Blood Bath in the Delivery Room

As part of our course in Obstetrics-Gynecology block, we are given the best opportunity to witness how to deliver a baby and see it in an actual delivery room scenario. Never in my life have I seen a woman who delivered a baby until this bloody DR exposure. Yes.. bloody. It was a bloody scene. In fact to me, "bloody" is an understatement.

In this exposure, the whole class was divided into groups of six people and my group was such a good company. We were assigned on a Friday night. I didn't take my dinner that night. Believe me, I forgot to take dinner. Maybe because of the excitement intermixed with frustrations from our exams plus an anticipated birthday.

It was 6 pm. We prayed the Angelus. I prayed that we experience a good evening. That I can finally see how a baby is delivered in normal spontaneous vaginal delivery. I saw a predominance of excitement in our group. Everytime there was an announcement at the OB ward, we automatically and simultaneously grab our scrub suits and prepare to run towards the delivery room with all our heart. It was quite funny and a lot of times, we had false alarms.Pfffft!

At 8 pm, we had a group discussion with our consultant. She taught us the proper way of taking the history of a pregnant patient. So we were presented with a pregnant patient complaining with a decrease in the amniotic fluid. Oligohydramnios in medical term. Being the only non-native Hiligaynon, as always, I was the one dragging the group during the history taking. It was awkward to speak in Hiligaynon while asking the sexual history--the first coitus, sexual partners, etc.-- only to find out that it was unnecessary. T___T   I learned that you only ask for a detailed sexual history in certain situations such as a suspected sexually transmitted disease. Ha! That was so careless of me. Nonetheless, it was such a productive period.

At quarter to 9 pm, we heard a call from the Emergency Room that there is a woman in active labor and she will be brought to the Delivery Room in fifteen minutes. And it was not a false alarm this time. All of us was like "Yehey! Finally!" I felt the rush of adrenaline in my blood. We put our scrub suits on and anxiously stood behind the door inside the labor room.

Finally, the door opened. A pregnant woman in the stretcher was crying and was obviously in SEVERE pain. I became a little uncomfortable. I imagined how painful it was but the feeling was unfathomable. I learned that she was just 16 years old! Sixteen years old and pregnant for the first time! Oh, my sweet God!

We gathered inside the delivery room facing the pregnant woman who was in dorsal lithotomy position (That's the usual position of a woman who is about to deliver a baby.) I stared at that big opening in between her legs. After all, what have been described in our lectures and OB textbooks were right. Only that the pictures were not as good as the actual scene. LOL!

This is it! The most awaited part of the night. The Interns prepared the delivery paraphernalia. The midwife cleansed the woman's external genitalia with povidone-iodine (Betadine).  The resident Obstetrician inserted a catheter in the urethral opening and drained the urine. It was a very busy scenario.

We can see the head of the baby coming out. And then with the doctor's signal, the woman pushed hard. And then I heard the sound of scissors and then the sound of human tissue being torn as if it was just a lazy piece of clothing being cut. The silver scissor is now a red one. I stood still but uneasy, thinking that it all happened in just a matter of seconds without anesthesia!!!

Another push and a little more push and the baby's whole head was already outside of the woman. The Intern was alert in pulling out the baby. It was a forceful pull and it didn't look easy to do. And really was not the way it is usually pictured out in the movies.

A baby boy it is! Phew! There was a sudden gush of blood. Another few seconds and the placenta was expelled. Yey! I finally saw a real placenta!

After the delivery, the doctor was busy stitching back the torn vagina, making sure every tissue is back in its perfect place. The Interns were busy assessing the baby. At last we can breathe normally. I totally salute the medical staff for being so focused despite all the restless duty in the wards.  If it was exhausting in our part, how much more to them? Clap! Clap! We were so happy!

We changed our clothes and went back outside. The woman was brought to the OB ward. A guy went after her. He was her partner. And he looked like he's in his early thirties. =D

The rest of the night was eating and reading and sleeping. We had another normal delivery in the morning. Another baby boy delivered! By this time, I think I already got used to the scenario of a blood bath in the delivery room.

And then I said, "What a very nice birthday present...:)"

The Worst Ride of my Life

Yesterday my med friends and I decided to relax and break away from the stressful Research and Exams in Medicine. Luckily there was a transient carnival built at the back of SM City and it had given us a very good idea of relieving stress-- SHOUTING!

Looking at the different kinds of rides was so inviting and welcoming especially that it was night time. Majority of the people at the carnival are dying to ride the what they call "the scariest ride" the Sea Dragon.

Call me a loser but I have never tried riding a Sea Dragon at the carnival until yesterday. lol

We were all excited to take the ride. Except for one classmate who gave us a scary description of the ride. That it was like doing bungee jumping for 5 to 10 times without a pause. True enough, it was indeed like bungee jumping a couple of times. But it wasn't really the highlight of my night.

The OCTOPUS, for me, was MORE SEVERE than the SEA DRAGON!!!

I say it was the WORST ride that ever happened in my life. In the first few seconds, I thought it was BOOOOORINNNNNNG!!! I was so hyperactive and boastful that I have survived the Sea Dragon-- no sweat! But c'mon now, laugh at me when I say I almost vomited when the octopus brought us high up above the sky, rotating at a speed like that of a jet plane. It actually felt like I was inside a centrifuge. All I could say was

"DI NA KO!!! NAUG NA KO! MAMA!!" 

If I could show a graph of my energy level from start to finish, it would show a sharp decline falling down below zero level. LOL!

Hahahah! Luckily nobody took videos or my image as a "drop-dead gorgeous lady" (kidding) will be dead by now.

After that ride, I have realized how important LIFE is. We usually don't realize how important our life is until we are in a risky situation. And this I promise to myself:

I WILL NEVER RIDE OCTOPUS EVER AGAIN!! 

The Best Christmas Gift

December 16, 2011: Typhoon Sendong hit the southern part of the Philippines and ruthlessly wrecked everything on its way. Sendong's cry of wrath was totally unexpected. It had killed about a thousand Filipino people while those who survived still remained suffering and a lot more are missing.

Read more about the typhoon Sendong here: Philippine Red Cross.

I really didn't care that much and I was only a little worried because a few of my friends were living in Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City. But when I arrived home, I saw the news on the television and on the status posts of my friends in Facebook. I was struck by the faces of innocent children who were traumatized by this catastrophe. I never thought that Sendong did such a great damage to our country. I say it's "our" country because whatever happens to our fellows affects the whole country.

It was really a very unfortunate event and it happened this Christmas season. So what else can be a better Christmas gift other than extending our hands and helping our fellow countrymen?

WHAT WE CAN DO:

1. All LBC and JRS Express branches accept unused things or clothes and send them to our affected fellows in Mindanao. We can pack our unused things and bring them to the nearest LBC or JRS Express branch.

2. We can donate to Philippine Red Cross through text.

Just key in RED<space>AMOUNT to 2899 for Globe or 4143 for Smart subscribers.
We can donate the following denominations:
Globe: 5, 25, 100, 300, 500 or 1000
Smart: 10, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500 or 1000

Note: This is not SPAM. It is posted in www.redcross.org.ph/donatenow. Just spreading the info.

3. We can donate online by visiting this link: www.redcross.org.ph/donatenow


For me, being able to help the victims of Sendong is the BEST CHRISTMAS GIFT and the Greatest Christmas blessing for everyone of us.

Have a Blessed Christmas and Prosperous New Year!

Kindle Kindle, Double Double

I once had a task from my oDesk job  to write a product review about the popular Amazon Kindle products. I was asked to compare the products from Kindle 1 to the latest one. So I did a little research and all and as I made the product review, I began to like it's features. And the next thing I had in mind... was to actually buy myself one. LOL. Who'd think that a product review pretending to have the actual product would be the one to actually want the product?

Luckily, my sister knew someone who wanted to sell her Kindle 3/Kindle 3G + WiFi because she wanted to upgrade to Kindle Fire (which is the latest and a much better version of Kindle). That was lucky of me I had it for just about half the original price.

And special thanks to the special participation of my sister Cham2x (visit her blog at www.cham-my.blogspot.com <--- just returning the favor. LOL).

And so, just a couple of weeks ago, I finally got my Amazon Kindle 3. Now, that I finally have one, I can do my own product review GENUINELY. haha.

So here are the things I find nice and maybe not-so-nice about the product:

1. Lightweight and Easy to Carry

This is the very first thing that I liked about Kindle. Imagine yourself carrying a library with one hand. It's true. My Kindle is loaded with about 100+ ebooks (as of the moment) including novels and medical textbooks that are very heavy in their actuality that I even almost stumbled in our school library carrying one; not to mention, the Schwart'z Principles of Surgery. But with my Amazon Kindle, I can open books instantly and continue reading even when lying down.

However, the sad thing is that not all medical ebooks are available as a pdf file and Kindle only reads pdf and prc files. Most of my medical textbooks here are under chm file and I'm still finding way to convert the file to pdf (Good luck to me on that. lol).

Nonetheless, the novels that I got (which were actually downloaded by the original owner), are bunches and I read them when I feel lazy reading medical terms. Ho! Ho! Ho! 

2. Easy and Comfortable Reading Experience 

Now I finally have the first hand experience of how the thing they call the "Ink Pearl technology" looks like and feels like. It's true-- it's like reading from a piece of smooth paper. But the thing is, everything is black and white, even the pictures. Still, what matters more to me is the content, not the color <---- (Getting my spirits high.. lol)

Next, with it's non-glare screen display, I can indeed easily read the ebooks under the sun or any source of bright light without glare. The downside here, however, is that I can't read in the dark. =( Oh but let's just look at the bright side: It's always better to read under the light to protect the health of our eyes, right? hihihihi..

And turning the pages back and forth is easy too. All though it's nothing compared to the comfort of swiping your fingers to the touch-screen technology of iPads, Androids, and Tablets. The good thing about the Kindle not built with touch-screen technology is that it doesn't easily get damaged when the screen gets wet plus you can touch your fingers to point on the words or pictures without any sensitivity at all. There's about 0.5 second lag when turning into pages or selecting ebooks though. But that's really negligible compared to the easy comprehension with built-in dictionary wherein you just point the cursor on the word you want to clarify and the meaning will automatically pop-up at the top or bottom of the screen. So you don't need to grab your pocket dictionary to learn new vocabulary!

If you still like to try touch-screen but want an affordable one, try the Kindle touch 3G! It's obviously a touch screen version of Kindle. See? Kindle is keeping up with touch-screen technology too! <--- (An obvious fan of Amazon Kindle).

3. Amazing Power Supply

I say the battery is doing good so far. I charge it once a week and it doesn't drain so fast given that it's already a second-hand techie gadget. It easily drains though when you turn on the Wi Fi and/or the mp3 player and/or the text-to-speech features. And speaking of Text-to-Speech...


Text-to-Speech feature:
Before, I gleefully thought that when I get to a point of feeling lazy reading, I'd just turn on the text-to-speech and the Kindle will do it's thing. But, uhm.... well, I honestly would rather do the reading. Haha. Not being mean here but, either the male or the female version can't project what the text is supposed to point out. With the text-to-speech, the text is completely emotionless, and worst, pointless. So never mind this feature and just think about what other books you want to read in the future.

In general, I totally like the Kindle 3. If we can explore the world through reading, it's even much better and more affordable with Kindle 3 plus we get to have the privilege of saving more trees. And if you want to save more money, buy a second-hand. I'm a fan. lol.

Thanks to Kindle, I'm more enthusiastic in reading now than ever before! 

Earning Money While Studying

A few of my friends are curious about my sideline as a med student. Well, here it is (Wait for it...) My secret to financial freedom: oDesk!

Now, can you really earn money while studying? You're kidding!

...but why not???  0.o

It's all thanks to oDesk. It simply means an "online desk". Meaning that you can work virtually and make your home your office or make your office your home. Either way, you get to earn money and you're even able to control your own time and convenience.

Well, I say the website has given me an opportunity to share my skills and talents to a lot of employers while at the same time learn more from them and in the long run, earn money.

If you want to work part time and earn while studying, or even just earning,
Do More with Less on oDesk.

All you need is create an oDesk account at www.oDesk.com, create a partial profile and take the oDesk Readiness test and other test that assess your skills and qualities. The tests will increase your job application quota so that you can apply for more than 2 or up to 20 job postings per week. The more entries, the more chances of winning, right?

Now, once you pass the tests, complete your oDesk profile (view my oDesk profile to see what I mean), build your resume and impress a lot of employers! Follow the easy step by step guide or video tutorials from the site and learn how to become an excellent contractor!

Some categories with high job postings and top rated jobs that you can choose from include:

Web Development         Writing and Translation       Design and Multimedia

Software Development    Administrative Support      Search Engine Optimization

Click on the links above to find out more about each job category. You need to have the appropriate skills for the appropriate field to apply to. If you think your skills match any or some or even all of the job categories listed above, then finding jobs and making money will be a lot easier for you.

I currently work under Writing and Translation Jobs as a blog poster, article writer/rewriter, researcher, and link builder. It's a lot of work but the financial freedom is worth it.

As a student, being able to sustain myself financially is already a fulfillment. I hope a lot of people out there are realizing this opportunity too.

HELPFUL TIPS FOR BEGINNERS:

Upon completing your profile, you are privileged to show your rate per hour. That's the amount of money that you demand for every hour you have worked. It will display on your profile so employers will know how much money they could spend when they hire you. 

TIP # 1: Since you are new to oDesk, provide a low rating (e.g. 1.00/hr). This will entice the employers to hire you. However, you have to make sure you do the work well and to the best of your abilities so that employers will give you good feedback. 

A feedback is your rating as a contractor (which include 6 factors: Skills, Quality, Availability, Deadlines, Communication, Cooperation) and the employer's comment on how well you do your work. If employers are impressed and you do perfectly well with your jobs, you might get a 5-star rating and a good feedback. 

TIP # 2: The more 5-star rating you get, the more likely you will easily be hired for another job. So, do your first jobs very well and make a good impression. Remember, we only have one chance to make a good first impression so better make sure to do it well. 

TIP # 3: Once you have established yourself in oDesk, you can start increasing your hourly rate and earn bigger. 

So best of luck and wish you all the best!

And I Thought I'm Gonna be a MILLIONAIRE!!

I mean, who in the leaning tower of Pisa wouldn't want to be a MILLIONAIRE? 

Take a serious look at this... This is an email sent to me just a couple of hours before I posted this.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Congratulations!!!! "You have won US$2,975,000.00 from CASH Online Promotions” 
(My first reaction: SPEECHLESS but eyes bulging like they're gonna drop! LOL.)
For Claiming, Urgently call or contact;
(Mr. Harry Antony Dominic)
Tel:             +27-76-381-2455      
Fax:+ 27-86-631-2886
E-mail: cashclaimsdepartmentza01@gmail.com
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
We wish you success in our new CASH Online Promotions/Email Internet Program made today 17th of November 2011 which was drawn on October 11th 2011.
Your Email Address was attached to Ticket No: 01-07-11-33-36-40 (Drew the Lucky No): 19-23-34-52-57-21 PP: 5. This is an Email Internet Program were winner were randomly selected from U.S.A, Canada, United Arab Emirates,Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Asia, Europe, and Africa through Computer Draw System and extracted from over 322,000 Email Addresses from Unions, Association and Corporate Bodies listed online.
(My reaction: Blink, blink. Errrr-- Excuse me? Come again?)
You have therefore been approved to claim a Star Prize of $2,975,000.00 in cash credited to File No04-15-32/COP/2010 in the 3rd Category of our new CASH Online Promotions. Below is your Winning Details.
Powerball No: 10-19-23-03-45-22 x3
Pick No: 02-02-23-35-50
Plus No: 18-23-24-33
Jackpot Amount Won: US$2,975,000.00
"The Vadlidity period of the winnings is (10) Working Days, of your reply to the Agency; hence you are expected to make your claims immediately, any claim not made before this date will be returned as UNCLAIMED."  To claim your winning prize, you are to contact the appointed agent for the immediate release of your winnings:
(Mr. Harry Antony Dominic)
Tel:           + 27-76-381-2455      
Fax: + 27-86-631-2886
E-mail: cashclaimsdepartmentza01@gmail.com
1. NAME:...................................................................................................................
2. ADDRESS:...............................................................................................................
3. OCCUPATION:.......................................................................................................
4. AGE:........................................................................................................................
5. NATIONALITY:...........................................................................................................
6. PHONE NUMBER AND FAX NUMBER:.....................................................................
7. EMAIL:.......................................................................................................................

Then pooooof!! What the F! You're asking me my email address? You're serious right? Asking for the email address of someone you sent an email to?

IMPORTANT, Remember to quote your POWERBALL Numbers and PICK Numbers and other information provided above and below in every one of your correspondences with the Agent. For security reasons, you are strongly advised to keep your winnings and any correspondence strictly confidential from public notice until you claim your prize. (Well, your advise is not that strong enough to make me keep it confidential. This better be published you know! LOL) 
Congratulations" once again from all our Staff and thank you fro being part of our Promotions Program.
Yours Truly,
Mrs. Shelly C. Bowen
Promotions Manager
SOUTH AFRICA

OHH! JUST SHUT UP PLS!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Then the next thing I did? I googled that "CASH online promotion" thing they're trying to talk about. And if it were true I would have fainted. But I wasn't surprised to know it's actually...

A SPAM!! 

A frustratingly freakin' SPAM!

 Well, nice try there though!

And then everything started to sink in...If only I was a millionaire.. I would surely finish my medical course and then build a hospital.. Big dream it is..=D

So take this as a precaution: These spam emails usually ask for money to give you the cash prize and in return, you actually get nothing. So take it, or...

FORGET ABOUT IT!

Because even if you're email is perfectly filtered from spam contents, there are still those who can crawl through and that email above is such an oh! so perfect example. 

OFF TO YOU:

If you were a millionaire, what would you be doing and why?

Bora Explorers: Boracay Island Escapade

So here I am trying to justify the saying: 

"Huwag tayong maging dayuhan sa sarili nating bansa." 

(Let's not be a foreigner to our own country.)

My first time in Boracay Island was totally AWESOME! And again, I was with the same company when we went to Guimaras Island in our Guimaras Island Adventures. In this post, let me give you a taste of Boracay perfection and some good traveling tips.  

Bora Explorer: Where's the map? 

BORACAY ISLAND is a small island in Caticlan in the province of Aklan, Philippines. Aklan is the northern part of Panay Island which is part of the Western Visayas Region (Region VI). 

The Island provides one of the most captivating beaches in the world, known for its continuously very long and wide white sand beaches which cover approximately 4 km. So long that it will take you almost half of the day strolling along the beach.  Yet you don't actually feel tired of walking because of the captivating scenery and the fun of...

photo shooting.

Boracay Island, Philippines, 2011

Bora Explorer: So how did we get there?

There are three ways of getting to the island: through land, water, or air. Of course, if you're from Manila or other parts of the Philippines, the easiest way to get there is by plane. Flights are available either via Caticlan or via Kalibo. Caticlan flights are rare and expensive so you might want to fly via Kalibo at a lesser price. If you fly via Iloilo, it's a much affordable way; however, just prepare yourself for a very long 6-hour journey. 

My older sister and her company from Manila took the flight via Kalibo and my other sisters with their companies from Cebu took the Iloilo flight and suffered the excruciating pain in their buttocks. LOL. And since I stay in Iloilo, My classmate and I travelled directly from Iloilo to Caticlan and consequently suffered the similar pain too because of the long hours of tedious sitting. 

The least expensive but the most time consuming travel is via boat from Cebu to Iloilo. And then, travel by land from Iloilo to Caticlan which takes about 18 hours total of travel. This can be practical for those who love to waste time but spend less money...=)

So, the reunion was quiet an amazing race among sisters. Of course, the ones who took the shortcut have arrived first. 

Finally, we're together again!

And as USELESS, 

this was supposed to be another STUDY OUT activity.

...but then again, it turned out to be a time of LUXURY!

DELICIOSO!!!! Nyumnyumnyum!!!

AWESOME fire dance at night! We couldn't miss this...

TRAVEL TIPS:

• If you want to go to Boracay on a budget, then timing is a factor. That is, don't go during peak season (ie. Christmas season, Summer). All though summer in Boracay sounds engaging, it's a lot expensive so better prepare enough budget. Anyway, going to Bora on a sunny weather already seems like a summer vacation. Hihihihi...
• Before you schedule your trip, check the weather forecast. You don't want to go skin dipping in a cold rainy night, or sun tanning on a rainy day just like what we had experienced. Nevertheless, rain or shine, the whole trip is still enjoyable when its Boracay.
• Check for promo flights and promo accommodation online. This helps a lot in budgeting. 
• Lastly, the more people you'll be with, the better. Aside from enjoying each other's company, you'll surely be cutting expenses and that'll surely be a lot of fun!