Neuralgia and the Maze called Makati Medical Center

One Wednesday during a very hectic week when our Global HR Leadership Team from Europe were in town, I had the most terrible headache experienced ever. I had to be at work at 7:30am that day to attend a Leadership forum and I attributed the pain to lack of sleep and stress. As the day progressed I had continued to do my desk job while nursing an ice pack at the back of my head. I went home early with the hopes of sleeping it off. The next day, went back to work, sharp pains still kept on shooting from the back of my head. I managed to do a presentation with the top HR guy (pale-looking and disheveled hair, mine not his!) and attended a few meetings but requested to leave early again. By Friday, I decided I really needed to see a doctor. Pain reliever was my new best friend over the weekend because it was the only think that kept me functioning normally. I did all required ENT tests (paranasal sinus xray, skull APL xray, audiometry, etc) to rule out possible ENT causes. When all tests came back normal, my last stop was a neurologist! Questions here and there, tests and checks....and voila, I was diagnosed with "Neuralgia". It's caused by affected or infringed nerves, in my case, emanating from my stressed and stiff neck. It was aggravated by 2 things -- heavy laptop backpack and sleeping with high pillows. Change in carrying-habits, medications, hot compress plus weekly light massage (wheeeee!) should make it better in the next couple of weeks. It's been 5 days since and I'm back to A-okay.

In the past days that I had been running to and fro around the newly renovated Makati Medical Center....it was all one giant maze! I kept on

getting lost...I'm not sure if its because it was too crowded or if they lack the signages. While it seemed to have significantly improved for posterity sake, I don't find it patient-friendly! So much walking to move from doctors clinics to laboratory, restrooms are not conveniently located, elevators are quite far from doctor's clinics... errr.... if I were in excruciating pain at that time, I would have probably be short-tempered already (thank God it's Maxicare paying for my check-ups otherwise, I wouldn't find it worth my pesoses).

With so much construction works still going on at that time, I hope it was just a phase that the maze is there to bear. Otherwise, I would recommend other hospitals to visit to.

Simple Thoughts to the Meaning of Life

...sometimes, we get so wrapped up and carried away with the busy-ness and demands of work and other responsibilities, that we forget to appreciate the simple ideas that make up more meaning to our Life...

Motherhood is a Career!

I delivered my Speech #2 (out of 10) for Toastmasters yesterday. And this was what I wrote and delivered :)

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Motherhood is a Career

I have always been career driven for as long as I can remember. And by this, it meant looking back from the time I have stepped out of the University a couple of decades ago. All these working years have given me experiences in successes and failures as I strive to climb the so-called corporate ladder. I had been lucky to have been guided by seasoned practitioners I call experts in their field… seasoned in experience and maybe even in age.

However, no amount of mentoring could have prepared me for the daunting tasks that go along with this thing called MOTHERHOOD. The past 11 years had been a constant juggle to give equal focus between work and family. And in the recent years, I realized that Motherhood is a dedicated career by itself. Why you might ask? Let me share with you corporate practices that are effectively applied in parenting.

First and most important of it all, TIME MANAGEMENT. Children require so much time and undivided attention from infancy to toddler up to school age and even beyond. It requires the art of maximizing 24 hours to be spent in playing, doing assignments, participating in school programs, engaging in sports, attending PTA meetings, doctor visits and simply 1 on 1 bonding sessions with the child, among others. It is important that each opportunity to spend time with a child is spent with utmost quality as these are the moments that shape and mold their personality and character. These precious moments should be allocated while they are young, before we know it, they grow up very fast and are mostly out of our sight.

Next comes, BUDGETING. It is no joke that raising a child is financially-challenging. At first, I was confident that I was up for the expenses since I was a working mom. While I have managed to get through the years, it takes a change in lifestyle and priorities to be able to cope up. There is always that “want” to provide not just ENOUGH but beyond my child’s needs. Commodity prices go up, and that goes the same for school tuition fees, uniforms, extra-curricular activities, medicines and play time, among others.

Motherhood also comes with STRATEGIC PLANING. At some point, I question my capabilities if I am raising my child right? When am I a mother and when do I become a friend? When do I listen and empathize? When do I reprimand? Should I be strict? Should I be forgiving? These are some of the daily questions I ask. It takes much creative thinking and balancing to make my child comfortable talking to me and confiding in me, yet at the same time be able to instill discipline and raise him with good morals.

Lastly, COMMUNICATION and FEEDBACK. These are equally important factors in Motherhood. In good and bad times, it is important to communicate with the child. How we do feedback in Toastmasters could also be applied. Highlight the good points, correct the bad points and reinforce the good things that the child needs to continue doing. Communication comes in different shape and form, it could be a hug, a grunt, a nod but nothing beats verbal communication – from simply asking how the day went to expressing emotions and feelings. It is important to let your child know, how important he or she is, or the moment just passes you by.

I am no expert in Parenting. I wouldn’t even claim I am a perfect mom. I probably apply as much best practices as I can but it doesn’t mean I would not encounter any glitches. My motherhood performance evaluation would probably be evident as my child grows up…I am sure my rating would still be “needs continuous improvement”. My compensation and benefit would be reflected in the multiplied hugs, kisses and appreciation my child shows. My level promotion may be in the form of grand parenting, God-forbid not in the very near future! So you see, Motherhood is a career on its own entirety, and while I know this career will not increase the funds in my bank account, my long term objective is to excel in it and be the best mommy I can ever be!

Weekend High with the Boys

Oh yes, what a weekend...! Mini-Me's quarterly exam just finished so we decided to stay in Dansalan over the weekend. I had been asking Labidabs to plan out itinerary but none fixed and finalized till it was already Friday. In between the boys' indoor activity of Unchartered and Assassins Creed, we got to watch SALT in Rockwell, shopped in Greenhills ate at Ristra's (wet burrito, we meet again!) and Johnny Rocker (burgers+fries+cherry coke!) and strolled along the new Eastwood Mall. New for me, since my last orientation of Eastwood was the CityWalk area. And Eastwood Mall is a new haven! Waaaahhh... as in I could not get enough of it. Definitely NOT the last time i am going to be there :)

But the retail therapy was my weekend high! Yes, i call it therapy, (although i think my ATM card would need most of the therapy now, haha). In the last 2 weeks, these are the stash I have gathered.... wheeeee

When I got home, i did an impromptu spring cleaning of the closet... as the saying goes, make room for more! Till my next "therapy session" :)