Christmas Baby: Sony Cybershot W220

Happy holidays! I have a new baby!

I decided to let go of my wayfarer Rayban and sell it so I can buy a new camera.

Since I'm starting on the blogging world, taking good pictures will be essential. I was a little bit behind with the food blog I'm maintaining because I could not take quality food pictures.

Since it's the holidays, a little splurge is forgivable.

I bought a Sony Cybershot W220 Digital Camera.

I'm not an expert when it comes to cameras, but this new cam works wonders for me. It has intelligent scene detection and smile shutter. I love the smile shutter because I no Longer need to set the timer, I just trigger the camera to shoot and shoot by smiling! How convenient! Boasting with 12.1 megapixels, I am impressed with the detail this camera is able to capture. However it has it's downsides too, like the inability to zoom in and out once your shooting a video. It's easy to use especially for camera noobs like myself.

I'm loving this camera, I still have the remaining holidays to test it. I will update this blog with sample pictures =) happy holidays everyone!

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My Year Ender!

I was staring at the screen for a good five minutes thinking about my take on the Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight, or the mango torte i'm devouring for my food blog but I can't shake of the feeling of writing a year ender blog.

This year by far is the most life changing year in the 23 years that I am alive.

January

Disaster birthday

my first salary got stolen

my ex decided to confess that he cheated on me (few days before my birthday)

drunk for 2 weeks
got injured

February

went to baguio for a week

still heart broken but better

I guess broken hearts paved the way for me to appreciate what I had and bond with my family

my grade level? Nursery

March

Got work, in the Operating room

First scrub was ORIF, wide excision, extremely stressful: bitchy doctors, 16 hour case, first day at work, got home at around 2am and had duty at 6am.

still heartbroken, completely shocked at work and dead tired.

Gained new friends, had time to work on bonding with old friends.

grade level: Nursery 2

April

adjusted at work

already having fun at work

saw "other" people and realized I was't ready yet

more alone time

more time with friends

never at home, always at work or out of the house

feeling better

I know what specialty i wanna go into: Urology, bleeding kidneys i love!

grade level: grade 1

May

happy months

i don't remember anything crappy happening.

spent more time with my family and friends

got more kick ass surgeries

I think I had my first neuro/brain surgery at this time.

Direct craniotomy! from 10-6 shift. and I was alone!

grade level: grade 6

June

Happy months

Head nursing duties

more brain surgeries and emergency exlaps

honing my circulating nurse duties

endorsements with surgical Intensive care units

Pediatric surgeries

laparoscopic surgeries

i love my job.

i love my friends

and i'm starting to notice other people in a non friendly way =)

Royce Milk Chocolates =)

Grade level: 4th year highschool

July

Was exposed to H1N1

my dad passed away, a block in the internal carotid artery, major stroke, left brain was swelling uncontrollably, had surgery, 1 week in the intensive care unit

I was in a state of disbelief, numbness, I was an an etirely different person after this

my mom was sick too.

my brother I realized was still the same little brother. he was still a baby and I had to suck it all up for my dad, my mom and my brother.

everything was still a blur.

heartbroken, nothing can surpass the pain i felt when my dad died, after that pain every other painful event in my life seemed like a pinch, a cramp nothing compared to this.

grade level: Geriatric!!!

August

learned how to drive

more family responsibilities

blank

jaded

decided to travel, escape for a while.

Grade level: kinder 2

September

went to baguio

October

spent time recuperating

met my own personal magnet

the rest is... honestly, I have no idea what it was. what it should be or if

there is a possibility of something, just that during that time I can't help myself from jumping.

never felt that way towards someone.

all heart, headless!

November

spent the whole month missing, wishing and figuring out the past month

reality check starting to kick in

back to normal old self + the crappy decisions, responsibilities and stress.

Backed out from a job I thought I wasn't going to benefit from: right decision.

December

Reality in place.

someone came and went and didn't even bother letting me know. I don't need to be scholarly to get the message. heartbreaking but a breakthrough learning experience. some people don't care not matter how much you do.

decided to hibernate, restart, erase or skip the people who made my year crappy, mind boggling and sad.

buying a house.

looked for an apartment.

spending Christmas alone. relationship free, hang up free and boy problems free!

excited about 2010 though.

extremely hopeful.

Feeling better, can breath better, for the first time this year I have a clear mind. not headless anymore!

Very Hopeful.

grade level: first year college!

wow, not bad, I'm still breathing, sane and hopeful.

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FLU management

It's fast, invisible to the human eyes and it's not a super hero. It's FLU or influenza.

My mom had this a few days ago, and so did some of my friends. They were asking me what to drink, what to do or if it would be necessary to take antibiotics.

this is what I consider when I catch FLU:

• Influenza is a viral disease, which means it does not require you to take antibiotics whch are given for bacterial infections. However if you feel that you are developing an infection due to your immunocompromised state because of the virus, it is best to ask your doctor to prescribe you the antibiotic.

• Viral diseases like Influenza are self limiting. Self limiting means that after a few days, they will disappear and die down. However symptoms associated with the FLU should be managed symptomatically.

• people usually think that FLU preparations or medications will cure the FLU. Flue preparations are usually combinations of drugs that manage the symptoms such as pain, fever etc. They do not cure the FLU, it dies down eventually.

• a common mistake in taking flu medications is double dosing. particularly TYLENOL. TYLENOL or ACETAMINOPHEN is a non steroidal anti-inflamatory drug contained in most Flu preparations/combination drugs. what people do is buy the over the counter FLU preparation and they buy Advil which also has acetaminophen thus double dosing occurs.

• Flu shots do not protect you for a life time. Influenza is a complex disease that mutates and develops different strains. Most shots protect you for a range of 6 months, however it does guarantee total protection from all the strains of the virus.

• Flu shots are preventive management to FLU. A person should be healthy and free from infection or disease when they get the shot. If your immune system is down when you get the shot, it might go against you.

• complications can happen when you get the virus. Though it is self limiting, your immune system is compromised thus exposing you to a variety of other diseases.
  

• get plenty of rest, fluids and vitamins. Eat right and strengthen your immune system. This is the way to go to combat the FLU.
  

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2012 MOVIE

Yesterday night, I got the chance to watch the most talked about film 2012.

I don't want to put spoilers in here just random thoughts about the 2012 movie. I liked the movie, it was very entertaining, but it was more of an independence day kind of movie. It wasn't scary and amidst the supposedly terrifying scenes where everyone falls off something, the writers and the director managed to inject humor. It wasn't off, it was funny actually just not what I expected.

I expected dark, scary, war of the worlds kind of movie.

I also think that the 2012 movie was in perfect timing, especially here in our country. Environmental issues have really shaken much of the country's populace and the movie trailers showed how nature returns the favor for all the abuse mankind inflicted on her.

A good movie, there were lapses and some stuff that I didn't find right but I guess I'll do the critic later on, when people finish seeing it.

my two cents.

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36 days till Christmas already?

Today, I woke up on the right side of the bed. First news of the day: 36 days until Christmas. I'm not that big of a fan right now, but I still am a little bit.

When things start to get chaotic, confusing and downright depressing I listen to Christmas music! It perks up my day, lifts a dampened spirit and takes you away from the darkness.

I used to have a lot of activities when the Christmas season arrives. I used to sing with my choir mates and go caroling, shopping and thinking up surprises for my family and friends and savor the chilly air. Chilly air comes rarely here in our place and I like the cold, I like to cuddle and I like going under huge, thick comforters.

Right now, I have something to look forward to, or at least the possibility of something. I have no idea what the future holds. Just that today, after a while. I woke up on the right side of the bed.

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DABDA

There are Five Stages of Grief according to Elizabeth Kubler Ross.

Denial
I still address my dad as if he were alive. I wish to meet him in my dreams so we can talk. I hope to dream of him in the future when something worth sharing with him happens in my life. I wanna dream about him when I get a job abroad, or when we move to our new house, I want to tell him I had his car fixed and repainted. I want to converse, hug, and see him smile. He's still alive for me. at least that's what keeps me going on. I'd like to think that he can sense, see all that is happening with me.

Anger
I am a nurse. And I couldn't save my dad. No matter how many people I help saving. I still feel useless.

Bargaining
Every single day that my dad was in the hospital, I wished to exchange places. I would give up everything, drop dead just to save him. My mom could have handled loosing me better than loosing my dad. At least she won't be alone. At least they'd be together.

Depression
My mom won't let me drive alone, because I like driving fast. And my car (formerly my dads) is my refuge. no one can hear, see nor tell me to stop crying. When I start to.
I'd risk everything for a moment of forgetting.

Acceptance
I'm not there yet.

Last year was my happiest Christmas. And that's not just a superlative. Because every Christmas after last year, is just a season, a day or an excuse to celebrate.

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Abuse

Before You start reading, this post is my personal take on domestic abuse. I'm not an expert, I have considerable background on psychology and psychiatry but I am speaking my mind and not from a book.

I have seen, met and conversed with people who have been victimized by domestic abuse. Each telling different yet similar stories. From spousal, child, intimate partner abuse, elderly, neglect and the likes.

Before I had any knowledge about abuse, I always asked why women, children, families choose to stay quiet and bare with it rather than seek help. How many news feeds have been about husbands and wives fighting and ending up hurting each other in TV.

Normally I would bluntly express my feelings towards the issue, but I tried to put myself in their shoes. Telling someone how stupid they are for choosing to stay in that kind of relationship is the worst thing you can do to someone who has already suffered much. That alone, telling them what they should have done, what they ought to do and criticizing their already weak ego won't help.

They do it out of love. how many times have I heard this kind of reasoning?

These people need help, It's not easy and they have to make the decision to move on, to move forward, to seek help and to leave the abuser. Seeking help alone is a bigger step than most people think. Help is a sign that someone has acknowledged the presence of a problem.

The wisest and safest way to deal with a friend, a relative or a family member who is undergoing abuse is to let them know that you're there. You're there when their ready to make the decision, you're there to assist and not condemn.

I was talking to a friend about a shocking news that I got from someone I knew. She was abused. Black and Blue with a missing tooth. Their Family was well off, money was not an issue. Her husband's affairs brought about the incident. I couldn't feel any sorrier for what happened to her. But coming out in the open and doing something about the situation is a big step.

It made me think really hard. Getting into relationships, much more marriage is scarier. especially when your partner has violent tendencies. There are signs however.

How does your partner deal with problems? Is there any sign at all of any abusive behavior? A slap can turn into a punch, swears and shouting can be early signs of verbal abuse.

The cycle will go on. abuse-honeymoon stage-abuse-honeymoon stage. seek help, even for the abuser, there are ways to control anger. don't fuel the fire. Change your or someone Else's story.

My two cents.

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