Leprosy: Stories and Awareness

Leprosy Ward, Western Visayas Sanitarium.

I remember one patient asked me 3 years ago, 'Maam, wala ka nahadlok sa amon?' And I said, 'Wala ah. Ngaa man bi?' One newly diagnosed patient told me, 'Salamatkay nfeel nmun na welcome kmi di, wala kamu nandiri'. Made me teary-eyed. Im proud of my WVS family, may you continue making the leprosy patients happy. One thing I regret is leaving that soon without making that Leprosy Awareness seminar happen. I'm proud to say that Im one of the nurses they will never forget because I've touched their lives as they've touched mine. THEY MADE ME APPRECIATE LIFE MORE BECAUSE THEY LIVE IN SECLUSION WHILE I LIVE IN THE OPEN. They are feared and discriminated when they should'nt be. I hope people will realize that and be educated.

Imagine walking about 4-6hrs from the mountains to the main road, ride a jeepney for more than an hour just to go to the sanitarium for treatment/assessment.

Some were abandoned by their families--left alone in their homes. Just imagine how hard it is to live being feared, much more abandoned by loved ones in a place far away from the town proper.

Most patients would get their medications (thanks to the govt, they are all free) in WVS because they are ashamed of their illness or they don't want other people to know they have leprosy. Where in fact, almost every municipality has these medications so it would be convenient for them to have the treatment.

And then I remember there was this patient in IRC who comes every month together with his fellow inmates in the cell for assessment/tests to make sure they don't have the disease.

The youngest patient I have encountered is a 5yr old girl. I was glad her case was detected early. CASEFINDING and EARLY TREATMENT of leprosy brings about better outcome.

The group of boys/male patients I am with in the picture above? I taught them football, I played volleyball with them. They have hopes and aspirations just like us.

BUT it took me some time to answer one of their questions one time:
'Maam, makapangasawa pa ni kami ayhan? May magkagusto pa ayhan sa amon kay may aro' kmi?' (Maam, do you think we can also get married? Will someone love us eventhough we have leprosy?)
That tone of their voices, made me think. It made me sad. And so I said, 'May tsansa kmu mkapangasawa ah..ayo naman kamu. Kung palangga kamu sng babae, batunon nila kamu..bsta di kmu mdulaan paglaom. Skwela kmu kung may tsansa, di pa urihi ang tnan.' I told them not to let leprosy hinder them from reaching there dreams--they shouldn't lose hope.

Life isn't fair, yes. We are all born with a purpose. We touch each others lives in one way or another. Afterall,in this one world, we are all brothers and sisters.

I have more stories to tell but what I've shared enough. Haaaay nsubuan ko manumdum. So, I'll stop--it makes me teary-eyed everytime.

#Thankful for Western Visayas Sanitarium for making our leprosy patients welcome, cared for and at home in our institution. Thank you for being a FAMILY to these patients. I do really hope and pray that more people will be aware about leprosy---that the stigma that comes with it will be vanished through education/awareness. Thank you to our doctors, nurses, the government and also to the benefactors. Keep up the good work and God bless you all for your kind hearts..

Let's call on the public’s conscience to fight indifference towards people affected by leprosy and to accord these individuals all the dignity and respect due to them.

Headband Party (My Silver Birthday Celeb)

Beauty is fading. Time is passing. Change is constant. These, I have learned in my 25 years of existence here in the place called earth. They summarize everything I wanted to say.

 So I'm 25, let's cut the drama. But what the, I'm 25! I couldn't even fathom my feelings when the clock striked 12mn of February 3, 2013. Kalas. I'd just share here my 25th birthday (Headband Party) here in Riyadh. I had to celebrate not just because it's my silver year but also because it's the 2nd anniversary of my second life. I just had to have a party, a thanksgiving for this crazy amazing thing called life.

Everything were handmade by moi, except for the hot pink balloons. Thanks mucho to my flatmates for putting everything up! :) 

OC ever. I'm really fond of lists.

Of marshmallows and hot pink ballons

Presents from  my close friends Tanzil and Ate Carmela

From Jepay, Eve and Maisoon

Cake baked by Frizza and decorateb by Jepay and Eve :)

The cake that nearly didn't make it on time. lol

this is so vintagey!

Speakin of vintage, this hair accessory is really vintage. Had to have my hair this way though.

HBD, Kaka!

party tradition: solo pics with everyone :)

Omaygad. Seriously?  F.

Boo, 25 with mixed feelings :)

The best part of the night? Our jamming with Jepay and Eve that were recorded on my laptop. Haha. Epic night, we ate our hearts out with good food and sang like there's no tomorrow. Who would give a damn? In fact, I was teary eyed of happiness. I wished my family, Gab and my closest friends were also here to celebrate with me--I would have been happier. 

Rock on, Evejoy!

Glad they came over! :)

murdered the cake! :)

I am kamsa-o-ashrin, bente singko, twenty five!

Thank you ladies for wearing your hair crowns and for making my silver year awesome. We all had fun jamming, thanks dai Evejoy Magonciaand Jennifer Pinuela :D Ever grateful to my flatmates and closest friends for making this party possible. God bless us all! Til next time :)

Love,Kaka

PS: here's the link for the complete photos of my party :

 Kaka at 25 (indulge!) :P

FURIOSITY

Furiosity (n): the property of being wild or turbulent "the storm's violence" 

I so happened to discover a sheet of bondpaper with some rantings on it on how to manage my anger and stress.  And I was like 'what the??' I'm a nice person with a very bad temper. Not just bad but VERY bad. I get so mad easily that it stresses me out. Haha. Anyway, it has been a long time since my last entry here and it took me some time to recover my blog account. *sigh* I had to congratulate myself for the patience and effort I took just to have this written here. Perhaps, I should start writing again.

Here goes what's written on a folded bond paper that I must have written many months ago and I'm pretty sure I was so furious that time that I could murder someone. Haha

'Oh KSA, what have you done to me?'

I realized I've become rude lately. I know it's wrong but I can't help it. Damn hormones and yes, some people should be taught some lesson. I normally treat people the way they treat me. As the quote says 'My personality is me, my attitude depends on you'--that's it. That's really it. 

I hate rude and inconsiderate people. I hate it when somebody would call me name out loud (excuse me? get a grip!) and there's this tone of voice I really despise. The problem with people here is that they are always in a hurry. Oh. Always in a hurry as if they'll die. 

ANGER MANAGEMENT:

• DEEP BREATHE.
• Count 1-10 before saying anything.
• Relax.
• Don't over think  too much.
• CURSE--just in your head.
• Deep breathe---deep breathe and walk away from the stressor.
• Try to maintain your composure.
• Write and CRUMPLE the paper!

Jeez. Seriously? I'm a doorbanging-things-throwing-swearing-shouting-sarcastic-walkout queen and I don't give a damn, most of thhe time. I have this temper issue for so long and at this moment, I've gotten better. I believe everybody has a weakness and this is mine. This place is provoking me to be rude and I have this constant battle within me to stay nice, bubbly and patient. Deep breathe, again and again. Aren't nurses supposed to be patient? What an irony, Karen. *sigh*

I Wasn't Prepared to Die at 23

It was February 5, 2011 (Saturday).

Oh yes, that was the day I was waiting for: the Concepcion get away with my cousin Arnette and my co-nurses at the hospital. Everybody was excited for my post birthday celebration.

We left Sta. Barbara at around 7:45am, the six of us: Arnette, Tina , Rhea, Tata, Albert and me. Jezreel and Rush were to meet us at Tagbak terminal where the buses for oncepcion are situated. Off we took the 2.5 hours bus ride ready for adventure.

Nong Jimmy, who owns our hired pump-boat, together with his wife, Nang Badiding and daughter Twinkle were already at the port when we arrived since I called them upon arriving in Sara terminal. As usual, the view was picturesque with Mt. Manaphag towering among the other islands. I'm thankful that the weather was good there for it was raining from Ajuy to Sara when we passed by earlier that morning. Great! No rain, no big waves will perfectly suit us, I thought.

The 20-minute pump-boat ride was fine. Nang Badiding and I were talking about the other islands to my companions. I ahppen to know about this family last September 2010 when I went island hopping  in Concepcion for 3 days with Arnette and two other friends. We hired Nong Jimmy's pump-boat and his family were hospitable to the four of us.

At last, we were nearing Bulobadiangan island where the infamous Sandbar Island resort is situated. We could see th sandbar covered with water for it was hight tide that time (noon time). Off we go, unloaded our belongings. I'm so glad to see my friends happy. They liked the place as I've expected. This was my 3rd time in the island and my 5th in Concepcion and I never grew tired of going there. Concepcion's islands are my haven, my ultimate get away when I have time and money. i love the town and it's people for they are warm, welcoming and hospitable. I am actually in love with the town and is promoting it's tourism to other people. Now, I'm back for the 5th time, with more friends who have never been to this wonderful place.

MAY is Mine!

I started the month of May right: woke up early, smelled the fresh air on our way to the beach. Just as we've arrived there, Langga called from Brazil. What a surprise! :) I wish I could spill it but I can't. Haha. I'm very happy and excited! I have so many plans for this month. I shouldn't spill yet, I shouldn't! :)
AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH! HAHHHHHHHAHHHAAA! :DDDD

We talked over the phone while the morning sea breeze caressed my cheeks. It felt like he just gave me sweet butterfly kisses on my face, my heart couldn't be more delighted. All I could see is paradise.

 

I miss him so. 

Hey, I just wrote here for a sort of remembrance for I should love this day and the rest of the days coming up. :)
Can't stop smiling. Omigosh. :)))

The last time I went to the beach was February 6. Islands actually. This family outing is unplanned and we just ended up in Oton. Would you believe that I can't remember the last time that I swam in the beaches of Iloilo, specifically in this area? I don't feel like swimming in a black-sand beach, I'm not used to it. It's different. 
However, I had fun and ate a lot AGAIN. The intense heat of the sun wasn't a hindrance. Afterall, people go to the beach because it's summer like hell and to beat the heat, we swim and have fun in the sun. :)

damu tao! 

May is mine! :))) BASTA. 

*happy, need I say more? :)

Rain Predictions

I woke up this morning with my head pounding. Everybody's busy for today's reunion and this annoying headache is making me feel sick. I felt the same way yesterday (I took analgesic right away so that the pain will be lesser) and I know it's going to rain today or on Monday. I just know. I've had this since high school-- migraines and headaches preceding rain. Most of the time. I have realized this when I was in 4th year high school that whenever  headaches would attack me and at the same day or next, there would be rain. I remember texting my classmates to bring umbrellas to school and even would bet to some about rain coming. Haha.

While they are busy with the chores at home, plus relatives coming over, I slept in my aunt's room to ease my burden away. I feel bad and irritated that I just wanted to be alone. I had a nap, oh yeah at least I had some nap. I was awakened by my cousin to bring the keys to the net shop. Huh. Nice, I had a clean get away. I wanted to leave the house anyway. I didn't want to see a lot of people today. I wanted to be alone or surf the net or just write or blog or something. 

Voila! The grounds are wet, it actually drizzled! I'm right. Told you it's gonna rain. The best part is that after the rain, my migraine goes away too. As long as it doesn't rain, the pain in my head won't be gone. It's been like this since forever. May this be a blessing or a curse, I've learned to live up with this. I dont let my migraine eat me but sometimes it just hurts a lot that I really have to take some medications and have a nap. It helps of course.

Anyway, here comes the rain again as I write this. Heavier rain this time. Omigod! I imagine chaos in the house right now because the buffet table is at the garage and there are a lot of people who came for the reunion. Tsk.

And you know what? I also know what type of rain it will be. Really. How? With the intensity and the kind of pain of my headache. Call me crazy or something but this is true. 

If the pain is throbbing and very painful, it would be just a drizzle (talithi, as we call it in Ilonggo) or there would be Nimbus clouds on the sky but it won't actually rain, just the clouds turning black. This is the kind of pain and rain that I LOATH because the pain sucks big time.

Nimbus clouds = super headache

However, if I feel dizzy and my head's kinda heavy, the rain will be heavy. I always pray that the rain will be heavy because the pain isn't that much. When others are praying that it won't rain hard, I pray the other way around. Why would I want a drizzle? It's killing me slowly, wicked blasted drizzles.

I love this kind of rain--cats and dogs 

If you ask me how do I feel when storms and typhoons happen? Nothing. No headaches. Nada. I'd rather wish for a typhoon. Seriously. 

I happen to see a Psychology journal back in college and learned that my headache and migraine is caused by the change in humidity. I haven't dug deeper though. So I searched the web about my rain headaches and found out that it has a scientific explanation after all.

So here it goes:

If you think about it, people have been associating their physical and medical conditions with the weather forever. How often have you heard someone predict rain on the way because of a flare up in their arthritis or sciatica? As it turns out, there is physical correlation with the condition of the body and the level of barometric pressure in the atmosphere. 

One theory regarding the correlation between migraine headaches and barometric pressure is that the severe rise or drop in pressure that occur during a significant weather change cause the blood vessels in the brain to constrict or to dilate. Changes in the expansion of the cranial blood vessels has long been believed to be a leading contributing factor to the cause of migraine headaches, but the possibility that a change in barometric pressure can actually cause this constriction and expansion is a theory that has been more recently considered. While not all scientists currently support this theory, or in fact, support the correlation between migraine headaches and barometric pressure at all, most health care professionals I have spoken with who work with migraine headache sufferers absolutely believe that a connection exists between the changes in atmospheric pressure and the occurrence of their patients’ migraines. 

Another theory that has been posed to me regarding the questions surrounding barometric pressure and its effects on migraine headaches is that the change in pressure in the atmosphere may also cause the cranial fluid in the brain to expand, placing more pressure on the bones of the cranium and on the brain itself. 

Finally, there is a theory that the change in atmospheric pressure may actually affect the electrical activity of the brain. In a study conducted by a group of researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, it was determined that when compared with normal individuals, electrical activity in the migraine victims' brains, as measured by an electroencephalogram, was less organized and reached a higher intensity during the weather shifts 

SOURCE: (http://www.personalmd.com/altmedicine_update1.shtml)

So that goes the story of my headaches. Why I can predict rain and actually feel so much pain (depends on the kind of rain--crazy!). I feel cursed at times but somehow I feel blessed because I know when to bring an umbrella (can't say MY umbrella because  I don't have one, I hate umbrellas).

Another thing that's weird is that whenever I'm going anywhere, the rain stops for a while just right in time for me to arrive at my destination--home or something. This happens most of the time. I swear.

I'm bout to go home now. And yes, you guessed it right. The rain has just stopped. :)

I haven't had my breakfast and lunch. I cant wait to go home and pig out. It's Easter Sunday after all and let's celebrate! Banquet, here I come! :)