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Countermeasures

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Hey hi, so much has gone on since that heckish nightmare of a blog post (the one prior to this one) went up. One might think that I may be on some amnesia-high at the time—you can feel it in the way I regard things with so much hatred and confusion. I guess that’s what losing a sense of direction does to you.

Would really just like to thank and apologize to those I’ve offended/ hurled potentially actually physically dangerous things at during that period and still decided to still be friends with me. Yep. Especially to those dears who came by to just check on me. I love you and you know that I didn’t mean to throw knives and expressions of hatred toward you (you know who u guys are!!!).

With regard to the post, I’m not going to put that beast down—I found it best to treat it like some sort of life marker? Sounds mighty cheesy but I can’t come up with anything better as my vocabulary’s still not fully restored yet.

If we were to speak only truths here, I still am in here drifting in the sea of what the fuck should I do next. And I swear I’m trying to keep it together.

Here’s a kind of a recap and a bit of what I am at least looking forward to.

I really not want to give this any credit but hey, this made me. I was in the hospital for the good latter half of February, and while I was in there time went by so crazily slowly—stayed there for less than week but it felt as if the ordeal lasted a month. Mama told me that one Friday (holiday) they were doing the laundry and she got really pissed that I was the only one not helping out, so she tried waking me up but I was an unresponsive veggie at that point. Apparently I also didn’t come to work the Thursday prior. Was then found that I contracted dengue and my autoimmune situation didn’t respond to it well.

Family and friends came (I was asleep for most part so I guess it was Arli & Mama trying to work out which of my friends to contact at the time) to visit and to maybe donate blood—some had really good intentions but were underweight if not too puyat at the time to donate. Wasn’t really in my best state back then but thank you friends and fam for coming over to visit and for all the love and all the junk food you brought along with you! I totally appreciated it. You know how hospital food suck.

I finally got to check out and upon coming home learned gradually that I wasn’t at an okay mental state yet. I keep bursting at really non-bursty things. I complained about almost everything. But I think much of that I can attribute to my being frustrated at how I keep forgetting things / how bad I was at trying to retain information during that period. I literally had to set my alarms or phone Mama (who’s at work) just to ask which medicine to take at what time and it bugged me that I was having a hard time recalling such small pieces of information. I felt so much pity at my situation that I was literally crying every day. Scary.

Eventually I had started getting into the habit of journaling to help me recall things better. I also got into the habit of reading novels so that hindi ako masyadong mapulpol given that much of my activities in the day only include binging on Netflix and resting and eating.

Man, that phase was really something.

Every now and then in this brief period, friends would magically find their way to my house or force me out of it and into coffee/ catch-up dates with them. To be honest I hated the idea of having guests over/ having to go out because my steroids-induced moon face and attention-snatching malar rashes made me feel self-conscious in a really negative way. How I managed to make friends with such an Adonis-ish bunch still baffles me. (Thank you friends for having my back even when it seemed that I was burning bridges at that phase in my life. Your company was gold.)

Now after about a month of homestay I had to report back to work again and found myself forgetting the work flows/ routines I’ve so mastered before everything went haywire. I panicked almost everyday because I cannot recall procedures so basic like preparing parcels or issuing invoices or filling out tax forms. Please don’t think rude thoughts—consider that I still was on recovery during this period.

Eventually I had to quit. Feeling like a liability more than an asset/ vehicle/ actual help was something I cannot handle already at that point yet, of course in addition to how I was, overall, already feeling like shit. Rose was really cool about it but only after tearing up too upon realizing I was crying while expressing my intent to resign. To be really fair she was such a cool friend-slash-person-slash-boss to be around of and I learned so much from her, but I know that I needed rest, and even if I don’t the Lupine rashes on my face would protest for it anyway.

So that’s basically how I quit my first-ever full-time job. Well but not really, because right now I’m still doing some part-time business development work for that company. My boss was kind enough to give me that option.

In the process of getting better health-wise, I decided I would still want to work on my brain because I’ve observed that I wasn’t doing much exercise with it while I was working and especially before I fell into that coma last Feb. In light of this I decided that since I have the time already, I’d get some activity up there by getting into the habit of reading.

Might I just add that it was in one of these meditative reading sesh that I had an Aha! moment. This was the time I attended my cousin’s recognition rights but since the seats inside their gym hall was limited in number, I had to pass the time at their school cafeteria reading one of Ambeth Ocampo’s works. Anyway like any millennial whose level of self-worth could easily falter for the smallest most unsure reason, I might just decide to share it here on this little cyberspace only after the wheels are actually and consistently turning. All I can say at this point is that it involves something environment-friendly, quirky, and culture-oriented. Arli and I have already put up plans regarding this project over coffee but right now it’s still in progress (sorry, love! I know you’ve done your part already and that you’re just waiting for me to come up with drafts for it but I bet that you already know being a creative yourself that these kinds of juices do not flow right when we want it to. I’m working on it already!)

Ayan I’ve made my statement already. May the cosmic deities bless me with sipag, creativity, and an on-point sense of urgency. I’ll need it a good lot of those.

Will see how that turns out.

While I’m waiting for my medical situation to get better—i.e. for my liver filtering system to actually work and not randomly throw in stray protein molecules to my pee as it is currently doing—I thought I’d start working on my rusty visual art skills. For the last couple of weeks I’m trying to get in the habit of keeping my social media handles alive.

I’m hoping that keeping those alive would help me spread brand awareness on the materials I use and sell the supply of Winsor & Newton watercolour palettes I’ve recently had on hand to sell on Lazada on the side hehehe.

On that note, and also in line with my objectives of

  • being more physically social
  • improving my urban sketching thingamajam, 
  • expanding my network of friends to further include those who share the same interests as I, 
  • possibly generating sales as a result of that network extension, and 
  • having more access to other opportunities that may help me grow professionally or otherwise—i’d take the floof out of it (why not!), 

I just might start joining communities that actually allow for the meeting up of people who share the same interests/ passions as I!

Communities / Learning resources I’d need right now would include those engaging in urban sketching, zero waste management, and silk screen printing. Would really love it if you give me a bump if you know one!

And so for now, in fulfillment of that business venture I’m building myself around of and in the urgency to connect with my niche, all while waiting for this awful Lupus hex to wear off, I guess it’s just proper to incorporate the improvement of my art skills to my running list of dailies. That said, you (whom I do not know if truly existent and breathing and matter) will be witnessing a lot of arts & culture-oriented stuff on this little blog which you may or may not find pleasant all the time.

Ang dami kong plano sana may mangyari hahahaha


Farewell

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[INCOMING SUPER MUSHY CONTENT]

Has anyone seen that flick where a lovestruck Vhong Navarro pursues the supposedly Lupus-ridden Toni Gonzaga? Me neither. I have just heard of it from friends who initially overreact when I tell them that I've got Lupus.

When I was diagnosed with it almost exactly a year ago, I thought, cool, maybe I'd transform into a werewolf of something because Lupus = Lupine = Wolf (yes I'm lame like that boohoohoo)

Unfortunately, I would never ever turn into a werewolf. Lupus is a hereditary auto-immune disease that takes a very long time to kill a person. My white blood cells (imagine a bunch of white ship-like cells fighting off infection hahaha) have gone berserk (parang right off Final Fantasy lang), making them attack my normal body tissues too. Nagiging bobo, ika nga, pero at certain conditions lang (i.e. exposure to the sun).

Now, why did I bring this up?

Officially PWD
Well, my condition is getting worse. I have already said my thank you's and sorry's and goodbye's to majority of those in my inner circle of, er, friends. However, there are still those I cannot reach out to as of this moment. People, this goes to you.

To my childhood friends: thank you guys for making all those memories with me! I'm glad that Mum took around five buckets of photographs of us. I'd want you to have them. Please do not forget how much fun we had constructing all those kumot tents, catching all those baby frogs (because all of us were too afraid then to approach the big ones hahaha), riding bicycles, getting darker-than-tan skin just so we could stay on the playground, being chased by dogs, climbing shittily made tree houses, et cetera, et cetera. We had been through so much, I think this post won't be able to contain it. I would like to apologize to that one boy (who, apparently, has grown into a man now) whom I didn't listen to that one time he asked me to stop pushing the tricycle because you'll fall off it (lo, you were sitting on the handlebar you crazy lad!) but I didn't anyway so you actually fell off, earning you a scar on your leg and making your mum look for me but I ran so far and hid somewhere so remote you guys didn't even find me anyway. Okay lang yan, first crush naman kita eh.

To my GMLC family: Elaiza, Mariel, Anna, May, Helenar, Jennylyn, Edelyn, Franz, and Yvette, for being my first set of actual barkada! I have went through lots of firsts with you guys! So did you! You've taught me how to play jack stones, 10-20, hula hoop, space blast thing on perforated paper, lame jokes, and lame magic tricks. You guys were my first text mates. You guys were the reason for my first lice infestation. I detest the fact that besides our class pictures, there only were a handful of photos with us in it. However, for some reason, we loved exchanging hearty letters with each other-- ALL of which I was able to keep here, with me! Akala niyo, ha. I've been trying to respond to each of those letters even though a thousand years have already sufficed since I've got them, and hopefully I'll be over with it before my time is up. I just regret the fact that not one reunion took place ever since we've graduated. Boooo!

To my Bedan family: Putangina, lahat na ata sa inyo ko natutunan. Thank you for preparing me for college and giving me the NCAA experience and teaching me how to swear and making me experience my first below-75 grade and psyching me up so that I could sing my first karaoke and offering me my first alcohol and making me realize how shitty it is to smoke and making me lie to my mum just so I could party and having me break my heart for the first time! *hinga* Those who stuck with me since Day 1 up to this day, I may have already talked to you guys. Hihihi. And to that boy who broke my heart, though it is very unlikely that you still do not know that it is you I am talking about, you deserve my tears.

To those in UP: Though I have always felt like a loner in UP Clark, I can never say that you people were never friendly. Shai, thank you for sticking with me through our first year. We've bid our Diliman dreams farewell together but here we are, still living. Hehe. To Yna and Yra and Clarence and Ivy and Milcah and (most especially) Dan, you guys are my UP barkada and even though there are times when I think too much and make myself feel left out (yes I do that to myself a lot), you always put up with me. To my ex dorm mates (the Tigertapians, dahil nasa tapat ng Tiger Hotel yung dorm natin hahaha), all those times watching those flicks and eating those seemingly inedible thingamabob our landlady calls food and celebrating birthdays at Ministop and reviewing together 'til dawn breaks sa ipis-ridden kitchen and sharing all those scary stories and stalking all those boys and turning into mean girls without even knowing it and making trips to the Toll House-- don't you just miss those? Haha! To my confraternity brothers and sisters, keep serving the people! Please, don't let the educational discussions die down, ha?

To Louie and Sofia and to all those who read my blog anonymously: thank you for reading my blog. Don't stop following it-- I'll still writing posts from hell muhahahaha *this blog is now cursed hahahaha*

To my barkada in Greenpark: thank you for supporting me whenever I feel down and teaching me how to actually play the guitar. To my girls Alexys and Innah and Bea, thank you for being there for the you-know-what's! Hahaha. Alam na. I swear I'd be with you the next time you drink by the blue house-- kung 'di pa rin siya mabebenta hahaha. We have been through so much together... we have seen each other's hearts getting broken. Alak lang katapat niyan. Saka 'onting ligo sa ulan.

To my boyfriend: I've been discreetly into you for eight years now. To tell you the truth, kahit may girlfriend ka, I always await your return every summer. I'm just so glad that I've finally had you. Now, it's time to let go. Please remember me. Please remember that I love you. Cheesy yihee

To Monica and Kit and Charlene and Hannah and Sofia: DO NOT FUCKIN LET MULTIPLY DISPOSE OF THOSE PHOTOGRAPHS. Also, you guys are so lame but I love you. Suckers.

To Jillian: You have always been Enemy No. 1 to me. But I love you as much as I hate you. When I'm gone, don't take all my stuff. Give some to Jared too, dumbass.

To Jared: Ang baho mo. I'm pretty sure your stench would reach wherever I will go to. If it does, well, it's kind of nice to feel your presence pero how would you get Andrea or Baby Joy to be your girlfriend? HAHAHA. Ate loves you, okay?

To Mama: I've left a letter in my drawer. Please read it. I love you, Mama.



And to whoever is reading this now: Hahahahahahahaha joke lang lahat. I'd live to witness the zombie apocalypse. There just come times when I want to let it all out, you know?

Also, I actually just want to show off my Person With Disability Card. I sucks to even think that people may treat me differently now that I am in possession of one. I'm sorry if I offended anyone with Lupus or other chronic illnesses in any way. I'm not really sarcastic, but sometimes there just are times when I subject things in a rude manner.

Anyway, hello 20% discount! Muhahahahahaha

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