now, my top priority is to be in a job where I can grow as an individual and be financially independent.

My family are now adjusted with my schedule and I hope to be more productive now that I am earning my own money.

To wrap up, I want to share something that struck me yesterday from our trainor Mark. "One is the master of one's happiness", "learn to have fun in every task you do" and "ENJOY! Look at the brighter side of life." all the time...

For latest pics, you can view most in flickr or in my friendster account.