Turning XXXV

I turned 35 years old over the weekend! Konting kembot na lang, kwarenta na ako! Wahahaha! I was really looking forward to my birthday after I ran out of luck on my 34th birthday, but life sometimes really has a funny way of turning things around. I wanted to have a quiet staycation with my family as my birthday fell on a weekend, but sh!t happened.


I woke up on the morning of the 17th with itchy throat. The week started with my team mates getting sick one by one. I did my essential oils protocol because it always (as in always) works with fighting the flu virus at home. My office girl friends had long been planning to try out a new Korean restaurant in BGC. We figured that it would be a good idea to try it that day given that we were all having dry and itchy throat. I went on the safe side and visited our company doctor after our lunch. She said that my throat looked okay, but it wouldn’t hurt to increase Vit. C intake. While I was waiting for Boyet to fetch me, I could hear almost the entire office floor coughing! I also started feeling feverish so I asked permission from my boss if I could just work from home the following day. I didn’t have the slightest idea that it would be the start of my week-long absence from work!

I woke up on the 18th (Friday) with fever. I also started coughing and throwing up. It continued until the following day. My last full meal was the dinner I had that Thursday. I ended throwing up everything I take by mouth, including water and Pocari Sweat. By Saturday, I already asked Boyet to drive me to the emergency room. We arrived at St. Luke’s Global around 3:30PM. I’ve always found St. Luke’s to have top-notch services, but it was such a busy day in the ER! I finally got a bed an hour after. The doctor then ordered the usual exams – CBC, urinalysis and fecalysis. They also started giving me Paracetamol for my fever and medicines to keep me from throwing up. Everything was given through IV because I could not take anything orally. I was so agitated because of the long wait, but I guess I was still lucky. There were beds along the hallways, and I could see people hooked through the IV while sitting down. Ganun ka-blockbuster sa ospital that day! The doctor advised me to be admitted because my CBC showed bacterial infection and signs of dehydration. I was wheeled through my room a little before midnight, and I saw that the ER was still very busy!

I felt horrible. The diarrhea and throwing up finally stopped by Sunday morning, but I could feel like my head was exploding. My fever wasn’t going down despite injecting me with Paracetamol every four hours. (Ang lapot nun sa IV kaya sobrang sakit!) They wanted to rule out pneumonia so the doctor ordered for a chest x-ray. The results were fine. I was initially attended by a gastroenterologist who said that I have gastroenteritis. I was looking forward to blogging the new Korean restaurant I tried, but I won’t be doing it anymore after I found out that Jen and Sheen also had episodes of LBM after our lunch. Anyway, my first doctor then referred me to a pulmonologist after I told her that my phlegm had traces of blood! My fever was still not subsiding so the doctors increased the dosage of my antibiotics to fight both my cough and the gastroenteritis. Umaabot ng halos 40C ang lagnat ko, mga baksh! Feeling ko ma-survive ko ang cough if not for the gastroenteritis e! :p


I think it was Tuesday when the doctors ordered for an ECG. They also asked me to collect my phlegm to be cultured. I was also referred to the Infectious Disease just to make sure that the doctors were giving me the right antibiotics. My fever has not yet subsided by that time. The doctors wanted the fever to be gone for 24 hours before they could clear me to go home. I still had fever until Tuesday morning! I was so ecstatic when I passed the 24-hour mark on Wednesday morning. Unfortunately, the pulmonologist still didn’t sign off. I was given steroids to help me with the cough, and I was asked to use the nebulizer twice a day. Susme, ang tagal ko ng hindi nakakagamit ng nebulizer!

The steroids were being given through IV so the nurse already managed my expectations that I might need to stay in the hospital until the following day, Friday! Ayokong mag-birthday sa ospital! I underwent another chest x-ray which turned out to be clear again. The nurse then told me Thursday morning that I was already done with the steroids. Nagkamali lang pala siya ng bilang hehe. The pulmonologist visited after lunch and finally gave me the go signal to go home!

I was ordered to take 5 different kinds of pills. The antibiotics and the meds for my lungs are so bitter. The side effects are also horrible! There are times when I feel so bloated, but there are also times when I feel like there’s a big hole in my tummy. I still haven’t fully regained my appetite because of the bitter taste that the meds leave in my mouth. To make things even worse, Boyet had on and off fever which started on Thursday night. I guess he caught the bug after staying with me in the hospital for six days. We were so worried that Zayne would catch it, too. But I’m just glad that my essential oils are working both for Boyet and Zayne.

I’m still on house arrest because I still feel really dizzy once in a while. There are also a lot of sick people everywhere so we didn’t want to risk getting “infected” once again. I stayed home on my birthday. Zayne asked for pancit canton and pork barbecue, while I craved for sushi. We just had the food delivered for lunch. I honestly didn’t enjoy it 100% because everything I put in my mouth still tastes so bitter. My husband was still recovering from flu so I discouraged him from buying me a cake even after he insisted. Yeah, I didn’t even get to blow my own birthday cake. :(


It wasn’t exactly how I planned to spend my 35th birthday, but I guess it’s better than being trapped in my hospital room. I realized that I put aside a lot of things last year so I decided to go big this year when it comes to our family’s goals. I remember planning to retire at the age of 35! Hahaha! But God once again knocked on my hard head and reminded me that I should focus more on the things that truly matter – my family and my health. I can’t believe I’m halfway through my 30s. I honestly thought I was doing well on the health side because all my APE results have been favoring me, but my recent hospital episode is a perfect reminder for me that I can still do a lot better.

Thank you for all of your birthday greetings and well wishes! And please take extra care of your health! :)

4 comments :

  1. Aw, I hope you are doing much better now. Isa lang naalala ko nung bata ako nagkaron ako ng dengue and spent Christmas eve sa hospital, lungkot kumain ng hospital food kapag Christmas. Buti na lang nakauwi ka befoe your bday.

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    1. Thanks, Neri. Yup, nakauwi naman ako for my birthday, pero hanggang ngayon wala pa rin akong panlasa. Huhu. Ang sad maospital pero mas doble kapag natatapat sa special occasion. :(

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  2. I'm sure madami na nagsasabi, but you don't look like 35. Nakakanis ka. Hahahahahaha jooke Our ages are near to each other, but as always, I look waay older. I can pass for 40.

    I wish you better health and all the love and happiness with your family. And sana, baby number .2 soon <3 You deserve all the best.

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    1. Thanks, Diane! :) Yassss for baby number 2!

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