6th Sonnet: ONE YEAR

One Year
By: eunice v.
03/08/10

It all began when a heart was broken
Thinking it will be the end of the world
Never tried to tell myself that I can
And moving on was put on hold.
Seconds, minutes, days and months have passed
God whispered to me that the time is now
Crying because of him would be the last
But still I can’t help to ask myself how.
He left… you came like an answered prayer
Something to look forward and thankful for
Most of all when you made me feel better
Assuring that i could not ask for more.
With you, this one year of love and gladness
Brings me the feeling that you are the best.

Fourth Sonnet: FOREVER

FOREVER
by: eunice v. (05/07/09)



Can’t really think of the right words to say
For staring at you is enough for me
Tell me how can I prove to you each day
These feelings of mine I want you to see.
For all the misunderstandings we had
Conflicts we never wanted to arise
Today I promise you not to be mad
To nonsense reasons we have to think twice.
I should thank you for the things you have done
Making me feel that I’m so important
Letting me know that I’m your only one
That’s why being with you is what I want.
Let’s cherish every moment in this life
And never wrap ourselves in any strife.

Third Sonnet: CHANCE

So this is my 3rd sonnet.. Made this one last January 13, 2009. 

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CHANCE
By: eunice 01/13/09

Repeating the mistake happened before
A wrong deed that made me happy and sad
But I think there’s no need to close the door
‘Coz this time things will not make me feel bad.
You are so mysterious and silent guy
And yet your cute smile can make my day bright
Do you know that I just want to say hi?
And communicate with you day and night.
Inspiring me is what I’m thankful for
That’s why I am glad to see you around
But it does not mean I want something more
‘Coz only your friendship is what I’ve found
I can’t hate this very lovely feeling
So can we just let it keep on going?

My 5th Sonnet

(Sharing you my 5th sonnet. If I'm not mistaken, I finished this one after my college years. Will also try to find my other sonnets.)

So here it is... 
_____________________________________

For all the things that we’ve shared together
For all the joy and laughs you bring to me
those things would be remembered forever
and were locked in my heart and you’re the key.
The tears that completely cover our eyes
Fall and slide in our cheeks then wiped by hands
Wishing that we’ll not believe in those lies
And give each other’s love another chance.
Reminiscing what happen in the past
Made us realize the love we had
Hoping that this relationship would last
And never let ourselves to be more sad.
I never wanted this to be the end
Would you mind if I’ll call you mine again?

Osteonecrosis and Lupus

To rule out Avascular Necrosis / Osteonecrosis, I underwent Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of both hips. Good thing, the results were good. Pain felt was just because of inflammation and not necrosis. Monitoring is still important because I'm taking Prednisone for years. Milk and Caltrate vitamins are my bestfriends too! It is also important to exercise everyday and to manage weight. Hopefully, I can lose more weight so there will be a lower chance of having osteonecrosis.

South Korea 2014

Obligatory jumpshot at Lotte World, South Korea

As I've said before, if given the chance, I'll travel the world. As long as I can walk, run, jump, I'll explore the beauty and embrace the different cultures. 

Lupus can't stop me from doing what I love. I'll conquer every pain in order to fulfill my dreams.

I'll be strong.  

I'll never give up.

Brightside

Hello my dear lupies! :) Hope you're doing fine today. Just wanna share this story about how a negative experience turned out to be a positive one.

Last week, I wasssss sooooo busy cooking in the kitchen when I noticed that my pomeranian was so quiet. I decided to check her if she's okay, but I saw her chewing and tearing up my favorite shoe. At first, I was disappointed with my dog but I realized that she really cares for me. 

Why? How?

I always wear those shoes everytime I have an appointment to my doctor. My doctor tells me that I shouldn't be wearing those kind of shoes. According to him, it is better if I don't wear flats. 

And despite of the doctor's order about not wearing flats, I still continue to wear them. I still love them though they make my feet and lower back sore. 

That's why I'm thankful that Chichi (my dog's name) tore up my favorite shoe. Isn't she sweet? She doesn't want me to get hurt by wearing those flat shoes. It's amazing on how Chichi can be as sweet and understanding just like a real person and a friend.

Just like in our everyday experiences, we may have bad and good days. But in every negative experiences we encounter, there are good reasons behind it. We just need to open our minds and never let ourselves be blinded by negative thoughts and actions. 

Please remember that everything happens for a reason. Open your eyes to see the beautiful reasons why it happened.

First Meeting with Plaquenil

Say hello to Plaquenil! :)

Experienced worst pain last Tuesday night though I have medicine for neuropathic pain, my steroids, and diltiazem. So my doctor instructed me to start Plaquenil 200mg twice a day, Arcoxia 90mg once a day, increase Lyrica's dosage from 50mg to 75mg, still on 40mg prednisone and 30mg diltiazem. 

My body wants to give up but I will never let lupus win this battle. I will fight and I will keep my faith. 

03.18.15

I know and I can feel you. You're tired. You're losing hope. You don't want to drink your medicines anymore. But I'm telling you, you must keep the faith. You need to stay strong and prove that lupus can't win this battle. And I know that you can do it. :) 

MEET MY NEW FRIEND

Diagnosed with Raynaud's Phenomenon this day. 

Cold extremities.

Swelling of fingers and feet.

Had difficulty in walking.

High ESR Lab result.

Doctor's Order:

Diltiazem 3x a day

Increase Prednisone to 20mg 3x a day

Caltrate twice a day

No direct sunlight

No to stress

and follow up checkup after 1 week

What happen?

My last 2 consecutive checkups with my doctor were great and okay. I forgot the fact that I have Lupus. I enjoyed life without reminding myself of the dos and donts of the disease. Stress, sunlight, not getting enough sleep triggered my lupus. And now I realized that even though you are in remission stage of lupus, never ever forget to do what is right and what is good for your health for lupus can attack you when you least expect it. 

Fighting and praying! :) 

Love you all dear lupies. 💕

Lupus and your Eyes

Lupus patients should have their eyes check twice or once a year. It is better if we'll consult an opthalmologist since our medicines has side effects and lupus may have other complications that may affect the eyes. 

So here are the 5 common eye problems associated with lupus:

1. EYELID DISEASE

2. DRY EYE SYNDROME

3. RETINAL DISEASE

4. SCLERITIS

5. OPTIC NEURITIS

Prolonged use of corticosteroids may also have side effects such as cataracts (clouding of the lens in one or both eyes) and glaucoma (elevated pressure in the eyes). 

Opthalmologist decided to give me eyeglasses to prevent eyestrain since most of the time my eyes were too sensitive with light and to prevent my eyes from future vision problems. 

Also, do not forget to relax your eyes and take a break. :)

Keep fighting my dear lupies! ♥

Built to Survive

Achy and swollen joints? Unexplained fever? Prolonged fatigue? Skin rash? Hair loss? Sensitivity to sun and other light? I know some of you already coped up with Lupus, while some are still in the stage of accepting SLE. So I can't blame a person who have this condition and have negative thoughts on his/her life because I've been through the dark stage of Lupus. It will bring you the thought on how will you spend your day, or the thought of how will you be productive if you have the said condition. 

Having this condition is not easy. Every lupus patient experienced difficulties, sufferings and chronic pain emotionally and physically. And in order to surpass this, acceptance is a must. You have to deal with pain whether it is acute or chronic, accept the fact that there are limitations for every action, and you need to take different medicines. Remember that Lupus is not curable but treatable. There is no specific medicine in order to remove Lupus in our system but if we take our medicines religiously and we follow the doctor’s order, there will be small chance in having lupus flares. Just like what I told you before that aside from doctors and medicines, having faith and having belief in recovery is very important. Think positive thoughts that you will be healed and someday hopefully, there will be a cure for this. Promise yourself that you will fight each day with a smile and not to give up for lupus fighters were BUILT TO SURVIVE.  

SG2014: International Furniture Fair/ ASEAN Furniture Show

Yessss! SINGAPOREEEEE! :)))

Finally had the chance to be in Singapore. 

*International Furniture Fair 2014 

(our main purpose for being there)

Made by different manufacturers and exporters from different countries

and finally! Wooden products made from Philippines :)) 

Some are from IMPACT BALIBAGO ARTS & CRAFTS. :)

Curious? Check their website for more information and more of their products. Some of the products are not featured in their website so you can click the CONTACT US button on their website for questions or inquiries. :)

So here's a little background or information about the company.

Impact Balibago Arts & Crafts
Website: impactbalibago.com

Was established in the year 1997 under the management of Julio D. Pamintuan Jr. Since it was established, our company has been manufacturing wood products such as salad bowls, desk and wall clock, mugs, ashtrays, picture frames, serving trays and plates which found its way on the global market and later boosted our export capacity. And as years passed by, our product line-up increased which now included woodenwares, wooden figurines, basket ware, shell crafts, driftwood and vines items. All our products are exported to various industries dealing in novelty, gifts and housewares displays.

Office and Warehouse Specifications

Our main office and showroom is situated in Angeles City, Pampanga and only 85km north of Metro, Manila, the capital city of the Philippines, visiting our showroom is convenient for our valued clients. Our showroom is comprised of our item line-up which we update regularly in terms of design and seasonal collections. 

Quality Assurance

For the assurance of the quality of products that we export, all possible quality tests and control are implemented at our warehouse by our able staff. Moisture contents, color accuracy, sizing and packing are carefully checked one by one to ensure that the products are packed to be of export quality. The daily increase in number of orders represents the quality that we deliver with our products.

Our Team

We have a well qualified and highly experienced team. Our team includes an efficient research and development unit that look after the latest trends and incorporated every minute innovation in the manufacturing process to deliver the best. We also have a dedicated team of regular workers who work according to the instructions given.

Trade Expositions

We have been actively participating in international trade exhibitions and trade fairs locally and internationally. Joining such trade fairs gives us the opportunity to showcase our products and designs which in return grants us our target buyers around the world.

Production Capacity and Lead Time

We are capable of shipping out 1 1x20foot container vans per month with production lead time of 60-120 days upon receipt of Confirmed Purchase Order.

Minimum Order and Mode of Payment

Our minimum order quantity is US $5,000.00 worth of goods. Payment Terms is thru T/T payment, we require a 50% down payment and full payment upon faxing copies of all shipping documents and will send all the originals upon receipt of the clients remittance.

Vision

To one day make our company rose among the ranks of the best handicraft exporters in the Philippines in terms of affordable products without sacrificing quality and design.

Mission

To continuously promote the ingenious craftsmanship of Filipinos around the world through export and say, proudly, Philippine made.

I really enjoyed the international fair and furniture show in Singapore. Looking forward for moreeeeeee tours/shows in different countries. And praying that someday we'll be given the opportunity to join and represent the Philippines as IMPACT BALIBAGO ARTS & CRAFTS. :) #veryproudFilipino

Since, there were changes in our flight, busy schedules and work, we did not have a looooong time roaming around Singapore.  Praying that I'll have more days, strength and healthy body to travel again not only in Singapore but also other beautiful countries. 

My travel buddies :)

#LHandSign for Lupus Awareness

"..but you don't look sick, you look healthy and fine."

We usually hear these words from other people. But we want them to realize that not every disability uses a wheelchair, not all disabilities/illnesses are visible. 

So here I am..supporting lupus awareness by  throwing my LHandSign for the first time. :) 

I know, this is not an easy challenge but giving up is never an option. We must keep fighting lupus for lupus doesn't define who we are. We still have a choice to be happy, to live our lives to the fullest. If you need someone to talk to.. I'm here. You are not alone. 

Sending my hugs & kisses for you my dear lupus fighters! :)

CT Scan Part 2

Few days after my lower abdominal CT Scan with IV and rectal contrast, here I am again ready to conquer another challenge of my lupus life. :)

Lupus can affect or attack the central nervous system. Since I have SLE, I've been having severe headaches/migraines commonly known as lupus headaches. And lately, this migraine-like headache makes me wanna give up. So my doctor referred me to a neurologist.

Dr. Mamangun, my neurologist asked me few questions and I told him my past and present illnesses. He also performed neuropsychoclogical tests. To be sure and to rule out CNS lupus since I experienced vasculitis few years ago, he ordered CRANIAL CT SCAN with IV CONTRAST. So what is CNS Vasculitis? CNS Vasculitis is a very rare complication of SLE caused by inflammation of the blood vessels of the brain. It is diagnosed by a blood vessel study and requires treatment with high dose steroids. 

After my check up with Dr. Mamangun, I went at Angeles University Foundation Medical Center to have Cranial CT Scan (a diagnostic tool used to create detailed picture of the skull, brain, paranasal sinuses and eye sockets. The contrast dye helps highlight some areas better on the images. Good thing I did not eat or drink for several hours prior to the test because I'll be receiving contrast. My creatinine was normal too. 

The procedure itself is painless. Their instruction to me is to remain still. At first, they took images without the contrast. Then, a nurse inserted an intravenous injection where the contrast will pass through. A doctor also assisted me while the contrast dye is being inserted. I was reminded to notify the scanner operator and the doctor immediately if there is difficulty in breathing, nausea, feeling of warmth, vomiting or itchiness. I did not feel anything except for the metallic taste of the dye and the cold feeling in my right hand. 

So here is the interpretation/result of my CT Scan:

TECHNIQUE: Non-contrast and contrast enhanced 16-multislice axial CT images of the BRAIN

FINDINGS: 

1. No evidence of extraaxial and intraaxial hemorrhage. No territorial infarct is evident.

2. No focal mass lesion or edema.

3. No abnormal parenchymal and meningeal enhancement.

4. No gross ectatic vessel seen in the major vascular structures.

5. The sulci, cisterns, extraaxial spaces and ventricles are normal.

6. The posterior fossa is relatively preserved.

7. The paranasal sinuses and tympanomastoids are well aerated.

8. The calvarium is intact.

In short, all normal. So that's it. It was merely lupus headache. Keeping the mind and spirit healthy is as important as keeping the body healthy. Cut down your stress. Do not be a pessimist.  Exercise and diet are nice combination to be healthy. Also, know when to take a rest and sleep. Eat healthy foods and avoid caffeine and processed foods. Do not abuse yourself  and know your limitations. Remember to avoid things that may trigger lupus like stress and sunlight. 

As of now, I'm still experiencing migraines and lupus headaches. But still I'm trying my best to have healthy lifestyle and take my medicines religiously. 

And if you're feeling like giving up.. JUST PRAY and feel your pulse. Never forget to thank the Lord for the pain and for another priceless gift - the gift of life.