August seems to be my sickness month. I have never been this sick my whole life.
Thank you for trying to get in touch with me and for being worried about me (and still checking my blogs, hahaha).

But here are some things you should know about:
1. The cellphone is the last place on earth you can ever reach me. Im such a useless cellphone user. Ask Glo.
2. You can bet your life something bad has happened to me when I never make my presence online felt. My social life suffered ha. LOL
3. I thought I was going to die. Seriously. I have low tolerance for physical pain but I absolutely hate going to the hospital. So for me to tell my Dad I need to go to the hospital was a serious one.
4. Anticlimactic nga lang. Akala ko kasi meron akong renal disease or whatever, dengue lang pala.
5. I didnt eat for five solid days.
6. So Im making up for it by eating a lot these days. Hahahaha.

Let us see if I can blog about it in detail.
Let’s see

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I need a good suggestion for a skin regimen that is not too strict, works for combination skin and is ok for use under the sun. I have been pretty negligent on skin care the past three years. Before I got married, I had a routine and even some eye and night creams that I apply to religiously, without fail, everyday and every night. I attribute it to the fact that I still had my own space and have my own dresser. Now, I don’t.

I think I have been seeing signs of aging on my skin lately. I have dark circles under my eyes, laugh lines and there are wrinkles around the corners of my eyes as well. I also notice that my skin is acting all out of whack - I have tiny breakouts around my hairline and eyebrow line and the other areas are very day - I can feel it each time I wash my face. I dont go to a dermatologist (I think people in the US go for recommendations a lot and go to Martin Sands, a dermatologist who holds clinic at Dermatology Associates, PC) but the consultant I go to is my mom. My mom is vain in a good way. Even at 57, she looks great. Aging gracefully I must say.

Anyhow, it’s true. I need product suggestions for combination skin and eye creams that are light. Anyone?

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It’s so sad that we have to “pay” for clean air when it should be basically free. Now that we need carbon filters in restaurants to screen second hand smoke from the smoking section, air purifiers to clean up dust particles at home and many more. My kids have respiratory problems - Matthew has rhinitis and allergies and Martha has asthma. Since we really cannot protect them outside our home (even if for example we had air purifiers which my cousin swears by), we decided to move to the province. I know this is a good move for us. Im still looking for air purifiers though, because pollen is heavy during seasonal change and this triggers Martha’s asthma.

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My mom’s side on the family has a genetic tendency to be bald, especially the men. My mom has thin hair and she has always been conscious of her hair, never letting it go past her shoulders, always having full bangs because she thinks her forehead is receding. This worry extends to all her daughters’ hair. She always reminds us to not grow our hair long because it is heavy and will recede our hairline early, have our bangs all the time. In fact, she would even comment that we need a haircut every month.

I know if she had the money she would invest on hair transplant or those procedures being offered today to let hair grow and thicken. However, there are reviews on www.hairlossreviews.net that natural products can help thinning and hair loss. There are top three hair loss products and all are natural supplements. Provillus, Procerin and Advecia are the ones that are highly recommended. I hope I can get some sample products here so I can let my mom try it.

Out of the three, Provillus is the most recommended because of its effectivity. I see that both men and women can use it and results are expected to happen as fast as 90 days - that’s just three short months. It is a topical solution, meaning it is not to be ingested - that is something that is really encouraging. My mom is scared of anything that needs to taken orally.

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I guess I need to update you guys with what is going on with us, health-wise. I also want to blog about it to really emphasize how much the kids have improved when we moved (as a way of reminding me what is important as well).

The Kids:
Martha:
She has gained weight ever since I stayed home. She eats well. She only had one episode of a mild asthma attack after we went to Manila (and drove there at 2PM in a non-airconditioned transport — I think we were risking it too much!). She had an episode of fever with mild diarrhea but there were no symptoms of cough nor colds. It turns out she had pilay (I dont know if you guys believe in this) so she lost weight a little.

We are on Day 2 of weaning her from current milk (Gain Plus 3) - Im switching (and trying successfully) to Nido (expense wise it would be better for us). She is not really noticing any difference (because I mixed Nido and Gain 2:1) so hopefully once her current milk runs out we can go Nido full time.

She is also off her Seretide for a month now.
We are into her 4th month of treatment for her Primary Complex.

Matthew:
He also gained weight and is the picture of great health! His allergic rhinitis has not been acting up ever since and even if he takes a cold shower at night (he can! even when it’s colder here) - he doesnt get hived up (rhinitis acting up).

He hasnt been sick - no fever, no cough, no colds. EVER.
He just takes Ceelin and Tiki Tiki

The Parents:
We have to admit we are lacking on this department nowadays.

I still havent gon back to my OB to have my PCOS checked (I stopped taking Metformin), I didnt follow up on my Pap and blood tests results. I need to have my eyes checked.

The list is endless.

Edil, while it looks a bit good, has gained weight, A LOT (Im guessing 20lbs). He really looks like a father now unlike before that he looks like my son! It’s nicer but he gained weight because of too much smoking and drinking - night out with clients, etc. That’s bad, right? I cant seem to motivate him to stop smoking (I guess I need to lose weight for him to do that).

So I guess we need blood work-ups soon

Speaking of health, I just needed to blog about the movie I saw (again, for the nth time) - “Something’s Gotta Give”. We still cannot stop laughing on the scenes of Jack Nicholson having a heart attack because of taking Viagra! Maybe he has this motivation - Recover your virility and manhood with Viagra! But seriously, are people as old as grandparents still need a sex life?!

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I have big feet - so finding shoes is difficult for me. Add to that is that I have wide feet so finding comfortable shoes is more difficult. Oftentimes, Id get blisters trying to break in new shoes and when I was kid, Id get so many corns on my toes because of ill-fitting shoes. Blister Prevention should have done the trick - now my feet is not something Id proudly display - Im like Big Foot! Anyhow, there are patches for blister prevention - the ENGO patches. Tamarack Habilitation Technologies, Inc., manufacturers of ENGO® Blister Prevention Patches, is pleased to announce its ENGO® patches have been awarded the National Health & Wellness Club (NHWC) Seal of Approval.

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Earlier today, Edil was using the computer and I was washing the dishes.

I called him out and said, “Thart, pachange yung tubig sa dispenser.”

Napatigil sya.
At natawa.

Akala nya kung sinong tambay ang niloloko sya eh.
Boses lalaki daw.

My voice is so hoarse Matthew is so enjoying the time-out he has been receiving - meaning, no utos, no shouting, no sermons.

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Just a friendly reminder to all women above 18 to get yourself checked by your OB! If you dont have one, get one. Dont reason out that you dont need one - because you do. Even if you dont have a kid, a husband or even a boyfriend. It is most important especially if you have a history of cancer. Reproductive problems are also resolved quicker if it is diagnosed earlier. You dont have to have fibromyalgia to need to get yourself checked.

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Im still on the lookout for things that can help me make better life choices - read: healthy choices. Im still struggling with weight loss, and I have to admit my focus on that area of my life is like a swing - going up and down all the time. So I stumbled upon the Food Connect web site - http://www.foodconnect.com. It got me interested so I signed up because they say it’s like the Facebook version for food fanatics. So I surfed for some recipes, surprised that the recipes are actually submission from other members of the network. And get this - they are even analyzed for free for nutritional content! I like the idea of the web site. For one thing, you can add recipes to your favorite folder. From the favorite folder, you can build your menu - one step easier than finding recipes on other web sites. Plus, and this is what drew me in big time, after planning the menu, you can now generate your shopping list! So you just print out the shopping and list and shop! All this can be done on the site!

I have to share that Im an eggplant freak lately. I have realized that it is such a great meat extender (it would help me in my diet too) that I can eat eggplant in different versions all week!

And since Im a pasta lover, what recipe would I recommend better than the Eggplant Lasagne.Enjoy! And let me know what you think!

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My grandmother is turning 81 in two weeks’ time. She is the only living grandmother I have and it pains me sometimes to see her just tired of living. She told me she is ready to go, so we try to just make her as comfortable as possible.

The Guardian Transfer Bench from Allegro Medical is just one of the equipments we see that will help her as she is quite bedridden already. She doesnt want to walk too much. It has suction cup footpieces that secure bench to tub floor so giving her a bath wil be easier. Allegro Medical is one of the largest and most technologically advanced independently owned online retailers of life enhancing products in the United States.

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Yes. That will be my main goal this year. Cut back on EVERYTHING and focus on the big things. I’m sure most of you know that. Focus on family. Focus on GOD. But hey, what about ourselves? I am not being selfish, but I have realized that how can I take care of my family if I dont take care of myself first? So ME takes centerstage this year. I will FOCUS on MYSELF so I can focus on God and my family. The rest follows if you have FOCUS.

The past year I have been all over the place, you can see me accomplishing many things, doing so many things at the same time. Yes, I was doing a LOT but it was also stressing me big time. It saddens me to realize that only now. (As always, I need to get hurt in order to learn!) I was always trying to stay on top of everything.

So at the start of the year, I think I already have mentioned I had some health problems that accumulated and stressed me out. To cut it short, I have been very stubborn and had been so BAD at taking care of myself. So I was diagnosed with PCOS during my most recent OB consult. I was kinda expecting it when I started getting delayed periods since October (aka false pregnancy scares).

And it is hard. You tend to have it when you are obese/overweight, and you tend to have more problems because it lets you put on more weight. Plus, since it’s hormonal, you tend to have mood swings as well. My doctor advised to get serious in losing weight. But I still need to eat full meals. (Huh?) Portion control, AND exercise.

Im too young to have problems like these.
And I want to have more kids pa.
I think that was the final straw.

(Not that PCOS will make you infertile ha, but it will be hard to get pregnant. I have one-sided PCOS which my OB suspects will get under control once I lose SERIOUS weight).

Here’s to a healthy me!
See related entry here.

Technorati Tags: PCOS, PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome, PCO

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Fungal infections are really a hassle to deal with. Not only do they grow in the most unexpected places but they thrive on places that are often moist and wet. The usual places fungus grows on are under our toes and nails. What is hard is that it is hard to cure because the Nail Fungus will find a spot under your nail, and that medication doesn’t reach that area! Toenail Fungus is exactly the same. It is breakthrough that ZetaClear was developed. It is a brand new product that just hit the market to aid over 35 million people in United States in curing their nail fungus. It is an oil solution you need to apply thoroughly with the brush applicator in the affected nail or toe three times a day.

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Dr. Norman Walker said, “Never underestimate the value of a clean colon.” Doing a colon cleanse on your system will greatly benefit your health. Colon cleansing, liver cleansing, multi-vitamins and a variety of other supplements are necessary in today’s fast paced, over processed world. The liver cleans the system all the time and is subject to wear and tear. With colon cleansing, taking vitamins and having a well-balanced diet, one get clear skin and a healthy body system.

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There is an astonishing truth about children with cerebral palsy. They might have resulted that way because of medical malpractice. Did you know that oxygen deprivation during child delivery within minutes can result in brain damage which is irreversible already? It is saddening to know that your child would have been normal had it not been delivered safely. Parents of a child who may have suffered birth trauma should contact experienced lawyers to research the cause of their child’s injury.

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Do you know the dangers of asbestos? It can cause malignant mesothelioma. Exposure to asbestos is the only confirmed cause of mesothelioma - which is the cancer of the membranes surrounding the body orgnas. Some forms of cancer are characterized by a single, solid tumor mass, whereas malignant mesothelioma presents as an invasion of a large number of smaller masses throughout an entire area. What is sad about mesothelioma is that it really is preventable. Factories and corporations can easily incorporate work-related regulations concerning safety in the workplace.

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