Winning Lottery Number

We all have dreams of winning a lottery right? Well with Dream&Win you might just catch you're lucky star and that winning lottery number could be yours right now! With Dream&Win your odds at winning the price that you desire are very good! Dream&Win is the no. 1 online prize games where you could win cars, paid vacations, or other electronic gadgets like iPods!

It's very easy to join and win! Just sign-up, choose your prize, buy 1 up to 20 tickets and if your lottery number matches the one drawn online at the draw date then you win! It's as quick and easy as that!

Do you know why your odds are better at Dream&Win? Well at other online lotteries, there are thousands, if not a hundred thousands, of players. How do you win at that many number right? well at Dream&Win you only compete with 499 other tickets because only 500 lottery tickets are sold. And so how do you win easily? Just buy a lot of tickets and from all your winning lottery numbers, one is the golden ticket to your price!

How to irritate internet Trolls

If you have read Anah's Troll Proofing article then you may have a clear picture of who these internet trolls are. But for the benefit of those who haven't read her article (and you should), internet trolls are "people" who attack you or anyone for that matter using words that are degrading and foul. The best term would this would be "verbal harassment".

We see all of these people in places like YouTube and if you're unlucky enough, you may have a troll visiting your blog and doing what they do best: express to you how pathetic and pitiful they are using second-person pronouns instead of first-person pronouns. Example: You're fat and ugly and your mama hates you! What they really mean is this: I'm fat and my mama hates me!

And one way to distinguish an internet troll is that they usually don't leave traces like names or contact e-mails or whatsoever because their ego is poor and shattered that they can't endure a rebuttal statement. But internet trolls don't know is that even when you don't leave a name and be anonymous you leave prints behind. And these prints are what we call as an IP Address. Trolls don't know this but we could actually trace this IP address to their computer and this could be used in court (together with their ill message) as proof in a hearing at court.

But if you don't want to go to court because you have evaluated the situation and realized that the troll is just a nuisance and that you have better things to do than go after useless creatures like these trolls one good way to do it is to ignore them!

Trolls hated being ignored because they know that they are treated as if they don't even exist and that their pathetic attempts to catch your attention is not working.

A Tour to Toronto, Canada

We haven't even settled down in Canada yet but my mom has already plans of going sight-seeing in different places in Canada. One place that we have our eyes on is Toronto, Canada! Toronto is the entertainment, financial, and cultural capital of Canada so going to Toronto is a must!

I've already did an online search on hotels in Toronto and there are quite many to choose from. I've also looked at some pictures and scenes of the city and I tell you, it's a very beautiful city! So I thought that why stay in a hotel when we could stay at a bed and breakfast Toronto where we could really experience life in Toronto first hand. Oh for those who don't know what a bed and breakfast (B&B) is, it's an establishment that offers bed accommodation, and breakfast. return for payment.

What's best in a Toronto bed and breakfast is that you not only experience life at Toronto first-hand, you only pay for it at a fraction of a cost meaning more money is spent exploring the city rather than spending on it for paying the hotel when you're not in it the whole day.

The Filipino Subject

I had always thought that my Filipino classes were useless. For those who don't understand what I'm talking about, Filipino is a language class (just like English) were we learn how to speak and write in Filipino. I am a person who is practical and studying 2 classes in Filipino was the most impractical thing that I had ever done (well it was required of me to take Filipino classes).

I believe that taking the subject, Filipino, in elementary and high school was adequate enough because writing and speaking in Filipino fluently will not be required in my future career. I say this because even in the Philippines, all formal business transactions are transacted in English unlike other Asian countries like Japan and Korea where they transact business with their own language.

I had brought this topic up before at my university's forum and the people there said that I was selfish. Selfish? Selfish in what way? It pains me to know that some Filipinos are not open to change and change ladies and gentlemen is required for progress.

I am not saying that Filipinos should stop wasting their time learning and studying Filipino. What I'm saying is that in the college level, education should be more focused on teaching the students things that are related to their future career.

You see at our university we are thought a lot of things (because they want students to be well-rounded yes) but some of these subjects are impractical to me (Filipino is one). Other subjects that I find impractical is Physical Education (PE). I know that exercise is important but the only thing we do at PE is dance. My minor subjects tend to take up all of my time that I am not able to focus on subjects that really matter like Pathology, Physiology and Anatomy, Biology, and other subjects that are related to nursing.

I honestly believe that I had wasted my 2 years of college because these two years were only focused on finishing all of my "minor subjects". All my nursing subjects only began at second year and we only were able to set foot in the hospital at third year. Because of minor subjects I feel that there wasn't enough time for me to learn nursing concepts at all.

That's why I'm glad that I'm going to start studying again as a freshmen at Canada this coming school year. Imagine, all the major nursing concepts are already being studied in the first year level. I really can't wait to begin studying.

And oh yeah guess what, studying Filipino will not be of any help in Canada.

Making A Difference with Boats

How amazing it would be if you could change I child's life with your old, beat-down boat. Yes, with your boat donations you could help a child stay away from prohibited drugs through promotional campaigns like animations and anti-drug documentaries. Or if you prefer that the proceeds go to another charity of your choice, that could also be arranged.

So if the thought in your mind is, "How do I donate my boat to charity?", simple! Just follow these steps:

1. Either call Boat Angel at 1-800-227-2643 or fill out an online form at boatangel.org
2. They will send you out a receipt via email and package in the mail with a form and a disposable camera so that they can get pictures of the boat
3. They get the package back from you and list it at charityboatsales.org Your boat will be picked up in 6-8 business days. If it doesn’t sell, then they will pay to have it stored!

Donate boats now and be able to make a change to the lives of thousands of children! Be a BOAT ANGEL!

Psoriasis

You know what? It was really quite an amazing experience when I was able to encounter a patient with psoriasis. It's amazing because it's my first time to see a patient with that disorder and this kind of disorder is very rare and doesn't really occur with Filipinos.

Anyway, psoriasis is a "chronic, non-contagious disease characterized by inflamed lesions covered with silvery-white scabs of dead skin (www.answers.com)" just like the picture above.

At first I didn't really think that the disorder was contagious or something like that. I was reluctant to touch the patient and aid him in going down and up his bed because he had scaly white skin and lesions all over his body and he was obese, so he was very heavy to carry. But one of my colleague really had somatic effects. What I mean by somatic effects is that he had bodily manifestations of a psychological induced disorder or disease. He was thinking that psoriasis is highly contagious so he suddenly had pruritis or itchiness on his arms and they really formed bumps. This only proves how powerful the mind really is that it can even trick itself into manifesting false sugns and symptoms of a disease that the person never had in the first place.

Actually, I also felt very sorry for the patient because I could really see my self in his position. I know how painful it is to be shoved away because they are disgusted with you and you are considered an outcast because you are considered contagious and all. This is why we should really educate ourselves with these kinds of things and that we should always be sympathetic because it is not their wish to have such conditions.

Donate Your Boat For Charity

Yup you can donate boats, working or not, to the Angel Ministries and this donation could help create anti-drug documentaries and children's animations or to any charity of your choice. What makes Angel Ministries different from other charities is that your donations goes directly to the people who need it 100% and nothing is deducted for the salaries of the employees that work for Angel Ministries.

So how does boat donations work? Well The process is simple:

• You can call them at 1-800-227-2643 or fill out their online form at boatangel.org
• They then send you out a receipt via email and package in the mail with a form and a disposable camera so that they can get pictures of the boat
• They then get the package back from you and list it at charityboatsales.org Your boat will be picked up in 6-8 business days. If it doesn’t sell, then they will pay to have it stored!

Imagine, your old unused boat could actually be able to change a young child's life for the better. If I had a boat that I don't use anymore, I would donate my boat to charity.

Ford Commercial

This has got to be the best Ford Commercial I've seen! I loved it because my favorite American Idol contestant is in it hehehe. Who? No other than David Archuleta. Who knew that David could dance? It was really cool how he grooved to the music.

I like the picture at the end when they painted the floor with the world using the Ford car, really creative.

Natasha Bedingfield Hugs David Archuleta!

I have to thank Juliana for informing me of this event since I wasn't able to watch American Idol during the elimination night. I just love Natasha Bedingfield! I most especially love her "Unwritten" song.

So you hear her singing Pocketful of Sunshine and at the very end before she exits she crosses the stage again and asks if she could say hi to David. She was approaching and David Cook stood up (they say he stood up because he's a gentleman but I guess he stood up because he though Natasha wants to say hi to him, Lol). It was so cute of Natasha to act like a teenage schoolgirl David Archuleta fan and hug him and kiss him. Guess David was a bit shocked with what just happened hahaha. To make things worst Ryan Seacrest told Natasha that David wants to take her to the prom and guess what Natasha said? She has a dress ready hahaha!

Lucky little David! If only I had his looks and his talents girls would want to hug me and kiss me hehehe.

Here's the video:

Anyway I've noticed that Paula Abdul really loves dancing, I think she dances in every song that's upbeat, it's so cute. I really like Ryan because he loves placing people under the hot seat hehehe. Imagine he asked Simon Cowell to judge Natasha's performance. I wonder how the world would react if he did? But he was smart enough to refuse, I really sensed that he was uneasy with that situation.

I Love the Rain

Raining by ~evagonzalez

I don't know if I had already shared this everyone but I love the rain! I mean the rain may be hated by other people but I love it. When it rains I feel so relaxed and I love dozing off. I also love playing in the rain and I like walking in the rain because it's the only time when the roads will be empty because almost everyone runs and hide from the rain.

When it rains I am able to think more clearly, to see more clearly, and I am able to feel more as I feel that is something spiritual with the rain. I'm not emo but:

I like walking in the rain because no one sees me cry... (char, Lol!)

Being Beautiful

In today's society, everyone is empowered to make a decision for his/her own welfare. Everyone is empowered to make a choose to be who he/she wants to be and with science and technology that is made possible. Everyone wants to be beautiful and for the bold and brave plastic surgery is the way to take control of their lives and bring out the best in them.

Being beautiful gives you an empowerment and an edge over other people. You feel good because you look good and it is this radiance and beauty that opens new opportunities for you. Your appearance says pretty much about who you are.

If you have a problematic waist line and want a remedy for this a tummy tuck in Beverly Hills will do wonders. Having a flat and sexy waistline is a dream for thousands of people and you can achieve this in a matter of hours!

And for the flat chested women who want to feel more feminine then Beverly Hills breast augmentation will bring out the woman in you. You will never be insecure over women who are endowed with larger breasts ever.

Science was made to improve man's living, and with plastic surgery science has fulfilled it's purpose. We can feel good about ourselves, we have the choice to be happy.

Excuse me? Did you say Drugs?

I couldn't help but laugh every time I remember this incident.

I was walking along the corridor in the hospital one day when my duty mate asked me to tell her if our clinical instructor would be around because she would be able to do her drugs. Unfortunately for her, interns were also passing by and overheard our conversation and reacted to the word "drugs". They have misinterpreted our conversation and thought that my duty mate was asking me to be her look out while she take some recreational drugs.

Fortunately enough the interns realized that she meant to say to do her drug study so that she could administer her medication to her patient already.

Moral Lesson: Always complete your sentences.

Taking A Break

My gosh! This day turned out to be so hectic and so tiring. I have been very busy trying to finish all my sponsored posts for my other blog and I have to say that I am so tired. Sure I'd love to earn money but I'm receiving so many opportunities at the same time and it's getting too difficult to handle! But I am still greatful because for a PR 0 blog opportunities are still flooding in. It must be because of my RealRank then. Geez enough with these ratings. I blog because I want to blog and that is all to it.

I just want to shut down my computer and don't turn it on for a while. I still have to pack my bags and weight them so that I won't exceed the baggage allowance on the plane. I don't have enough time though since I'll be flying to manila this May 7 for some orientation that the Canadian embassy has required as a prerequisite. Then the following week there's this other seminar we have to attend to at Cebu.

I haven't also blog hopped for a while so I'm sorry to my blogging friends for being absent for a while. Oh well, I'm sure that when everything is sorted out I can return to my normal life, Lol!

Garage Sale Made Easy

I really thought that having a garage sale is very easy but I tell you it's not! especially when you have neighbors like our neighbors. Imagine our prices for our stuff are so reasonable that we're practically giving them away! But our neighbors are so cheap that they still want the price lower! Imagine we have this set of vintage china vases that we are going to sell for only $20/each but our neighbors wants to lower the price to $5 for the whole set. What?

We knew that we have to make our market larger if we want to get buyers who are more sophisticated and refined who can appreciate really good china and appraise it for what it really is worth!

We thought of selling it on e-Bay when a family friend of us suggested another easier way which of course entails selling it online to reach more possible buyers. Why not try the services of iSold It? And it was such a great idea indeed!

With iSold It selling items online is so easy and you don't even have to do anything. Just drop your old item to any iSold It stores and they will do everything from appraisal, photography, posting on e-bay and all you do is watch your item online through the link that they send you and wait for bidders and when it's bought, the item is professionally shipped and your check is given to you!

If only we knew about this sooner we wouldn't have to go through the nightmare we had with our neighbors tsk tsk!

My Versus List

Yesterday I went shopping with my parents to the mall. Believe it or not I really had a great time with them and i would love to do it again. But this post is not really about the joys of shopping. You see I was having lunch with my parents and as I was waiting for our order when I got lost in my own personal space and thought of some products and services and came up with this Versus List:

Jollibee vs McDonalds
I would definitely go with Jollibee because I was always a satisfied customer with them. They always have an innovative product line and their service is excellent! Imagine I dropped my chocolate sundae and it was my fault but their crew members were generous enough to replace that product which I dropped on my own! How great is that? McDonalds however is a different story. Their burgers are bad and their products are not only old and boring (nothing new) and their food and service is not acceptable (well with my standards really, Lol!). Laking Jollibee yata ako hehehe.

Pepsi vs Coke
No doubt about it my choice would be Coka Cola! I love the strong taste that Coke has and it really is a thirst quencher even if it is a known diuretic like all sodas (lol). I just love an iced cold coke during a hot summer's day, it's very relaxing.

Orbits vs Zagu
I have been known to have a sweet tooth and pearl shakes are one of my most favorite beverages ever! I just love a shake with lots and lots of Tapioca pearls after my duty at the hospital because it just takes away the stress. and the best tapioca pearl shake ever would be Orbits! Sure Zagu has a nice non-spill container but tried their product yesterday and I regret ever buying it. Their shake had this funny after taste which I really did not like.

So people watch out for more of my Versus list hehehe. I wonder if McDonalds, Pepsi, and Zagu would be a sore loser and sue me for bad advertisement hehehe. Hey this is a review and take it as a constructive criticism. Jollibee, Orbits, and Coke never paid me to write this. This is just my way to express how a satisfied customer I am, Lol!

The Attack of the Shower Monster

I hate taking a shower at night but what can I do when I have to clean up before bed because I don't want to sleep when I'm covered with who knows what germs and bacteria from my duty at the hospital (yup I'm sort of a clean freak).

Anyway I hate taking a shower at night because this is the time when eeky stuff happens just like in the movies. And what part of taking a shower do I hate the most? It's the part where I have to close my eyes for a few minutes to lather some soap into my face. And these are the few minutes that my wretched imagination runs wild. I imagine having a ghost lady clinging at the ceiling waiting to pounce on me or a serial killer behind the curtains. There was one instance when I was imagining this when I suddenly felt a cold tentacle like thing wrap around me and I was screaming and wriggling around. Oh I did manage to rinse the soap out of my eyes and realize that it was only the damn shower curtain but it's already too late cause I also managed to wake everyone up... oh embarrassing moment alert!

Ever since that day the shower curtain was my worst enemy! My brother kept making fun of me saying, "Watch out for the Shower Monster!" Oh just shut up will you! Grr!

I had to do something about that damn shower curtain and good for me the ShowerBow was invented! Yup no more shower curtain clings so no more shower monster at night! Plus I don't feel trapped anymore because with ShowerBow my shower area somehow became larger!

It was also really easy to install ShowerBow and so I didn't have to call on my dad to do it! Yeay to independence! And hurray to undisturbed and relaxing midnight showers! As the saying goes you have to face your problems head on and I'm proud of myself because i did just that!

Making and Publishing Posts for the Future

This coming May 7 we will be flying to Manila for some seminar my parents and I have to attend some seminar or something. The Canadian embassy said that this was a prerequisite before we leave for Canada. We're going to stay in Manila for a week visiting some relative and go shopping for new clothes (yipee!). And a week later we will be heading for Cebu for another set of seminar.

With all this flying and island skipping I thought about my blog (like any concerned blogger would do, Lol!). I should really have some posts ready since I want to update my blog on a daily basis but how do I do that when I'm not sure if the places were we will go to have WiFi. My mom said that most hotels in the Philippines have WiFi but I'm not taking any chances.

Good thing I've read Blogger's new announcement about post-dated posts (like post-dated checks huh?). Yup the lovable and creative dudes and dudettes had formulated a solution to every blogger's dilemma. Nope they haven't invented a time machine but they did something even better.

For Blogger users when you create a post you would find "post options" below right? If you click that you would be given the "Post date and time" option. If you want your post published in the year 2013 or any day in the future you could easily do that by entering the desired date and time.

Isn't that amazing? This is why I love Blogger so much!

Oh come On!

I never seem to get anything that I plan done this week and it's quite frustrating! I told myself that I should be able to pack my bag and weigh my things today but I wasn't able to do it as usual and I haven't even finished the stuff I planned to do in my blogs. I wonder why time is just flies so fast!

To make things worst I realized that I wasn't able to watch American Idol last night because I went to sleep early since I was so sleepy since I wasn't able to get a decent sleep lately since I was doing some changes to my new website but at least I was able to get that done.

Oh well the day is still young and I still have the evening to finish my packing.

Being an Only Son

I had always thought how it would be like to be an only son. For those who don't know yet, I'm the eldest of two siblings. I have a younger brother (unfortunately, Lol!). But I did grow up having to experience the life as an only son. I remember that I would always be the center of attention in every family gathering and whenever my parents meet some friends on the way to anywhere. I loved it when my parents would come home from work with "pasalubongs" or gifts may it be food or toys.

I quite enjoyed the "single life" and I never did feel lonely or alone like some only children would feel because I had my neighbor who always kept me company and who I play. I really never knew that I had a brother who was about to come out into this world and if ever I did know I wonder if I would be excited. I really thought that Santa Clause had a gift for me at the hospital as my witty nanny's had said. But to my dismay my present was my brother.

I really felt insecure and the sibling rivalry was there where I really thought that he was more favored and all. But it turns out that he wasn't really favored over me and I'm at ease hehehe. My brother is the black sheep of our family and I'm the... uh... definitely not a sheep that's for sure!

But recently I'm feeling more and more that I'm an only child and I'm loving the attention I'm getting hehehe. My brother is always away somewhere with my other cousins or what ever land or place he could think of always with his stupid good-for-nothing friends. I'm not complaining nor do I miss him but it's quite irritating that he doesn't stay put like the good son that I am hehehe (so many hehes in this post, Lol). But we kind of understand him since he wants to spend his precious moments with his nonsense friends while he still can because fortunately enough for him he'll be leaving them behind. If you're wondering why I dislike his friends so much well let's just say that they are a bad influence to him (not that he's not already rotten to begin with).

So am I loving the only son situation I'm having now? Yeah I'm kind of getting used to it already. ^_^ But my brother better bring his self home before I drag him home.

Browser issues

I had always loved Mozilla Firefox but I seem to have some browser issues. You see if your using Firefox and you're viewing and reading this page now you should be seeing two other columns to the right of this post. If you don't see any additional columns you may be having the same problem as I am. The two columns can be found then at the bottom of the page. It's quite frustrating.

I have to view the browser in full screen (you can press F11 for the short-cut) to see the two remaining columns in their right position. Maybe it's just because I have a small screen on my laptop (14.1 inches wide-screen) or a lower resolution... oh there you go! I fixed my browser issues hehehe. Turns out that I just had to make the resolution higher hahaha!

It really helps when you have some know how with computers. It sure makes life easier. ^_^

Missy Stays For Another Week!

Yup you read it right! We were suppose to return my Doggie Missy to her original owner today but since the multicab we rented got busted so our plans is delayed. I'm quite happy that I'll be seeing Missy a little longer. I'm going to play with her tomorrow and spend some good quality time with her since we won't be seeing each other anymore. How I wish that we could bring her with us but it's not possible.

But I'm not sad anymore because I know that she'll love it when she's reunited with her mom and brother. Now she will have other doggies to play with.

The Boy Who Said "Dili"

Gosh I feel really old! I mean I feel that I'm already facing a midlife crisis and to think I'm only 19 years old! Midlife crisis is by the way defined by Wikipedia is "Midlife crisis is a term used to describe a period of dramatic self-doubt that is typically felt in the "middle years" of life, as people sense the passing of youth and the imminence of old age."

Ok I also do think about my future but what really keeps me occupied is reminiscing about the past? Talk about being old. And the thing that I remembered was the little boy who I met during one of my duties at a pediatric gastro-ward. It was my first time to handle a whole ward too! That’s right! I have only tried handling one or two patients but now, I’m the master of the whole Gastro Ward! As you might have guessed the Gastro Ward has patients (normally pediatric patients) who suffer from acute gastroenteritis and other GI problems.

Working in the gastro ward was quite ok. It was air-conditioned (it was a private hospital, thank God) and there was a TV (but I didn’t watch it because I was busy regulating IV flow rates). The patients were just adorable and the patient’s family were very nice and accommodating to my questions.

There was this 1 year old boy who was so cute and hyper-energetic. I really liked this patient a lot and I loved playing with him during my free time. I just have a difficult time in checking his IV flow rate because he always asks for attention and he regulates his own flow rate! That’s right he knows how to regulate it but unfortunately not at the right drop rate. One thing that I’ve noticed with this boy is that his love for the world “Dili” or “No” in English. I heard his mom say this word so many times to him because he was so hyperactive, jumping on his crib and throwing his ball away. Although he says “Dili” with a playful smile I just think that saying no to your child could be bad for him.

According to Erik Erikson’s Developmental Theory, a child in his early childhood (18 months to 3 years) could feel so ashamed and would lack in self-esteem if his parents keeps on telling him “NO!” Because instead of the child being able to explore his surrounding and learning (Autonomy vs Shame) the parents are trying to suppress his will to learn.

So parents out there, allow your children to explore, get dirty, and even break some things because in this way they can learn.

***

Anyway the adorable boy in the photo is not my patient or is related to my post hehehe. Photo credits goes to subterfugemalaises.

10 Stress Busting Tips

Stress is a normal reaction to our environment (our stressors). If we don't experience stress then we would be emotionless or we simply are not human or we're already dead. The point is you can never totally remove stress from your life, because stress is needed for normal functioning. All you can do is control it. We get easily stressed from our jobs, our relationships, and even other simple things like waiting forever in a line. This is normal. Everyone gets stressed out from their problems. What is abnormal is if you would turn to drugs or other promiscuous activities to get you through a bad hair day.

fighting stress is really simple and you don't have to destroy your life to get through your problems. Here are some simple steps that you could follow to help control your stress:

1. Be yourself and do not play roles. Trying to be the “liberated women” or the “cool businessman,” for example, will only create stress because you are not being yourself.

2. Seek people who are pleasant to be around with when choosing your friends. Where possible, avoid contact with those who criticize you or like to constantly talk about the negative situations around them.

3. Be confident enough to admit your fears. Find out what scares you and try to determine why. Discuss these things with a close friend or family member if necessary.

4. Work on a confident, yet realistic, self-image. Recognize that you have both strong and weak points. Build on the strong points and excel in these areas. Work at improving the weak areas, but realize that you can't do everything well.

5. Be willing to compromise with other people, as well as with yourself. This is a sign of strength, not weakness. To be rigid, to refuse to give in, or to insist on winning will create tension and stress.

6. Make time to get away, even if only in your mind. A few minutes of privacy each day, when you can relax and think, is important even for children. Find a way to do this even if it means getting up early or going for a brief walk.

7. Do not let worrisome situations drift. If there is unhappiness or concern in your life, try to do something about the problems. Procrastination and indecision only delay your stress and the problems tend to only get worse in time.

8. When you cannot decide what to do, always choose to do what is right. Cheating, deception, and unethical behavior can all produce guilt feelings which directly lead to tension and stress.

9. Slow down - literally. Practice moving more slowly. Low your speech when you talk and your pace when you walk. Eat with slower movements, putting down your fork in between bites. When you move slower you feel less pressured.

10. Avoid excuses. Blaming other people or circumstances does not help much. Take responsibility for yourself and your own actions.

***
Image Credit goes to: ~CLEMZ
List Credit goes to: Chicken Soup for Your Soul

A Few Minutes with Cheryl Brooks!

I was really surprised and excited when the lead publicist of Ms. Cheryl Brooks e-mailed me and told me that Ms. Brooks invited me for an interview with her. And what did I reply? Of course I'd say yes to such an awesome opportunity!

Ms. Brooks is a new paranormal romance author who by the way is also a night Critical Care Nurse. So she's a romance author by Day and then she's a Critical Care Nurse by night! How on earth could she balance her time, not to mention her energy?! She's really amazing. She has already written many unpublished novels but her debut novel that is very notable is SLAVE: The Cat Star Chronicles published by Sourcebooks Casablanca. And guess what she has five more upcoming novels in this series so we will definitely be seeing more of Ms. Cheryl Brooks.

I haven't read her novel yet (her publicist said she'll mail me a sample copy - yipee!) but I bet that it will really be interesting. They said that one should never judge a book by it's cover but I'm looking at the cover now and I think the cover speaks for itself how "Hot, Dangerous, and Sexy" this novel is.

Talk about being a superwoman. I really wonder how she could survive such a hectic schedule? Why not read this special interview I had with her to learn more of her:

*A Few Minutes with Cheryl Brooks*

~ Romance author by day, Critical Care Nurse by Night ~
www.cherylbrooksonline.com

Critical Care Nursing and Romance Writing seem like polar opposites. Was romance writing always a passion of yours?
I'm not sure that romance writing was always my passion, but I'm always fantasizing, and have been ever since I was a kid. Whenever I had to do something mundane or boring I'd come up with a storyline in my head and play it back just to have something better to think about. Eventually, I began writing them down.

Back in nursing school, what were some of your favorite romance novels to read? Did any of them inspire you to start writing your own?
I have always enjoyed the romantic suspense novels of Mary Stewart, as well as her Merlin trilogy. Her style has influenced me probably more than anyone's, but I'm also a big Georgette Heyer fan. I loved her humor most of all, but her heroes were very different from those I found in other books. Heyer's men were usually wealthy, but were also very human and sometimes a bit bumbling in their ways. They seemed so much more real to me than the stoic “Marlboro Man” type that I encountered in what a friend of mine used to call “Lust in the Dust” books. So often those men were too rough or arrogant for me—and had no sense of humor whatsoever! I like to laugh, and though I like a tough, sexy man as much as the next reader, many “heroes” I've read about are men I wouldn't even want to meet, let alone fall in love with, and my reaction to that was to make up my own heroes!

Do you think your writing has served as a way to “escape” the often hectic life of a nurse?
Any book can take you away from your current setting, but when you read, while you can use your own imagination up to a point, you are still at the mercy of the writer and you have to go where that person takes you. But writing a book can allow you to travel to any exotic locale you wish, do anything you've ever wanted to do, let you meet anyone you like, and fall in love with the most fabulous men you can dream up. Oh, of course! Reading.

Nurses can be put in extremely high stress situations and as a result, form close bonds and life-long friendships. Have any of your real-life relationships inspired those in your books?
The problem with branching out into a writing career has been that my best friends are all hospital workers, and though I'd love to be able to devote myself to writing full-time, leaving my nursing job would take me away from the best support network in the world! I work in a relatively small hospital, and I've met so many loving, caring people there! We're more like a family, and we know most of what is going on in each other's lives—and those who know that I write will often tell me things just so they might show up in a book someday! I've used many of my friends as characters in my novels, as well as their experiences, and they love it! Unfortunately, when it comes to their experiences with men, I've mostly used their bad ones! For example, a long-time friend and co-worker was lamenting one night that she'd give her right arm for a decent, honest, moral man, and I used that as a basis for the predicament that my heroine in the fourth book in The Cat Star Chronicles series finds herself in. Of course, the best part of being in a hospital setting is that, just when you think you've seen or heard it all, someone will prove you wrong!

You specifically write fantasy/science fiction romance. Has anything you’ve seen at work influenced some of the aliens, new species and environments you’ve created?
Actually, most of the sci-fi stuff comes out of my head, or from other books and films, but if you look closely, there's something “medical” in all of them. I've also written several novels (as yet unpublished) that aren't in the same genre as Slave, and many of them are about nurses. I have also written one novel for a respiratory therapist friend who loves cowboys. She wanted me to write a book about her, so I made her my heroine and gave her a whole bunk-house full of cowboys to choose from! I think that one is still her favorite.

Are there any similarities between critical care nursing and romance writing that you found surprising?
The stress! I thought I'd lower my stress level by being a writer instead of a nurse, but though the stress of being an author isn't life and death (and I have to remind myself of that on a regular basis!), I still carry it with me. A lot of what I do at the hospital I can leave behind when I clock out, but the writing thing follows me wherever I go, and I've probably lost more sleep because of my writing than I ever have as a nurse! However, when I've got an especially crazy patient driving me up the wall, or when the powers that be come up with some ridiculous new rule, writing for a living starts to look really, really good!

Good Bye Missy-Pooh

This may be one of the saddest posts that I could ever make in this blog. It's the post where I am going to share my good byes to my beloved Missy.

Here is a picture of the first day that we got our beloved angel. Isn't she so cute? She's very small and quite shy. I was a bit afraid that she would be sickly because she looks so weak and vulnerable. She was a bit car sick at this point because my mom took her from the city from a friend of hers (the original owner of Missy and her mom and brother).

But with love and care our cute Missy has blossomed into a full grown lady doggie. She has always been playful and she loves to jump a lot and she runs around the house whenever she's bores. She always dashes outside the gate whenever she finds it open and we always worry that she'll get bitten by stray dogs and hit by a car but we always find relief when she comes back from her adventure outside the house.

These last few days are going to be my last moments with my Missy as we're going to return her to her family because we can't bring her with us when we leave for Canada this June. If only we could bring her with us then I would have no second thoughts and take her.

One neighbor asked us if she could have Missy so that there would be someone could watch their house when they're away but my first reaction was NO! I know that they won't take care of Missy the way we do care for her and love her. To other Filipinos their dogs are just belongings who they could just neglect but for me Missy is part of my family.

That is why we opt to return her to her original family with her mom and brother (even if they live far away) because I know that my mom's friend would take care of Missy and won't hesitate to spend for her needs. You see Missy is quite choosy with food. She won't eat anything unless it's chicken or some food that is tasty. She doesn't like bland food.

Tomorrow I am going to say good bye to someone who has been very special to my heart and will always be special to me. It's quite hard to let go of the one you have hold dear to your heart. I will really miss those big brown eyes of Missy that tells me her personality. She's quite shy and a very kind dog. She does bark at other people but never has she attempted to bite anyone.

I would miss the times that I would prepare her water for her bath (she likes her water warm) and I would miss it whenever she greets me when I come home...

She has been a part of me and it's hard to let her go. These last few days a song came into my mind whenever I play with her or pet her. The best song that could really express how I feel is this:

David Archuleta - Think of Me
Think of me
Think of me fondly when we've said goodbye
Remember me
Once in a while, please promise me you'll try
When you find that once again
you long to take your heart back and be free

If you ever find a moment
Spare a thought for me yeah

Think of all the things we've shared and seen
Don't think about the things which might have been
Think of me
Think of me
Imagine me trying too hard to put you from my mind

Think of the things we never knew
There will never be a day when I won't think of you.

Good bye my Missy... I will miss you... You have been one of the greatest things that happened in my life.

UPDATE: A New DSM-IV Classification!

I have been reading some online journals related to Mental Health when I have found this very interesting update in psychology. A new DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) classification has been formulated by scientists at the Archuleta Fans Institute and this is the very contagious O.D.D. or more commonly known as the Obsessive David Disorder!

I have to warn you guys to stay away from me because I have already been infected with this disorder, in fact you may have noticed the David Archuleta songs playing in the background!

Signs and symptoms of Obsessive David Disorder consist of the following (one or more):

• last song syndrome of any of David's song
• downloading David's songs on iTunes and giving them away as gifts for friends
• watching every American Idol episode to watch his performances
• joining online David Archuleta fan clubs
• watching David's videos on YouTube and giving him a 5 star plus positive comments
• writing about him on your blogs
• voting for him online at these polls:
  AOL POll
  OPRAH Poll
  MSNBC Poll
  ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Poll
  TV GUIDE Poll
  E!ONLINE Poll
  VOTEFAIR Poll
  DAYTONDAILY Poll
  IDOLBLOG Poll
  ZABASEARCH Poll
  COMCAST
  VOTE#1 Poll

Geez! I may have really caught this new mental disorder that is contagious...

There is only one cure:

VOTE FOR DAVID ARCHULETA ON AMERICAN IDOL!

Be A PRO Poker Player

I have been very interested in joining online casinos but I am quite hesitant to even try to bet because I know that the risks of losing what I bet are very high since I am a newbie and playing casino games has never been my forte.

But if I was given a chance to play in an online casino or the real deal at Las Vegas then the game that I would play would be poker. You see I am a person who believes in the use of the brain and statistics rather than pure luck. Plus with Texas Holdem Poker Strategies I am sure to be on the winning streak!

Why am I so confident that I'll win if ever I play poker? Well you see there is a free poker calculator that Hold'em Radar is so generously sharing to everyone. With the help of mathematics one's cards are analyzed and with the help of the opponents moves the odds are calculated and one would be given real-time strategy advice.

Playing with the calculator offline or online one would be given a No Limit Winning Strategy that one would really master and one can even develop his/her own strategy to win in any poker game like a PRO!

A Memorandum/Directive to All David Archuleta Fans

As you may have already guessed, I am a die-hard David Archuleta fan and I am proud to say that I am an "Arch Angel".

We all may have heard the name David Archuleta from our friends or from anyone who have watched American Idol. For young teenage girls, they would scream and shout his name because they find him cute and adorable. Some would describe him as a young artist with a mature and musical soul.

Right now David Archuleta is in the Top 5 of American Idol. I know and am very confident that he will surely land a spot in the Top 3 (online polls indicate that the top 3 most favorite AI contestants are David Archuleta, Jason Castro, and David Cook).

But as the admin of Archuletafans.com has mandated to all it's members, we Arch Angels should be on guard and give twice the effort in voting for David Archuleta. I am not liking what I see on online polls because David sometimes is on the 2nd or 3rd rank. He lands the 1st rank but also landing any rank beside from no. 1 is not good.

So to all Archuleta fans, if we still want to continue to hear music that comes from the heart then please support David by voting for him at American Idol. If you're not American and live outside the United States you could still support David by buying his studio version of his songs through iTunes or vote for him on online polls so that producers would have their eyes on our David so that he could continue to sing for us even if he's taken away from AI (hopefully never!):

Polls:

AOL POll
OPRAH Poll
MSNBC Poll
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY Poll
TV GUIDE Poll
E!ONLINE Poll
VOTEFAIR Poll
DAYTONDAILY Poll
IDOLBLOG Poll
ZABASEARCH Poll
COMCAST
VOTE#1 Poll

Here are some Voting Do's and Dont's from Archuletafans.com:

VOTING WHAT's & WHATNOT's

UTILIZE YOUR ENERGY/RESOURCES WISELY. During the voting time block, use as much resources (both hands, 3 phones, etc) as you can. Such resources include your effort and energy, so save them for voting instead of nitpicking, over-analyzing and doubting Archie. We have no more room for negativity across the boards [Check: Ignoring Trolls for Dummies], so everyone just lighten up and trust Archie. Save your energy, and vote hard on Tuesday.

VOTE FIRST! When its time to vote, just vote vote vote. Remember that the message boards and websites do not shut down after performances, and thus the need to "post" online during voting hours whould only come second to your voting. Your comments and spazzing out can wait, but your votes can't. So vote FIRST. Chat, Post and Download LATER.

WHEN TO START VOTING? We have to put in as much votes as we can. Some people have confirmed that voting lines actually open during the "recaps" after the last performer, some even claim it starts at the middle of the last performer's song. So start voting by then. That would give us angels at least a few minutes (and a couple of votes) headstart.

TEXTING, GOPHONE, etc. Texting proves to be the FASTEST to vote as some have confirmed, to know more about it READ HERE.This would be very helpful especially if you have a little extra. It wouldnt hurt to spend a little to be able to take Archie to the top! 40$ for a Gophone would allow you to vote unlimited for him thru text. You may consider this.

VOTING OUTSIDE THE US? International voters who wish to vote may use gizmo.Download Gizmo HERE. I myself, am an international fan and I use this. Once the voice prompt says "Thank you for choosing...", there's no need to wait for him to finish. Hang up, and dial again. See THIS THREAD for more details.

My Money Was Refunded

I am so happy when SponsoredReviews sent me an e-mail saying that they had already sent me my payment through PayPal. If you have read my other post, PayPal Dilemmas, you would remember that I lost $27.95 due to someone breaking into my account and changing my PayPal address so that they could steal from me my hard earned earnings...

But after all of that I was quite happy with SponsoredReviews that they were so professional about the matter and that they responded quickly to my complaint and they refunded me my hard earned money which was lost in the first place due to a breach in their system but all of that is behind me now and on wards with my blogging life. :)

Feeling Guilty

I felt really bad and sort of guilty by the way I treated my brother's girlfriend. In my post, Extraneous Variables, I expressed how I felt about her how I didn't like her and didn't know why. Verpo commented that he felt the same way and that he also didn't like the friends of his friends and he also didn't know why.

After looking at the picture taken last 2 nights ago of me, my mom, my brother and his girlfriend I noticed that they were all smiling. It was only me with a frown on my face. I would like to post the picture but the camera is with my brother right now. Anyway she looked so innocent and kind and I looked like the antagonist of a teledrama serye (television drama series) where she's the poor girl who was hated by someone.

Well I didn't do anything bad to her just completely ignore her and stay away whenever she's around (plus a gloomy face on) but other than that we never had verbal or even eye contact. I don't do eye contacts to a stranger.

But I don't know why I disliked her and now I'm guilty for disliking her. It's so confusing. It just proves that I am human after all with stupid emotions.

Warning Blogging Is Dangerous to Your Health

Oh here's a new comic from Blogcomics.net that I thought that I would share. Although it's highly impossible for a person to get a tumor from too much blogging it is funny to take note though that the patient is more concerned of his blog than his own health. Well, I may also be guilty of this being a blog-a-holic myself.

I sometimes get a distended bladder because I have to finish posting first or blog hopping and all that bloggy stuff. I'm so hooked to blogging that I don't seem to notice time fly. How I hate it when there's so many things to blog and there's so little time.

Stupid organic body that needs to eat and sleep! hehehe... :)

But I was thinking if blogging was declared as dangerous to my health I wonder if I would stop? Well maybe I will but if not then let the addiction and fun continue hehehe.

CPR: Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

Lately what I feared the most had happened. I was sitting in front of my computer happily blogging when all of the sudden I thought, "How do you do CPR again?" And that's when it hits me, my being out of the clinical area for one month has weakened my thinking ability and I now forgot how to do Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation. And to think I even had a Basic Life Support training that I had from Red Cross.

But there's no need in crying over spilled milk, I have to review and reacquire that skill which I believed I was already good at. So how do you perform CPR? Here is a graphic illustration of the steps in CPR which I guess summarizes everything I need to remember:
Here are some facts and tips that I have remembered:

• the brain is damaged after 3 minutes of no air and dies after 4-5 minutes without oxygen
• always add "1000" after every number when counting from 1 to 30. Adding a "1000" word will make the pace of chest compressions regular and mimic the normal beat of the heart.
• If you are in a scene of an accident always look around and check if the scene is safe, you do not want to become one of the victims
• Always remember the ABC... Airway (check for obstruction and tilt head and chin back to open airway), Breathing (check if the person is breathing), Circulation (check for a pulse).
• Do not bend your elbows when doing chest compressions, doing so will deliver a weak and ineffective chest compression

For more information on CPR you might want to visit health.howstuffworks.com.

On Wanting Green Eyes

I had always wanted to wear contact lenses because I want to change the color of my eyes. And what color do I want? Green! Yup some people may find this weird but I would love it if my eyes were green because I find it unique and interesting. And if you're wondering my eyes (as well as the ridiculous) here are just Photoshop edited, Lol!

I just want to share what happened that changed my mind about having contact lenses. I went with my mom to get her glasses that she had ordered and we had to wait because the glasses weren't done yet. I was looking around when I realized that I wanted to get some contacts. A sales girl was approaching me and asked me what I wanted. Normally I would get irritated with sales girls who keeps on hovering above me as if I'm going to steal something. But somehow this sales girl was quite nice and I was in a good mood so I asked her about contact lenses. The sales girl was very accommodating and showed me the different lenses and their solutions and stuff.

I was quite amazed that she knew a lot about contacts. Sure she may have worked there already for so long but she was able to point out different eye conditions where contacts were preferred than eye glasses. I was quite ashamed because I forgot all the things I have learned in anatomy & physiology like astigmatism, myopia, and stuff.

In the end, I decided that contacts for the sake of fashion is not worth it because:

1. It's quite expensive, the cheapest pair comes at Php 2,000 or $48.
   
2. Contact lenses are only good for a year and then you have to change it
3. Wearing contacts only increases your chance of scratching the cornea of your eye and presenting an opportunity for infection

I since that visit I was really uplifted and became more interested in health... if only I was motivated a little more to have good study habits hehehe...

Student Nurse to Doctor Relationships

Before you think that this is some post about a love interest between a student nurse and a doctor I might just as well inform you beforehand that this is not what you're thinking. Besides the student nurse me and the doctor is a guy so definitely no. this is an experience that I would want to share with you guys.

I always get jittery whenever doctors are around, but being on duty at the operating room even made things worst and I was very jumpy. The doctors in the operating room were very nice and I was a bit at ease but I was also nervous because it was my first time to scrub-in in an actual operation. The surgical procedure was only a minor case, just an excision of a fibroadenoma at the left breast. A fibroadenoma is a non-cancerous benign lump that is found in breast tissue. When felt under the skin, the lump may feel rubbery and easily moveable within the breast tissue. Fibroadenomas are commonly found in young women during their reproductive years (New York Times). It's caused by normal estrogenic fluctuations (Wikipedia) and it could be removed with out any worries.

The tumor looked like this when removed. The surgeon was very skillful! Even with lacking instruments (the operation wasn't held in the main hospital mind) he was able to make use of his fingers and got that tumor our perfectly! What even made this doctor, Dr. Perez, even more amazing is that he took nursing as his pre-med course! Wow that is really amazing! I even learned a lot from him and he was so nice and showed me a cosmetic style of suturing so that scarring could be put to a minimum. What did I tell you? Amazing!

Well I was very lucky that I was around very understanding doctors because I was stuttering (oh I hate myself) and I was being jumpy! Imagine? I called the doctor Ma'am! And the doctor was a guy! Oh oh... good thing the conversation was about a female clinical instructor at Xavier University. Ooh I am so dead!

Thinking of the things I did that they makes me want to kill myself. The doctor was talking to my colleague and I interrupted their conversation because I needed more suture (I was the scrub nurse so I was sterile). Oops, sorry doc! I did not notice that you guys had a conversation (why didn't I ask my other colleagues instead?).

Ooh I am such a mess! But at least the operation was a success and it was all thanks to Dr. Perez! hehehe.

But a thought comes into my mind. Why do doctors want to be called Doctor and not sir? Isn't sir a sign of respect? But maybe it's because the word "sir" is equated to nurses and patients. Oh now I get it hehehe. ^_^

Air Bubbles are NOT Cute

Do you know what takes most of my time when I’m duty at the hospital? It’s regulating and checking the IV flow rate. Yup I’m so obsessed with getting the number of drops perfectly that if I have nothing to do I check the drop rate over and over again. It’s supposed to be checked by the hour but I guess I over do it and check it every 5 minutes or so. What can I say? I’m afraid that the patient might get under-infused or worst over-infused and this could lead to hypervolemic shock or heart failure if the patient has a serious heart problem. Plus I don’t want to be get an extension (it’s equivalent for detention for student nurses).

But regulating IV flow rate is not that a big deal. The big problem would be air bubbles! Yup you heard me. Air bubbles may seem harmless but once 5mL of air bubbles is injected into your blood stream this could lead to pulmonary embolism. Another worst possible situation is when the air bubbles flows to your brain or heart and impedes blood flow. The medical term for air bubbles getting into the body ladies and gentlemen is air embolism.

I also had an experience once when I was in the hospital (this time as a patient), a nurse from a rival school (I’m not telling which school hehehe) came in to inject cefuroxime (an antibiotic for my tonsillitis) through my IV line and when he left I noticed air bubbles! Lots of air bubbles! I stopped the IV infusing and pressed the button calling for any nurse. When the nurse came I told her about the air bubbles and she then removed the air bubbles using a syringe at the connector for “piggybacking” other IV fluids. And then a few hours later I realized that the nurse that almost got me killed with air bubbles was the brother of my brother’s girlfriend. No wonder he’s trying to kill me, I’ll kill myself too if that’s the reason (Lol).

As a student nurse I really hate air bubbles. Sure I can try tapping them so that they could go back to the drip chamber or roll the IV tube with my pen so that the bubbles would disappear into the drip chamber but most of the time it’s easier said than done. And the only way to get rid of them is by aspirating them into a syringe… and this is quite a hassle because as mandated by the Philippine Nursing Act of 2002 (R.A. 9173) IV lines are off-limits to students! So I have to run to my clinical instructor and disturb her with her work (hehehe).

So fellow student nurses: if you see air bubbles don’t think it’s cute… it could kill your patient so watch out!

Losing Sight After Drinking Water

(Click Picture to Read Article)

As the very old cliche goes, "Too much of something is bad for you". And this includes substances that are supposed to be good for the health, but when these substances are abused then these become bad for the body; toxic even.

This article is really extraordinary. Imagine drinking 7 liters of water everyday, one would really bloat. Chronic water intoxication leads to hyponatremia as the sodium found in the blood is diluted. As sodium is diluted there is less pressure that retains the water in the blood vessel. If we recall, water will always follow sodium. But since there is no more sodium in the blood vessel then the water seeps into the interstitial tissues and outside the blood vessel.

It's ironic too that the woman drank water to lower her blood pressure not realizing that hypervolemia (an increase in body fluids) would lead to hypertension. And it is this hypertension plus the swelling of the brain cells from all the water lead to occipital bleeding that also lead to the woman being blind.

This is a classic example of a tragic story of health conscious people overdoing their so called health regimens that aren't approved by most health practitioners. Remember people that the recommended water intake per day is only 8-10 glasses per day and not 7 liters per day.

***
I got this e-mail from my mom. She always has interesting health related e-mails that she sends me.

Some Tips on Tube Feeding

I admit that I am no expert on Nasogastric Tube Feedings (NGT Feedings) but I just want to share some nursing tips on how to make feeding easier and of course safely. Here they are:

• Position the person so that he or she is sitting up, or at least so the upper-body is above the level of the stomach.

• Practice good sanitation. Wash your hands before handling the feeding equipment. Wash feeding bags with water. Do not use soap, as it will stick to the inside of the bag and get into the formula. This can cause diarrhea and other unpleasant consequences.

• Feedings should be given at room temperature to minimize risk of cramping and/or diarrhea. Open cans of formula could be kept in the refrigerator, and discarded if not used within 24 hours. They should be taken out 15-20 minutes before a feeding and allowed to warm up to room temperature.

• Always flush the feeding tube with water after a feeding. This will help to prevent the patient from getting dehydrated. It will also prevent the food from getting clogged.

• If medications are to be run down the feeding tube, always be sure they are finely crushed. Flush the tube with water to wash them down.

• If the tube seems to be clogged and a small flush of water isn't effective, a flush of about 100cc of cola may do the trick. You can also try dissolving a quarter teaspoon of meat tenderizer in a teaspoon of water and placing it into the tube. Wait five minutes before flushing again. If none of these strategies work, contact your health care provider(s) for advice.

Everyone: Smile! ^_^

You just have to love the creativity of people these days. You can't help but just be amused and admire the unexpected talents of people. Just like the picture above. If you're wondering, that's actually his real teeth decayed from eating too much chocolates and other sweets. He's using the new Colgate Fresh Confidence toothpaste to bring back the shine and whiteness of his teeth.

No I'm just fooling around. This isn't actually his real teeth. That's just some toy dentures made to look like real rotten teeth. Realistic isn't it? And the model's expression fits the whole picture perfectly.

But this should serve as an important reminder to children of all ages out there that they should never neglect proper oral hygiene because they might soon get the same teeth like the ones shown above, and this time it won't be just a toy dentures.

So kids, if you don't want rotten teeth brush at least three times a day with any toothpaste that is rich in flouride to protect your teeth from cavities and tooth decay.

***Image Notes: The image shown above is the property of Jazzper Samson and is originally found at http://profiles.friendster.com/jazzazzkickr. Please take note that the image has been modified to be funny. ^_^

The Sedona Method

Have you ever wanted to be at peace? I mean literally in a state of euphoria where all your anger, fears, greed, stress, and all those human emotions just simply melt away. How easy it is if you could just let go of all the baggages that you have and just move on with your life being happy and content. With The Sedona Method, you could achieve lasting happiness, success peace, and emotional well-being.

How The Sedona Method is the bridge between The Secret and the Law of Attraction is not very confusing and very easy to understand. So first what is the Law of Attraction? The Law of Attraction is the state where you hope and wish for something to happen and it will happen. It relies on the principle "Like attracts Like". What you want will come when you want it. But the problem with us humans is when we want to make something happen we use the of personal will (ego). We may end up getting what we want but we don't let go of the thoughts and feelings that we have to achieve our goals so we end up being miserable while causing misery to other people too!

What's beautiful about The Sedona Method is that you are able to attract your goals by dissolving rather than strengthening your ego. We don't have to force ourselves to think positive and over stress our selves into forcing ourselves to go to the direction we want.

"With The Sedona Method we create what we want by letting go of our imaginary sense of limitation, our incessant need for more, our desire for the goal, and our attachments and aversions to the goal – in short, ego itself. By creating through letting go of every goal, we also support ourselves in awakening."

Wow! This is one way to reach a spiritual enlightenment indeed. Please visit the website of The Sedona Method to learn more about this wonderful key to set ourselves free from all negativity and to get your free DVD and CD!

What I Will Miss In the Philippines

I have been reading Mrs. APB's post about her wishing to go home to the Philippines as one of wishes on her wish list and me being curious and all asked her how long she has been away from the Philippines and then she had created an entry that answered my question.

Well for me I will miss the fiestas of course and all those Filipino-made dishes like dinuguan, batikolon, anything ginataan, and all those deserts that I love eating but don't know their name hehehe. Oh if you're not Filipino, fiesta is a time where the whole barrio (town) celebrate the feast day of the town's venerated saint. In my neighborhood our saint is St. Lorenzo Ruiz and his feast day is on September 28.

The only fiesta that is most memorable to me (and the most recent one) was the fiesta at Patag, Cagayan de Oro City. I remember that day very well because after our duty at the hospital our friend and duty mate Melissa invited everyone to her house to celebrate their fiesta. Of course everyone had their game face on and party mode is switched on. We didn't even bother going home first to change our duty uniforms and headed straight to Melissa's house. It was still early and dinner time was still 2-3 hours away so we decided to take a nap. Yup sleeping is a leisure for nurses that's for sure. After napping we bonded with each other sharing stories and then we ate dinner watched a DVD then went home to study for tomorrow's big exam.

I'll miss my friends, my duty mates, my school, and those precious bonding moments that we have. I'll miss my life... because I know that life in Canada would be quite different. But we'll see.

The Attack of Missy the Doggie

This is one of my best writing so far that I have done in my blogging life that is related to health. ^_^ Just thought that I would share it again with everyone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have a cute doggie called Missy and she's very hyperactive! But there are times that she's calm and just lays around sleeping. Sometimes I think that she might have Bipolar I disorder but again how would I know? A Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) for dogs doesn't exist... yet hahaha!


As I was saying, Missy has these manic times and it's quite alarming! She runs back and forth and then she jumps on you! Good thing she's not that big. One thing that is quite alarming is she loves to bite as her sign of affection. Ouch that's a painful way to say you like someone.

It's a good thing though that we have already vaccinated Missy with Anti-Rabies. Rabies (Latin: rabies, "madness, rage, fury") by the way is a viral zoonotic neuroinvasive disease that causes acute encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) in mammals (Wikipedia).

The first symptoms of rabies may be nonspecific flu-like signs — malaise, fever, or headache, which may last for days. There may be discomfort or paresthesia at the site of exposure (bite), progressing within days to symptoms of cerebral dysfunction, anxiety, confusion, agitation, progressing to delirium, abnormal behavior, hallucinations, and insomnia. The acute period of disease typically ends after 2 to 10 days (6). Once clinical signs of rabies appear, the disease is nearly always fatal, and treatment is typically supportive (CDC).

The virus is spread through the saliva so if your pet is infected and your pet licks you and you have breaks in your skin, you could be infected! You don't have to be bitten to be infected! It could also be spread through aerosol (or saliva droplets when your dog barks) or when you touch contaminated items.



Anti-rabies vaccines are always available at health centers for free so if you are bitten by any animal always consider that animal rabid! Wash the wound, apply antiseptics, and rush to the nearest health center or hospital. Don't wait until the symptoms progress and it's too late!

And also, be responsible pet owners! Have your pets vaccinated and don't allow them to stray outside (they can get rabies from stray dogs).

Remembering that I am a Student Nurse

After being stuck at home doing nothing but blog (not bad at all, Lol) I kind of wanted to remember my life as a student nurse. And my life as a student nurse started on June 23, 2007 and this was my Cap & Badge Investiture & Candle Light Ceremony. This symbolized my being a student-nurse and eventually becoming a Registered Nurse. As my clinical instructors have said, we have no where else to go but up. Hearing these words somehow made me think and I am struck by fear of the great unknown. Will I really be able to face the challenge that my profession has for me?

I thought that being in third year would be easier than second year because of the lesser number of units and subjects, but boy was I wrong. Being in third year is the most difficult stage and this could either mean staying in heaven or going to hell (staying at XU or transferring to Liceo/CU, no offense). I have always been proud of being a consistent dean's lister since 1st year and have received QPI's of 3 and above. But all of that is worth nothing as I struggle to even pass my very demanding and challenging nursing subjects. The fear of failure is my greatest fear today and this fear has made me more humble. There are days that I arrive at my boarding house at 9 pm and the first thing I do is sleep as fatigue, hopelessness, and as I said fear overwhelms me. As everyone thinks, nursing is not just memorization. It also entails problem solving, analysis, and common sense. And these are the characteristics that I am trying so hard to enhance.

But being able to go on duty at Northern Mindanao Medical Center and being able to wear the nursing uniform is consolidating enough for me. I won't give up. The finals are still far away and I will put my heart and soul in order for me to reach my dreams. I have gone this far to go back or go astray from my destiny. I can't seem to picture myself in any other profession aside from nursing (and perhaps medicine).

My experiences as a student-nurse only made my respect and admiration for the Nursing profession grow. Nursing is not just a tool to go abroad for it is a service-oriented profession and it's professionals are not only smart but have empathy and TLC.

I am proud to be a nursing-student, and I will try even harder to be a nurse with knowledge, skills, and attitude!

This is my challenge...

Full Patient Confidentiality

We all have secrets and secrets were meant to be hidden so that no one else would find out. we want to hide our secrets because of our great fear that people will judge us and will make fun of us for something that we have done or have that we are ashamed of.

It is this attitude that makes health problems worst. Some patients will refuse medical treatment because they fear that their doctors will betray them and their privacy will be trespassed upon. That is why it is good that there is 1stonlinepharmacy.com that is one, if not the first, to offer an online telemedicine. Here patients can fully disclose their signs and symptoms as they really are without their privacy and confidentiality be invaded.

One would also be free of judgemental eyes if one orders Valtrex online because there wouldn't be any nosy pharmacist who would give you that look when you buy that Valtrex medicine. For those who don't know what medicine this is, this med is used to treat people with Genital Herpes.

If you are uncomfortable to see a doctor you may have a consult with a doctor online and the doctor could give you a Valtrex prescription.

Technology is therefore making health care more accessible to everyone and this is really great.

Nursing Doubts

I really hate it when I'm not doing anything and I just sit and do nothing because it's the perfect opportunity to re-examine one's life and I don't want to re-examine mine. But since I had no choice and had nothing better to do I looked at myself and where I am going to go now.

I know that I want to be a nurse but there is something within me that says that I could be anything I want since I'm starting all over again. But I have already begun nursing and it's a waste if I'm just going to let go of my nursing career when I already have started building knowledge, skills, and experience in nursing.

Maybe this is just a phase I'm going through because I don't have any nursing stuff to do. But when I start my studies again I'm sure that my nursing spirit will kick in! ^_^