Tag Archives: medicine

“Angel Companions”

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Indeed, God sent “angel companions.” Today’s Our Daily Bread devotional got me teary-eyed after adjusting quite well to living solo for 2 weeks. There are times when I still miss my Mom or my husband.

I also got the results of my Executive Checkup and while I was happy that my breast ultrasound result (my primary concern) came out clear, my blood test, pap smear, and urinalysis results showed I still have an infection in my body though I’m asymptomatic. It looks like the kind of bacteria from my UTI last December is resistant to the antibiotics previously prescribed to me.

I clearly and seriously need to do some diet modifications. Oh rice, I’m going to miss you big time.

So I thought it would be best to get a urine culture test tomorrow but at St. Luke’s BGC because they post lab results in their online portal for patients. I’m bound for Bicol on Tuesday, so I will no longer be able to claim the result in person. Once I get the urine culture test result, I’ll schedule a tele consultation appointment with an ob-gyn so she can interpret my pap smear and urine culture test results side-by-side.

By the way, I haven’t used my KonsultaMD free subscription yet, and it’s going to end in June. It looks like God intended it for this very purpose. Ain’t His timing just always perfect? 🙏😊 I plan to consult with a couple of ob gynecologists on the platform and compare their recommendations. If my infection still doesn’t clear up after taking a stronger dose of antibiotic, most likely something else is causing the inflammation or the bacteria is just extremely resistant.

I also would like to find out why is the bacteria resistant to the usual antibiotics prescribed for UTIs, and how I got the bacteria. It could be because I have a very weak immune system (my immune system is compromised), I have an autoimmune disease (lupus maybe), or I’m just overthinking. The last one is most definitely true. 😂

I am just grateful and glad that God already sent “angel companions” to guide me in this season of prioritizing my health before anything else. Some of them are the healthcare professionals who assisted me during my Executive Checkup. I was also surprised to find out that my ob-gyn at Healthway is also my age, and she is also from UP. Noong nakausap ko kasi sya re work, I mentioned na graduate ako ng Literature. She asked from what school. Sabi ko sa UP. Tanong nya ulit ay kung sa Diliman daw ba. Sabi ko, yes. And she said na sya naman ay from UPLB noong undergrad. And I think this explains why we share the same sense of humor – “UP” stands for “University of the Palatawa.” lol Hi, Dra.! 😊

Kailangan din mag-ayos paminsan para hindi masyadong halata ang pagiging otherworldly natin. Btw, my predictions are right – I gained weight while I’m here in Manila, and I’m now 2 kgs overweight according to the doctors. lol
Who among you here is 30-something years old like me, but doesn’t have flabby arms? Kindly raise your hand. So I can check if you’re lying. 😂

I highly recommend getting Healthway’s Executive Checkup package (especially if you’re approaching the great 4.0 milestone) because the entire process was a breeze. I finished most of the tests including the initial assessment of a primary physician in just 2 hours or so. And super extra thanks to Sir Jerold, the Patient Care Coordinator, for being the epitome of grace under pressure while assisting me. 👍👍😊

The Executive Lounge
Pinili ko talaga itong Executive Checkup package ng Healthway dahil sa free meal nila kasi PG ako. Kaya tayo nago-overweight.
My favorite BLT Sandwich. 😍

I was actually due for a repeat urinalysis during my checkup at St. Luke’s BGC last December. But I thought maybe it would be better to just have an executive checkup before I go home. It would be easier this way for the doctors to rule out what could possibly be wrong with my body and which part needs medical attention. I also got to save time, money, and energy by not having to go back and forth to the clinic just in case doctors request additional tests.

Mga 100 pages lang naman ang resulta na aaralin mo. lol I’m just kidding. It has a summary of all the tests you had, and if you need the individual reports, you can find them in the back part including the graphs and the photos.
Mga 1 liter ng dugo ni-extract sa akin and I was like, “Uhm Nurse, are you draining the life out of me?” 🤣 Okay, it’s also another joke, so don’t be scared. lol Don’t forget to put a cold compress afterwards so it wouldn’t turn out like this. I keep on forgetting, that’s why I’m black and blue…and green?

Right now, I’m still not dismissing the possibility of getting tested further as requested by other “angel companions” in Bicol. But just like the song by Jordin Sparks played over at the mall when I went to Healthway, “One step at a time, there’s no need to rush. It’s like learning to fly or falling in love. It’s gonna happen when it’s supposed to happen. Then we find the reasons why one step at a time.”

Alam ko kinanta mo rin sya. lol 😂 I am ending this article on a happy note. Because the mild inflammation is all I have to worry for now. And yet if ever it becomes serious, I believe God has already sent His “angel companions” ahead of time, so I can rest my worries.

Please still include me in your prayers for healing and a safe journey going home. 🙏 I’m sending hugs and lots of love to you and your loved ones as well. Be safe and stay healthy, my friends. And always have a grateful and joyful heart. ♥️😊

“God will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” – Psalm 91:11

Decisions.

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Adulting is hard not because we are not up to the responsibilities that accompany it. Rather, the decisions that we have to make can weigh us down, especially if these decisions can alter how we live our lives and all other decisions that we will be making in the future.

Circumstances brought me here to Manila to do a lot of contemplating on what to do next. And one of them is about breast cancer. Yes, I plan to have an executive checkup here in Manila after my husband leaves for abroad. I already inquired in one of the hospitals in our province, unfortunately, they don’t offer executive checkups yet.

If my breast ultrasound (included in the executive checkup) comes out clear, I still plan on consulting with Mom’s oncologist when I get back to Bicol to ask if I should still have a mammogram since I’m only 38 years old. The recommended age for having a mammogram is 40 years old and above.

But given our family’s history of breast cancer, I would like to know what my options are. To be honest though, I feel awkward consulting with male doctors. 😁 I don’t know why in my previous consultations and even when I was hospitalized because of dengue, all the doctors who attended to me were all females though I never requested it.

Please don’t get me wrong because I am no sexist. It’s just that I feel like I can’t bare my heart out to a male doctor. lol Now, that gives you an idea already that I don’t have guy friends. To all the male doctors out there, I send you greetings of peace. ✌️😁 With female doctors, I tend to be very talkative especially when I’m nervous.

But it looks like my Mom’s oncologist will be an exception because of 2 things. First, I trust him because I already witnessed how he and the other doctors helped Mom manage her illness even though she’s in a very critical condition already. And second, I read this article on why credentials matter when choosing a doctor. He’s got strong credentials, so I’m assuming he’s the best of the best. Or maybe I’m just biased. lol Nah, he is the best in town – there’s no need for second-guessing here. 👍 These two factors are very important because basically, my life will depend on him.

I have a lot of questions that I’ve been meaning to ask him once we meet. One of them is if it’s a better alternative to have a double mastectomy just like what Angelina Jolie did to minimize the possibility of having breast cancer later on. But here’s my problem. What if I still want to have kids?

A double/bilateral mastectomy would mean I will no longer be able to breastfeed. After seeing the testimonies of other patients in the breast cancer support groups, I have decided not to push through with breast reconstruction surgery (skin grafting/implant), if ever, to lessen the chances of a recurrence or getting an infection. Although I read one case wherein after a bilateral mastectomy, the patient still had a recurrence on her chest wall this time.

I guess breast cancer cases really vary depending on whether the type of breast cancer is aggressive or not. I am hoping Dad’s genes are more dominant than my Mom’s, and my siblings and I will be spared from having breast cancer later on. Then I suddenly remembered that my Dad’s aunt (the sister of his dad) passed away because of breast cancer, too.

Yes, it will be a miracle if I die later on because of old age or any other sickness. But nothing is impossible with God. And if we also do our part to live a healthy lifestyle and have our regular checkups, then I believe dying of old age is still achievable.

Right now, all my siblings (1 brother and 3 sisters) are doing okay, by God’s grace, and they are between the ages of 40-50 already. But the thing is, we all haven’t had any breast cancer screenings lately.

I’m on a mission now to convince them to accompany me when we visit the doctor so they can have their checkups, too. I don’t know if my siblings are up to it because on my end, I am not afraid of whatever the findings are. Because when I do trust the doctor, even if I’m about to die, I will be at peace. My only request is to make my dying as painless as possible. Oh, and also, I want to die pretty.

I’m sure the doctor will tell me, “Tin, maybe what you need is a makeup artist and not a doctor.” 😅 Seriously though, nothing is more difficult than making decisions wherein your life is at stake. It’s as if you are given choices that will still eventually lead to you dying. What you’re actually given are options to die sooner or later.

So, how do I take this? It really depends on what God’s will is. Because right now, I am ready to go any time. I am at peace with everything because I already achieved some of my dreams, I did what I’ve always wanted to do in life, my siblings are doing okay, Dad has lived in full circle, and my husband has a bright future ahead of him – I am already content.

But as always, not our will but let God’s will be done always. We only do what is required of us, then we let God do the rest. Right now, I am contemplating whether having a child will still be my priority or if living cancer-free will take center stage from here onwards.

I still would want a child though even if I have it through IUI (as suggested by our ob-gyn 6 years ago but hubby was not yet ready). The thing is, my pregnancy will increase the estrogen levels in my body, and estrogen is what cancer cells feed on. However, if having a kid is not meant to be, then just like what Heart Evangelista said, “maybe we’re really not meant to have it all.”

When it comes to living a life with a flat chest because of bilateral mastectomy, the matriarchs in our family survived breast cancer and still got to live meaningful lives until they became seniors. For our generation, only God knows our fate. 🙂

Decisions, decisions. Make them wise, make them count. This I claim, and this I pray. 🙏

Let’s backtrack to a ’90s song (I’m a ’90s kid) that became a dance hit because I am feeling sentimental this Saturday. 😌

“Teach us (Lord) to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12