Sudafed Replay Contest For Sinusitis Sufferers

My mom told me that I got sick quite easily because I was a frail baby with sensitive immune system. I was in and out of hospitals because of that. Amazingly, I have learned to help improve my system by exercising and eating healthy foods. However, some things really don't change and go.

I have been plagued with sinusitis for as long as I can remember. It went to a very long hiatus that I thought I got cured already. And then one day, bam! I am suffering from sinusitis again. It became very prevalent around 2010 and I am still bothered by it upto now.

Having sinusitis is not a pleasant feeling. You feel like there is a pipe full of pressure that is about to explode in your nasal cavity. It gives me headaches, pain and the breathing is quite a challenge! It has caused me to miss a lot of activities where I could have enjoyed like hiking, trekking and even traveling. I have tried plenty of medications before. I have been in the doctors office one too many times and I have been prescribed anti-biotics to help me deal with the sinusitis problem because at one point, I kept having bleeding nose.

For once, I just want to be cured. It is an on and off thing and I hope  SUDAFED® can give me the relief I have been looking for.

SUDAFED® is hosting a fun giveaway/sweepstakes to sinus sufferers like myself! You will have a chance to win SUDAFED REPLAY™ to help them relive their regrettable and those missed out moments in their lives.

All you have to do describe those moments you have missed in the SUDAFED REPLAY™  app in the SUDAFED® Facebook page and you will be entered to win a $250 gift card for Flight replay, Sporting Event replay or Movie Event replay.

The contest will run until 6th of April, 2014. Open to US residents only +18.



Disclosure:

This is a sponsored post by SUDAFED®.

Keep Foot Pain At Bay With These Helpful Tips

We are not all born with a perfect foot arch. I am one of those flat-footed people so walking great lengths can wear me down and cause terrible pain on my feet. Not only is it painful, it is hard to find shoes that will fit me well and give my feet comfort if I do not use arch supports.

Aside from having flat foot there are still other causes of pain and problems that we can also experience on our feet that are caused by ill-fitting shoes, dry feet with cracked heels, bunions and corns, calluses, and sprains.

Our feet also need tender-loving care and we can do these by following some of the helpful tips below to keep pain at bay and have healthy feet.

Waking Up With A Headache

Photo credit: diseaseaday.com

I have been trudging like a zombie for the past 2 days. I have this on and off headache which I slept through last night and praying it would go away when I woke up. Unfortunately, it was more pronounced this morning that I feared it would develop into a full-blown migraine.

The last thing I ever want to hit me is a migraine during an office day. I have allergies in most medication and pain killers are one of them. And to make my life more challenging, it is a trial and error for me to take any kinds of medication without having a skin test first. So, you can imagine how I have to convince myself to accept pain in varying degrees. Migraine is an exemption. When it hits, I am really catatonic. There's nothing more I can do but to lie in a dark, quiet room, close my eyes, put the air condition unit into full blast, sleep and pray that when I wake up, the pain is gone.

Half way through this day in the office was like the longest day of my life. I am just glad that my boss is considerate and allowed me to leave early. I knew my throbbing headache is not the normal one. It turned out to be a migraine.

I am glad I made it just in time because by the time I was reaching for the door at home, I was almost nauseated and had to squint because the lights were making my condition terrible. And the pain was too much to bear. I can feel tiny drillers poking all over my head.

Yes, the much needed sleep in a dark and cold room is always the best solution for me sans the medication. Sometimes I wonder if there is a way to go around this allergic reaction to almost any medication. But then again, going through my painful times actually makes me a tolerating and understanding person. I just don't know for how long...

Body Pain

I knew I have a fragile health from the time I was born until now. I tried everything I can to improve my immune system and health. I am desperate to lose weight and eat properly and yet, I still feel pain here and there. Could it be due to my soaring weight or age is simply catching up? All I know is that, the slightest move now either sprains me or causes pain in some areas of my body.

I was happily doing Zumba last Sunday, did some exercises last Monday, did ab crunches last Tuesday and yesterday took a rest. I remember reaching for a piece of paper on my office table and next thing I knew and felt was the twitch or slight pain on my right shoulder, almost above the armpit near the joint area. Since then, I noticed that my right arm's movement had been limited. I could not stretch it nor reach the top of my head. It's as if something is blocking my joint movement. There is no swelling. I don't have fever too nor have redness on the affected area but the pain is there.

I applied hot compress the whole night and straightened my right arm when I slept. I am trying to rule out other possibilities like tendinitis, bursitis, impingement or even high uric levels, arthritis or rheumatism. It can be anything until I see a doctor.

I will give myself another night to see how it goes even after I put another batch of hot compress. If the pain does not subside a bit then I am forced to face my dreaded fear - seeing a physician.

Good Bye Little Angel

Easter is supposed to beacon a fresh start, a new hope, a new life. My friend's Easter is the opposite. We just received the news that my future-godson did not survive and  whilst in his mother's womb. I know  how devastated my friend and her husband is to find out the news of their unborn. The irony of the whole ordeal is, the baby is due anytime from today until next week. My friend carried him for 9 full months only to find out this morning that he did not have any heart beat anymore.

I feel lost right now. I feel sorry for the loss of a little baby whose parents are so eager to have him come home and instead, he went home to the Lord.

There are things in life that we just cannot question much as we try to understand the reason behind every circumstance. He has a grand plan for everyone. And even if we try to connect the dots why things like this happen, who are we to question?

I just pray that my friend and her family recovers from this loss. I know that no amount of words or sympathy can comfort a grieving mother's heart. I pray for her and the husband to be strong and never lose faith in God. I can only offer my prayers but God will cast His healing love.

To the little angel we will never see nor hold even for a short while, we pray that you follow the path the Lord has made for you. Guide your mama and papa and pray for us in Heaven. So long my little godson. Rest in heavenly peace.

My Lab Results

I got my lab results last night and went to see my doctor again for a reading. My cholesterol is high but my blood sugar is normal. However, I can't believe my uric level is so high. It's not even just above the meridian. It's high!

So, that could be the reason why my ankles ache in the morning before I get up. Although, my ankles don't swell, I do feel pain there and on my knees. I thought, the pain was brought about by the 2.7 km walk I did so I didn't give much thought.

Well, I may go vegan for a while. I have no idea how it will go and how my taste buds will receive the new idea and food group. I don't have a problem taking red meat and some seafood out of my eating equation but  not eat my favorite wheat breads and oatmeal cookies? That's just plain torture!

I am barely on my 40s and yet I have these conditions normally felt by middle-aged people. The doctor advised me to really lose weight and strict diet on low purines because purines found on most food I love to eat are one of the culprits of my rising uric acid. 

I just wonder why I was predisposition to have these kinds of conditions. I don't smoke. I don't drink. I get my 8 hours of sleep. I eat healthy foods and not much of a meat eater. I exercise and I try my best to think of positive thoughts. And yet, I still have these conditions which can affect my heart if I don't do something about them. I am really bummed right now.

Anyway, no use crying over spilled milk. I just have to follow my doctor's advise to the letter. I may experience some withdrawal symptoms while I wean away from breads and other delicious food I love to eat. Let this be a warning... Grumpy alert!

Achey Breaky...Knee

I do not know why I am starting to feel joint pain specially in the knee area whenever I use the stairs or when I suddenly stand up from a seated position.

I think this is due to the fact that I gained weight substantially over the course of the previous years. I was really petite, almost bordering anorexic 6 years ago. However, due to hormonal imbalance, I became chubby and now I am certified fat! I think I need to have blood chem just to be sure.

Feeling Weird Lately

My husband and daughter are both in Manila right now for their vacation but my daughter will be staying there for a month more. I know this yearly routine of sending her off to Manila for her to bond with our families should be well-accepted by yours truly by now. But I don't know why I can't seem to get passed the stage of letting my daughter go. Every year, I just have to cry my heart out because I miss her so much. Every single year, I go through this state like a wreck! My sister even chided me, "Don't you get used to it?" My response is always the same - "NO, I don't."

This is what it feels like to be a mother I suppose. I feel that part of myself has gotten transferred to my little princess when I gave birth to her. I just want to hold on to her not realizing that she is growing up so fast for me to take it all in. A classic example is a long distance call I made this morning. I asked her if she wants to come back here in Dubai now. She replied, "Maybe YES, maybe NO." I said, "What?!? Last time I checked, you did not want to go there so what gives?" To which she replied with "Mama, let me enjoy myself here first." And that was it. I did not utter any more word because I felt a tightness in my chest. To hear her say those words kind of zapped me back to reality. I guess I am holding on too much. One day, she will be all grown up ready to take the world on her own without me to hold her little hands and guide her.

I don't know if I am exaggerating or just having my hormonal imbalance thing but I feel hurt when she said those to me. Doesn't she miss me? Does she just prefer to be with my in-laws and not me? Are they smothering her with materials things I cannot provide for? Are they buying her affection? I know these are weird questions running in my head. I am a bit jealous, I admit that. Feeling that makes me more human.

Right now, as I write this blog, my head is in a blur. I feel pain, a little resentment to some people who have no iota of an idea as to what is happening, a bit angry, insecure and a tad green with jealousy. These are all negative emotions boiling inside me. I guess I was just caught off guard when my daughter told me that. I thought I am always her super-mom, her idol, her role model, her number one. Then again, maybe not.

Bear with me folks as I figure out what's going on in this thick skull and fragile heart of mine. I feel like a tempest in a teapot about to burst any minute now. Is motherhood really this "painful?"

Baby P - The Innocent Angel

It took me sometime to gather myself and write this post since this hurts deeply and has rattled the very core of my being as a mother. I know, most of you have read the tragic event that lead to the death of Baby P on the hands of his very own mother, boyfriend and a lodger. He died last year but the gruesome facts emerged only recently causing an uproar. How? How can a mother do such things to an innocent being, more so, to her very own son and why? He was 17 months old.

I am enraged just by reading the atrocious accounts that lead to the early demise of Baby P. I cannot fathom the evilness of the people who are responsible in cutting the life of this beautiful baby short on their hands. I am angry at the system and the people who oversee the system of child care in that country. I am feeling a lot of intense emotion right now but I need to voice this out. NO PUNISHMENT IS ENOUGH TO ALLEVIATE THE SUFFERING OF AN INNOCENT CHILD.

Baby P, the little cherub, may you find the peace that you deserve and feel the love that has been selfishly denied of you here on earth there in Heaven where you can no longer feel pain. We are all praying for you. Fly away little angel...

(photo from: Irish Examiner)

Catatonic Pain

Photo credit: myhousecallmd.com

I have a terrible reaction to most medications. On most days when I am sick, I have to be given skin test before I can take a medication. I have been hit by a terrible migraine attack today. I was checking my mails when I felt a heaviness on my head. I couldn't take any medication for fear of any allergic reactions so I slept.

When I have migraines, I am left restless and almost in catatonic state because there is nothing much I can do but wait it out. Sob! The migraine attacks have been coming in close intervals now. I am having attacks at least 2 to 3 times in week now. I checked some sites on natural healing process for migraines but unfortunately, none so far can guarantee a home cure. However, here are some helpful tips to prevent or at least alleviate the pain associated with migraine attacks.

Take a bath or shower

Press two pressure points at the back of your neck. These pressure points are two inches apart below the base of the skull. Press between 1 to 2 minutes. This releases endorphins that help ease the pain.

Massage your own face, neck, shoulders and get someone else to do your back. This will relax your muscles.

Avoid any sources of stress and cancel any strenuous activities which will aggravate the condition.

Have a drink of water or natural juice.

Put cold compress on your forehead.

Avoid bright or flashing lights. Rest in dark room if you must.

Play soothing music to relax your mind.

Well, given the above tips, I hope this post help other migraine sufferers like me. I know most people can take pain-relievers which I have not been lucky enough to do. If you have other tips not mentioned above, please share. Thanks!

So poofed!

I have never been this exhausted in my life! I don't want to sound whiny and all but my whole body really, really, really, as in really aches - from my toes to the ends of my hair! That bad. I had to ask my dear daughter to massage my legs and arms because I could not move them.

Our office decided to relocate on the floor above our current place and to pack almost 150 + big boxes full of ......... is not a big joke. I have been packing since Wednesday and now was the unpacking day. I wanted to run away. It was pure physical labor and now I truly appreciate what those mover guys do for a living. It's not an easy task to lug around with trolleys and wheel carts to shift boxes here and there to another place and to move those heavy cabinets and equipments. I empathize with them and I am thankful in a way that even when my body aches this bad for the past 2 days, it is nothing compared to what they actually do. God bless them.

I miss you Dad...

Exactly two years ago today, I lost my dad. The pain of him leaving us all of a sudden is still fresh. I guess, getting over someone you love is a long and painful process. Much as I want to let go, a part of me is holding on to his memories. I keep telling myself to accept the fact that he's really gone for good but another part of me longs for my Dad. I still miss him so bad.