CC's First Melon Drink

This was CC's first time to drink Melon juice. I guess she loved it. LOL

Day 9: Buah Merah Mix

November 29, Sunday (2nd & 3rd dose)

I wasn't able to wake up early to catch the morning sun. Since the church we attend was celebrating their anniversary, they were not holding any services in Greenbelt today. We had a lie-in and CC and I just played in bed while watching her current favorite YouTube video - Dream English Kids' Good Morning Song. Ha Ha! While CC was playing, she lost her balance and landed on my upper right abdomen (as I was lying down) where my gallbladder was! OUCH! I almost cried in pain!

Anyways, C got CC so I can recover a bit from the pain. We dressed up to go to my in-laws' house. I drank my 2nd dose of Buah Merah Mix and then headed out. I ate spaghetti and pan de sal when we came back home.

At round 11AM, we headed to Glorietta. I was already feeling that there was a bit of pain in my upper abdomen and a bit around my back. I decided to just eat arroz caldo from SM's food court. The pain could've been from CC's fall or the spaghetti I ate as I initially thought that it was somewhat oily.

I have been advised to avoid oily and fatty foods ever since I was diagnosed with gallstones. I have not eaten anything fried since then. After eating my lunch, I bought Buscopan Venus from Watson's and took it to alleviate the pain. 9 days without meds went down the drain. Sigh! Starting from zero again.

9 empty bottles 

9 empty bottles with 2 sealed bottles at both ends for comparison

I have now finished all 9 bottles so I am now on my 9th day. I can say that pain has lessened dramatically ever since I started taking Buah Merah Mix. My mother-in-law (MIL) was even saying that I looked like my color has come back and I didn't look pale anymore. She even recommended drinking Buah Merah Mix to her neighbor who has different diseases such as high blood, asthma and diabetes. I ordered my stash yesterday and her neighbor also gave money so he can try 3 bottles for the mean time. I'm looking forward to what the effects are to him, too. 

That's it for now. Chat with you soon!

CC is so makulit!

Babysitting day today again in our trusty portable playpen as the in-laws are still out.


See her laziness while playing/lying down:



After her lazy bout, she was doing something that caught my eye. Take a look at these 2 videos to see what she was trying to do. 

I don't know how she can be this makulit. Makulit can roughly be translated to naughty or playful, I guess. She's so energetic and just plainly being a child. I get fed up and think that maybe she got it from our beagle, Sabrina. LOL Many more years to go! Ha! Ha!

How about you, do you have videos of your child / baby being makulit or playful? Or maybe videos of them doing things that are unusual? Share the links in the comments section and I'll pick 5 (or 10 lol) and post them here in my blog. :)

Thanks!

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CC's Playtime with her Grand dad

My dad and I babysat CC again today as my in-laws needed to finish stuff for SSS.  Dad had a brilliant idea so he brought CC's convertible sofa from our bedroom and placed it sideways. CC then went inside and sat there, as if she'd already done it before.

Take a look at this series of pictures to see how she enjoyed playing with her sofa and of course with her grand dad.

Look at my dad's expression. lol

Look at her smile :)

I had some time to spare so I did a GIF file of her pics. Ha Ha! Check it out below:

Here's a video of them while playing peek-a-boo which is locally known as eat bulaga.

Aren't babies the cutest? Time sure flies fast. 

Do you also have videos of your babies / toddlers playing peek-a-boo? Share the links in the comments section and I'll pick 5 (or probably 10) and compile them in a post. :)

Thanks!

Ruth

Strolling Around the Neighborhood

For the past few days, it has been our routine to wake up a bit early to stroll around the neighborhood so I can exercise and get a bit of sunshine.

Here's a pic of CC this morning

Did you notice anything odd about the picture? Nope? Take a look at this next photo so you know what I was referring to.

Here's a video to show you the area:

Did you see the difference in the street floors? Usually, I don't care about these stuff but when you're pushing a stroller with a child on it, it does matter. I'm also very careful when pushing so the wheel won't get stuck in the gaps of the street floors. I usually have to push sideways when there's a gap. 

You've seen the difference as shown in the picture and the video above but let me also show you how it felt like when you push a stroller on these uneven floors.

It would've been great if they also smoothened the rest of the street. Maybe they just smoothened that side because it was part of the driveway to the mini garage they had as there are still renovations going on with half of the building. I really am not sure what happened here but it really was odd. 

Anyways, moving on to other things that happened today.

CC and I were on our way home when I saw a lot of students on the street. I thought they were having a parade which was quite normal as there is an elementary school near our place. 

CC looks on as the students were sitting on the street floor

A closer look revealed that they had floor mats on their heads. They might've been practicing earthquake drills, I thought. We stayed for a bit as I didn't want to pass by in front of everyone. 

CC and I went home as the sun was already too hot for us. After 30 minutes or so, a new set of students passed by for the drill.

Those are today's point of interest around our neighborhood. How about you, what have noticed lately in your neighborhood? Share them in the comments section, too! :)

Babysitting CC with my dad's help

Usually, CC is babysat by my in-laws from morning until 6PM as my husband J works and I have freelance jobs. Today was different. My MIL (mother-in-law) had to go to SSS to process her pension as she is now a senior citizen. My FIL (father-in-law) accompanied her, too, so CC was left with me and my dad.

As she is now fond of walking, we had to make sure that the area was safe. My dad had a great idea and we (CC and I) were all excited about it.

Using parts of CC's disassembled crib, floor mats from our room and strings used for whipping tops (trumpo), my dad was able to assemble this. It made our babysitting easier!

Dad tying the sides of the crib together 

while CC watches and Sab sleeps

CC enjoying her new playpen with some of her toys

Finally, CC sleeps!

My in-laws came home around 3 PM and got CC from our house. At around 6PM, I went to their house to get CC. 

Check out this video of her while she practices to walk:

Here's another video:

She's growing up too fast! Next thing I know, she'll start school! Good thing I made this blog so I can go back to these wonderful times. :)

Thanks for reading my post. See you soon!

Day 2 & 3: Buah Merah Mix

Hello there!

I'm feeling way better than a few days before even though there's still a bit of pain. 

Day 2, November 22 (2nd and 3rd doses):

We started our day earlier as it was Sunday. We go to Bread of Life Makati in Greenbelt on a regular basis. We went malling, ate our lunch and went home around noon. In the afternoon, we tried to go to Ayala Triangle by foot but was unsuccessful as Chloe was irritated as she was sleepy. We had to go back. Click here for a more detailed post as to how we spent our Sunday.

Never in the past few months would have I imagined doing what I did today. I had the strength and energy to walk for long periods of time. I didn't feel much pain, too. 

Day 3, November 23 (2nd and 3rd doses):

Upon waking up, I drank my 2nd dose of Buah Merah Mix. I woke up early to stroll around the neighborhood with my daughter and to get some early morning sunshine. I was down to my last bottle so I immediately contacted the seller to have some delivered today. 

I ordered around 10 AM and my orders and advised them they can deliver anytime before dinner. I got the package around 3 PM. In an earlier post, I mentioned that I initially ordered 3 bottles. Now, I ordered 6 bottles to save up on the shipping fee. I didn't have enough money to buy their promo of 11 bottles. Maybe some time soon. 

AFTER FINISHING 3 BOTTLES, MY VERDICT?

There definitely is something going on with my body. I have had the energy and strength that had been missing the past few months. Pain can still be felt in my upper right quadrant but is still tolerable. I haven't taken any painkillers nor any other medicine since Friday (Dec. 20) and I'm still feeling great!

That's it for today. Chat with you soon!

November 22: Sunday Family Day Part 2

This is a continuation of my earlier post. After we ate at Kenny Rogers Roasters at Glorietta, we went straight to SM Makati. 

We went to the restroom and the nearby breastfeeding station so I could nurse Chloe. I thought she was going to sleep as it's past her nap time. But, no, she just kept pushing and playing around that I just stopped nursing her. 

She was very naughty and was getting angry every time someone held her hand to assist her in walking. So I ended up tailing her to make sure to catch her when she loses her balance. Unfortunately, I wasn't quick enough and her head hit the floor. She cried non-stop but we knew we could soothe her by buying her another Big Eyes stuffed toy from SM. We already bought the reindeer for her last week.

Check out this video of her (most of which are in Filipino) where she tries to choose a stuffed toy. It's actually between her choice of toy or her Aunt Cath's choice (unicorn) lol. 

We ended up getting the pink monkey this time! LOL

SM's Big Eyes Pink Monkey stuffed toy

We just went around SM and decided to go home early as we planned to go to Ayala Triangle to watch the Lights and Sounds display.

It rained around 4 PM and we weren't sure if we'll still be going. It stopped after a while and we decided to continue with our plan. 

At around 5:30PM, we started to head out from our house. I was with my husband, my daughter, my sister and our 2 dogs (beagle and a shih tzu).

I can never get a good picture of Sabrina (beagle) and Chola (shih tzu) especially when they are together. They are a playful duo!

We walked towards the direction of Ayala Triangle for a few minutes and when we've reached the Fire Station, C was already crying and rubbing her head - an indication that she was sleepy. We had to turn back as she wasn't stopping.

Our plan failed, however, it was a good thing that we tried to accomplish it. I didn't expect to walk that far, too. I felt good and it might be because I drink Buah Merah Mix.

I hope we can go next weekend to watch the Lights and Sounds Show. :)

November 22: Sunday Family Day Part 1

We started our day early as today was a Sunday. We attend Sunday Service at Bread of Life - Makati on a regular basis. They are located in Greenbelt 1, Makati City.

J pushing CC's stroller along Greenbelt

J pushing CC's stroller along Greenbelt

After the service, we walked to The Landmark and were debating as to where we would be eating our lunch. For the past 3 weeks, my grandma has been suggesting to go and eat at Luk Yuen. I wasn't the type to spend too much on food as I know that there are places that offer less. Even though she insists, I just usually say, "Let's go to the food court instead!".  They have to take into consideration that I can't eat oily and fatty food so all the fast food places are scratched from our list. A big NO to Mcdo, Jolibee, Chowking and KFC.

We then settled for Kenny Rogers Roasters in Glorietta.

J carrying CC on his shoulders en-route to Kenny's

I didn't have time to take a picture of their signage 

from the front so this was my attempt to get a good picture. LOL

CC while seated on a high chair

My sister C and my dad

Kenny Rogers' Free Dessert Promo

Our orders came, however, we forgot to take a pic even if we agreed to take one. I guess everyone was hungry!

Post continued here.

How I got my hands on Buah Merah Mix

Hi Everyone!

I mentioned in an earlier post how I came to know about Buah Merah Mix. Here's a more detailed post about it together with the whole process of  how I got my hands on the products. 

It was my husband who found out about Buah Merah Mix thru a Facebook ad or it must've been a post of some sort approximately a month ago. I didn't jump in to buy immediately thru Facebook or even if there was one available in a grocery store near our place. I knew there had to be fakes for these products. 

It slipped my mind for a few weeks and then my husband saw another ad about it and bugged me again. I said, "Fine! Let me search for a distributor so we can be sure it's authentic." It took me about a day or two to finalize where we'll be ordering from. Shipping fee was an issue as most of the distributors charged Php100 even if they were also in Metro Manila. I found a seller who charges Php60 but took more than 24 hours to respond so I looked for an alternate seller. Yes, I wanted to save when I can save. Ha ha!

Here are some of the things I checked for before ordering:

• real people reviewing the product on their Facebook page
• number of page likes
• review on how long deliveries usually take
• if they had any promos going on

After much bugging from my husband if I had already ordered, I said that finally I think I'm going to try this one seller I had found on Facebook. I contacted them and asked about my options for delivery. I even suggested a few couriers to save on shipping. It was a good thing that I was able to see a comment or a post on their page about COD (cash on delivery) so I asked about that, too. It only cost Php100 and as I wanted to try it out immediately, I opted for that instead.

I confirmed my order of 3 bottles around 11:45AM, November 20. They replied that they'll message me once the delivery man is on his way. They messaged me around 2:45PM to expect the delivery within the day. At around 3:16PM, someone was looking for me to deliver a package! Wow! It turned out that instead of using a courier, they had people working for them to deliver their products and offer COD, too!

Here are some pics I took of the flier that came with the bottles, click on each picture to zoom:

From what I've experienced, this won't be my last transaction with them. :)

UPDATE (8/6/2016):

I am now an official distributor! If you have questions, concerns or just want to order, contact me via the contact form at the right side of the page. Please leave your mobile number and/or other contact details. Thanks! :)

What is Buah Merah Mix and why am I taking it?

Some of you might be asking what Buah Merah is as I've recently posted Day 1: Buah Merah Mix Preparation. Here's a post to enlighten everyone.

How I came to know Buah Merah:

It was actually my husband who suggested to try it out. He found an ad or maybe it was a post about Buah Merah Mix. That was approximately a month ago. I was skeptical to buy even from a mall kiosk as I know that there must be fakes for these. Click here for a more detailed post on how I got a hold of these Buah Merah Mix.


Why did I decide to take Buah Merah Mix?

I have been diagnosed with 3 big gallstones and is awaiting clearance and surgery on January. More on my health condition here. I had to try an alternative way that's why I tried Buah Merah Mix.

Please take a look at this:

Image from Essensa Naturale

These "may be" orchestrated testimonials, right? So, of course, I did my research, too. The distributor I got my Buah Merah Mix also had testimonials from her direct clients. I knew that this product had potential that's why I gave it a try. 

So, what really is Buah Merah?

It is literally translated as "red fruit" and looks like a giant corn and/or a carrot. 

Image from Essensa Naturale

What is Buah Merah Mix?

Buah Merah Mix is a product of Essensa Naturale, a sister company of Lynx-Nia Medica Inc. It is a food supplement which does not only make claims on it's effectiveness but also has testimonials from people who have taken it. 

Image from Essensa Naturale

Product overview, ingredients, directions, serving suggestion.

Click on picture to view a bigger version. 

FDA approved. MFG and EXP dates. Product information. 

Click on picture to view a bigger version. 

 

Packed with powerful and natural anti-oxidants.

Click on picture to view a bigger version. 

Buah Merah Mix is a combination of different "fruits and green superfoods". These are the following:

• Buah Merah
• Barley
• Mangosteen
• Moringa (locally known as malunggay)
• Wheat Grass
• Guyabano

Image from Essensa Naturale

DIRECTIONS / SUGGESTED DOSAGE:

You just need to add cold water to the powder inside the bottle up to the label, mix and then drink according to the recommended dosage:

For maintenance and for those who are not sick:
1 bottle cap in the morning and 1 bottle cap in the evening

For those who are sick (fever, coughs, colds):
2-3 bottle caps in the morning and 2-3 bottle caps in the evening

For those who have chronic diseases (cancer, high blood, stroke, diabetes, myoma, etc):
1 bottle per day (approx 7 bottle caps 30 minutes to 1 hour before breakfast, lunch and dinner)


NOTES:

• Bottle cap refers to the cap of the bottle. Fill up the bottle cap with liquid and drink from there.
• Remaining mixture should be placed inside the refrigerator to keep cool
• After drinking the Buah Merah Mix, drink 1-2 glasses of water

MOVING FORWARD

I've taken the challenge myself to prove the effectiveness of this supplement as I also do not want to undergo surgery. Stay tuned as I update my blog with my journey with Buah Merah Mix. 

Check out my earlier post: Day 1: Buah Merah Mix Preparation

See you later!

Day 1: Drinking Buah Merah Mix & its effects

Hi Everyone!

First part of this post can be seen here as I started my first take of Buah Merah Mix last night.

I've taken notes of these stuff throughout the day and just decided to dump it all here so you can see the progression or the improvements I experienced. 

November 21, 7:45 AM

I woke up a bit early today probably around 7 or 6:30 AM. I just played with my daughter while lying down and breastfed her as usual. I got up from the bed to change her diaper and surprisingly the pain has decreased. I was able to get up with less pain as compared to yesterday. I was in total pain the whole of yesterday! Click here to read about it. 

8 AM

I drank 7 bottle caps of Buah Merah from the remaining mixture I made last night and drank a glass of water afterwards. I then dressed up so my daughter and I can stroll around the neighborhood while there's still some morning sun. I was able to go downstairs with less pain, too. I was able to carry her stroller outside of the house, something I would've not been able to do the past week.

I pushed her stroller around the neighborhood and I even held her hand and assisted her while walking.  I could bend without too much pain. Surprisingly, I was also able to lift and carry her, too!

8:45 AM

We just arrived at my in-laws' house to eat breakfast. Yesterday, I had difficulty going up their stairs as it was more vertical than ours. I was gasping for air and stopping after every few steps. Now, there was none of that.

My daughter wanted to feed so I carried and cradled her while sitting. This wasn't possible yesterday nor the day before.

10 AM

Not once did I try to lie on my in-laws' sofa. This was quite shocking. The past few weeks have been really a struggle for me as I tried to overcome the pains I were experiencing. I wasn't able to do my freelance work and I was just usually lying down on the sofa, trying to cope up. 

Throughout the past hour, I was also able to play and look after my daughter on my own, something I haven't been able to do for a while now because of my condition.

11:30 AM
I walked back to our house to drink the remainder of the Buah Merah Mix before I eat my lunch. 7 bottle caps and since there are some bubbles/froth formed when I shook the bottle vigorously, I just put it in a bottle cap and drank it, too. A glass of water was drank after that.

Yey! I just finished a bottle of Buah Merah Mix. I washed the bottle and hid it so I can take a picture of all the bottles I've consumed before getting cured completely. And yes, I still think I will get cured because of this as well as my earnest prayers to God. 

An empty bottle of Buah Merah Mix

A sealed bottle of Buah Merah Mix (left)

An empty bottle (right)

My sister accompanied me back to my in-laws' place and I think I strained myself as I was walking a bit faster than my usual to match her pace of walking. When we got to our destination, pain has started in the upper left quadrant of my abdomen, just right below the ribs. There was also an increase in pain at the right upper quadrant, below the ribs as well, where my gall bladder is.

DAY 1 VERDICT:

Over-all, there has been improvement in my body. Generally, there was less pain being experienced. The last time I took a painkiller or any medicine was more than 12 to 15 hours ago. I don't think the feeling of relief I'm experiencing right now is due to those medicines I took. 

I feel much better and I can function more normally as a human being now. I'm thankful as well to the Lord that He has heard my prayer to make me feel better.

More feedback on my Buah Merah journey on the coming posts/days.

Thanks!

P.S. 

Sorry as I was not able to take a lot of pictures today. I was just ecstatic that I had a lot of energy flowing through me that I wanted to live my normal life. He he! I'll remember to take photos more often soon.

Diagnosis: Gallstones!

Hi Everyone!


This is just to give you a bit of background on my medical condition. I've been diagnosed with gallstones (Cholelithiasis) around September 2015. Unfortunately, I had to stop working as a full-time employee for a travel agency. I just do freelance work at the moment when I can actually function as a human being (due to the pains of having these stones). I've decided to push through with keeping a blog as I have more time to myself and I want to document my journey with gallstones - before, during and after an alternative to surgery.

I had my first trip to the ER due to hyperacidity on Aug. 23 or 24, 2013. I had to go and visit the Emergency Room of Ospital ng Makati (OsMak) (a local government hospital, which, by the way does not charge anything to the residents of Makati who get hospitalized.) I was pregnant and I was vomiting like crazy after taking anything in. I felt very bloated and was really concerned as I had a baby growing inside me. A trip to the ER was really necessary. I was given hyperacidity meds as well as tips on what foods to avoid, etc. That wasn't my last trip to the ER due to hyperacidity, I've had maybe 5 or more trips before being diagnosed with gallstones.

Ospital ng Makati. Image from Inquirer

DIAGNOSIS OF GALL STONES

I had hyperacidity attacks last September 2015 (eating and vomiting what I had eaten; nauseous; pain in my upper abdomen; bloated) and I had to visit the ER of OsMak yet again.

Fortunately, a former highschool classmate (Dr. John David Commandante) was on-duty and took really good care of me. (Hi JD, thanks again!) He gave me the usual medications given to me when I've had trips to the ER before due to hyperacidity. A few hours after, the pain has not subsided thoroughly and he suggested an ultrasound on my abdomen. Come to think of it, he was the only one who suggested to do such in all my trips to the ER. I dunno if it was because the pain did not subside or maybe he just wanted go be thorough as we were friends and did not want anything bad to happen to me.

Well, lo and behold, I had three huge stones in my gall bladder which caused the excruciating pain! Three huge stones! I was even thinking that all the "hyperacidity attacks" could've well been pain due to the gall stones. Did they misdiagnose me all these times? It wasn't the most important thing to me now, getting cured is.

After being referred to the surgery department for the follow-up, they gave me painkillers. I had a trip or two to the ER after that. I had to undergo lab tests to get clearance for surgery. I did all those but unfortunately, I wasn't able to come back for my check-up due to a lot of reasons (and excuses). 

The date for this ultrasound result was September 16. 

This was done maybe a day or two after being diagnosed with gallstones. 

November 3, 2015

I had to visit the ER again due to pain that would not subside even after drinking painkillers.

A copy of my discharge form from OsMak. 

If you're unable to see the fine print even after 

clicking on the pic, please click here instead.

November 4, 2015

I had my ultrasound done with the same diagnostic clinis so we can compare the findings. Basically, 2 stones increased and 1 stone decreased in size.

2nd ultrasound for my upper abdomen to compare the sizes of the stones.

November 5, 2015

Follow-up check-up with the OPD-Surgery Dept. I found out that the lab tests had only 1 month validity. The earliest I can undergo surgery was in January as November was fully booked and they do not schedule surgeries in December. My lab tests were scheduled on January, too.

Laboratory request forms to be done on January, 2016.

Tough luck or maybe it was a sign that there's still some hope. Maybe there was an alternative to surgery, my dad reassured me. He told me that maybe God has a different plan for me.

Well, there surely was. Read my other blog posts to follow my journey with gallstones and trying to eliminate them without surgery.

I'm in pain due to gallstones!

Day 1: Buah Merah

Thanks!

Day 1: Buah Merah Mix Preparation & first take

What is Buah Merah Mix?

Check out my other post to know more about Buah Merah Mix.

November 20, 2015, 10:40PM

I asked my husband to get me cold water so I can try for the first time the Buah Merah Mix we ordered and had delivered on the same day.

Buah Merah Mix bottle beside a 500ml bottled water

I quickly read the label on the bottle as well as the flier that came with my orders.

Here is a picture of the instructions in the flier. It's written in Filipino but I'll discuss the flier and a rough translation of everything in another post.

The instruction was to pour water up to the mark which was right above the label on the bottle. I then gently shook the bottle and tried to smell it. It didn't smell like medicine. It was a good thing, I thought. I poured the liquid on to the bottle's cap and gulped down my first one. My husband was beside me all these time and was watching curiously. I then told him that it didn't taste like medicine either. He then remarked that Daddy should also drink this. I knew that he'll benefit, too, but I just shrugged it off this time. I have to prove that it works for me first.

The instruction wasn't that clear so I had to go back to my messages with the seller just to make sure. For chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer and the likes: 7caps, 3x a day, 30mins to an hour before meals. Drink a glass or two of water after drinking the Buah Merah Mix. I decided to just take 5 caps for now so my system would not be shocked of some sort.

Within 10mins, I had to get up from being seated to go to the restroom. Surprisingly, the pain subsided a bit. I was in terrible pain as I've published in my other post. I wasn't sure if it was due to Tramadol Plus and Buscopan I drank earlier in the hour or if it was due to Buah Merah Mix or if it was due to my prayer to be relieved of the pain. Whatever it was, thank You Lord I can now try to go to sleep soon.

A blister pack of Tramadol Plus

I know that I shouldn't have drank other medicines while trying out the effectiveness of Buah Merah Mix. I was planning to start tomorrow but I'm really in pain that I'm desperate to feel better.

I hope I don't need to take other medicines starting tomorrow so I can really gauge the effectiveness of this product.

That's it for now.