Books

images from Amazon Books

I was at Booksale again, even though I told myself not to buy any more books since I have lots of books at home left unread. It was a Friday and it seemed there was a new delivery of books. Sales personnel were busy stacking, organizing and displaying books. Books on the floor, books piled high on cabinets, truly a haven for readers.

The "Book of Ruth" is P45 and "Goodbye Sweetwater" is P20 only. Woohooo!

I also got a copy of Isabel Allende's "Daughter of Fortune" (P75) and "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker (P70).

Now, I really have to get serious reading these books. I read somewhere that books which are not read are only ink on paper. Unless you read them, you cannot call them books.

Dreaming of Girls

Lately I've been dreaming about girls. The first dream was about the daughters of my officemate (come to think of it, I actually have dreamt about them twice) and one was the daughter of my cousin.

When I posted about it in Facebook, they both replied that maybe it was a sign of my pregnancy in the near future. I hope it is!

Running Again

I've started jogging, er, walking, again this week. It's part of my new year's resolution to be active this 2011 but things kept coming up that I only started on the third week of January.

Nevertheless, I'm psyched. I've read that being and staying fit can help in a person's fertility. Especially for PCOS patients like me. Though I'm not on the fatty side of the scale, I need to maintain a good weight and lose unwanted fats. What better way to do that than by running. First, it's cheap and second, I enjoy running than going to the gym.

I hope I can continue with my walk/jog schedule and not create excuses not to go to the track.

3rd Acupuncture Session, 1st shot of HPV Vaccine

I first went to Friendly Care to have me listed in Dra. Aguilar's patients for the day. I'm patient #10. I didn't wait too long to get me listed. I planned to go first to my acupuncture session and then to my OB. I estimated that by the time I get back to the hospital, I woudln't have to wait too long.

I arrived at Sister Regina's clinic around 12:30pm, the clinic was still closed, even the gate. There were no vehicles in front, meaning there are no patients yet inside. And I was correct. I was the first patient of the day and I was immediately ushered into Cubicle 1.

Here is what a cubicle looks like inside. After a few minutes of waiting, Sister Regina came. I was able to ask Sister about foods to avoid, she said None. She just advised me to lessen my intake of cold food. When there is a party or an event, I can drink/eat cold food but just in moderation and not at all times.

Amazingly, this session is not that painful like the 2nd session. Maybe it is because of the day of my cycle. I felt relaxed. When I opened my eyes, it's as if I've been asleep for a while. It seemed I have slept but I did not. (I really wished I was able to take pictures of me with the needles.)

I now know what the cigar-looking thing that Sister's assistant is burning on my tummy during my sessions. It's called Moxa. For this session, I had two rounds of moxa.

After thirty minutes, my session is done. I scheduled another session after two weeks.

After acupuncture, I went straight to Friendly Care. I waited for a few minutes and then it was my turn. Dra. Aguilar had cut her hair short, I thought she was another doctor! :) I asked her the difference between the HPV vaccines Gardasil and Cervarix (the cheaper one). She said Gardasil is anti-cervical cancer and anti-genital warts while Cervarix is anti-cervical cancer only. The anti-genital warts vaccine is optional so I chose Cervarix. The shot only took seconds and didn't hurt as much as I imagined it.

I asked her what to do about another vaccine which she prescribed, the MMR (mumps, measles, rubella). Since Inay is not sure if I had that vaccine when I was young, Dra. said I should take the Rubelle IIG test. This is to confirm if I am or not immune to these diseases. At Friendly Care, this lab test costs P780.

After paying, I went to the second floor where the Laboratory is located. There are many people having their Annual Physical Exam. The window where I submitted my lab test request has a basket filled with urine and stool samples. Eeeww!!! I wrote my name on the log sheet and was called after a few minutes.

After the blood extraction, the nurse informed me that I can get the result after three working days.

HPV Vaccine

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Tomorrow, I'll be having my first shot of the HPV vaccine. Dra. Aguilar recommended I have this vaccine before I get pregnant since this vaccine should not be given to pregnant women.

HPV vaccine is the vaccine against cervical cancer. A TV commercial says, if you know there's a way to prevent cancer, wouldn't you take it? Prevention is better than the cure, right?

HPV vaccine is given in 3 doses scheduled within 6 months. As of now, there are two types of the vaccine -- Gardasil and Cervarix. According to a mommy forum, Gardasil fights 2 cancer viruses and 2 wart viruses and costs about P3,500++ per shot (depending on the OB and hospital) while Cervarix fights 2 cancer viruses and costs P2,500++ per shot. Cervarix has proven studies but Gardasil is still in under study. I'm not sure which type Dra. Aguilar will give me. I think the cheaper one, though I'm not sure.

For all the women out there, I believe protecting yourself as early as possible is a good investment. The cost of the HPV vaccine may turn you off at first but the costs of cancer therapy and medicines are much more expensive. Save up now!

Books from Ninang and Ninong

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Thanks to Ninang F and Ninong G for these gifts! They will truly inspire me this 2011. Maraming salamat po!

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Despedida for a Dear Officemate

After three years working for the company, my colleague and friend, A, decided to try for greener pastures. On her last day at work, we decided to have a send-away dinner.

We went to Carlos Pizza in Metrowalk. We ordered two large pizzas and several plates of pastas. I ordered Spaghetti in Garlic and Oil. After eating this dish at Pizza Hut Bistro, I vowed to try this dish at any pizza/pasta place which serves it to know which place serves the best Aglio Olio.

The Quattro Formaggi (Four Cheeses) is a hit. It's so delicious I haven't had the chance to take a picture.

We also ordered Capriccioso, an all-meat pizza.

This is the Spaghetti in Garlic and Oil (P110). The dish is called a solo but two can share this. For me, this tastes a bit bland. I would suggest more chilli flakes in this dish to give it some kick.

We talked endlessly, stories overlapping another story, people butting in, it seems we haven't had enough time to share what's on our minds. Happy night!

To you, A, may you have a wonderful experience in Singapore. May God bless you in your endeavors.

Paper Gift

We celebrated our First Wedding Anniversary two weeks ago. It's our Paper Anniversary and I'm thinking of giving a gift to Hubby which is made of paper. Can I pull off giving gifts according to the anniversary symbol? I hope I do.

A wonderful idea hit me on what "paper" gift I can give Hubby. I'm thinking of something he will always use and treasure.

And...my gift will be...

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Or,

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Hubby loves the cooking style of Jamie Oliver which is less frill, no pretensions. Just dishes cooked deliciously whether you're at home, in a garden or outside a hotel. In the TLC cable channel, Hubby enjoys watching Mr. Oliver's show "Jamie at Home" since he cooks from his vegetable garden. He uses fresh veggies straight from the garden to the cooking pan to the table. It's so basic, so fresh and so lovely to watch. Hubby loves that!

Start of being Organic

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In my quest for a green and organic 2011, I have decided to remove chemically-laden bath products and household items from my grocery list. I've searched health shops and online shops for these eco-friendly goodies.

I bought my shampoo, conditioner and deodorant from Healthy Options.

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I ordered my lovely soaps from the online shop called Happy Haven Eco Store. Initially, I ordered 2 Victoria laundry bars, 2 Daila feminine soaps and 2 Daila bath soaps (one for my place in the city and one for the province). The owner of Happy Haven, Ms. Christine, informed me that ZEN bath soaps are on sale, 3 for P100 (originally priced at P130) so I ordered 3 more soaps. Good thing about Happy Haven is that they deliver for free. No minimum purchase required. :)

People may ask, why buy bath products which are more expensive than those in the grocery?

1. Savings. Yes, savings! Here, I'm writing about long-term savings. Using organic products will minimize the harmful chemicals that I introduce to my body. There are many pollutants in the city that cause sickness and diseases to people. If I minimize toxins in my body, then I can reduce the possibility of me being sick, buying meds, consulting with doctors, or worse, being confined to a hospital.

2. Eco-friendly. Organic products are Mother Earth friendly. Love the only planet we're living in.

Here's to an eco-friendly and organic bathing!

2nd Acupuncture Session

I went to the St. Francis clinic early, trying a new route of commute. Fortuately, I was the second patient to arrive, the clinic is not yet even open. :)

As I wait outside the clinic, more patients arrive, mostly women. During my first session, there were no patients waiting in line. I was immediately sent to a cubicle. But now, there is already a line. Good thing I came early.

Sister Regina and her staff starts with a prayer before opening the clinic. A staff called us to enter and I was assigned to cubicle #2.

Sister Regina came. She studied my information sheet (now in a brown folder) and asked if I got my period and if the flow is "OK". I said "OK". Then, I showed her my tongue, the start of a session. After looking at my tongue, she said I should minimize drinking cold drinks. Ooops!

For this session, she put needles in my head, knee areas and feet. No more in the fingers as the first session. Surprisingly, there is much "pinch" as she put the needles. I don't know why. The pinch are more pronounced in one needle in my head and that above the right knee. Not sure why this is so. Maybe because of the time I'm in my cycle?

After thirty minutes, I'm finished with the session. Paid P800 for it since it's my second time. For first-time patients, the fee is P1,400 (P800 session and P600 for consultation).

I hope and pray acupuncture can correct my PCOS and I will not need to take medications just to ovulate.

Taking Charge of your Fertility

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The book explains about the Fertility Awareness Method or FAM. It encourages women (and men) to know their bodies to be able to achieve or prevent pregnancy in the most natural way of just monitoring your body. No artificial methods, no medicines, no invasive interventions, etc.

I like this book because it's non-judgemental. The content is worded to be sensitive to women. No terms such as "defect", "failure", etc. It gives lots of insights and ideas about a woman's "private" life.

Here are some of the things I learned:

1. FAM is monitoring the following:

• BBT - basal body temperature - to know if you're ovulating
• Cervical fluid - to know if you're fertile
• Cervical position (optional)

2. BBT should be taken at the same time and at the same way (oral, vaginal or rectal)

3. BBT must be taken after at least 3 consecutive hours of sleep

4. Digital thermometer is the simplest, quickest type to use in BBT charting. Get a thermometer which can store the last temp and is accurate to at least 1 degree F.

5. What is often referred to as "infertility" may not necessarily be "sterility".

6. Sperm die within a few hours of intercourse when a woman is not in her fertile phase.

7. Minimum 18% of body fat to maintain normal ovulatory cycles.

8. FAM should always be the first step to achieve pregnancy.

9. Taking ovulation drug Clomid should be an informed decision, rather than a routine first step. Clomid increases a woman's fertility but it dries up the cervical fluid, thus hampers pregnancy.

Baby Jamie

During the holidays, we shared our home with this chubby baby and her mother. Our home was filled with joy! This three-month old bundle made us stop with what we were doing, whether watching TV, cooking for Christmas, wrapping gifts, etc. We always wanted to look and play with her, watch her yawn, see how she tries to put her hands in her mouth, watch her suck her thumb, all of those seemingly unimportant activities but a marvel in our eyes.

Sigh...

Happy 1st Anniversary!

Can you believe it's been a year already?!

Happy Anniversary to you my dear husband. Cheers to both of us!

Thank you for being a loving and patient husband

For making me smile when I'm in a foul mood

For being joyful at cooking meals for us

For sharing my dreams and fears

For everything that you done, is doing and will be doing in the future

I pray that God strengthen our relationship and love for each other

I look forward to spending all of my years with you, Hon.

I LOVE YOU!

Acupuncture Session

Last month I started having acupuncture.

I decided to take the natural way first to prepare my body for conception. As much as possible, I would want to stay away from invasive drugs to get me pregnant. I want to give myself the chance to take the au naturele route. I read somewhere that natural medicine should be the first choice rather than the last resort for couples trying to get pregnant.

My acupuncture session was on a Saturday morning. My acupuncturist, Sister Regina Liu, is popular among women trying to get pregnant and I'm excited for my first ever session.

The clinic is in Panay Ave., near Don Roces Ave. in Quezon City. High walls surround the place and you will not notice that there's a clinic behind the tall steel gate. There's not even a sign at front.

As I entered the clinic, friendly staff greeted me in their quiet, whisper-like voices. An assistant gave me a form to fill out, since I'm a new patient. The three-page form contains questions in English with their Chinese translations. I wrote down my personal details and medical history and the reason why I'm having acupuncture.

There are 7 (I think) office-like cubicles with light orange curtains as their "doors". I was led to Cubicle #3 and waited for Sister Regina who is talking with patient in #2. Inside was a bed, a chair, a small table containing the acupuncture stuff, a small bin. Everything is minimalistic. A frame of Anne Geddes babies hung on a wall beside the bed, maybe to help patients have positive thoughts about having a baby.

After 15 minutes or so, Sister Regina entered the cubicle. I told her about my PCOS and my goal of correcting it (if possible) and preparing my body for conception. I showed her my ultrasound result and she asked me some more questions. She asked me to show my tongue, a session always start with showing the tongue so she can see the status of your health.

I lay down on the bed. She started putting tiny needles on my head. I asked her how many sessions should I take to achieve my goals. She advised me to have acupuncture every other week for three months. At the end of the third month, I should have an ultrasound to see if acupuncture helped me. Sounds good to me. Needles were quickly inserted to my fingers, knees, belly and feet. Then, Sister Regina left me with her assistant. The assistant put a needle with some sort of Chinese medicine on top on my belly. The medicine is shaped like a stub of a cigar, maybe an inch. She lighted the stub and asked me to relax. An aluminum foil is below this needle to catch the ashes. She told me "Relax ka lang" and left. The session will be finished in 30 minutes.

As I was left in the cubicles, I told myself to sleep. But, no, I can't sleep. My muscles jerked, as if it was chilly in the room. I don't why but I couldn't control these involuntary contractions. I closed my eyes to lure myself to sleep but sleep seems to be elusive to me.

After thirty minutes, the assistant returned and removed the needles. The session is finished.

I felt relaxed after. Not sure if that was my imagination or if I think I became relaxed, but who cares. :)

I paid for my session and scheduled my second appointment. I'm excited to come back.


Sister Regina Liu
St. Francis Natural Health Care
#19 Panay Ave.,
Quezon City
Tel: (02) 373-5503