Birthday Countdown: Day 1 ~ The Greatest Blessing

One day before the big day. There is only one thing that comes to my mind. On this day, I acknowledge and give thanks for the biggest blessings I have received.

MY CHILDREN. 

My own flesh and blood, sometimes behaving like me, some resembling me and yet totally unique and different from me.

I thank them for being in my life. They gave me pure joy when I first saw their delicate little faces. Those tiny little hands curling around my finger, their first words, first steps, their victories and their tears. I have been there through all of them. 

Words cannot describe how a mother feels to see her children grow up before her eyes. I am right now misty eyed, looking at their baby pictures and seeing them now all grown, all carving a niche in this world. 

To some, I may not have been the ideal mother, but I try my best. I may not have set a good example to my kids at some point in time, but I learned from it, and so did they. My heart bleeds when they undergo failure. As always, it is love that guides me to help them up, hold their hand and point them to the right path to take. 

Their achievements are my life's medals. In time, when they are ready to start their own families, I will be the most doting grandmother this world will ever see. Father God, I am thankful for the blessing of giving me these three beautiful, loving children.

MY DOUGLAS.

I thank You, for leading me to the path to find Doug. He stepped in and took on the responsibility of being a father to my children when their own father turned his back and walked away. With him, I no longer have to worry about growing old alone. We'll watch sunsets together, holding hands and basking in the joy of having grandchildren around us. 

My beautiful family. My biggest blessing. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU GOD.

Birthday Countdown: Day 2 ~ Blast From The Past

Oh yes. Two more days and its my birthday. Not that I am expecting something spectacular to happen, its just that having a day off from work on my special day is a big bonus for me.

Today, I share pictures I dug up from old files. My very own blast from the past. 

I was born on November 13th, a Friday, in a small hospital, then known as Delgado Clinic, in Kamuning Road, Quezon City. I was barely 5 pounds at birth. I guess being tiny at birth does not equate to being "tiny" for the rest of your life. :)

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I spent my grade school years in Maryknoll College (now Miriam College). This is our Kindergarten class picture. I am in the second row, fourth from right. :)

My parents decided that spending one more year in grade school (7th grade) was a waste of time. They made me take a high school entrance exam in another Catholic girls school. Unfortunately, I passed. (haha). So I transferred to St. Paul  College in Quezon City where I finished my secondary education.

This is my high school graduation picture. Arrgghhh! Such an unnatural pose for me. After spending 11 years in Catholic girls schools, I was excited to experience what college was all about. 

My dad disapproved of my dream to enroll in Journalism. He said there is no future in Journalism and that I would end up as a writer for comic strips. Unsure of what to enroll in, I opted for a business course at the University of Santo Tomas. Eventually, I shifted to a pre-med course in the same university. After 3 years and two summers, I graduated with a degree in Zoology.

I breezed through the National Medical Admissions Test. Enrolled in the College of Medicine immediately after. Unfortunately, I dropped out in my junior year of medical school. No regrets. I had three beautiful children and found a job with the government.

The Officers and staff of the Ordinary and Cadastral Decree Division. (Second row, middle)

The meager wage I was earning with the government was not enough to pay for my children's education. And so, I found myself boarding a plane to work for two years in Taiwan, taking care of old people. It was a big learning experience for me. A challenge to stay strong and to keep my focus on my goal. I learned a new language, a new culture, and gained new friends.

A visit to the Taipei Film Museum in Shilin

Back home, I joined the call center industry. It was tough learning to stay awake at night and sleep during the day. These crazy bunch of friends were mostly "call center virgins." The toughest of the tough, we spearheaded a pioneer telco account. From Wave 1 (that's us), to Wave 100+ currently.

That's me - second row, left

And so my life goes on, still working, still striving, never giving up. From daughter to mother; from government employee to nurse aide, to call center agent, to Quality coach, to Virtual Quality Analyst, to Lender Relations Liaison, to Quality Assurance Specialist. 

I have enjoyed each and every phase in my life. For all the lessons, the smiles, the tears, I have nothing to regret. 

Birthday Countdown: Day 3 ~ Age Is Only A Number

Three more days and I will be another year older. Am I afraid of growing old? Honestly, yes I am. I always think that growing old means being dead soon. That was until I came across a Facebook page called Growing Bolder. I view this page every time I am online. I draw inspiration from it and somehow, it has helped me overcome my anxiety.

Please allow me to share some inspirational photos from this great resource.

This is Ida Keeling, a 99 year old woman from New York. She recently won the 100 meter race for the 95-99 age group, clocking in at 59.8 seconds. Impressive!

Ardith Bruce still rides the horse and participates in barrel racing at 84 years old. Afflicted with arthritis, which makes it difficult for her to swing her legs to mount the horse, Ardith does what she loves and continues to race.

To finish an Ironman World Championship is impressive enough, so much more if you did so at age 79! Harriet Anderson is the oldest female to accomplish this very difficult competition.

Dr. Charles Eugster is a retired dentist. He decided to take on a sport when he noticed he was getting fat and losing muscle tone. He was 85 years old when he started rowing. Now, at 94, Dr. Eugster is a World Masters Rowing Champion.

Barry McGuigan has not given up his love for surfing. Still actively competing at age 85, Barry is a pillar of strength, not even having Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma has stopped this man from riding the waves in his native Sydney, Australia.

Of extreme significance for us bloggers, here is Ruth Hamilton. She is the oldest blogger in the world. At 109 years old, she imparts valuable life lessons through her videos. You can view one of her videos she shared with Growing Bolder here. (The picture above is a video grab). 

Reading about the accomplishments of these people I mentioned has given me a whole lot of inspiration that is never too late to jump start my life and make the most of every day. 

Three days before my birthday, I have to confidence to say, "If they can do it, so can I!"

Suggested Reading: 
Rockstars of Aging - http://rockstar.growingbolder.com/
Growing Bolder Magazine - http://growingboldermagazine.com/ 

Birthday Countdown: Day 4 ~ The First Big Step Back To Health

Yesterday, I went in for my quarterly appointment with my endocrinologist. My mom and I have the same doctor so we always go in at the same time. We are both Diabetic and share the same thyroid problems.  I was scared to show my doctor the results of my HBA1c (Glycosylated Hemoglobin) test. After three months on the new medication, my blood results did not change. I was still at a 9.8. (normal values are 4.5-6.30).

My endocrinologist, Dr. Theresa Marie Faller was worried about my results. She said if my blood sugar is always that high, I would be seeing kidney, liver and heart changes. I don't want that. I want to be healthy. She took a random blood sugar test. I was at 391. Unlike my 76 year old mother, my blood profile was a mess. My doctor is giving me until January to see improvement. She doubled the dosage of my medication. She wanted me to lose weight. She wanted me to sleep longer hours and stay away from stress. She wanted me to start an exercise program. 

Good-bye rice. Good-bye white bread. Good-bye artificial juices. Those things I can do. Double the medication means double the expense. I can do that too. I would just have to give up on some guilty pleasures to have enough to buy the medicines. Exercise plan? I am going to buy myself a hula hoop. I will walk home instead of taking the tricycle. I will get myself a good pair of running shoes on my birthday. Something more comfortable to use while doing my walking. 

Birthday wish... Uhmm...calling the attention of my daughter... can you get this pair for me? 

Longer sleep hours and stay away from stress? Good luck to me. I can't do that. I have a crazy shift job which starts at 2am. I have to run a household. I have to put up with worrying for everybody else but me. 

I am going to need all the encouragement and support that I need from today until January. I need to lose at least 20 pounds. It is going to be will be a steep uphill climb to achieve this. With the proper mindset, I will do this. I CAN DO THIS.

My doctor's words stuck to my mind. She said, "If you want to be as active and healthy as your mother when you get to be that age, YOU SHOULD START MAKING CHANGES NOW."

And so today, 4 days before my birthday, I am taking the first big step back to health.

Wishes Do Come True If We Plan and Prepare

Twenty-two years ago, my father lost his battle with cancer. I saw him wither away, that strong man who I looked up to as my role model became thin and frail. Being a doctor himself, my dad refused to believe he had cancer. He denied treatment, and held off for as long as he could. Eventually, he agreed to surgery and was in remission for over a year, until they found a metastatic tumor in his hips. 

I was the one who took care of my dad. I was seven months pregnant with my second child then. I helped my dad with his baths and prepared his meals. I drove him to the hospital for his doctors appointments and I was with him during his chemotherapy sessions. Mom had to mind their small business to keep the finances flowing in. The family's focus was for my father to recover and to have enough to cover hospital bills and chemotherapy. In short, we had no planning done, and because of that, we were not prepared for what was bound to happen. After my father's death, we were at a loss. We did not know about his insurance, his benefits, and his legal right to the properties owned by my grandparents. We had to start from scratch. We were left with nothing.

My mom is now 76 years old. She's strong for her age. She attends an aerobics class for senior citizens every morning. She does ballroom dancing every Saturday and goes with her friends once or twice a month to go to the mall or watch a movie. Despite her "active" lifestyle, my mom has diabetes and has episodes of hyperthyroidism. Although everything is carefully monitored by regular visits to her endocrinologist, my mom is showing signs of forgetfulness. She walks to the nearby supermarket and forgets where she is and if she does know she is in the supermarket, she forgets why she is there in the first place. When she asks my brother to drive her down to her sister's place, she gets into an argument with my brother because she said he is going the wrong way. She sometimes has a hard time remembering people's names, but vividly remembers things she did when she was in her 20s.

It is always good to plan and prepare, however, it is a difficult task when it comes to planning for the inevitable. My mom has done some kind of preparation. She has fully paid her insurance to cover for funeral expenses. It still sends shivers down my spine, and although I know it is a good thing, I could not bring myself to do the same for me. Now, if she only remembered where she kept her documents...

I am happy to have found a simple way to start planning and preparing for my mom and for me as well. CareConversations.org has a complete guide on how to accomplish this task. It is all about providing peace of mind that our wishes will be met. It is not about wishing for a loved one's demise, it is giving them the freedom to name their beneficiaries, to give them a voice in deciding for the future and giving them the liberty to assign a person/persons to decide for them when they are unable to do so. With all these things in place, we provide our loved ones peace of mind that they will be getting the care they deserve. 

My mom has a bit of a hearing impairment and I know it will be a bit "loud" when we discuss these things with her. Me and my siblings have been planning to sit down and talk about this for quite sometime, but our busy schedules always get in the way. Sometime soon we will. This will just be a little thing we can do for the mother who reared us to who we are today.

If you care for your aging loved one, now is the best time to think about Planning and Preparing. To help provide answers to the numerous questions you have in mind, a #CareConvo Twitter Party will be held on the 12th of November at 8pm EST. This is one event I am sure you would not want to miss. You are free to ask questions, share your story and connect with like-minded people. Click on this RSVP link below to join:

 http://resourcefulmommy.com/14363/care-conversations-twitter-party/

The picture above is my beautiful mom through the years - During her college graduation, then at 50 years old, and now at 76 years old. She is still lovely despite the wrinkled skin and thinning hair. She gave me and my siblings all the best life could offer. She too, deserves all the same and more.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post by Global Influence. I have been compensated for my time.

Birthday Countdown: Day 5 ~ Today I Unleashed the Child in Me

It's the weekend. My son Aton brought home their "dorm" dog named Fang. He is a Japanese Spitz-Pomerenian mix.

Five days before my birthday, I unleashed the child in me.

All the stress and tiredness immediately left my old, earthly body when I started playing with Fang. He is such an affectionate little thing! He knows three commands so far - Sit, Lay Down, and Fetch. He absolutely loves the old stuffed toy dog that belongs to Mickey, my youngest son. 

Fang and his toy

I took him for a walk around the neighborhood and he absolutely loved the outdoors! He was so behaved and waited patiently while I was getting some things at the corner store. When we got back, he lay on the floor and did his "rub my belly" pose. So adorable! He follows me around the house, even trying to climb up the steps. He tried to imitate me when I jumped, and since he could not do it, he just let out a high pitched yelp. Haha. 

"Rub my belly!"

Having Fang home brought back memories of my childhood. We always had dogs at home, and I can still remember their names - Mightor, Gardo, Osang, Ginger, Thumbelina, Chippo and my dog I left behind in Taiwan, named Joog.  My loyal friends, my little buddies. I miss all of them. Now, we have Fang and he seems like he has something of everything of the dogs we used to have. Although it is sad that I can only have him for the weekend, I will look forward to his next visit. 

Tomorrow, I will take him with me for walks, play rough house with him, rub his belly, and give him a bath. I will cuddle him and make him sit with me while I watch t.v. 

At this time as I write, I feel like I am 10 years old again. Thank you, Fang for making me feel like a child again. It feels good to unleash the carefree, giggly, little tomboy that was me.

The "Dorm Dog" - Fang trying to grab Aton's pen while he's doing his schoolwork.

Birthday Countdown: Day 6 ~ Today I Gave in to Anger

Six more days before the blessing of another birthday. Today, out of sheer frustration and exhaustion, I allowed myself to be overcome by an ugly human emotion - ANGER.

Coming off a nine hour shift (plus one hour overtime), I headed over to the hospital for my quarterly blood tests. I am diabetic and my blood profile has not been good for the past two quarters of this year. I arrived at the hospital at 12:30 pm. The usual window where I transact using my health insurance ID was transferred to the Out Patient Department. I was instructed to get a "patient number" from the reception area. I chose the option for "Industrial" which is the term they use for patients with health insurance. I waited for my number to be called and when they did, I gave them my card, an ID and my laboratory request slip. The woman said, "Oh no. This is the wrong queue you are in. Get a number using the "OPD" option." This made me slightly upset. But then I did follow and got a new patient number. Now I had 6 other patients ahead of me.

Twenty minutes passes and they were not calling in a new patient. I asked the clerk if I could go to the 7-11 store downstairs because I was getting really hungry. It is a fact that hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is more dangerous than hyperglycemia. I was almost at the point of having tremors because my blood sugar was getting really low. At this time, it was 1:30 in the afternoon, and the last meal I had was at 6 am. The clerk said, "Okay." So I went and got a light snack. There was a line at the check out counter at 7-11 too and I was really, really hungry. I already had tremors in my hand, making it difficult to get money from my jeans pocket. I gobbled up a cheesedog sandwich and washed it down with a bottle of water. I immediately went back upstairs. I noticed that my patient number has passed and so I went straight to the clerk and showed her my patient number. To my dismay, she said, "Oh, your number has passed. You need to get a new one."

So there I was, giving in to the strong emotion of anger. I told the clerk, "What kind of system do you have? I asked you if I could just grab something to eat and you said okay. Do you really want me to collapse so that you can admit me to the emergency room and make money out of your rotten system?!!" I stormed out of the Out Patient Department and went to the Customer Service Desk. I asked for a feedback form and wrote about the incident. I gave them the lowest score and then I proceeded to speak with the Coordinator for Industrial transactions. I told them, "It just so happened that my endocrinologist has clinic hours in this hospital. THAT is the ONLY reason I come here. I will never, in my lifetime, recommend this hospital to friends and family." The coordinator was quick to apologize and asked his secretary to process my laboratory request.

At 2:15 pm, after almost two hours of a very frustrating experience, I finally had my blood sample extraction. 

I know I should have been more patient, however, rules should have some exemptions. I am still very, very upset as I write, thinking about what might have been if I just ignored the hunger pangs. Anger is a very powerful emotion and it is one thing that I have to control. It takes a lot of will power to keep anger in check, however, when in comes to dealing with insensitive people, I can't help but flare up and get angry.

Today, six days before my birthday, I gave in to anger. I ask forgiveness from God for being weak and giving in. 

I will do my best to manage this strong, ugly emotion. With God's grace, I know I can. 

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Birthday Countdown: Day 7 ~ Today I Embrace Acceptance

Seven days before the big day, and I have learned to embrace acceptance.

Life is not always what we want it to be. There are always challenges, and we do not emerge winners every time.

Acceptance does not mean we give up. It means we have learned to trust and to use the life lessons to achieve a higher and more noble state. "Everything happens for a reason," is the closest we can get to explain the situation we are currently in. There are times we ask ourselves, "Why am I financially strapped?" Maybe I did not work hard enough to provide for our needs, or we have squandered our earnings on unimportant things. When a long term relationship ends, it makes us feel worthless and empty. Have we come to think of the possibility that the relationship ended because our worth was not given importance? Could it be that it so happened so that we could welcome someone better in our lives?

Acceptance means acknowledging our children's strengths and weaknesses. We learn to love their individual personalities. We were blessed with children to raise with love and respect, so that they would have a good future ahead. 

We, as parents encourage our children to strive to do better, and yet, recognize the limits of their abilities and love them anyway. 

We must not confuse acceptance with fate. Fate is a result of an incorrect or inadequate action, or refusal to effect a change in our lives. "I'm poor because I don't have a job. This is my fate." is commonly heard among people who sit around and beg for coins. Their poverty has been resigned to fate. If these people would go out and find simple jobs that would pay them a daily wage, things would have been different. 

Accept the fact that hard work is the key, and that getting rich overnight is a fallacy.

Today, seven days before my birthday, I have learned to accept who I have become. I love my life, simple as it may be. I thank God that I have a job that pays enough to make ends meet. I trust His Wisdom. In all my daily struggles, I glorify Him and praise him. I know that I am being honed and prepared for something better. 

I have learned to accept that I am no longer the rich, spoiled little girl of ages ago. I am more mature, more responsible and a lot happier.

Seven days before the big day, and I have learned to embrace acceptance. I accept Jesus as my Savior, I trust in God's Wisdom, and I invoke the Guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead me through this journey.

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Birthday Countdown: Day 8 ~ Today, I Give Thanks for the Gift of Healing

Eight days before my birthday. Today I give thanks for the gift of healing.

One year ago today, on November 5, 2013, my husband broke his hip. He was bending over to turn on his night light when he just collapsed on the floor in pain. The x-ray examination confirmed that he incurred a trochanteric fracture of the left hip. 

This is an x-ray showing the titanium prosthesis used for Total Hip Replacement (This is not my husband's x-ray though) 

It took me three days to arrange with his insurance and he was finally admitted to The Medical City Hospital in Ortigas, Pasig City. Despite all the pain my husband was going through, I felt relieved because he would finally be able to get medical care. He was assigned to the best doctors - a team of orthopedic surgeons, the Director of Cardiology, a top notch anaesthesiologist, a pulmonologist and a specialist for pain management and physical rehabilitation.

The Medical City Hospital in Ortigas, Pasig City

My husband had total hip replacement surgery on my birthday, November 13, 2013. I spent my birthday in the surgery lounge, waiting, praying, hoping that nothing would go wrong. The operation was a success and he was wheeled into his room sitting upright on his Stryker bed, awake and smiling. We stayed for three weeks in the hospital to allow recovery from the surgery and to do physical rehab to get his back on his feet. 

Today, my husband has recovered. Although he still walks with a little limp, (which is not unusual for patients who underwent the same procedure) I am happy that we were able to overcome the trial.

I give praise and thanks to the Almighty God for the gift of healing. Today, I glorify the Great Healer, my Father in Heaven. In Him, all things are possible!

Praise and Glory to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit who lives and reigns forever and ever! 

Birthday Countdown: Day 9 ~ Today I Give Thanks for Everything Green

Nine days to go before my birthday. What worthwhile thing did I do today? I helped my niece with her school project. I gave a beggar all the coins I had left in my coin purse, and a small package of pork casserole for his child to eat. 

Today, I give thanks for the flowers in bloom. Tiny, unassuming, without any fragrance but in time will become a fruit that we can enjoy. This little white flower will soon be a calamansi (Philippine lemon), rich in Vitamin C, and provides so much flavor in Asian dishes. 

A tiny shrub, a tiny flower, a blessing.

Thank you God Almighty for the gift of flowers, fruits, and shrubs. Thank you for the grass that provides food for our cattle. Thank you for the trees that provide shade and lumber to build our houses. Thank you for all your lovely green creations that I have not given much attention to until today.

Praise and Glory to You, Almighty Father, God of all creation!