Wellness Wednesdays: Live in Love not Fear

I must admit, fear gripped me when Sweetie messaged me that he tested positive for COVID-19. I was in the hospital for a CT scan with Miggy. I felt though that Sweetie was as scared as me so I set my fear aside and told him everything will be alright. The next day Miggy tested positive too. 

I super miss my boys.

It was a miracle though that I did not pick it up where they got it. We suspect it was from the airport or plane ride. From what I recall, the three of us were always together. We were only apart when they bought food and stood in the plane queue. Sweetie covered me throughout the flight because someone kept vomiting. We were seated in front so he kept passing by without a mask. Sweetie said he wanted to protect me that's why when his temperature went up last week he immediately isolated himself. 

I'm still scared. I was with Miggy the whole day last Saturday. We thought his cough was due to GERD, but I had him isolate when I heard him wheezing. The next day he tested positive too. Patients though are contagious a day or two before they test positive and I was certainly exposed. We're praying I don't come down with it. 

I keep reminding myself though that I should live with love not fear. I told the virus it has no space anymore in my body. I am rejecting it! The next 48 hours are critical for me because we'll probably know by then if I come down with it. It's been very hard to decipher the symptoms since I experience being dizzy, raised temp, shortness of breath all the time. I'm just resting in between providing food for the boys and chores.

Live in love, not in fear. Have faith that God will protect you and keep you safe from harm. 

Keep safe everyone. 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Home on Mondays: Dealing with the Dreaded Two Stripes

The boys have been okay. It's day 3 for Sweetie and he said his cough has lessened. He's also been exercising while isolated. Miggy is on his second day and he said his cold and cough has worsened. He started taking medication yesterday so probably the virus is pretty riled up. It's been hard for me to determine how I'm feeling since I always have something everyday. I'm also monitoring my temperature and O2 and other symptoms. So far nothing out of the ordinary. 

We went through the same thing last month when the boys had flu. We learned a lot when they isolated, so taking care of them now isn't as hard. I'm also much better now compared to a month ago, I just need to make sure my energy lasts until I turn the lights off before bedtime. 

In case you have someone who needs to isolate in your home, here's a list of what we've done:

1. Room supplies - we always have the following extra supplies in each bedroom: toilet paper, alcohol, dishwashing liquid and sponge, masks, and air purifier.

2. Own plates and utensils - to minimize interaction we learned it's better to provide plates, utensils and drinking glass/mug for the patient. We used paper plates and disposable forks and spoons last time and that wasn't really sustainable because it added to the trash (plus not environment friendly). I immediately gave the boys their own set once they quarantined. 

3. Water - what goes in the room doesn't go out, so we've been buying 6 to 8 liter water bottles for the boys. The virus is airborne and we don't know how long it lasts on surfaces. Also have a friend who said he was infected from their office water station. The big water bottles last 1.5 to 2 days per person. 

4. Medication - took us 3 days before the boys went for e-consultation. What we did this time was immediately do e-consultation. We've been using AIDE app and they have so far been consulting with the same doctor. I ordered the meds from Mercury Drug online and sometimes I get via the Watson's app also. If you need it same day Mercury Drug delivers the same day, just be patient and watch for their email. Watson's has express delivery, but I think it's not available on weekends. 

5. Food - to conserve my energy we've been ordering food via Grab. Friends have also been sending, so we're always eating something every hour (hehe). The doctor advised to eat more fruits and veggies. I got help from friends to buy for me since buying via the grocery hasn't been a good experience. Ahh, one thing helpful is to have snacks available. We usually have bread and instant oatmeal which they eat for breakfast also. That way I don't have to rush to prepare food in the mornings. 

The list is so far the key elements to managing the illness. My friends have offered to send a helper, but I'm wary of exposing someone else. So far things have been manageable and we're coping well. This morning I ate breakfast slowly and did one load of laundry. Things have been quiet and I've been able to enjoy watching vids on YouTube. It won't take long and I'll have my boys back soon. 

#StaySafe #BeKind

Keeping Safe: Staying and Working from Home in Singapore

I know my family has been pretty worried about us since we're so far away from home. Last Friday I thought I'd make a record of how our day goes on a workday. It's very busy, but we still have to make time to eat and take some breaks in between meetings. This period has been very busy for both me and Sweetie and we had to make adjustments when they were also required to work from home.

We had a preview of this set-up last year when Sweetie had knee surgery. When he told me that they were going to start working from home I immediately said that we should have separate work spaces. Me at the dining table and him in Miggy's old room (which is filling out with stuff since we're preparing to move soon).

Here are some tips if you have to work from home -

(1) Separate work areas if there's more than one person working from home. This is important especially if you have video meetings.

(2) Hydrate - keep a water bottle beside you.

(3) Be prepared to make quick meals. My seatmate oftentimes ping me to remind me to eat! My lunch usually slides down to 3-4pm (which is bad!). We're lucky if we have leftovers from the night before.

(4) Exercise - my physiotherapist gave me a list of exercises I can do at home. This helps with my overall wellbeing.

(5) Be positive - the thing that would make you sick real quick is thinking negative thoughts. Being grateful helps keep your mind and heart positive. If you encounter negativity, treat it with kindness. Don't every hold on to the negative feeling because this will make your immune system weak.

Have a happy work week!

What is Mother Nature Trying to Tell Us?

A few weeks after the Taal Volcano eruption I went back to Singapore. It was right about the time when the coronavirus situation in China blew up and the government started rolling out stricter policies to prevent the spread. I knew right away that all my 2020 plans needed to be adjusted. Stress level escalated and I had slight fever every other week. I was really concerned about getting sick because I know I'm high risk.

What really helped me was when my director advised me to work from home. He said he was concerned about me getting infected. I really appreciated the gesture and it helped ease the stress. It's been two weeks since I started working from home. Stress level has gone down, but it's been busier at work. I only get to go out twice a week when I have physiotherapy. My PT has given me a list of exercises I can do at home since my movement is limited (Sweetie hasn't allowed me to swim for awhile now).

We hurt Mother Nature :'( 

After Pope Francis' urbi et orbi blessing last night (yes we stayed up) I realized that I need to process the situation better. Kuya taught me that for you to move on from a situation you need to learn from it. Papa Pope said in his meditation, “Because this is God’s strength: turning to the good everything that happens to us, even the bad things. He brings serenity into our storms, because with God life never dies.”

What lesson are we supposed to learn?

(Angelus with Pope Francis, October 2018 when we went to Rome.)

I fell asleep thinking about what Pope Francis said. I realized this morning that Mother Nature released this virus that affects the lungs because she is sending a message to us. I've been seeing reports that due to lockdowns/community quarantines the air has been cleaner. In Manila it's been reported that you could see the Sierra Madre mountains and Corregidor Island clearly. Manila Bay's water turned turquoise. In China it was reported they finally saw blue skies. Mother Nature's lungs was very sick. She couldn't breathe anymore.

When Mother Nature is happy.

And that's exactly what pneumonia makes you feel. I think that's what Papa Pope is trying to have us meditate on. History shows that mankind has experienced a number of pandemics. I think it happens when things just become too much. For the coming days I'm going to think about how I could be a better earthling, a better person and better appreciate all the blessings that's given to us.

What about you? What are your thoughts why this is happening to us?