It’s been so long since I could touch a computer and really do something with it.  I’ve been sick since February 4.  After a few days, I thought I was better, but then a new symptom surfaced and I got worse.  Today is probably my least symptomatic day since the 4th.  But I still had the splitting headache this morning and cough throughout.  The headaches were the worst.  They were so painful that I could hardly move.  I could feel my pulse on my head.

I know I’ve mentioned about my ear earlier and most of my friends thought I was sick because of my ear.  No, I wasn’t.  The ear is a different problem I have to take care of.  I had to reschedule everything from my MRI to my doctor’s appointments this past 2 weeks because of my illness.

Sigh.  It’s getting a bit frustrating… after missing out on 3, possibly 4 classes, and running way behind work.  But hopefully tomorrow will be the beginning of another healthy episode of my life.

I want to thank everybody for their prayers and well wishes.  I greatly appreciate them.

I try to write reviews whenever I can from products to hotels. But the one thing I’ve been trying to look for is a site where people can post reviews of health professionals.

I’ve only gone to two doctors more than once and I’m not very satisfied with their services. I’m still looking for doctors. Besides referrals from other doctors and friends, I want to read reviews from other patients as well.

Read on…

I have gained weight and a couple of my very old pants don’t fit anymore.  I’ve always been a slacker when it comes to working out.  Add that to my appetite and my weight is bound to suffer.  I guess I really have to get my butt out of this chair and have a little discipline.

I just found out that Discover card doesn’t allow different shipping and billing address when ordering online.  This is pretty annoying if you want to buy a gift for someone.  I had to use my Mastercard, but I’ve always used my Discover card for everything.

I just enrolled to Premium Transitcheck (unlimited Metrocard valid for 1 year) and now MTA is raising it from $76 to $81 a month.

I called my doctor’s office several times to see if my results were in.  I didn’t even ask to know what the results say, I just wanted to know if they came in and they couldn’t even tell me that.  They told me they were very busy and they will have to call me back.  They didn’t call me back until the third day I’ve been leaving messages.

(image via minnipauz.com)

American Cancer Society has published a report that showed distinctive patterns of cancer incidence among Asian-Americans.  The report was based on cancer cases reported in California for the years 2000-2002.  California has the largest Asian population.  Overall, it was found that Asian-Americans have lower rates than other ethnic groups.  But cancer is still a major cause of death for Asian-Americans.   While Asian-Americans who have lived here longer are more likely to develop cancers more common here such as breast cancer, Asian-Americans who are recent migrants are more likely to develop cancers more common in their native land such as liver and stomach cancer.

Click image to enlarge

(via NYTimes.com)

My friend, Ruchel is participating in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in October and she needs help raising $1800 or more.  Anything you can spare, even just a few dollars is greatly appreciated.

Click here for Ruchel’s Avon Walk personal page.  You can make your donation to her fundraising campaign by clicking on the “Click here to support me” button on her Avon Walk page.

Thank you so much!

Our vacations are not really vacations.  Our vacation schedule is usually hectic.  We fill up our days with activities as much as possible.  Why?  The main reason we go on vacation is not really to relax, but to explore what the place has to offer.  There are many times we get back to our hotel physically exhausted, but mentally energized.

If you are the same type of traveler, you would know that there’s a longer to-do list before leaving to ensure a healthy and enjoyable vacation.  Here are a few of the things I do or I think I should do before I travel:

• Check the CDC website for vaccination requirements and recommendations, health news and outbreaks in the destination.
• Bring a med kit.
• Bring sanitizing/cleansing items (i.e. hand sanitizer, moist towelettes, portable water filters)
• Get in shape if planning to do a physically demanding activity.
• Bring nourishment and bottled water that will last until you can get more.  I get hungry and thirsty too often.

Click here for an article by Gretchen Kelly at Travel Channel for more things to do for a healthy travel.

We need to always be prepared when we go to places, exotic or not.  I always carry a med kit with me when I travel.  I use one of the pouches that I get for free when I buy cosmetics, then I fill it with meds that I might need for my vacation.  I always try to put my med kit in my carry-on luggage if possible just in case my checked baggage/s get lost or delayed.

Here’s a checklist I got from an article by Hannah Wallace at the Endless Vacation magazine July/August 2007 edition:

• Sunscreen
• Blister supplies (bandages or Band-aids in different sizes, moleskin, antibiotic cream)
• Hydrocortisone cream – one thing I couldn’t live without when traveling
• Insect repellent – another thing I couldn’t live without when traveling.  The bugs either love me or hate me so much.
• Decongestant
• Pepto-Bismol
• Motion sickness med – I haven’t had motion sickness for a long time now so I don’t usually take some with me, but it is probably a good idea to take some next time.
• Pain reliever – I always carry both ibuprofen and acetaminophen
• One dose of antibiotics – this I’ve never done
• Prescription med

Read on…

I am not a health nut.  I’m totally the opposite.  But since I started working at my current job, I was introduced to healthier foods.  My coworkers just love going to the Whole Foods Market, a natural and organic food market, a few blocks away.  I guess I was influenced a bit and started loving it as well.

If you like Whole Foods or a healthy lifestyle, here’s great news… Whole Foods has launched a monthly podcast series that promotes natural health and body care.  This month’s podcast features natural skin care.  The podcast aims to educate shoppers on what natural ingredients to look for that is beneficial for their skin type.  Click here to listen to the natural skin care podcast.

A man who was diagnosed with a rare, dangerous form of tuberculosis flew to Europe and back.  The man’s identity is being kept a secret for privacy.

The man was set to wed in Greece.  But prior to flying to Greece, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis and doctors advised him not to fly.  However, the man said that doctors didn’t order him not to fly, but suggested he put off his wedding in Greece.  He flew to Greece anyway.  According to him, he didn’t realize that his tuberculosis could be dangerous until when he was already in Europe.

While in Italy for his honeymoon, CDC (Center for Disease Control) told him he couldn’t fly aboard commercial planes and asked him to stay in Italy and get treated.  Afraid he wouldn’t get the treatment he needed if he didn’t get back to the US, he and his wife decided to sneak back to the US through Canada.

“I thought to myself: You’re nuts. I wasn’t going to do that. They told me I had been put on the no-fly list and my passport was flagged,” the man said.

He told the newspaper he and his wife decided to sneak back into the U.S. through Canada. He said he voluntarily went to a New York hospital, then was flown by the CDC to Atlanta.

“I’m a very well-educated, successful, intelligent person,” he told the paper. “This is insane to me that I have an armed guard outside my door when I’ve cooperated with everything other than the whole solitary-confinement-in-Italy thing.”

~ Associated Press 

I’m sorry, but after reading the article, I couldn’t get myself to feel sorry for the man.  I can’t believe his complete disregard for other people’s safety, specifically his fellow passengers’ on the flights to Canada and US.  His actions were selfish, inconsiderate, and very stupid.  And he claims he’s well-educated and intelligent?

I hope the people who came close to him didn’t contract the disease.

While my co-worker was organizing some medical records, the word “PAP” stood out on one of them.  It was probably because it was the only one in all caps.  We looked under name and the name sounded masculine.  We checked gender, and the patient was indeed male.  We gave each other a puzzled look.  Then we realized there’s such a thing as “PAP” with males.

At first, I thought “PAP” was only done with females.  But I was thinking of something else.  I was thinking of the pap test or pap smear test that tests for cervical cancer in females.  On the other hand, PAP (in all caps) is an acronym for Prostatic Acid Phosphatase.  The PAP test measures prostatic acid phosphatase to determine the health of the prostate gland.  Well, now I know.