Out of Sight...Out of Mind...

...is sometimes true but not always.

I've been away for a while, ok, let's rephrase that...I've been away from blogging for more than a year. But that does not mean God's goodness never happened or reflected in my life for the past year. And that He is always in my mind everyday.

From GoEnglish, Out of sight, out of mind means "There are some things which we think about only as long as we can see them in front of us". Anyway, with regards to our great God...We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

It's really hard to find a reason why I have not shared anything for the past year...let's try it this way...Absence makes the heart grow fonder. (GoEnglish)Did that work?

Anyhow, at this time of the year, I do celebrate something...we'll call it my second life birthday...yes...that's how fast time was running. It's been 3 years since I had my Bone Marrow Transplant. I had my annual check-up at Princess Margaret Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital last October 21st. Everything went well...God is good...All the time.

I hope this is a restart of my blogging days...

Six Months to Blog

It's been a while and just realizing it's been 6 months since my last blog. I've been a very, very busy wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt, great aunt ("oh yeah"), friend and worker (another "oh yeah" to that). I don't want this post to be very, very long so I will briefly give you the highlights of my past six months.

April

• Early April, my father and parent's in-law went back to Philippines for vacation for 2 months. Imagine me being a full-time mom doing the chores. Of course, I have the full support from my beloved husband.


• 5- Jensine started to attend Tae-kwon-do classes once a week.
• 17- I had my monthly check-up at Princess Margaret Hospital- blood test, eye exam and doctor's appointment -all is well.

May

• Still bringing Jensine for hid Tae-kwon-do classes every week.


• 15- I had my monthly check-up at Princess Margaret Hospital- blood test, eye exam and doctor's appointment -all is well. My doctor told me to stop my anti-rejection pills.


• 20- I still did not have enough, I helped a friend for her son's birthday preparations with invitations and give-aways. Another passion of mine not many people knows.

June

• 8- Jensine passed his Tae-kwon-do Yellow Stripe Belt Exam.
• 12- had my monthly check-up at Princess Margaret Hospital- blood test, eye exam bone mineral density test, dental appointment and doctor's appointment -all is very well. I will be back to see them in 3 months.
• First day of work, my manager, was able to arrange with the company for me to work 2 days from home and the other 3 days, I will be in the office.

22- Jensine's Senior Kindergarten Graduation Day / Jerson's birthday

Since, it's Jerson's Birthday, too, the 3 of us went out for lunch to celebrate.

Our Barkada also gave us a Surprised Party, for Jensine's Graduation, Jerson's Birthday and my new job.

July

• 1 to 7- Vacation Bible School at Mt. Zion Church
• 6- Friends from Chicago visited us.
• 22- Explore the beauty of nature in Niagara Falls.
• the rest were just work and home. Adjusting to my new load of commitment.

August

• 5- Brought Jensine to Circus
• 7- Follow up with the denists at Princess Margaret
• 10- Auntie Juliet visited us from California
• 25- Share God's Good News at Kalamazoo, Michigan and had the chance to visit Battlecreek, Michigan.
• 27 - Jensine watched Toopie & Binoe Live Show at Vaughan Mills

September

• 1 to 3- Road trip to Pennsylvania. Visited Lost River Cavern, Crayola Factory, Hershey Factory and King of Prussia Mall

After all these big changes from being very ill, home/hospital stay gal, I probably stretched my energy so much that I got sick middle of September. No worries and no regrets, for today, I am celebrating my 2-Year Anniversary of my Bone Marrow Transplant. On Monday, October 1st, I will have my Anniversary check-up from blood test, Pulmonary Function Test, Mammogram and doctor's appointment.

For all these, all I can say is "God is Good, all the Time". All praises are to Him, our God and Saviour, from whom all blessings flow.

When You Believe...

Please click this link to listen to the song while reading my blog.

Many nights we pray
With no proof anyone could hear
And our hearts a hopeful song
We barely understood
Now we are not afraid
Although we know theres much to fear
We were moving mountains long
Before we know we could

Hearing this song reminds me of my past experience...exactly 2 years ago...when I thought I would say to my friends and acquaintances, "that's all folks" or to my relatives, "this is it, please take care of Jensine and Jerson, or to my love buddies, Jerson and Jensine, "I will always be in your heart"...reminiscing still makes me cry, but now with tears of joy and thankfulness.

And now I am standing here
My hearts so full I can't explain
Seeking faith and speaking words
I never thought I'd say
There can be miracles When you believe
Though hope is frail Its hard to kill
Who know what miracle
You can achieve
When you believe
Somehow you will
You will when you believe

I have learn so much in this experience and I have also seen how many friends I have. How much they are willing to be there for me and will always be ready to be there for my hubby and son. When you give all your worries to Him, you will be amaze of what science can do with lots of prayers and human love. I can only say there can be miracles when you believe...

They dont always happen when you ask
And its easy to give in to your fear
But when you're blinded by your pain
Can't see you way safe through the rain
Thought of a still resilient voice
Says love is very near

When exactly 2 years ago I heard, "2 months to live"...now I hear, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matthew 19:26)

More good promises for you and for me...just believe.

I'm Back!

...not just in blogging but also in the hospital.

Yes, I was in the hospital last week. Jerson brought me to the emergency for 39.something fever. I did not want to go at first so I tried to wait, thinking maybe my fever will go down. But I had chills and been shaking for a while. When we called Princess Margaret Hospital, they told Jerson I had to be seen by a doctor. So we were going to see the doctor near us, but I could not even stand by myseld nor walk down the stairs to get to the van. I was so weak that Jerson decided to call 9-1-1.

So from Monday, March 5 I was in the hospital near us, Etobicoke General. It was not my first option but I had no choice, paramedics can only take me to the nearest hospital.

My blood pressure was so low, 89 over 58 (normal is 120 over 80), even the IV to increase my fluid did not help. It was like that for the days I was confined in the hospital. There were times it will go up to 107 over 80 but that was very seldom.

They found out I had infection in my blood. I am home now but still taking antibiotic for another week.

My white blood counts went up too, something that anybody can worry about since my history of Leukemia...but Psalms 36, verses 7 - 9... This is what Pastor Edwin Martin read to us when he visited me in the hospital.

7 How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Your wings.
8 They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.
9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light.

Imagine Me Without You

Last night, we attended the Mid-week Prayer. Lo and behold, starting from the beginning, I was so blessed that I attended this with my family. The prayers, the study about "Atmosphere at Home", and the singing, I learned so much from all of them. The Message in Song by Zieline Lucrida was so touching. She sang "Imagine Me Without You" (hear this from YouTube).

Imagine Me Without You

As long as stars shine down from heaven

And the rivers run into the sea

Til the end of time forever

You’re the only love I’ll need

In my life you’re all that matters

In my eyes the only truth I see

When my hopes and dreams have shattered

You’re the one that’s there for me

When I found you I was blessed

And I will never leave you, I need you

Chorus:

Imagine me without you

I’d be lost and so confused

I wouldn’t last a day, I’d be afraid

Without you there to see me through

Imagine me without you

Lord, you know it’s just impossible

Because of you, it’s all brand new

My life is now worthwhile

I can’t imagine me without you

When you caught me I was falling

You lifted me back on my feet

It was like you heard me calling

And you rush to set me free

When I found you I was blessed

And I will never leave you, I need you

Chorus

When I found you I was blessed

And I will never leave you, I need you oh

Chorus

I can’t imagine me without you

Reflections: Imagine me without YOU. Imagine me without a family who will always there for me; without friends who always make me laugh; without a church family who supports and prays for me and my family; without an acquaintance who helps me realize my dreams; without a son who always makes me feel the bestest; without a husband who loves me no matter what; without God who blesses me with all these...I can't imagine me without you, yeah, including you!

Michigan

Since March 2005, when I first diagnosed with Leukemia, I was bound to stay home or at least, near the hospital.

April 2006, was supposed to be my first trip out of town, courtesy of the Lumbo family, to Wigamog Inn Resort at Haliburton, Ontario. Unfortunately, I was confined in the hospital and was never allowed to go anywhere even after I was discharged on May 1. So this trip was cancelled. My doctors want to have me very close because of my situation.

Days, months had passed. I asked my doctors again if I can go out of the country. They said yes, but not in tropical countries like Philippines. So then, I was excited to cross the boarder on a road trip. Kuya Orly and Ate Ruby found out and they decided to take me and my family (Jerson and Jensine) with them to Michigan to visit their daughter, Jackie. This will be my first trip out of the country, more or less, just across the boarder.

We went to Andrews University at Berrien Springs, Michigan. We did a lot of shopping, well, mostly, window shopping along the way. It was also Kuya Orly's birthday so they took us out for dinner with Jackie who attends in Andrews.

We attended the Sabbath at Kalamazoo, Michigan were we met the other Mt. Zion members like the Frias couple, Regoso family and Jaraba family. Auntie Josie was there, too. After the service, we found out that we were to attend a birthday party of Tatay, relative of Auntie Milet. We joined them for dinner and stayed at Auntie Maila and Uncle Tito's house for the night.

I want to take this opportunity to thank Kuya Orly and Ate Ruby for this first time trip out of Canada, for everything. The hosts, Jackie at Berrien Springs and Auntie Maila and Uncle Tito's at Kalamazoo for their hospitality. And for all the people we met there, thank you for this good experience.

Ontario Science Centre

Believe it or not, this was my first time here at Ontario Science Centre, as well as Jerson. Needless to say, this was also Jensine's first. This was a free summer family trip from Telus Mobility, where Jerson works. So, I said, "why not try?, anyways, it's free".


I have not been doing a lot of walking trips like this so I brought my cane for safety. It was very tiring for me but seeing Jerson and Jensine having fun, I felt happy too.

There were lots of fun and activities for kids like face painting, balloons, food, music, exhibits and shows.

It was a good day being with my family having fun while experiencing something new!

First Anniversary

One year it has been...since I had my Bone Marrow Transplant. Today, I had my anniversary check up. I did blood test, Pulmonary Function Test at Mt. Sinai Hospital and a regular check-up by special doctors. Blood test result at the end of this blog. PFT is also fine, according to the oncologist who looked at the results. The only signs of rejections or better call it, reactions from the transplant was the discoloration on my face. Doctors said it will go away soon.

FACTS: Spirometry (meaning the measuring of breath) is the most common of the Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs), measuring lung function, specifically the measurement of the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. (Wikipedia)

REFLECTIONS: I believe I have a purpose in this world, to serve God. I committed myself of telling my story, how God healed me and continously healing me. If you read my previous post about Thanksgiving, that was just a start. I am planning to do this in other places, wherever He wants me to. In Mark 8:35 from New International Version,

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.

Complete Blood Count
HGB – 118 (normal range = 120 to 160)
PLT – 307
WBC - 4.9
Neut - 2.1
Mg - 0.66 (normal range = 0.70 up)
Creat - 51
Ca - 2.40

Liver Functions
ALB - not available
ALT - 16

ALP - 50
AST - 26
TBili - 4.8

Legend:
Green: Normal
Yellow: Abnormal
Red: Critical

Premier pour Jensine

First day of French school...

Are you ready my sunshine? I guess he is, look at that wide smile before going to French Immersion. Seems like, I was more worried than him.

With that kind of haircut :) It was also first to cut his hair very short. He did not like the idea but as parents, we have to make some tricks for him to like it.

The new school is more than 5 km. from our house. Oh yeah, for a young boy like him, any parent will be worried at the beginning. But I am sure, he will be fine...

First time to ride a school bus...


Did I tell you that we have to follow him from the bus stop to his actual school? We did, and we tried to hide ourselves so he would not think that we could be behind the bus everyday... Guess what? he saw us...what a big eyes he have.

First time to go home from new school by himself...

Jensine, you have to follow the line! He he he...with his height he has a hard time to hear or see what's going on in front of him :)

Luke 19:1-4
1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.

It does not matter how tall or short are you, not even your looks and appearance will matter to God...because He sees not your outside looks but what is inside. "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye"- Little Prince. We should also practice to look deeper...deeper in ones heart.

Piano Lesson

We started Jensine to have piano lesson this summer. After couple of lessons, it seems that he does really like it...As a parent, we don't want to force him to do things or learn things...although, this is one of my frustrations...when I was young I wanted to learn to play piano, so it is part of my dream for my son to learn. But we just want to see first if he will like it and if he's into it. So far so good...

This picture was taken on his first day of piano lesson with Mae. He actually calls her "Ate Mae".

We did not just pick a piano teacher for the reason that he/she can teach. I personally admire Mae playing the grand piano at church, not just that, she really knows how to deal with kids...you know kids sometimes are hard to deal with :) Jensine is very close to Mae too. Since he was born, Mae is always around.

On the right, Jensine started to learn the basic.

We also want Jensine to play piano, not just for him to have a talent in music but also to use this talent to praise and glorify God.

Jensine would also mention that he wants to learn to play violin, guitar and drums. We'll see how these go, since I already have in my mind who can teach him this musical instruments. We'll do this one at a time.

In the meantime, we will focus on piano, we'll see how fast he can learn to read music notes and be able to incorporate it with other instruments...I am just making it sound very easy...

...as long as, he will serve and use his talent for the Lord.

Psalm 33:1-3
1 Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
2 Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

We used to watch fireworks every Canada Day near the surrounding area of Canada's Wonderland or at Chinguacousy Park in Brampton. But not this year, we went to celebrate our godmother's (Ninang Cora) birthday at their place. It was also a House Blessing for their second house near our place. We did enjoy the company of everyone especially the food :)

Many Things To Celebrate, Part 3

What's the best way to Celebrate Life?!

This day, Mt. Zion Church and Fil-Can Church held and organized a blood clinic in the community with the help of Canadian Blood Services. Yes, the best way to celebrate life is to give life. How?! By donating blood, anyway, "it's in you to give". Jerson, Jensine and I went to witness the event and of course, to give thanks to those who courageously donate blood. Jerson, for one did donate. I was there to support the event and to show the people that I am very thankful for their action of donating blood. It was a sign for me how they support me again and again, since I used to be a blood recipient. I've been told by many friends who came to donate that they were doing this for me. Most of them are first time donors, too, like Jerson. I tried to promote this blood clinic to the church to encourage them to help people who needs blood or to give blood.

35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

Acts 20:35 (New International Version)

"It is beyond doubt that giving is better than receiving, because that means you are able, well and healthy. I'd rather be poked once than getting poked numerous time. I believe in Science, blood and my sister's bone marrow and the healing power of God. There is Power in the Blood of the Lamb. There is also power in your blood, because you are children of God. So please, give blood and save lives, anyway, it's in you to give."

If you are a previous donor, I thank you and if you are planning to donate, I also thank you for your courageousness, willingness, and love for giving life to someone in need...you're helping and saving so many lives!

Happy Birthday To ME!!! { Day +163 }

Last night, I asked Jensine to sleep with me and Daddy. They are the people I want to see first thing in the morning on my birthday. Jerson was already asleep, while me and Jensine could not sleep...

Mommy: One more sleep and it's mommy's birthday...so close your eyes now.
Jensine: I don't want to sleep because it's your birthday.
Mommy: Do you have a gift for mommy?
Jensine: I don't know!
Mommy: You don't know?!
Jensine: Ahm...Oh, I do mommy...HEART (while pointing to his chest) ...LOVE...

I under estimate my own son, I never thought these words would come from a 4-year old boy. I always thought kids love to open presents and that is what "gift" means from them...but not from my son. I could not help it but cry...

I had 3 birthdays as my son remembers it...because we had a family celebration on March 9 at home, then Saturday at lunch time, after church service, I was surprised by my sister-in-law, Ate Nenette and my beloved husband, Jerson, with a huge cake at Mt. Zion. Then Sunday, we had a get-together with the people who mostly stayed with me in the hospital last year when I was first diagnosed. They were in my bedside 24-hours a day, seven days a week. Thanks again to all of you for being there.

Thank you very much!!! Thank God for giving me another year!

March Means Getting Older! { Day +151 }

Yes! For me, March means another year to add to my age...if God permits. Count down starts today and 8 more sleeps I will turn 29...

If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.

Quiet moments, worship God.

Painful moments, trust God.

Every moment, thank God.

Finally!!!

Whew! I can't believed I finally decided to create a web log...I was hesitant to do it because I was almost certain that I would be the last one to do it, comparing how many blogs and bloggers in the world wide web...I don't know why or what took me so long ;)

I made up my mind to use this to communicate with everyone interested on my well-being :) With my busy schedule, I will try my best to update my blog everyday, if not, hopefully my husband, Jerson will make an effort to do it for me.

I hope you learn something as you read on my Reflections as well as my Facts...