Is it Christmas yet?

I'm back! After a long sabbatical leave from blogging, I'm back to writing again. It's not like I got into a blogger's rot (well, maybe), but after a couple of blogs that got me into trouble, I thought I needed a break and a breath of fresh air. What was meant to be a "critique" of iPad (which I received as a birthday present) offended my friends who gave it to me and my blog came off as a complaint from an ungrateful spoiled-rotten individual. Another blog expressing my side of the story in a whirl wind chaos with a friend (or ex-friend) was construed as an attack on my part and is now being used to further put blame on me in addition to what I have been accused of doing.

Well, maybe by staying quiet for some weeks would put everything behind me now. At least, I'm hoping. Christmas is in the air. I can feel it with the soft snow flakes falling, smell it in the fragrance of pine trees, see it in the excitement of my kids for the presents Santa would bring. The Christmas tree is up with silver trimmings, the season's greetings are mailed out, the kids have been to Santa's workshop and have given him their lists, and the presents are wrapped under the tree.

"I've been a good boy, Santa".

The boys can't help but get excited after they saw Santa.

Maybe it's going to be a peaceful holiday after all. Enough of the drama! I'm counting the days before Christmas, ready to celebrate, sit back and savor the memories of this year. More importantly, I am looking forward to our homecoming to the Philippines. Nothing beats a grand celebration with the whole family and kin. Okay, now I'm really excited!

It takes someone special to care for a special needs child

People don't realize how hard it is to be a parent of special needs children unless they themselves have special needs kids.

From the moment that you realize your kids have special needs, there are these mixed feelings and reactions. There's anger, questioning God "Why you"; there's the denial when you try your best to believe there's nothing wrong with the child; there's the day-to-day frustrations because your child, no matter how much help you give him, still presents with problems; there's jealousy towards other families especially those with high-achieving kids; there's the guilt, that maybe you caused it, or maybe you haven't done enough, and for mothers especially, the guilt of working outside the home instead of making your child's life your life 24/7; there's the financial woes to cover expensive treatment and various therapies; there's the strain in your marriage, and the resentment the siblings feel towards the special child for the special treatment he gets; there's the many criticisms from friends and family about how you do your job as a parent; and yet when the need arises, none of them are willing to watch your kids even for just an hour.

It's hard enough to get babysitters for regular children, imagine getting babysitters willing to watch your special child - a child they don't understand, a child who throws tantrums, cries a lot, who spits at everything, punches himself, bangs his head on the wall, bounces off the wall, fidgets and never listens, constantly twirls around and never settles down, trapped in his own world of trains and dinosaurs, constantly asks you the same questions over and over, who couldn't talk or wouldn't shut up, or has grown up to be a big teen and deemed dangerous to others.

But everyday, we have parents and grandparents and other care-givers who bravely take on this task. It takes a lot of patience, perseverance, and just purest of all pure love for the special need children. They make sacrifices everyday. Here's a plea to be accepting of all individuals and to lend a hand to our special families.

If you're a parent to a special needs child, give yourself a pat on the back. Still asking "why you?". How about "why not you?" It takes a special person to care for a special needs child. You're special, too!
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Turning 40

Ah, forty! These past months, I've been dreading this day. Now that the celebration is over, how do I really feel about turning 40?

Well, my arms are getting flabby; creases are beginning to show on my forehead; I can't seem to loose that bulge in my belly; I use eye drops to treat glaucoma; and I have other ailments that are too embarrassing to divulge. My body is definitely telling me that "hey, you've lived half of your life already, and it's just downhill from here on".

But I want to look at it as having another half of my life to live and realize the importance of living it now.

It dawned on me suddenly that at this age, there are some things that are important, others might be nice, but many that I don't need at all. I don't have to climb mountains. I have a new attitude - the "I don't care" attitude. There are little things that used to eat up a lot of my time with worry - now, those don't really matter any more. So what if my house never looked like those in the magazines? It's not simply a house, but a home, lived in, with plenty of messes and everyday clutter. Do i really have to sign up my children in every sports and after-school activities? No, I'd rather that we all get our down-time after a hard day at work and school, and enjoy dinner at the table every evening as a family. Yes, it's nice to have the newest, coolest gadgets and toys. But I'm not slaving myself and working too many hours just to keep up with the Joneses.

My joys are simple: holding hands with my husband, sharing a cookie with my boys, giving them good night kisses, joking and laughing with my friends, swapping stories with my siblings, snuggling with a good book.

Yes, I'm forty. And it's not just a number. It is a rite of passage, of being wiser and possessing wisdom. It's not by accident, but a result of maturity and experience, that in turn gives a sense of humility, resilience, patience, altruism and compassion. Why would I want to turn back the clock? I've never been as comfortable with myself and as content with my life. Forty. I love it! And I have a feeling that the best has yet to come.

Forget the battle with the bulge

The cooler months are here, and with it comes my lack of enthusiasm to go out and stay active. Beginning spring this year, I have been good about going for a run at least twice a week and working out in our basement using our bowflex machine for strength training. My family managed to stay active all summer long with fishing and swimming at the lake as well as trips to the beach, playground, and various festivals. But now that fall season is here, it seems I just want to tuck myself under the blanket and nap all day. Exercise? Forget about it.

What's worse? Fall season is harvest time for apples, pumpkins and sweet corn, among other things. That means plenty of apple pies, pumpkin pies and corn on the cob. Soon there will be Halloween parties and our house will be full of sweet treats and goodies. There's also St. Patrick's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. It doesn't end there. It goes on until Valentines Day and Easter. And all these holidays are celebrated with foods galore that are hard to resist.

There is no way I can continue to wage my battle with the bulge. Fall and winter seasons mean extra calories and pounds. I'm not getting any younger and my metabolism is much slower. So I'm throwing in the towel.
Unless, of course, if I change my goal. Instead of losing weight and taking inches off my waist, I should just strive to stay fit.

Acceptance to the fact that I'm not in my 20's anymore is the key. Nothing I could do would turn back the clock. Heck, there is no way that I could look like in my 20's anymore, unless I go for drastic measures such as botox injections, liposuction and tummy tuck. Even then, I would look unnatural. Just look at Hollywood celebrities looking so fake.

So, starting today, I am embracing every wrinkle and every flab that comes my way. I don't have to look ten or twenty years younger than my age. I am comfortable with just looking good for my age. That said, I'm devoted to continue running and exercising as much as I can, for as much as I can motivate myself. Even if I don't lose weight and that bulge on my belly stays there, I will still savor that good feeling from endorphin rush after a good workout. At the same time, I will enjoy my apple pie.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Have you had the flu shot yet?

It's that time of the year again. No, I'm not talking about apples and pumpkin pies, ghosts and ghouls, deer hunting and footballs. I'm talking about the flu shot.

This year's flu vaccine will protect against three different flu viruses: an H3N2 virus, an influenza B virus and the H1N1 virus (swine flu virus) that caused so much illness last season. The CDC now recommends the vaccine for everyone aged 6 months and older.

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I always get the flu shot every year - not so much for myself but for other people around me. I'm a healthy adult and it's more than likely that, if I come down with the flu, I will fully recover from it. However, I am around the frail and elderly population who suffers chronic illnesses, and I recognize that I can pass the flu, and to them, the flu can be fatal. I have seen flu kill healthy older adults before.

Boy Scout Popcorn For Sale

Am I crazy or am I crazy? As if I don't already have a lot on my plate, I volunteered to be the den mother for my son's Tiger cub scouts this year. Yeah, the den meetings are only once-a-week, but I don't simply attend with my son; I also have to facilitate the meetings, plan for and coordinate their activities week after week and attend meetings of the planning committee.

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Scouting is powered by popcorn sales. Every year, we have to sell certain amount of popcorn to support our scouts. And every year, we've been buying these popcorn ourselves. I'm not the best salesperson; no, I am a horrible salesperson. I am not very good with harassing people into buying boy scout popcorn (or anything, really). It doesn't help that I work in medical clinics where my encounters are with the elderly and chronically ill patients. It won't be ethical if I ask them to buy popcorn in exchange for medication samples. Or is it?

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Last year, we only had one scout in our family. We bought $300 worth of popcorn. This year with both of

Class reunion: ready or not!

I knew it's going to be just a matter of time before someone would post a photo of me online -- that photo of me, with my thick unruly hair -- a photo in high school that I would much rather forget.

*****

Thanks to online social networks, I'm now able to see photos, and read "status" of old flames, friends, acquaintances and even arch-rivals. My curiosity has led me to find out who my old boyfriend is married to; that the unattractive, skinny, acne-ridden boy who pursued me and I constantly avoided is now a wealthy successful businessman; that the overweight girl that I constantly picked on became a TV commercial model.

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Everyone I knew back then would describe me as loud and obnoxious. Just like any teen, I wanted to be

The Nurse Practitioner

So I wrote so much about NP's or nurse practitioners but haven't really explained what they are. I'm sure in your navigation of the healthcare system in the US, you have already bumped into Nurse Practitioners. Maybe there was a time that you went to see your family doctor and it was a NP who came into your exam room and checked up on you. Or that last trip to the ER, you were treated by someone with the title "NP" after their name instead of "MD". Or when you woke up in the hospital, you were treated by a NP.

Nursing in the US has a long history and it's still evolving. Most nurses are Registered Nurses (RNs) who have an Associate's Degree or a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing. There are also licensed practical nurses (LPNs) or licensed vocational nurses (LVNs) who have one year of nursing training in vocational or technical schools or community colleges, who work under the direction of physicians and RNs.

So what are NPs or Nurse Practitioners? NPs are advanced practice nurses. They have graduate, advanced education and clinical training beyond their RN preparation. Most have master's degrees and many have doctorates.

Another RN vs NP job description

When I first came to the US, I worked in a nursing home as a Registered Nurse. As the RN on the floor, I usually had about 20 to 30 elderly patients to take care of, with four to six certified nursing assistants or CNAs to help me.
While my primary duties were patient assessment and medication administration, I also had to delegate the task of bathing, grooming and feeding of patients to my CNA's. Like any other health care facility, it was not uncommon for us to be understaffed. In fact, there were many days that I ony had two CNA's to help me with thirty patients! So, on top of my professional nurse duties, yes, I also had to clean up patients, give them baths, wipe their bottoms and change their diapers.

Islam is not the enemy

As we remember 911, let us keep in mind that Islam is not the enemy. We are not at war with Islam.




Much controversy has hovered around the mosque planned to be built close to ground zero. And most recently, a Christian pastor of a non-denominational church has threatened to perform a public burning of the Muslim's Holy Book of Quran. It is one thing to burn books you do not care about, privately in your own backyard. But to make a public spectacle about it makes it a form of protest. In this case, against Islam, a religious faith the Pastor hardly knows anything about.



There is no denying that there is a growing anti-Muslim sentiment in the US.

Summer in Michigan

Summer days are dwindling down fast. Daylight is getting shorter. Mornings are cooler. Trees are changing colors. While I look forward to the kids going back to school (and saving me some money for childcare), I'm not really looking forward to going back to a hectic schedule- school, work, driving the kids for after-school extra-curricular activities, doing home work and school projects.




No, I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer. But we have a ton of memories to look back to: fishing, catching frogs, running barefoot on the lawn, running through the neighbor's water sprinkler, catching fireflies at night, blowing dandelions, playing hide and seek, strolling at the beach, digging our toes in the sand, throwing frisbees, watching fireworks, riding the ferris wheel, grilling hotdogs and burgers, reading a book under the tree, taking a nap in the hammock, swinging high on the swing, camping and sleeping in a tent,

Motherhood

I will shout it out loud: “MOTHERHOOD IS THE BEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME!”

Many would agree that parenthood is not easy, so why do many still opt to have kids? A big part of it ofcourse is our biologic need to multiply, otherwise mankind will face extinction – but in this day and age, we have this choice of whether or not we would like to take on that big responsibility of taking care of another person.

So why do I say it’s the best thing that’s happened to me? Although very difficult, not to mention very expensive, to have children, motherhood brings out the best in me. I would have never known my capacity to love someone else – unconditionally, even more than myself. The sacrifices that we do for our children! As they say, we will understand our parents love for us only after we become parents ourselves.

I would have never discovered how patient I can be. Those sleepless nights when my children woke up every two hours to nurse – I managed to drag myself out of bed no matter how tired I was. Those times that they were sick, I dropped everything to be by their side.

NP vs RN Job Satisfaction on Patient Care

Scenario: A Registered Nurse (RN) calls to my attention that a patient who has a permacath access for hemodialysis has fever and chills. I, the Nurse Practitioner (NP), tells the RN to draw blood cultures times two and to go ahead and give 1 gm of Vancomycin. In the mean time, the RN draws blood for cultures, places them in two blood culture bottles, packages them and sends them to the labs. While doing this, she also gets to assess the permacath access site for obvious signs of infection, like drainage, redness or tenderness, cleans the site and puts new fresh dressing. Then the RN gets to hang the Vancomycin IV bag and infuse it to the patient through his permacath. All this time, the RN also gets to talk to the patient, explains what she is doing, why she's doing it and tells him what to expect.