Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger. I get many emails from readers after reading my Suicide Prevention page, saying they are depressed or feel hopeless. Sometimes I also get tweet mentions calling for help.

One should remember there is a difference between depression and sadness.

Depression in young kids may go unnoticed especially if one is hyperactive or acting out. Clinical depression is seen as deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating — that gets worse. It pays to visit a psychiatrist who can detect to confirm that your teen is really suffering from clinical depression.

Here are some Signs and symptoms of depression in teens

• Sadness or hopelessness
• Irritability, anger, or hostility
• Tearfulness or frequent crying
• Withdrawal from friends and family
• Loss of interest in activities
• Changes in eating and sleeping habits
• Restlessness and agitation
• Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
• Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
• Fatigue or lack of energy
• Difficulty concentrating
• Thoughts of death or suicide

Check the infographic below for more information on depression.

Via: Canada Drug Center——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.“Be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of life it may occur” – Muriel Sparks

My friend Bernie and I in our prime time

Several years ago , I was devastated. Let me not get into details anymore. Instead of wallowing myself in self-pity, I looked intently at my beautiful MBA buddy, Bernie. I idolized her. Feisty and confident, Bernie was successful in her career, and worked with the economic development of the Philippines in the early eighties. I wanted to be involved in something bigger and noble too. I know I could never be like her but I could be better than I could ever be.

Looking back to see the road ahead

Truth be told, at 23 years old , I felt ugly , rejected , and no career to speak of. Somehow, I felt my appearance was something I could control. So first things first. I wanted to look good so I enrolled at Slimmers world in 1981. From 123 pounds, I dropped to 101 pounds in a matter of two months. It also helped that I followed Jane Fonda’s workout via betamax at home every single day. With a 23 inch waistline, I looked fabulous with my new wardrobe. You should know that in the 80′s, having a 23-25 inch waistline was the norm. My fashionista phase started around this time, inspired by Bernie who was always “dressed to kill”. Of course, I developed my own personal style.

With my new look, my confidence soared that prompted me to sing “I feel pretty oh so pretty”.

It was about this time that I worked with the UP Institute for Small Scale Industries as a senior researcher and technical consultant with small and medium scale entrepreneurship. Through my father’s connection with then UP-ISSI director Eduardo Taylor, I got in. I proved myself to the staff that I was valuable to the institution because my research projects were pioneering for the SMEs. Four years later, the new director informed me that my contract will be terminated. (UP then was in freeze hiring so I was always under a contract). Part of me died with the notice. I was angry, depressed, confused, hurt, and worried. I was so bitter and angry at the new director because I was passionate and competent in my job in research and consultancy. Sometimes I think he just terminated me because I was hired by the past director.

I thought I had reached the top of the world by the time I settled down and became a full-time home maker.

Being married and staying married is not the bed of roses I imagined it to be. If I had to compare it to the roads in the highway, our marriage was full of potholes. These potholes only encouraged me to pave the road ahead even if my husband was not in the “car” with me.

The most important person was still myself.

The Arch and the Staircase

Looking back at the past I’ve found it helpful to view the symphony of my life in stages as Jane Fonda also cites in her book “Prime Time”.

In “Prime time”, Jane Fonda presents two diagrams that visualizes two conceptions of human life that means a lot to me.

The arch represents what I thought life to be, taking us from childhood to a middle peak of maturity, followed by a decline into infirmity.

The other is a staircase that shows our potential for upward progression toward wisdom, spiritual growth, learning—toward , in other words , consciousness and soul. Developed by Rudolph Arnheim, the late professor emeritus of the psychology of art at Harvard University, these diagrams are clear metaphors for ways we can choose to view aging.

Jane Fonda continues to add that “our youth-obsessed culture encourages us to focus on the arch–age as physical decline– more than on the stairway–age as potential for continued development and ascent. But it is the stairway that points to late life’s promise, even in the face of physical decline. Perhaps it could be a spiral staircase! Because the wisdom , balance, reflection and compassion that this upward movement represents don’t just come to us in one linear ascension, they circle around us, beckoning us to keep climbing to keep looking both back and ahead.”

I can look back at the pain of heartbreak, losing a son, and losing a career as gifts of life. I gained strength, courage and confidence as I grappled with fear and conquered it along the way. I never imagined that my prime time would be this great despite the challenges that engulfed most of my married life. Life didn’t have to be miserable. I know now that it was a conscious choice to be happy.

I lost touch with Bernie in the mid eighties then I reconnected with her in Facebook. When I saw her photos in Facebook, I was floored by her prime time beauty. Though physically apart, she was always there in my heart and we knew it the moment we reconnected.

Prime time

So here we are, Bernie and I, prime time women, in the prime of our lives. Yes, it’s not the Golden Girls anymore. It’s the PRIMETIME WOMEN who shake up things in this world. Remember that “50 is the new 30.” Maybe one day we will write a book together or just simply continue to laugh with our good old buddies as we climb the staircase of life.

So young ones , don’t fret. “One’s prime is elusive. You little girls, when you grow up, must be on the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it may occur. You must then live it to the full.”

I have never been happier in my life. I don’t pine for the good old days of my un-reckless lost youth. When I look back at my life , I don’t think in terms of my losses. I think of all the experience gained. And I look forward with enthusiasm about experiences that have yet to be enjoyed with my husband, my 2 daughters, my blogger friends,old and new friends, my college buddies, Ateneo MBA buddies, and my wonderful loving siblings. It’s one reason I want to venture into new activities or cultivate new friendships. There is always something fun to do.

Most of all, I want to lead a meaningful and vibrant life , as an advocate for the future–be it children, mothers, family life and the environment.

I will enjoy being the PrimeTime Woman for the rest of my life. Celebrate with me!
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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.Good news to my readers : Dr. Roderick Tan of HealthQuest is extending the discounted rate of 4,500 pesos for the MDTI. Just mention my name (Noemi Dado or @Momblogger) to avail of this special price. See contact details at the bottom of the post.

I talked about the Medical Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging, a painless
breast screening procedure in my previous blog entry. After a week, the results came via email but I refused to take a look until my doctor’s appointment.

I didn’t want to worry.

Preventing breast cancer?

What was there to worry? I mused. I am 54 , nine years older than mom when she died of breast cancer at the age of 45 years old. My sisters and I often reflect and wonder what caused the breast cancer.

Many myths surround this dreaded disease. Exact causes of breast cancer have not been determined yet, but researches shared some risks of recurrence.

Was it the pesticides she used to kill the aphids or insects crawling about in her rose garden?

Or the Orchid spray?

Was it her irritable mood? The slight temper tantrums over a boo-boo committed by a bakery worker?

Or was it the Pond’s cream that she religiously scrubbed on her face to remove her make-up?

No one really knows what causes breast cancer but I vowed not to do the things she did that may trigger breast cancer cells.

Looking back at my mom’s habits, I avoided stress, birth control pills and being temperamental. I vowed not to go into business that will just stress me out. Work should give both financial independence and enjoyment. I also heeded the family doctor’s advice to avoid taking the pills. Lastly, I vowed to smell the flowers and laugh to my heart’s delight.

Despite all these precautions, I also know the risk of getting breast cancer is always high for me. I continued to enjoy life , to let go and let God protect me.

The results of the breast themography: medium risk

I didn’t realize Dr. Roderick Tan was a U.S. certified thermographer and Naturopathic Doctor. The first thing I noticed as I entered his room was the macbook on his table. Nice, I thought. And as I sat down, I saw the words “naturopathic doctor” on the shelf. Even nicer, I smiled. The queasy feeling disappeared.

(I learned much later on that he got his training at Duke University, North Carolina, USA under the guidance of Dr. Peter Leando, one of the proponents in the international research on thermography. See more below the entry)

Pardon me for covering my boobs. That is not important. Just take a look at the warm colors on the top part.

The results showed:

- Both breasts show diffused hyperthermia.
- The hyperthermic patterns seen in the left breast are considered at MEDIUM risk for developing future pathology unless proven otherwise by future MDITI screenings.
- The hyperthermic patterns seen
in the right breast are considered at MEDIUM risk for developing future pathology unless proven otherwise by future MDITI screenings.
- The hyperthermic patterns suggest Fibrocystic Breast Disease (FBD). Hormonal balance, Estrogen Dominance factors and other issues should be considered and addressed.
- A 5th month follow up MDITI screening is recommended to monitor any changes or progression of the noted hyperthermic patterns.

Not really understanding what that meant, my first question was ” should I remove them from my breasts now” ?

Dr. Tan smiled and said “no, not yet. Let’s do a followup on the 5th month. As you can see on the chart, cancer cells growth rate double in 5 months for women above 50”.

Of course, my next question is, what can I do to prevent it from progressing to cancer cells?

He then explained that breast cancer cells may be due to the high rise of estrogen hormone. Sometimes, xeno-estrogens can cause this elevation?

Xenoestrogens

I met that word before.

What is this xenoestrogen? Not a superhero, for sure.

Xenoestrogens (literally “foreign estrogen”) are man-made compounds that mimic the effects of natural estrogens in the body. They are similar in function to phytoestrogens, naturally occurring estrogens in plants, but tend to be much stronger. The effects of xenoestrogens on the environment and the human body are still being studied, however, many xenoestrogens are known to increase the effects of estrogen on the body. For this reason, they are believed to be a major contributing factor to many cases of estrogen dominance.

Dr. Tan explains that exposure to xenoestrogens need to be minimized. Unfortunately, xenoestrogens occur in thousands of everyday items, including everything from food to cosmetics to household goods. In this List of Xenoestrogens, I was surprised that practically everything contains xenoestrogens.

Dr. Peter Eckhart, MD provides a shorter list of guidelines:

1. Do not heat food or water with plastic in the microwave. Do not drink hot liquids in foam styrofoam cups or receptacles.

2. Change your laundry detergent because it cannot be fully washed from the clothes and can be absorbed through the skin. Do NOT use dryer sheets or fabric softener.

3. Do not use anything on the skin with parabens or phenoxyethanol in them. This includes shampoo, soap, makeup, hand lotion, body lotion, and toothpaste. Oral substances are 90% filtered by the liver. Skin-absorbed substances are 100% absorbed by the body, thus, a skin dose is 10 times an oral dose.

4. Avoid coffee. Avoid decaf coffee. No caffeine. No tea. No colas. Caffeine increases estradiol levels by 70%!

5. No sunflower oil, no safflower oil, no cottonseed oil, no canola oil. (Guess that leaves olive oil).

6. Avoid shampoos that are “rich in hormones” and have estrogen added to them.

7. Avoid estrogenic herbs especially TOPICALLY such as sage and rosemary. (Good to know coming up on holidays!)

8. Avoid weak estrogens such as soy and ground flax seed.

9. Many sunscreens are estrogenic. Use a hat and long sleeved shirt.

10. Use cosmetics with minerals or grapefruit seed extract as a preservative.

I can probably live without chicken, or soy milk but cosmetics or coffee? Argh!!

Do I want to take the challenge and remove xenoestrogens from my life?

Dr. Tan seemed positive that I can manage to live a xenoestrogen-free lifestyle. Besides, our grandparents never had to use any of this xenoestrogen infused products. I will need a bit of research to determine which cosmetics do not contain parabens or phenoxyethanol or are petroleum based.

I will need to do some hormonal tests which will cost me 17,000 pesos if my Philcare will not cover some of these blood tests. I gulped at the cost yet I know health is wealth. The hormal tests will determine if I have high levels of estrogen.

Other than that, Dr. Tan wants to see my daily food chart so he can recommend some dietary changes. I am so fine with that. I am not too fond of food lately.

One step at a time.

In Part 3, I will talk about my hormonal test results. This will take a week or so since I am in Jakarta right now.

The regular cost of the MDTI is 9,000 pesos but for the month of October, the rate is 4,500. If interested just make an appointment by using their contact details below:

HealthQuest® Research 2000, Inc.
Unit 11-J, 11th Floor, Cyber and Fashion Mall Building,
Eastwood Avenue, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City 1110
Telephone numbers (632) 3593124 or (632) 7063876.

Disclosure: All the opinions are entirely my own. Health Quest provided me with ONE free breast themography test including doctor’s consultation. Subsequent tests will be shouldered by me.

About Roderick Tan,NMD, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Roderick Tan is a practitioner of Naturopathic Medicine, a complimentary and alternative medicine that specializes in addressing health issues using non-chemical, non-pharmaceutical drug, and non-invasive methods. He has a degree as Doctor of Naturopathy from Southern College of Naturopathy in Arkansas, USA specializing in Nutritional Therapies, Lifestyle and Dietary Recommendations. He founded HealthQuest Research in 2000.

Dr. Tan utilizes a system called Live and Dry Blood Analysis, a qualitative approach to blood analysis wherein a drop of the patient’s blood is put under a specially designed ultra-dark field microscope to determine its health and quality. He received 3rd Level Trainer Certification in Darkfield Microscopy in 2002, training under Michael Coyle of Nulife Sciences. Coyle was considered one of the premier or primary proponents of Darkfield microscopy having studied and worked with the original proponents of the technique.

In 2008, Dr. Tan received certification as a thermographer. He underwent training at Duke University, North Carolina, USA under the guidance of Dr. Peter Leando, one of the proponents in the international research on thermography. Dr. Tan brought to the Philippines the latest state-of-the-art Medical Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging technology to aid in the fight against breast cancer. He is a member of the American College of Clinical Thermology (ACCT).

Dr. Tan started his career in the Natural Health Industry in 1994 in Vancouver, Canada, but has been a student of natural therapies since he was cured of polio when he was 12 years old. He was the first to commercially introduce among others Flax seed oil, Greenfood Powders and enzyme therapies in the Philippines.
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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.Updated November 10, 2011

Good news to my readers : Dr. Roderick Tan of HealthQuest is extending the discounted rate of 4,500 pesos for the MDTI. Just mention my name (Noemi Dado or @Momblogger) to avail of this special price. See contact details at the bottom of the post.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Allow me to enlighten you about breast cancer awareness simply because my beautiful mom died of breast cancer at the age of 45 years old. It was painful to watch my mom suffer all throughout my teen years and eventually lose her when I needed her most to guide me in my difficult twenties. I learned to mother myself eventually.

The pain of losing a mom is not all gone when this experience is shared. Writing the chain of events towards the discovery of the lump on her breast and her death three years later in 1976 is my way of honoring her life.

Please take time to read the series of my blog posts on early detection of breast cancer . Who knows you might be interested and enlightened about such a technology and that by getting the word out, there will be a significant improvement in the battle against breast cancer.

Mammography before age 40

A friend died of breast cancer at 35. My hubby implored that I take a breast exam to rule out any breast cancer which could be in our genes. I was only 39 years old and I thought maybe I should take that mammogram before I hit 40 years old at about the time mom discovered the lump.

I took that painful mammogram test where the machine squashes your breast as it takes an x-ray. The results were not good. I quickly called David, my brother who was then a neurology resident at the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH). My brother said that breast cancer cells can be so aggressive and can quickly replicate in a few weeks. Shocked at two doctors’ medical opinion, I told myself that I cannot die now. Not when my kids are still so young. Lauren was only 10. Marielle was 9 and Luijoe was 3 years old. To make the long story short, I had a lumpectomy and the mass was benign. You can read more about my story here.

The last mammography test I had was in 2000 just a few months after my son died. It’s been 11 years since my last check up. Perhaps, I wanted to die and didn’t want to take care of myself. Or was it because I was worried the radioactive material in mammography may aggravate some cancer cells.

I remember at the wake of my mom a conversation with a family doctor. He advised us never to take birth control pills as it would stimulate cancer cells. This was 1976. It was unproven during those days. I took this advice at heart and never used contraceptives or any artificial birth control methods.

Alarming facts about breast cancer

Here is something that everyone should take at heart.

Some little known but alarming facts about breast cancer:

1. Breast cancer develop and grow much faster in younger women. Active cancer cells double every 3 months in women under 50 years old. Here is the age and average tumor doubling time.

Under 50 years old Active cancer cells double in number every 3 months
50 – 70 years old Active cancer cells double in number every 5 months
Over 70 years old Active cancer cells double in number every 6 months

*Source: CANCER 71:3547-3551, 1993

2. The number of breast cancer cells has doubled 32 times before it can be detected by mammogram.

0 days 1 cell
3 months 2 cells
1 year 16 cells
2 years 256 cells
3 years 4,096 cells
4 years 65,536 cells
5 years 1,048,576 cells = 20 doublings but still undetectable by mammogram
6 years 16,777,216 cells = 24 doublings but still undetectable by mammogram
7 years 268,435,456 cells = 28 doublings but still undetectable by mammogram
8 years 4,294,967,296 cells = doubled 32 times normally detectable by mammogram at this stage

NOTE: 40 doublings (approximately 10 years) considered lethal

3. Incidence and rate of breast cancer is increasing worldwide, including the Philippines.

4. Men can also get breast cancer.

No wonder my mother died so young. Breast cancer cells double in number every 3 months. It confirms my brother’s advice to play it safe and just remove the mass inside my breast.

Invited to try out MDITI™ (Medical Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging™)

As a blogger, I often receive emails asking for blog endorsements or simply trying out their products or services. Some of them I agree and others I don’t. I don’t have the time and energy to go to all these events. This one email certainly struck a chord.

HealthQuest® Research 2000, Inc. is dedicated to the fight against and prevention of breast cancer in the Philippines by using the latest state of the art MDITI™ (Medical Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging™) system, which offers non-invasive and painless breast screening to women of all ages without the use of any compression and offers no risk of being exposed to radiation or pain compared to other breast screening modalities. Our technology is applicable to all breast types: dense breast tissues, pregnant, breastfeeding, fibrocystic, enhanced or augmented, and women on oral hormone medication. It is also specially useful for women who have undergone mastectomies.

With the controversy over the latest recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (PSTF) on mammogram, safer screening methods like MDITI™ confer the same benefits while eliminating radiation exposure. As such, proactive physicians highly recommend the inclusion of the MDITI™ as part of the breast work up for women. By getting their MDITI™ done, women will know whether it is a must for them to get further screening (mammogram, ultrasound, etc.) or not. Research shows that MDITI™ can detect breast cancer developments up to 10 years before the onset of the cancer. The more women to whom we can introduce MDITI™ to, the better we are able to achieve our mandate of detecting breast cancer in its earliest growth; and the earlier a woman detects the presence of the cancer, it allows for more time to apply proactive measures and interventions.

The keyword here is “early detection of the presence of the cancer”.

The email claimed that “To promote TRUE PREVENTION of breast cancer, HealthQuest® Research 2000, Inc. offers a novel approach through a system and technology that provides REAL early detection.”

Painless? non-invasive? real early detection? I liked that. I wanted to know what this novel approach is. Early detection is a goal for someone like me whose mother died of breast cancer. I also thought of my two daughters who might also be at risk. I agreed to try their services and in return write about my experience.

It is always a sad experience for a family to have to deal with any cancer. Mainstream medicine’s system of detection has proven to be inadequate and ineffective in warning women early enough to avoid the disease.

Preparation before the breast screening

Due to the high sensitivity and accuracy of the camera, it can sense minute differences in the heat emitted by the body. Too much body heat can cause images to be too “hot” for proper interpretation. It is important for me to follow “COOL DOWN” procedures and techniques.

1. I had to arrive at the center 10-15 minutes before the appointment time. This will give them extra time to cool down.

2. Do not to apply any skin care products on the particular region to be screened. Avoid applying any make-ups or using oil-based perfume, lotions, deodorant, antiperspirant, hormone creams and other oil-based body and skin care products on the day of scheduled screening. These products can clog up skin pores and may cause the body to keep or retain heat.

3. Abstain from or avoid hot food & beverages 3 hours before screening. In contrast, avoid drinking any extremely cold drinks, immediately before the screening appointment.

4. Avoid hot showers or baths prior to screening.

5. Do not smoke at least 2 hours before the scheduled screening appointment.

6. Avoid wearing unnecessary jewelry/jewelries to screening sessions. Clients will be asked to take these off for the screening since these will directly affect the accuracy of thermographic images.

7. No exercise (running or any sports), workout, gym sessions, or massages or any kind of therapy on or around the Regions of Interest before the thermographic session. These activities will increase body heat and may need a longer time to cool down before the screening.

8. Avoid wearing warm clothes (jackets, sweaters) before the screening session.

9. Avoid sunbathing a week before scan.

I followed all these guidelines before my set appointment this month.

The MDTI procedure

So you ask What is MDTI?. Medical-Digital Infrared Thermographic Imaging™ is currently the only system capable of detecting developing breast cancer.

Mae, the kind nurse from Health Quest presented a short powerpoint presentation in her PC on how breast themography works and some sample images of past breast screenings.

MDITI traces its roots to ancient medical history. As one of the cardinal signs of pathology, Hippocrates said, “In whatever part of the body excesses of heat or cold is felt, the disease is there to be discovered”.

There are many sample images shown here but let me show you a normal and cancerous breast.

This is the image result of a normal breast. Note the cool blue and green colors.

The NEO-ANGIOGENESIS (new blood vessel growth) theory says cancer cells need blood vessels to feed, and would grow NEW blood vessels as survival mechanism to feed its higher nutritional and metabolic needs. With more blood vessels supplying nutrients, extra blood flow increases heat level of the affected area. Thermography detects this phenomenon using sensitive infrared cameras designed for medical applications. The formation, growth and development of breast cancer at its earliest stage can now be effectively screened, monitored and tracked.

This is the image result of a cancerous breast. Note the warmer red/orange colors on the breast. There is a presence of heat due to the extra blood flow in the affected area.

There are other tests that show warm colors but they are not necessarily cancerous. It could be due to fibrocystic breast disease.

Thermographic Interpretation results

Medium risk. It is nothing new. I know I am high risk anyway but it is still good to hear out the findings from a U.S. certified thermographer and Naturopathic Doctor.

Part 2 will discuss these results, xeno-estrogens, diet and other suggestions from my doctor on breast cancer prevention. (Continue reading Part 2- Breast themography results with a naturopathic doctor (Part 2)

The regular cost of the MDTI is 9,000 pesos but for the month of October, the rate is 4,500. If interested just make an appointment by using their contact details below:

HealthQuest® Research 2000, Inc.
Unit 11-J, 11th Floor, Cyber and Fashion Mall Building,
Eastwood Avenue, Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City 1110
Telephone numbers (632) 3593124 or (632) 7063876.

Photo Credit on breast awareness is here while the breast thermography is from the website of Health Quest.

Disclosure: All the opinions are mine. Health Quest provided ONE free breast themography test for me including the opinion. Subsequent tests will be shouldered by me.
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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

What a mouthful of a tongue twister! Chronic Calculous Cholecystitis with Choledocholithiasis simply means Inflammation of the gall bladder with dislodged gall stones. That was the diagnosis when I got my medical certificate after being discharged from Medical City. The operation itself called for Open Cholecystectomy with IOC, Common Biliary Duct (CBD) Exploration Tube drainage. I stayed in the hospital for 8 days.

Everything happened so fast on December 22 at the emergency room of the Medical City which is close to our home. I didn’t realize surgery was an option. This pain I was told is due to bilary colic, a dislodged gall stone causing me pain. My liver, pancreas enzymes, were elevated. My blood sugar shot up to 379 due to body stress. My surgeon said he will try laproscopy with open surgery as the last course of action, However, he changed his mind after assessing my lab results. Open surgery was decided late at night of December 22 due to my elevated enzymes.

Since I wasn’t prepared for my surgery, it gave me little time to research on my ailment. All of the materials online were from medical bulletins or rehash of previous web content. I decided to share my personal experience to add to all the medical materials scattered online for those that need more information on gall bladder removal and common bile duct exploration. Remember, this is my personal experience and will vary depending on lab results and the overall assessment of the doctors.

Any clue I had gall stones?

People say I should watch my diet and I do. I don’t even like fats. I don’t like too much salt in food. I love fish. I stopped eating pork and beef for 3 years now. I guess transfat is inherent in almost food items despite best efforts to monitor one’s diet.

The abdominal pain started December 16 but after a shoulder massage, the pain was gone. Then that Sunday, my sister in law told me she had gallstones. As she described her symptions, it sounded like mine. So on December 20, I visited PhilCare, my HMO for 23 years. An ultrasound of my upper abdomen on December 21 showed I had 5 stones which were only .33 cm and didn’t need immediate surgery, however my blood tests showed I had bacterial infection. I thought I still had time before surgery to choose the various options.

The extreme pain started at 10:00 AM on December 22. I cannot describe the excruciating pain. Cold sweat glistened from all over my body as I doubled up in a fetal position. There was no way the pain would go away even with two Buscopan pills. By 11:30, my husband drove me to the emergency room. There were so many people in the ER that I wasn’t attended to at once. I begged for pain reliever. The gave me IV for abdominal pain. The pain refused to go away. They tried Demerol. Pain still didn’t go away. I asked for more and the doctor gave me higher dose of Demerol which relieved me but only for 3 hours.

By this time, my eyes had a yellowish color. They refused to give me water to quench my dry throat. Only a swab of cotton ball soaked in water alleviated my dry tongue. I called upon my little angel, Luijoe to wrap me in his arms, watch over me and to whisper to God to give me strength to hurdle through the sixth major surgery in my life.

Pre-surgery
Butch chose an inexpensive room at the Medical City so the hospital charges will also be pegged fairly. The pain disappeared at around 9:00 PM as I peered through the window and watched the colorful fireworks from a distance. That same night, a team of six doctors checked up on me to assess my condition. My blood sugar was so high that 6 units of insulin had to be injected every four hours. (It finally stabilized the following morning). Fortunately my blood pressure was normal. A cardiologist also came in. Then a gastroenterologist, an endocrinologist , an anesthesiologist and my PhilCare attending physician. I have never seen so many ***ist doctors at any one time.

I barely got any sleep because resident doctors or nurses monitored me every 15 minutes. My blood sugar dropped to normal levels on the day of surgery. That was a relief because it will ensure better healing of my wounds.

Laparoscopic versus open cholecystectomy and common bile duct (CBD) exploration vs. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography

Lauren brought these lovely flowers , adding a touch of vibrant colors to the otherwise cold and sterile room. Things happened so fast and the flowers reminded me to smile , breathe and relax.

My sister who is married to a surgeon questioned why my surgeon decided to use open cholecystectomy instead of Laparoscopic cholecystectomy . I could have gone to my brother-in-law’s hospital since he is also an accredited surgeon of PhilCare but he is based in Manila. With the horrific traffic, I might have collapsed from the pain just trying to reach their ER. My surgeon explained that my condition of a distended gall bladder, extreme pain and elevated enzymes called for open cholecystectomy. Since it was an open cholecystectomy already, he decided to use the common bile duct (CBD) exploration instead of the Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). He also added “I saw you so I was in the best position to decide”. Aside from the Open Cholecystectomy, the other procedure was Common Bile Duct Exploration (CBD).

OPEN COMMON BILE DUCT EXPLORATION (CHOLEDOCHOLITHOTOMY)
Choledocholithotomy, or common bile duct exploration, is used to remove large stones or in cases when the duct anatomy is complex. In this procedure, the doctor carries out open abdominal surgery and extracts gallstones through an incision in the common bile duct. Routinely, a so-called “T-tube” is temporarily left in the common bile duct after surgery and the doctor x-rays the bile duct through the tube 7 – 10 days postoperatively to determine if any stones remain in the duct.

The operation chosen by my surgeon was Open Cholecystectomy with IOC, Common Biliary Duct (CBD) Exploration Tube drainage

Surgery at 3:00 PM

From 8:00 AM, my surgery was moved to 3:00 PM to give enough time for my blood sugar to normalize. I given a mild sedative to reduce anxiety then brought to the Surgery suite still fully conscious. Levels of oxygen, blood pressure were the procedure I observed before I passed out from the morphine injected into my IV. I was told that the anesthesia would be done through the spine.

Praying to God and seeking the love of my beloved angel Luijoe, I let go of all my anxieties.

I woke up alert but still on the operating table. I bet the anesthesiologist found me restless because I kept asking “when is it over?” I was told the operation lasted 3 hours but with pre and post surgery, total time was four hours. The surgeon later explained that they did three x-rays with a cholangiogram , to locate gallstones within these bile ducts. Two gallstones were discovered.

Boy, I was glad it was over and I was alive. I must have been lying down in the operating table for another 30 minutes before I was brought in to the recovery room for another 30 minutes . Eventually I was brought back to an empty hospital room. Butch just dropped off Lauren to the international airport for her trip to Singapore.

Post surgery

I assessed my body and discovered three tubes sticking out from different parts of my body aside from the intravenous line. They were the catheter, the T tube drainage and a bag (forgot the name) to drain fluids from surgery. (see top photo of this entry). My belly felt bloated, perhaps due to the air and fluids accumulated during surgery. I still wondered when I would be given solid foods. It was my second day without any meal and my dry throat was burning. Again I was told it will take another day. Patience indeed.

They injected something to ease the gastric juices in my digestive system. The pain from surgery was not too bad. The Cesarean birth operation of my three babies were more painful. I was able to walk to the comfort room a few hours after. What bothered me for the next few hours was this terrible itchy sensation. I was told it could be a side-effect of morphine. Good thing it disappeared after a day.

The catheter was removed shortly but I had to contend with two more bags dangling from my abdomen. Much of my time was spent watching TV for the first time in months. Getting online didn’t seem interesting for some reason even though I had two internet connections via my iPhone 4 tethering and my Smart 3G mobile internet from the mobile MIFI modem.

Spending Christmas in the hospital

My surgery didn’t stop me from celebrating Christmas in my hospital room. With a little Christmas tree decor, gifts on my table and determination, my husband and I celebrated Christmas in my hospital room. My two daughters called us via Skype on Christmas Eve and on Christmas day. Though far away from me, it was truly a celebration of love and life. It was important to cultivate positivity so I would recover fast.

Holiday cheers perked my hospital stay aside from my husband and the number of wonderful well-wishers from Twitter, facebook and the text messages. Thank you Dine and Wenchie for visiting me at the hospital.

Santa Claus knocked at my door, with his booming ho-ho. He brought me a gift wrapped in blue paper. This customer service from Medical City made me smile.

My sister dropped by to bring in the holiday cheer together with my nephew.

Despite the rumbling noise in my tummy , Christmas was bearable. I am just thankful to be recovering from my surgery. What better gift to ask from God.

The following days
The next days were spent figuring out my hospital bills. Fortunately, PhilCare covered most of the charges. PhilHealth would pay 25% of hospital charges less professional fees while my husband’s insurance covered those that did not fall under my PhilCare coverage. With stress from financial matters out of the way, I spent the rest of my stay waiting for the 7th day to do a repeat Cholangiogram to check if any stones remained in the CBD.

I finally got to eat on the fourth day. My hearty appetite took a toll on my digestive system and threw up my meals twice. Doctors advised me to take it slowly. Perhaps my digestive system was still adjusting. I felt nauseated from eating too much. My tummy looked really bloated. I decided to stick to eating short frequent meals.

Going Home

I finally got discharged on December 30. I was so relieved. The choliangogram revealed no more stones. The doctors cut off the bag leaving the T-tube still sticking out. It was eventually removed on January 3.

Right now, I am just taking it easy and should be up and about by next week.

I am full of gratitude to God , family and friends for giving me a boost of courage. To my ever loving husband who slept in that narrow bed beside me at night among others. Kudos to the loving care of my six doctors (Dr. Purugganan, Dr. de la Paz, Dr. Sandejas, Dr. Kasala, Dr. Ona, Dr. San Juan) the nurses, staff and Medical City. I know they may never read this but I thanked them personally before I left the hospital.

I am full of gratitude for my life.

When someone saves your life and gives you life, there’s gratitude, humility; there’s a time you’ve been so blessed you realize you’ve been given another chance at life that maybe you did or didn’t deserve. Pat Summerall

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

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Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.The abdominal pain started last December 16 but after a massage, the pain was gone. Then that sunday, my sister in law told me she has gallstones. As she described her symptions, it sounded like mine. So on Monday, I visited Philcare, my HMO for 23 years. An ultrasound of my abdomen on Tuesday showed I had 5 stones which were only .33 cm and didn’t need surgery, however my blood tests showed I had bacterial infection.

The extreme pain started at 10:00 AM today. I cannot describe the excruciating pain. Cold sweat was all over my body. There was no way the pain would go away even with two Buscopan pills. By 11:30, my husband drove me to the emergency room. There were so many people in the ER that I wasn’t attended to at once. I begged for pain reliever. The gave me IV for abdominal pain. The pain refused to go away. They tried Demerol. Pain still didn’t go away. I asked for more and the doctor gave me higher dose of Demerol which relieved me but only for 3 hours.

The gastroenterlogist assessed the problem to be biliary colic probably due to gall bladder stones. Repeat ultrasound was done this afternoon–distended gall bladder found. Doctor thinks a small stone could have lodged in the common bile duct this morning.

This pain I was told is due to a dislodged gall stone. My liver, pancreas enzymes, were elevated. My blood sugar shot up to 379 due to body stress. My surgeon says he will try laproscopy with open surgery as the last course of action. Then change of plans..it will be open surgery just when the pain and tenderness is totally gone.

What gives? I told attending doctors to please check my blood sugar as it is still high and might not be ideal for surgery.

I am a bit sad that I won’t get to meet Marielle who is flying in from Australia. Butch will stay with me. Lauren will fly as scheduled.

Surgery is scheduled at 8:00 AM 12 noon, December 23. I hope they find the dislodged stone and that I recover fast.——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.285 million people have Diabetes. That is 6.6% of the world’s adult population.

I am one of them.

Let me tell you my story.

I was diagnosed of Diabetes on June 2000 a month after my beloved son died. I desired to have another baby at some point so I got a thorough medical checkup. The diagnosis should not have stopped me from having another baby but I felt I needed to have my diabetes under control. I was given Solosa (2 mg) and metformin (500 mgs after meal). Overweight at 145 pounds then, my blood sugar was pretty high at 180 mg/dl. Perhaps it was because of my deep sadness over my son’s death that I had no desire to take care of myself. I struggled with my overweight body until there came a time that my blood pressure shot up to 160/90 which seemed so scary. My stress test showed distressing results that the doctor thought I needed Angioplasty. An angiogram revealed no major arteries were blocked. Phew what a relief.

My father had a stroke when he was 55 years old from complications of his Diabetes. I didn’t want to have a stroke. He eventually went into semi-retirement and was permanently speech-disabled. I don’t want to live a life like that.

It was around 2005 that I enrolled myself in the gym just so I could lose weight. In 2005, I was no longer 145 pounds. I ballooned to 165 pounds, borderline obese and ugly. With proper diet, determination to lead a healthy lifestyle, I lost 20 pounds in a year’s time. Still, my blood sugar was borderline. My stress test showed that I could not exercise beyond a certain heart rate. My blood pressure was still high at 140/100.

I persevered. I removed pork and beef from my diet in 2008. I continued my aerobic exercise, my maintenance medicines. In 2009, I lost 20 more pounds. I feel great. I look good and the good news ?

1. My blood pressure is 110/80

2. My blood sugar is controlled at 98 mg/dl on fasting blood sugar and a 6.01, Glycosylated HN (HPLC)

3. My stress test gave this conclusion :

• Maximal symptom limited exercise test.
• Normal blood pressure response to exercise
• Good exercise tolerance
• Negative test for ischemia at 10.10 mets.
• Low risk for coronary artery disease

There is just one tiny annoyance. My LDL Cholesterol needs to be below 100 and I am working on lowering it. It is not that I am not taking care of my cholesterol levels. Our genetic makeup is such that it just is so difficult. All my siblings struggle with this cholesterol problem. It can be managed.

Now that my diabetes is under control, I lost my desire to have another baby , well because I believe 53 years old is just too old for me to raise a young child. (not that I can’t have babies.) My two adult daughters would be horrified if I have another child.

Speaking of my kids, I am aware that they are at risk and I educate them to take regular exercise and never to get overweight. I had their blood sugar checked recently and it was all normal.

You may or may not have Diabetes but you might know someone at risk.

1. Know the signs and symptoms of diabetes. Early diagnosis saves lives.

2. Diabetes prevention and treatment is simple and cost-effective. Put it on top of the agenda.

3. Your child could be affected. Know the warning signs. See your doctor to measure the risk.

4. Enjoy an active life and prevent complications.

Today, November 14 is World Diabetes Day. Diabetes Education and Prevention is the World Diabetes Day theme for the period 2009-2013. The campaign slogan for 2010 is ‘Let’s take control of diabetes. Now.’

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

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Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

There is no other choice. Choose a healthy lifestyle. I am diabetic and though my blood sugar is controlled, my cholesterol level is quite high. It is a genetic predisposition that my siblings continue to battle daily. I have removed pork and beef in my diet but still struggle with high cholesterol levels.

My new-found friend, Jean Goulbourn invited me to try her other advocacy for the weekend and to take a walk in the path of natural healing and enter a journey into optimum well being. Her company, Global Vital Source (GVS) had this weekend session in New World Hotel, which was called the called the digestive clean-up or DCU, part of the Clean and Nourish regimen that GVS offers. We were a large group of 34 but eager to know more of

Digestive clean up is akin to an internal spa. It is supposed to be a natural method of cleansing the body. It is a detoxification method of cleansing that causes the discharge of accumulated toxic matter from the digestive tract, liver and gall bladder.

Two days before, I received a text message to refrain from coffee and fatty foods. Vegetarian diet was suggested. At around 8:00 PM the night before my weekend overnight, I had to fast. No food or water. Off I went to the venue, the New World Hotel in Makati, at 7 a.m. on a Saturday. The GVS staff were already there ready to take our weight , blood pressure, waist measurement and materials. A medical technologist took blood samples for blood chemistry.

I didn’t realy know what to expect.

Breakfast consisted of lots of fruits and lemon-water. Whole wheat bread ,carrot-celery juice, vegetable soup , watermelon, pineapple were served after breakfast. All of these actually made me full.

Filipino-American Dr. Dale Flores, a doctor of nutrition, lectured on H.A.S.H. (holistic approach to self-healing). Flores is on his way to becoming a doctor of medicine. One good healthy diet tip to remember is drink a lot of buko juice (young coconut juice and flesh) which is quite abundant in our country anyway.

The charming Jean Goulbourn gave such an inspiring talk on “My Options and the Power of a Lifestyle Change ” and Dr. Christine Gonzales’, spoke on “How to Manage the Stressors in the Body.” Dr. Christine Gonzales is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and an author of “Yes, You Can Prevent and Control Cancer” and “Healing with the Rosary and Herbs.”

There was even an energy healer with us. Russia-based Jo Bilasano, spoke on “Body Balance.” One of the best parts was the dancing exercise. Then it was time for my detox which consisted of five different drinks, mostly Bitter drinks

I felt really clean after the DCU. I know it will be an uphill battle to bring in my family to participate in this healthy food lifestyle. Changing the condiments is a start.

contact details

Global Vital Source is in U-1711 Cityland Herrera Tower, 98 Rufino corner Valero Sts. Salcedo Village, Makati City, Tel 8181088 or 5021505. Or visit www.cleanse-nourish.com
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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.I believe in hard work. It keeps the wrinkles out of the mind and spirit.
- Helena Rubinstein

Post is moved to a new domain Beauty over 50

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You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado

Tweet Follow me in twitter @momblogger.Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip. Arnold H. Glasgow

This article has been moved to Losing weight——————————-
You might also want to read Positive Mental Energy and Affirmations and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, Pinoy Food Photo Blog and Techie Gadgets. Or Follow me in twitter @momblogger.

How about visiting my Beauty over 50 blog?

Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado.

Add me in Facebook by introducing yourself. My facebook is at facebook.com/noemidado