Getting Comfortable With My Life

This coming June 8 would commemorate the 1st year of our new life here in Canada. I can still remember my feelings and thoughts when I first came here. I was scared and doubtful and I always wondered if we made the right choice of moving here.

So far so good I'm becoming comfortable with our way of life here and I'm getting used to how things operate here. I'm even starting to like my job even if it's a pain in the behind. I used to dream about my job because of the stress but I'm doing quite well.

I just hope that we get to buy our own home this year. And of course I wish that I get to go back to school this September 2009. I'm just hoping that things turn out for the best.

Ineligible

I can't express the great disappointment that I am going through right now because after all the sacrifices (not the mention expenses) that I and my friend Ellen have done to make sure that I am able to submit my requirements to University of Alberta (U of A), my admission decision is ineligible.

I have no idea why I am ineligible for admission as a first year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) student at U of A when I already was a third year BSN student back in the Philippines. Is it because they think that Canadian education is far superior than Philippine education?

Anyway I'm just glad that I took the advice of my mom and re-applied at Grant MacEwan. Maybe this is a blessing in disguise because I know a fellow Filipino BSN student from the Philippines who got admission to MacEwan and she was only a first year student.

But if ever I still don't get admission from MacEwan I am going to cry, NO I'M NOT!!! I still have the option to go back to the Philippines to continue my studies at Xavier University for school year 2010 to 2011 or I can just go to NorQuest College and take Licensed Practical Nursing then proceed to Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

What ever it takes I will NEVER GIVE-UP!!! I won't allow myself to just settle for mediocrity and just continue to work at Tim Hortons. I rather die than be an underachiever.

I'm Still Loving Korean Dramas!

The first Korean drama that I had fallen in love with was "Lovers in Paris" and this is also my mom's favorite Korean drama series. It's a beautiful romantic comedy between two lovers from completely different social backgrounds.

The thing that I really like about Korean dramas is their unique and very interesting plot. Korean dramas make me cry my heart out because the story is really captivating and you can't help but relate to the character's life story.

Recently the Korean dramas I've been watching are Coffee Prince and Soulmate.

What makes Korean dramas more appealing is the successful use of music to convey extreme emotions of sadness, joy, tragedy, and much more.

In Soulmate for example, the use of Nouvelle Vague's This Is Not a Love Song is perfect during times when Min-ae flirts and seduces Philipp. The song is so addictive that I can't help but listen to it over and over again.

I so love Korean Dramas!

Mesothelioma: A Silent Killer

Many people are not familiar with the cancer mesothelioma, most likely because it is such a rare malignancy (approximately 3000 cases diagnosed each year in the United States and Canada). While it may be rare, it is a devastating disease, made particularly more difficult to bear because generally it is entirely preventable. Preventable? I use that term only because mesothelioma is known only to be caused by asbestos exposure, which affected hundreds of thousands of industrial workers while simply doing their job.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has durable but microscopic fibers which were used in thousands of industrial and consumer products because it was adept at insulating and enhancing fire retardant qualities. Unfortunately, for as useful as asbestos was, it was equally as hazardous. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, as they often were by those who worked these materials, the lodge in the lining of the lungs and abdomen, a thin membrane known as the mesothelium. Asbestos fibers cannot be expelled from the body because they are so durable and resistant to chemical breakdown.

Over time, asbestos fibers cause a harmful inflammation of the mesothelial tissue, which creates malignant plaques on the surface of the mesothelium. These plaques are the beginning stages of mesothelioma, which is highly aggressive and has no known cure. Patients of mesothelioma will often ultimately suffocate as the cancer will envelop their lungs and prevent them from sustained breathing function. It is a slow painful death, one that could have been prevented had greedy corporations and their insurance companies exposed the hazards of asbestos rather than keeping this damaging information from their employees.

Fortunately, the world is beginning to wake up to the devastating nature of the disease and more funding and research is being dedicated to mesothelioma treatment. Progressive therapies, like those which Dr. David Sugarbaker is conducting at the Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston, MA, have extended survival rates far beyond previously attainable levels. Hopefully as awareness is spread of this difficult disease, even more funding will be devoted to focused mesothelioma research.

Brian Turner
Mesothelioma.com