A Mom's Perspective about St. Luke's QC

Unfortunately, St. Luke's - QC is a familiar structure for my family.  Last week, I was not a wife, niece, cousin or friend visiting a loved one.  I was a mom with a sick 1-year-old daughter.

While at work, Yaya Lani called to tell me that Julia has fever, I wanted to fly from Bonifacio Global City to Quezon City.  Call me OA but its one of those calls from home that I dread receiving.  Julia is taking Cefaclor (antibiotics) for her cough and colds.  It's a bit odd that she will have fever on the 5th day of drinking the medication.

Anyway, Julia's fever was 38°C to 40°C.  I sent an SMS to her pediatrician, Dr. Joan Millonado,  and she instructed us to visit her clinic the next day.  I was hesitant and uneasy about waiting so I called her Ninang Thea, a Dermatologist and a mom of 1-year-old  little Mateo.

She initially told us to heed the pedia's advice but she recommended to rush Julia to the ER soon after I told her that Julia's breathing was too fast.

Don and I were relieved that there were only a few patients at St. Luke's emergency room.  Julia was her charming self when the ER nurse at the Triage Area was checking her vital signs.  Her mood suddenly changed when the ER pedia doctor ( forced her mouth open to check her tonsils.  Julia cried so loud that other patients gave us the "kawawa naman yung bata" look.  I kept my cool.  I'll deal with her later, I thought.  I was anxious to know what was wrong with Julia.

When we were transferred to the pedia area of the ER, Julia continued to cry.  She was still restless and uncomfortable.  Julia was able to sleep a little after her xray and blood extraction for CBC.



After 30 minutes, I approached I-will-deal-with-her-later ER pedia doctor to ask about the test results.  She told me that they were not available yet, but she recommended that Julia be confined.  I asked why and she answered, "tutal may health card naman siya."  Believe me, I wanted to strangle her.  Again, I ignored her.

So we continued to wait.  Suddenly, a nurse informed us that they will insert an IV line to Julia.  Then, another guy asked me to accomplish some forms to be submitted to the admissions office.

Don sternly said no and angrily ask the nurse, "bakit icoconfine?"

ER Nurse:  Ayaw nyo po ba?
Don:  Wala pa nagpapaliwanag sa amin tapos icoconfine nyo na.

The ER nurse panicked  and called the ER pedia doctor.

Don:  Andyan na ba yung test results?
ER Pedia Doctor:  Wala pa po.
Don:  Anong basis bakit icoconfine?  Ano ba ang diagnosis?
ER Pedia Doctor:  Mas mabuti na i-confine para ma-monitor.
Don:  Alam na ba ni Dr. Millonado?
ER Pedia Doctor:  Senior consultant po ako dito.
Don:  Walang problema kung kailangan i-confine.  Ipaalam nyo muna sa pedia niya.

ER pedia doctor called Dr. Millonado and passed the phone to Don.

Dr. Millonado explained that Julia is already taking Cefaclor, a strong antibiotic.  And the sudden onset of fever is indicative of another infection.  It will be better if Julia will stay in the hospital for close monitoring and treatment.

That was definitely more acceptable compared to "para ma-monitor and may health card naman siya" explanation!

Seeing Julia scream and cry while they were inserting the IV line was heartbreaking.  I hugged her and prayed.  With God's guidance, the nurse was able to do it right on the 1st try.

It was already 4am when we finally settles into our room.  Julia's fever was consistent at 38C-39C for 2 days.  Her fever was at an all time high of 41C Thursday night.  With paracetamol every 4 hours, Cefuroxime every 8 hours and frequent sponge baths, Julia's fever was gone by Friday night.  Saturday, we noticed rashes on Julia's body.

Julia's final diagnosis was bronchitis and roseola infantum (baby measles).  Other than the ER experience, everything else was satisfactory.

I almost forgot, we brought our own food (rice, fish, vegetables  - no salt) for Julia so we requested for "full diet" hospital food.  To our surprise, look at what was delivered!  It didn't taste like "hospital food" at all!

Also, we were delighted by Nurse Bem and Nurse Paula's assistance.  They weren't just going through the motions of their hospital chores.  We can feel their sincere concern for Julia.

Application Form to Date My Daughter

I got this from Pastor Paolo's blog.

This is so funny!  To my loving husband, Don, who squirm at the thought of Julia growing up, going to college and eventually dating and getting into a relationship with a man, this is for you.

Though we agreed that she will grow up in a family environment where there is trust and respect, I will keep this form in my file.  It may be useful someday, we'll never know :-)

.

Road Trip: Clark

Last Sunday, we went to Clark.  It was an impromptu road trip to witness the last day of the 17th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival.

We were lucky to be able to park near the entrance but we decided to leave due to the large crowd and dust.

With no place in mind yet, we decided to visit a duty-free store.  We left with disappointment, it wasn't as it was years ago when duty-free shops in Clark were at its best.

Anyway, Don made the wrong turn.  We got lost but it led us to ______ destination:  The Nayong Pilipino.

"The Gift of an Ordinary Day" by Katrina Kenison

I got this from Daphne's blog.

I was crying while watching this because I realized that as a working mom, I have already missed a lot of "perfectly ordinary days" with Julia.




Daphne wrote on her blog,

And even if you’re not a parent, trust me, this will give more meaning to your relationship with your own parents.

The thing that resonates was what my parents went through with all four of us. Now I know why the end of each summer was so sad for Mom — while I packed my things to have the time of my life in university, I left my room empty for many months… and eventually, years.

She's right, it made me appreciate my parents more, especially my mom.  I got into all sorts of trouble during my adolescence, I left our hometown to study college in Manila and after graduation, I stayed in Manila to work, got married and gave birth... I never came back.

After watching, I asked Don, "Are you ready for this?"  Without batting an eyelash, he said, "No."

Super Mom: Jenny Ong of Mama.Baby.Love

I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Philippians 4:13)

Being a mom,wife, daughter, and being able to work eight hours (or more!) a day in anoffice, maintain a household and still find time to do something you arepassionate about is not easy.  As a first timemom, I am still adjusting to my new role.  Juggling it with all my otherroles require discipline, commitment and A LOT of love!  The key,according to Stephen Covey, is not to prioritize what's on your schedule, butto schedule your priorities.  Super Mom is a Julia's Mom blog feature where I interview moms who can give inspiration and empowerment to working moms like me.

This month's Super Mom is Jenny Ong of Mama.Baby. Love, a one-stop online shop for breastfeeding moms.  Jenny was my classmate in high school.  According to our yearbook class prophecy, she will be a successful lawyer.  She graduated salutatorian and best in extra-curricular activities so why wouldn't she be successful?


After seeing her again at a Breastfeeding Seminar at Medical City and following her blog, she defined a whole new meaning of success for me.  She is not only a lawyer, she works for the government, she is a mompreneur, an unyielding breastfeeding ambassador and more importantly, a compassionate mother to Naima and Erik and wife to Stan.

Belle
Describe your typical day.  What is it like?

Jenny
Still on maternity leave so I spend the day at home with Erik while Naima goes to school.  I'm also catching up on my Mama.Baby.Love business while on leave.  Will be going back to work on March 1 so I am still figuring out how to schedule things out.  But while on leave, I'm usually up at 530am while Naima is up by 6am to be ready for school.  We are in bed at 8pm.

Belle
Aside from your day job, your are a mompreneur as well.  How did Mama.Baby. Love start?

Jenny
I started my business - Mama.Baby. Love because of the dearth of affordable nursing bras and accessories locally available.  My bra prices range from P300.00 - P2,000.00, allowing me to cater to moms with varied budgets.  I have also brought in various products which might interest breastfeeding moms.  I'm a shopaholic and I love trying out new products.  So the products I like and have used are the products I want to make available to other breastfeeding moms.

Belle
You are most admired for your passion in promoting the benefits of breastfeeding.  Why this advocacy and how did it start?

Jenny

I initially started my blog as a vehicle to promote my business.  But it gained a life of its own!  Most of the breastfeeding information available online is foreign-based.  So I decided to compile information, tips, research for Filipino nursing moms.  I'd like the blog to be a one-stop resource for new moms who want to learn about breastfeeding and are in the Philippines.  With my rough start in breastfeeding, I know that having the right information and support on hand is crucial to breastfeeding success. 

Belle

You juggle a lot of roles.  You are a lawyer, government employee, mompreneur, breastfeeding advocate, accredited peer counselor of LATCH, wife to Stan and a mom to Naima and Erik.  How do you manage your time and how do you balance your priorities?

Jenny

Time management is key while multi-tasking is essential.  I've given up TV time!  Also, having good help is essential.  I'm pleased to say that my help has been with me since Naima was born.  I've also trained them by sending them to cooking classes, to help me manage the household.  Meanwhile, I sent Naima's yaya to various seminars and she has been helping me with Mama.Baby.Love.  I'm also lucky to have a job with fixed hours and limited overtime.  This allow me to plan the day properly and avoid scheduling conflicts.  Meanwhile, I've limited my counseling to emails and texts.  I don't do house calls to make sure I have time for my family.  Stan has also been supportive and it helps that he is able to schedule his projects around my commitments.  Stan and I have agreed that while the kids are young, we will make them our priority as we know that our time with them is limited, especially when they start having their own lives and friends.

Belle

What is your inspiration?  Are there other goals/dreams that you want to achieve?

Jenny

My inspiration is my family.  I'd like to see Naima grow up and have her family in a setting where natural birth, breastfeeding, baby wearing, etc. will be a norm.  I'm actually at the crossroads on my goals/dreams.  I do miss being a lawyer but I love being a mompreneur.  I know that I will have to give up one of them - so I'm deciding whether I want to be a full time mompreneur or go back to being a full time lawyer, when the kids are bigger.

Back up!

Last week, while I was doing my files back-up (from office laptop and thumb drives to my external hard drive), I discovered that most of Julia's October to December digital photo files are corrupted.  I couldn't open the file folders!

Seriously, I thought I was going to collapse.  I couldn't breath well, I was sweating!

I frantically googled:  "How to recover corrupted folder?"

According to Microsoft Support, here's how:

1. Click Start and then click Run.
2. In the Open Box, type chkdsk f/ <drive>:
3. Click Ok.

My blood pressure started to normalize when I was able to open all of the file folders again.  Some photos where fully recovered.  Some, still unreadable or cannot be previewed.

Luckily, I have a copy of some of the corrupted photo files in my net book.  But I lost a lot of good photos, too.

Moral of the Story?  BACK-UP REGULARLY and BACK-UP the BACK-UP.

Here's a helpful link on backing up your photos.

Photo from Whatever you do, back it up!.  

Love Covenant

Dear Julia,

LOVE is all about our reverence to Christ.

True love is not seen on the flowers, chocolates and gifts we give and receive.  It is not felt simply by spending time together or saying "I love you" everyday.  Love for one another is all about respect, humility and love for God.  You will experience and know more about love through us, we promise.  Your Daddy and I are not perfect, so there will be challenges as we grow as a family.  What is important is we know how to overcome them and learn from them.

Anyway, just last week, Daddy and I were talking about how fast you have grown since you were born.  We know that you will eventually live your own life and you won't need us as much.  Our role as your parents is to build a solid foundation for you.  So, here's our LOVE COVENANT:

We will hold your hand as you learn (and unlearn) and discover life.

We will walk with you in whatever path you will choose. 

It won't be easy, you will make mistakes.

We will pray to God, that he will protect you and keep you from harm.

We will be there with you as you grow

in your relationship with God.

We will insist on our rules on safety, education, friends, respect,

humility and family time.

We promise to discipline you.  It will hurt you and make you cry. 

You will even hate us for it.  But, trust us, it will make you a better person.

We will respect you and make your welfare our priority.

We will encourage you to read, meet new friends, 

play any sport you are interested in, learn arts & crafts and music.  

You may not have the latest gadgets like the other kids, but

your knowledge, creativity and social skills will be enriched.

We will have fun together.  We will create memories with you.

We will travel. We will visit parks and museums.

Soon (at age 32, according to Daddy), you will be celebrating Valentine's Day with someone.  For now, your date choices are limited:  Daddy, Mommy or both.  

Our love for you, little princess, is unconditional and forever.

Happy Valentine's Day,

Mommy

REAL LIFE

We celebrated Julia's 1st birthday at REAL LIFE Foundation.  We sponsored the Saturday feeding program at Victory Pasig Center, Brgy. Kapasigan, Pasig.

Transforming lives, families and communities
through hope and  education

The program feeds about 120 malnourished children (ages 3-10 years old) every Saturday.  The children are organized into 2 batches.  As a feeding partner, we were asked to play games with the children, prepare and serve food and drinks for them and more importantly, listen and talk to them.

The 1st batch started at 9am.  We were late, thanks to the Bourne Legacy shooting at Quezon City that day!  Anyway, in preparation for the Big V-Day, instead of playing games, the kids were asked to make a Valentine's card for their parents.

Julia with REAL LIFE Kids

Julia's young Uncles - JJ and Ralph with Ms. Rhia Atilano of REAL LIFE Foundation

While we were helping the kids create their masterpieces, Mama Cita and her friend, Gloria were busy at the kitchen with the other volunteers.

Meal of the Day:  Adobo, Egg and Rice!

When the kids were done with their V-cards, story telling was up next with Ms. Sony dela Calzada, the Director of Partner Relations.

As soon as Ms. Sony declared "The End", the kids rushed to the comfort room to wash their hands... our cue to start bringing in the food!

Julia supervising the feeding program :-)

REAL Life Foundation is passionate about providing a better future  for underprivileged Filipinos by giving them access to a good education and transforming their communities through community service.  They have 3 programs:  LIFE Scholarships, LIFE Coaching and LIFE Line.  Check out their website for more information.

It was a great experience for all of us.  Don and I will definitely make this a family tradition.

REAL LIFE FOUNDATION
4th Floor Every Nation Building
32nd Street corner University Parkway
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
817-1212 local 336
Loof for Ms. Rhia Atilano

Lucky you!

Julia is one year old today... well, almost.  She was born 7:59am.

As promised, I will announce the lucky winners of my blog giveaway.  If you specified in your blog comment the item you want to receive,  then, your wish is my command :-)

For those who didn't mention what they want to win, I trusted my instincts in selecting an item for you :-)

• 3 Winners of Sassy Hairsies

NINA GAERLAN-REVECHO

JAMIE REYES RIVERA

MAI DANGANAN
(Surprise Design from Sassy Hairsies)

• 3 Winners of Post It Gift Pack

FRANCES PABLO
KATHERYN VALLESTER
RACHEL CANALES

• Starbucks Gift Certificate

JENIFFER GANGAN
(P200 worth)

• Nail Spa Gift Certificate

AJ GANANCIAL-BUSTAMANTE
(Express Hand and Feet Treatment)

Congratulations to you all and thank you for joining my blog giveaway!  You have to reply to my email  so I'll know where to send the item you just won :-)

Check out results by Rafflecopter in my original post.