2026 Health and Wellness Goals

Having chronic conditions is hard. The baseline is to stay stable, not pick up any germs, and not get hospitalized. I missed my last session of physiotherapy because I woke up very dizzy on the 27th. I'll complete it this week, get my report and then see my Ortho doctor again. 

There are a couple of things I want to work on for this year, especially since I need to prepare for the replacement of my mitral valve. I had ten years to prepare last time I had heart surgery. I've managed to delay it for a year (thanks to my knee and ankle), but it's imminent. 

Anyway, aside from the baseline, I'd like to increase my stamina, increase my oximeter level, reduce weight and eat healthy. One thing the dietician of my boys said is it's better to eat home-cooked meals. It's better also than ordering prepared healthy meals. It's important to know what's going on your food and you can control the ingredients. 

I did notice the difference the past three weeks. During Christmas and New Year, I tried to cook more. I had less bloating and it was easier on my tummy. It has probably helped reduce some of the red flags on my blood markers. The thing is I need to have better stamina so I can cook more. 

Physiotherapy helped me to move more. My knee and ankle are a bit better, so I've been able to do more gardening (sometimes 150 minutes in a day!). I once had a day where I did gardening and cooked. I was half dead though the next day, so I need to temper things. My physiotherapist also said I should still take it easy since I still experience pain when I do too much. 

In summary, here's what I want to do for the year:

• be more than stable
• increase stamina
• increase oximeter levels (will go back to pulmo rehab after I complete my PT)
• move more and get more sunlight
• reduce weight and eat right 
• survive heart surgery and be rolling by my birthday or Christmas (depending on when it happens)

Have a healthy new Year everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Wellness Wednesdays: Small Steps Matter

I had fallen into a rut the past couple of months. I know now what triggers it. I functioned based on need which also meant a lot of stuff I was doing fell behind. I'm lucky Sweetie and Miguel are very patient and understand when there are days I can't do anything. 

I learned sometime ago that improving at least 1% from yesterday is better than nothing. I was reminded of this yesterday when I chanced upon a post that said, "Small steps matter". One thing I learned about falling in a rut is not to fight it. The more you fight it, the deeper you sink in the rut. 

The best thing about it is I was prepared to go through the process of pulling myself out of the rut. A few weeks ago I knew I was ready to pull myself out of the rut and started thinking about small steps I could take. 

I started with making sure I could attend my pulmo rehab sessions. I only got to attend one or two sessions during the summer months. I'd end up unstable on the day of my session and would cancel my appointment. My therapists understood. Apparently my classmates were the same! Humidity is truly bad for us. 

Anyway, I started by avoiding doing anything heavy the day before my sessions. When that didn't work too well, I asked to re-schedule my session to a time which I felt I could commit better. That worked for me and attending the sessions give me better sleep and more energy. 

I also changed how I pray. I've been very specific with what I need help on and God does answer prayers. I feel I'm slowly leaving the rut I fell in. Always remember, God only gives you challenges that you can bear. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Pulmo Rehab Progress

I'm happy I was able to attend my pulmo rehab sessions the past 3 weeks. Yay! My therapist usually ramps me up whenever I go MIA because I'm sick. We did the full set today and oh boy, I'm depleted! Haha. I think it was the right level-up since I didn't conk out right after the session. 

I have been feeling heavy since I was rendered useless after our Ikea trip last month. I took awhile to get better, but my back has been painful and I think it's affecting my appendages. I'll probably see my neuro first and have her refer me to a spine doctor. 

I feel the difference though after three pulmo rehab sessions. I'm getting stronger again. I hope we'll be able to start spinning again next week. I'll probably try to use the stationary bike in the next few days to prepare. I just need to make sure I don't overdo things so I can consistently attend my sessions. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

I'm Back! (Mega Blog-Backlog Update)

It's almost been a month since I took a hiatus from blogging. I was unwell and so I let both my mind and body rest. It felt like my "cache" was overflowing and needed a hard reset. So that's what I did. I was down for almost two weeks after visiting Ikea. My whole body just hurt and I could barely do anything. When I eventually felt better I took baby steps to get moving. 

Baby steps meant re-potting my papaya and calamansi plants (haha). I'm glad that worked out since they all adjusted well to their new pots. I also transferred one avocado seed I propagated in water. The leaves has grown in just over a week. I'm glad it rained after I transferred it to a pot. It helped the avocado adjust faster. 

I spent a lot of time with our cats and kittens. They help heal, so that's what I did. Sadly, Grey and Kaley have gone missing. We haven't seen Kaley since September. Grey has been gone for a month now too. They just visit us to eat. We hope and pray they're both okay and eating well. 

I did some cooking too in the past two weeks. That's a good sign I'm getting better. I managed to make pink pasta with scallops, Dad's beef and Mustasa dish, and Bistek Tagalog. Whenever I get in a slump, I re-trace my cooking skills by making all-time favorites. Next week maybe I'll make salmon with cream cheese and chicken afritada if I can complete the ingredients. I'll slowly work my way up to cook at least 2-3 times a week. 

The funniest thing that happened to me the past month is my slippers from c.2008 finally retired. The old Havaianas slippers really last long. I got a new one and used the GC benefit from my medical insurance (yup, I could be very stingy haha). It's so cute and has gumamela in it. 

I've also done 2 pulmo rehab sessions. My therapist was very happy I wasn't absent today! It's really challenging to have medical conditions since recovery can take so long. I have to make sure I manage my energy well so I stay stable. After the exercise this morning I'm doing more laptop stuff and will just water the plants later. 

How you doing my friend?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Ageing

While I'm far from being 65 years old (the age when one starts old age), my body was declared to be 70 years old when I was in my mid-30s. Well, more my heart and not my whole body. It was "reset" when I had heart surgery over 10 years ago. Since then my body has gone through a lot of trauma the past few years. 

My beautiful Meredith and Me

I am due for a TEE. My cardiologist wants to see the structure of my heart since it's been 11.5 years since I had surgery. My mitral valve has been leaking again for the past few years, so we need to make sure my heart is healthy. My lungs are another matter, but we're keeping the healthy parts healthier through pulmo rehab. 

I came across a couple of books on ageing at the Big Bad Wolf event. I got a couple of books which could help me prepare better. I have friends who are the same age as me. We go through life body stages almost at the same time. It's comforting to know I am not alone in what I'm going through. There are things though which is unique for me (OHS, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension etc. etc.). That's what I have to be prepared for since even those who have the same medical conditions like me go through it differently. 

Sometimes I feel God made me go through things in advance. I had Miggy early. I reached the peak of my career earlier. I had OHS younger than usual. I retired early. Everything is fast forward. God only gives you trials that you can bear. That's what I keep reminding myself. So, I'm excited to read the books I just bought. Maybe it will be me a perspective that will help improve my quality of living. 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Adjusting Wellness Goals

I experienced a huge setback to my wellness goals. I was progressing nicely with my spinning time. Last time I had pulmo rehab I reached 12 minutes. I've slid back down to 5.5 minutes since I had COVID-19. I will resume pulmo rehab this week provided I feel well enough. 

My main goal this year is to be able to go biking outdoors. It is my one favorite sport. I don't have a bicycle yet. I will only get one once my therapist tells me it's safe for me. My boys want me to have a bike and full protection gear. When I used to bike around our village I never wore any protection. Well, I shall wear protection just to be sure. I just need to graduate with flying colors from my current pulmo rehab program. 

It's probably taking me longer to regain my strength because of the virus. Ugh. I feel so annoyed. I tried making baked sushi the other day and felt really tired after preparing the tuna. Good thing Miggy knows what to do, so he finished preparing the meal. 

Last night I did some gardening. I just added soil on some plants. Ended up really tired and just watched TV the rest of the night. I know I should give myself some slack. I just feel a bit down because of the setback. I have to focus on being grateful that the illness did not get worse. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Finding Balance

I was able to write a couple of posts last weekend which allowed me to take a break from writing. I didn't force myself yesterday to write a blog post for today since I still needed time to find my balance. Such is the life of someone with PTSD. When it's triggered it takes me awhile to go back to my regular, happy, chill state.

My PTSD was triggered by several factors. I've been able to rebuild my coping mechanisms, but one thing piled after another so I had to work hard to get back to normal. The following activities helped:

• 
  Prayer
• Communicating my frustration
• Re-potted my cacti and succulent collection (it has grown since Ate Rose gave them to me). 
• Wrote a business analysis. This helped allow me to look at things from another perspective. 
• Ate food I like and had a frosty. (I'm so ready to go back to my set meals haha). 
• Worked on organizing my craft room. Also did some sewing.
• Spent time with the cats.
• Did pulmo rehab (mega deep breathing exercises ftw).
• Short roadtrip with the boys. Getting a good dose of sunshine probably helped.
• A little retail therapy. (Got a new Uratex stool for my gardening activities).
• Stopped and smelled the flowers. 
• Talked to a friend who reminded me I'm an ideal client. 
• Stayed offline for awhile. 

Spending time outside probably gave me a good dose of vitamin sun. I feel a little sunburnt after our short roadtrip today. It was good to be out and about. I even spent more time watering the plants. This allowed me to be calmer and distract me from the issues at hand. The problem with PTSD is when it's triggered everything goes out of proportion and I start feeling unwell. 

I feel a bit better now and will hopefully get better sleep tonight after being out most of the day. I know I'm still fragile, so hopefully the universe will cooperate and be safer for me. I wasn't like this before. I used to face tough times by looking at it straight in the eye. I didn't even blink when I had heart surgery. It was the clots that wore me down. 

The activities I listed above are some of my coping mechanisms. Being busy with offline activities really helps a lot and whenever negative thoughts intrude I combat it with a prayer. Of course, hugs from my boys added to my happiness well. 

#BeKind #StaySafe

Need a Break? Take It

I haven't been in the mood to write the past week. I haven't been feeling well and just want to work on my quilt project and sleep in. So I'm not going to make this post long.

I have a friend who's been sickly. She's been hospitalized a couple of times in the past few months. I went through that phase also in late 2020 to the whole of 2021. Aside from being warded I saw my doctors almost every week and I had physiotherapy in between those appointments. It was really hard for me since I could barely walk without experiencing shortness of breath. 

So I learned to heed my body's needs. When it doesn't feel good, I rest. I minimize my activities. I already did the biggest change in my life -- retired. I can't pick up from where I left off anymore since I have a chronic illness. Everyday is different. So I told my friend that maybe she should think about taking a longer break to let her body recover properly.

I'm an extreme example though, but if you're able bodied and generally healthy, rest if your body needs it. Don't push too hard, there's always another day. Rest, relax, recover and enjoy life :)

Oh, btw, Happy Valentine's Day!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Don't Forget This in Your Wellness Journey

I must admit, at one point in the past few years while battling chronic illnesses, I let myself go. I stopped putting on moisturizer and lotion. I didn't even bother to put VCO on my hair which I do every few weeks to keep my hair shiny. I had been religious with moisturizer after a friend in Japan got me face mask. She said I needed to moisturize more.

After that, I asked help from a high school classmate to teach me how to properly take care of my skin. She gave me a list and since then I religiously used the products. During the pandemic though and when I had my second PE, I slacked off. I was not motivated to spruce up since I was feeling unwell and just cooped up at home. 

A few months ago i told myself I had to work on my looks. They say, "If you look good, you'll feel good." So I started religiously moisturizing again. I've also been putting some VCO on hair every few weeks. I also shifted to organic (and earth friendly) soap shampoo and conditioner. I only noticed yesterday when Sweetie and I stepped out for errands that my skin and hair look better. 

My doctors have also been complementing how I look. They say I look healthy and not like someone with chronic illnesses. I told my doctor, "If you can't perform, japorms!" (A quotable quote from Marc Macalua circa 2008). Well, I guess that's why Grab hasn't approved my PWD discount application...

Don't forget to take care of your skin and hair. Aside from using moisturizer/lotion/VCO, don't forget to hydrate, sleep well and eat nutritious food. 

#BeKind #StaySafe 

Breathe, My Pulmo Rehab Journey

Breathing well whether asleep or awake has worked wonders for me. I started pulmo rehab last September. I'm expected to finish my first set by next week. I should have been done in November, but I got sick and missed 2 months of rehab. I resumed last week. 

My lungs are scarred due to various illnesses I had in the past. It started in 2008 when I had pneumonia. Five years later my doctor said after OHS my lungs looked like it had gone through surgery. It got worse after I had two PEs. I was lucky because my former physiotherapist who was working on my back is also an expert on pulmo rehab. She had to work on my breathing before we could do any exercise for my back. Even though it wasn't the focus of our sessions, the exercises for my lungs helped me a lot. 

I've been advising friends who had COVID to get their lungs checked. I send them the post-PE exercise video which I followed before. Exercising your lungs will help prevent scars. Scars in your lungs cannot be removed. The best way is to save and strengthen the healthy part of your lungs. That's what our focus is on right now for me. 

My stamina dwindled since mid-2022. My body went through a lot and it was frustrating because I could barely do anything. I can't cook. Can't clean. Can't do any gardening. Going out is a huge challenge. So I asked my doctors what should I do to improve my stamina. They prescribed pulmo rehab, had me do a sleep test, and work on my nutrition. 

It's been a lot of work, but I'm seeing the fruits of our labor. Sweetie and Miggy play a big role in my health activities. They take turns to spot me while I do my pulmo rehab sessions. Make sure I eat well and on time. Miggy has been strict about getting us to the bedroom earlier (he has to because Sweetie and I tend to hang out downstairs past midnight). 

What changed my game was when I started using a CPAP machine. Pulmo rehab + better nutrition helps, but I needed better sleep. My doctor explained that breathing well in your sleep is important to restore your body. Good sleep + my daily gardening exercise has so far kept me stable and I've become more active at home again. Maybe this year I'll finally be able to organize our home better (together with my boys of course). 

 "Even as little as 10 to 15 minutes a day to deep breathing can help reduce stress and tension, lower blood pressure." - Harefuah Medical Journal#BeKind #StaySafe

How My Stamina Improved!

I finally resumed pulmo rehab yesterday. My PT asked for updates first. I haven't seen her since the first week of November, just before I got very sick! My doctor had me rest first before I resumed. I told my PT I improved a lot after Christmas. Here's what I've been doing since mid-December which helped improve my stamina:

(1) Use the CPAP machine - I've been using it for 6 to 8 hours daily. My doctor explained, it's been helping me get the right amount of oxygen while I sleep. Getting proper sleep helps the restorative process. My Fitbit sleep score has improved a lot too. 

(2) Meal plan - I'm on a 1200 calorie deficit diet. I chose the heart meal to ensure I'm eating the right kind of food. Eating kutsinta sized brown rice shocked me in the beginning. My tummy has since shrank, the tiny sized rice has since become very filling! 

(3) Daily exercise - my neuro advised me to exercise. She said, "Do something you like doing." I'm doing pulmo rehab so I could progress to biking. I'm months away from reaching that goal, so I garden daily for now. I started watering plants for 15 minutes in mid-December, I now garden at least an hour everyday. I read it's a good workout since you use most of your muscles while working. 

(4) Doctor added supplements - aside from vitamin D3, my doctor added vitamin B to my daily supplements. It's helped me be more stable. The late afternoon gardening sessions also help with my vitamin D insufficiency. 

(5) Grow in faith - I still get stressed out sometimes. It's usually from things I cannot control. I'm practicing mindfulness and so I could control how I react to things. Read more about it here.

My quality of life has improved a bit. I'm able to do a bit more stuff everyday. My doctor reminded me to check my oxygen saturation especially when I'm gardening. This is to make sure I'm okay, so I could stop when needed. Miggy has been on-point when it comes to stopping me from over-working. He's very strict and I appreciate that since I have a tendency to keep doing stuff when I feel I have more energy, haha. 

I'm happy with the improvement. I have to ensure I stay stable so I can improve more :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

Did I Meet My Wellness Goals Last Year?

My main goal last year was to recover and gain more stamina. I did slip and broke my streak. I was confined in the hospital for 3 weeks! Ugh! It started as a simple sore throat and progressed to strep throat. Luckily, the pneumonia was nipped at the bud and I did not have sepsis. Whew! It's really important to know when you should go to the hospital. It was the boys who insisted I should be brought to the ER. 

Lesson learned, I should included not being hospitalized as part of my annual goals. I was doing quite well with my pulmo rehab just before I was hospitalized. I have to re-start it again next week. These were my supporting goals last year:

1. Pray - everyday

2. Be grateful and be grateful for others - everyday

3. Eat well and eat more nutritious food - yes, going back to meal plans next week

4. Lose more weight - my weight finally moved down! I shed off 4-5 kilos last year

5. Complete daily exercises and increase exercise capacity (and try to go out more) - still not everyday

6. Follow doctors orders and do the tests - yes, was a good girl last year

7. Drink meds on time - yes, I feel the effect when I don't, so keeping this religiously

8. Re-start meditation - this is where I failed last year

9. Solidify coping mechanims  - yes! I reached rock bottom when I lost my Mom, so really had to work on this

10. Less social media -  yes, have become so lazy at posting

If I were to give myself a score, I think it would be 8/10. I improved a lot towards the end of the year. Just really need to be mindful and take more precaution at the rare instances I go out. I will use this as I craft my wellness goals for the year :)

What about you? How did things go for your wellness?

#BeKind #StaySafe

How to Avoid Infections, Tips from My Doctors

I have avoided having tonsilitis for many, many years now. The recent misadventure was really unexpected since we have been so cautious. Well, catching a bug can be really random even though you take care. I asked my doctors for some tips on how to avoid getting sick. My cardiologist said that the flu season is until February, so we really need to be careful. 

Here are some tips my doctors gave me before I got discharged:

1. Wear a mask wherever you go. We still wear a mask whenever we go out and whenever someone visits our home. A nurse told me to make sure that your mask fits your face snugly. Make sure no germs can get in. 

2. Wash your hands and always have alcohol on standby. 

3. Make sure your mouth is not dry, so keep hydrated. Your immunity is lowered when your mouth is dry according to the EENT. Apparently my mouth tends to go dry, so I have to hydrate more. 

4. Avoid crowded areas. 

5. Keep healthy so you can avoid going to the ER! There was a coughing orchestra while I was at the ER. It was scary! Avoid going to the hospital if you can. My pulmo rehab team all got sick while I was confined (the germs did not come from me, whew) :(

6. Eat well. I was forced to eat soft food because of my throat. I enjoyed eating the fruits the kitchen gave me and it revived my love for eating fruits. Eat in moderation though since the sugar content can be high. I'm trying different healthy food menus for now. 

7. Avoid public toilets. Both Miggy and I came down with something at the same time. I probably got infected with more germs. I had my pulmo check the boys too and he said they were doing fine and just prescribed over the counter meds. 

8. Get vaccinated! We got our flu vaccination a few months ago. It has protected us against flu germs and other viral infections. 

9. Know when to go to a doctor/the hospital. The infectious disease doctor said it was a good thing my boys forced me to go to the ER. My case could've gotten worse if I waited longer. 

10. Communicate your pain. My doctors had to make their treatment for me wholistic since I have other medical conditions. They checked my neck, chest, abdomen and head to make sure the bacteria did not spread. They did that because they kept asking if I was experiencing pain outside of  my throat. 

The tips are what we've commonly heard in the past few years. It's important to remember especially if you are immuno-compromised or have elderly people around you. 

#BeKind #StaySafe