Thursday, August 29, 2013

To Lend A Helping Hand


It had just been almost two weeks since Typhoon Maring left the country but its effects can still be seen and felt almost every where. Some provinces are still flooded, electricity and water just recently resumed in some localities, homeless families still in evacuation centers and garbage can be seen almost ANYWHERE. It is hard not to get affected each time you hear or read about the news especially if you pass by them on your way home. Though typhoons are catastrophes that this country had gotten used to, the creepiness sometimes starts to built especially if they become worst year after year.

During these days a little act of kindness goes a long way.Volunteerism that started during the height of the storm still continues. Donations whether in cash or in kind, in the form of food, clothes, water and medicine matter a great deal. Different organizations, malls, fast food chains, schools, churches and even in the offices accept donations. There is the willingness to give and to look for ways to share that even hand me down clothes means a lot especially if the recipient have nothing else left.

I grew up in a family where most of my clothes were hand me down. I thought then that it was just  normal for my cousins to share the clothes they no longer use. Those hand me down acts continued and developed until I had kids. My cousins including my in laws would give not just clothes but shoes, bags, toys and even books that their kids no longer read. And just like me, my kids thought it was no big deal. On the contrary they are happy to have something new (to them at least) and get to show it to their friends. There was even a time that they would sleep with their "new toys," making sure that they get to wake up with them still in the same place.



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Now that most of my kids had grown up, I tell them time and again that the value of giving is an  unending cycle.When there are instances that donations especially for typhoon victims are needed I encourage them to look for the things they no longer use and have it given away. I make it a point for them to always remember that the reason why we share was because we knew how it felt not to have much and that for every little thing a person receives in times of need, it matters a whole lot.


At times It does not really take that much to lend a helping hand.


To those who want to volunteer, you can visit www.redcross.org.ph and call your nearest chapter.






Wednesday, August 28, 2013

What Is Cataract Surgery


Cataract surgery is the surgery used to remove  the natural lens of the eye when it has become opaque. When a person's natural eye lens becomes opaque, this is called a cataract . When someone develops a cataract it makes it very difficult to see clearly and glasses or contacts can do nothing to help clear up the problem. For this reason people who have developed a cataract need to have surgery in order to repair their vision.


 How Does  a Cataract Develop?

The first question that someone with a cataract usually ask is, "How did this cataract develop in my eye?" This is a very important question to know the answer to. A cataract develops when metabolic changes occur in the fibers of the lens. Over time these metabolic changes cause a loss of transparency in the eye's lens. A person's next question may be, "What could I have done to have prevented this?" However there really is no way to avoid this metabolic changes, making it impossible to prevent yourself from ever developing a cataract. This does not mean that everyone will develop a cataract in their life; it just means that there aren't any health practices you can follow in order to ensure that you will never get one.You can, however, look out for signs for a cataract.These signs include experiencing a strong glare from lights and reduced sharpness to low light levels. If you notice these symptoms then you should go to your optometrist to check your eyes for a cataract.



What Is The Procedure Like


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After a doctor has examined your eye and confirmed that there is a cataract, the doctor will determine if you are a candidate for surgery. During the actual cataract surgery the patient is put under anesthesia. The pupil is dilated and the doctor enters the eye through a minimal incision. The doctor then injects stabilizing substances to maintain the pressure in the eye. They destroy the cataract and insert an intra-ocular lens, which is a synthetic lens that restore the lens's transparency. The wound is then sealed and the eye is hydrated if it needs it, depending on how long the eye went without blinking hydration.







Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Worth Dying For


With Typhoon Maring and its tail end still bringing gusty winds and occasional rains, most of us here in the Philippines continue to move on with our lives irrespective of flood, illness, hunger, lost lives and destroyed property. While classes remained suspended in certain localities, some employees chose to go to work. Rather than moping where our taxes had gone and thinking that this catastrophe might happen again next year, hope and faith still prevails for those who believed.

I was one of the reasons why he returned many years ago even if he knew that would cost his own life. Though righteousness may have been a road less travelled by many, some still believe that a life full of meaning is a life worth dying for.


Photo Credits to Pinoy Ako


I will and always be proud to be a Filipino.






Tuesday, August 20, 2013

The Last Memory I Have Saved For A Rainy Day


Remember that old story about the grasshopper and the ant? Perhaps some of you do. Honestly the continuous downpour of the rains from the past days, add to the fact that there were a lot of ants on the floor made me remember that revised grade school story which tells about the happy go lucky grasshopper and the industrious ant who was busy storing and saving up food for the coming winter (My grade school teacher had read a revised Filipino edition where the winter season was changed to the rainy days and based it on a Philippine setting). And if my memory served me right, the story started one summer time when a grasshopper greeted the day by singing and dancing his heart away yet failing not to notice his friend ant who was busy storing food for the coming rainy days.  He invited his friend to join him since the rainy days are still too far away but the ant explained that he need to keep going and not wait for that time when there is no more food to save away. In short the ant did not listen and ignored the grasshopper's pranks until one day when it started to rain that the grasshopper realized he did not have much time left to gather and save on food. And as he tried to survive the cold and hunger brought about his carefree days, the wise ant stayed indoors, safe and warm because he knew he had enough saved for the rainy days.




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In the Philippines, rainy days are felt from June to September the most and due to global warming that could even extend until December. Typhoons and floods had been a part of the country's catastrophe ever since I can remember. There was even a time that my parents and I had saved what ever we can spare. Funny thing was I did not literally have money to put in our piggy bank which was an emptied Johnson's baby powder. It was just bought mainly for my use which my dad fondly called as "my piggy bank."In fact I liked how heavy it felt and the sound it made each time I rattled its contents which was almost music to my ears until the day when my dad told me it was time to open it up because we needed the money to buy some food and candles due the coming typhoon.That was the last memory I have when my family had saved for a rainy day.

Lately I have not been blogging because my mom was confined again for more than two weeks in two hospitals. From the town's district hospital she was transferred to a private one that has an ICU where she was monitored for almost a week. She had three doctors because she had a mild stroke, a mild heart attack and respiratory tract infections where the complications greatly reduced her oxygen and hemoglobin level. She was in oxygen for two weeks and had to have blood transfusion because she became anemic. I went on LOA for eight days, leaving my six kids with my husband's care and took care of my mom together with my sister in law and my eldest daughter who had put on hold all her job applications just to be a caregiver for my mom. During those two weeks my two siblings abroad worked and called non stop so they could send the money. My brother worked on a 12 hour shift in Saudi Arabia including his rest days and my sister doing odd jobs in the US while I literally spent most of my last salary to pay my mom's hospital bills confinement at the district hospital and asked help from my former classmates. It was a grueling and very emotional period in our lives that I even thought my mom would not make it. Even the doctors who interviewed my daughter and sister in law about my mom's medical history also could not believe about the series of mild strokes she had survived and  commented that though she may be 78 years old,she is still moving up and about. Miraculously her CT Scan proved normal and the rest of her lab tests. With the help of prayers from family and friends, kind and encouraging doctors, nurses and medical staff, even from old classmates and my mom's students, we were able to survive.

Now that my mom's memory is back, she keeps asking how much was the hospital bills. Since I know for a fact that she is as sharp as ever, I jokingly told her that such information is classified and the minute she is (very) well enough to walk and take care of herself again, she might know the answer. That would mean that the sooner she gets well the better and I know she understood. It maybe a long time for my family to get back on our feet from our financial worries, but what matters most is my mom is still here. And even though financial problems come and go, it is never too late to save not only for the rainy days. It maybe difficult at the start and would entail a lot of hard work but once you get the hang of it, every small accomplishment will be a milestone.

Besides, I have always thought that financial independence come to those who believe in it.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Products For Your Curly Hair


Devachan Salon curly hair products are made specifically for curly hair. Those of you with curly hair know that those curls can be stubborn sometimes. There is wavy hair that is broken down into an S-shaped wave, a gentle S shape with a small amount of waves, and a combination of waves and curls. The next category is curly and not wavy.The first level is the type of curl that will spring back up when it is pulled down. A curl with a tighter hair coil is the next level, and then there are tightly coiled curls that are also called ringlets. The level that comes next does not have an S shape; it has a Z shape. Some people call it kinky hair.This level is followed by hair that is kinky but finer than the previous level. The curliest hair is the kind that you can't really even comb through and has to be styled very carefully because the hair is so delicate.




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The First Steps

Having a good conditioner to go along with your shampoo will help with curly hair tangles. There are products you can put in when you are done with shampooing and conditioning your hair that will help moisturize your hair and to keep the frizzies down. There are serums that, if used sparingly will help unfrizz the frizzies during the course of your day when they need a little taming. Finishing creams are also great  and will help protect the hair when you are blow drying or using a curling iron. Sprays can help with volume, keep the curl just the way you want it, add bounce to those beautiful curls and make sure the curls last long as you need them.



Knowing Your Products

With Devachan Salon curly hair products or products you get from other locations, you can tame the curls, accentuate the curls or make them beautiful as they were intended to be. You can have curls that bounce, curls that bend and curls that are with waves and look like you have just come back from the beach. With the right products, you will discover how to create beautiful curls.