Tuesday, May 29, 2007

i'm a foodie!

I can't remember when exactly I learned how to cook. Bata pa lang ako gusto ko lagi nasa kusina pag cooking time na. Pinapanood ko sinumang grown-up ang nagluluto sa kusina. Hindi ko na rin maalala anong una kong niluto. Siguro scrambled egg din gaya ng karamihan. Ang naaalala ko lang ngayon is pag nagluluto ako ng scrambled egg, di ko maperfect ang pagbaligtad. Laging nasisira yung circle kasi hindi nonstick ang aming kawali. Buti na lang at naimbento ang Teflon.

Nung safe na akong maiwan sa kusina on my own (di ko na maalala ilang taon ako nun), ako na ang designated cook sa bahay.

Ngayon madami na akong alam lutuin. Afritada, nilaga, caldereta, sinigang, adobo, kare-kare, pinakbet, chopsuey, sweet and sour, lumpiang shanghai, pinoy spaghetti, pancit canton o bihon, sinaing na isda, ginatang manok, at marami pang iba. Pangarap ko nga magtayo ng karinderya. Hindi restaurant ha. Karinderya. As in classic pinoy turo-turo. Mababaw lang ang kaligayahan ko. Hihi.

Ngayong may asawa na ako (na isa pang napakahilig kumain), isa pa rin ang pagluluto sa mga nagbibigay sa akin ng joy. It's always a pleasure na ipagluto ng makakain ang asawa ko at ang marinig mula sa kanya na masarap yung niluto ko.

Kung gusto niyo malaman anong kinakain namin ni Reden, bisitahin niyo ang aking food blog ang katzee's food for two. Kung di niyo man trip magluto, tingnan niyo na lang ang pics. Hehe. Ang unang recipe na andun ay Spaghetti Carbonara. Dinner namin yun kanina.

Happy cooking and happy eating! Good night!

haler, haler

Kumusta kayo?

I went back to KK to see my doctor again. Inexplain naman niya sa akin mabuti kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng calcifications. Sabi niya may dalawang kinds daw ng calcification. Ang isa ay yung malignant, na early stages of cancer. Yung isa naman ay benign.

She told me na yung nakita sa akin ay possible na tissue lang na naghiheal from my previous operation. Yung calcifications kasi ay nakita directly underneath the operated area. Wala naman daw need for a surgery or biopsy now but we have to monitor the calcification. Irregular daw kasi ang shape ng calcification.

So babalik ako sa KK in six months to have another mammogram. If the calcification changes (lumaki o dumami), then I might have to undergo surgery and biopsy.

That is good news. Una, kasi I feel like I have nothing to worry about naman. Pangalawa, kasi hindi namin kailangan maglabas ng pera at this time. May panahon pa akong makakuha ng trabaho at makapagtabi ng enough na pera.

Yun. =)

Monday, May 21, 2007

ultraelectromammogram

Just got back from KK Women's & Children's Hospital.

No, am not pregnant. I just had my boobies checked. Hehe.

Although my appointment with the breast surgeon was still at 12:05 noon, I was already at the KK Breast Centre at 11:30am. I took the free shuttle from Bugis MRT. Maganda ang hospital. Parang Medical City diyan sa Pinas. Pero mas malaki.

When it was finally my turn to see the breast surgeon, she asked me routine questions, such as family history of cancer, if I had kids etc. I realized my aunt (my dad's ate), will always be a part of my medical history. She had breast cancer and then later died of leukemia. The doctors said, however, that this is a weak cancer history. One of my doctors back home told me that it is more likely for someone to get cancer if they have a relative from their mother's side who had it or died from it.

She asked me what I saw her for and I told her I just want to have my boobs checked. I told her I had a lumpectomy last year and that the lump found was benign. She then asked me to take off my top and bra and to lie on the examination bed so she can do a breast exam and a preliminary ultrasound. She told me I look fine, that young women like me usually have lumpy breasts, and that there's nothing to worry about. She told me, however, to get a more detailed ultrasound done just to be sure.

Whew. Salamat naman at ok ako.

I waited for an hour for my turn at the sonographer. Luckily, Pinay ang sonographer so madali kausap. She checked my right breast then left then right again. I found this weird and naisip ko kagad that there must be something wrong. Tama nga ako kasi tinawag niya ang doctor for a consult. The cute doctor (babae ito) then explained that I have to have a mammogram done. She told me something I prayed I wouldn't hear today: I had a calcification on my right breast--again!

I waited almost 45 minutes para sa mammogram session. Nung turn ko na, natuwa ako kasi Pinay ulit ang nandun. Grabe ang mammography, masakit! Tolerable naman pero napa-aray talaga ako. Imaginin niyo na lang na yung boobs niyo inipit ng sobrang bigat na bagay. Ganon. Pirat kung pirat. Apat na beses kinunan ng image ang boobs ko. Tigdalawang angles per boob.

After 30 minutes, sinabihan ako ng cute doctor na pwede na akong umuwi. Wag daw ako magworry at bumalik na lang daw ako next Monday para sa appointment ko with my breast surgeon. All in all, ang ginastos ko ay S$226.90.

Hay. Ano ba naman ito. Puro gastos na lang idinulot ko sa asawa ko.

Tulungan niyo akong magdasal, kung kaninoman kayo nagdadasal, na sana ay hindi harmful ang calcification na nakita sa right breast ko, at sana ay hindi ko kailangan magundergo ng operation. Hindi ko alam kung maaafford namin ni Reden yun ngayon. Kakaumpisa lang niya sa new work niya at ako naman ay dakilang bum.

Hanggang sa Lunes.

Friday, May 18, 2007

long time no post

It has been three months since I got here and I am still, so far, unemployed. I knew it was hard to nail a job here, but I didn't think it would be this hard.

Thank God I've overcome "the blues." I went through a lot of sadness during the first half of my stay here. I miss home. I miss my family and friends. I miss my dogs. I miss working (yeah, didn't think I'd say that either).

Having companies not notice or reject me made me doubt my capabilities. It brought out all my insecurities and made me think that maybe I'm not as good as they say I am. I was never really a big fan of myself. Some of my friends are just so great that they made me believe that I am a good editor at may ibubuga ako. (Thanks guys. I wish you were here.) I had to struggle with my inner demons just so I won't lose my spirit.

Even before I got here, I have been sending out applications to Singaporean companies. I got lucky a few times and scored interviews. I just never got lucky enough to actually be offered a job. Well, there's one company but their office was so filthy I just had to turn it down. I haven't stopped putting my resume in circulation and I continuously pray for that one company that may think I am right for them.

In the meantime I try to keep myself entertained, doing chores at home, cooking, watching Oprah and Friends reruns. I am updated with season three of Grey's Anatomy and season one of Heroes. I've acquainted myself with Dr. Gregory House and his three interns, and am getting more paranoid than usual. Who knows, I might have an aneurysm on my leg and don't even know it? Hahaha. Aside from these, I'm in the 44th level of Diner Dash Flo on the Go. It's a game B and I are crazy about.

It's been three months since I moved to this sterile, boring, city-state and it's far from being home. If I wrote this a month and a half ago, I would've said that it's been a complete waste of time. But now I know better. Everyday is a struggle but having spent it with my wonderful and blessing of a husband makes all this not-doing-anything episode all worth it. I also now see this meantime as a chance to think about what I really want to do, what I really want.

Even though I get bored out of my wits sometimes, I have learned to make peace with where I am right now. After all, this is my life.