Aboy's Fresh Lumpia

Strategically located inside Shopwise Araneta Center, facing the colosseum, is a food kiosk that sells fresh and healthful grub created right at your very eyes! Aboy's Fresh Lumpia is the Filipino's version of the pastries of Chinese origin similar to fresh popiah or fried spring rolls.

Every ingredient is distinctly modified to tickle the taste buds of Juan and Juana. At Aboy's, the fresh lumpia is priced at Php 45 for an ordinary wrapper and Php 50 if you prefer an egg wrapper or crepe. It consists of carrots, singkamas, lettuce leaf, crushed peanuts, garlic and seaweed topped with the sweet sauce to complete the Pinoy taste. This can be eaten plain, with rice, while walking or when dining in some other resto like what I did yesterday.

Fresh lumpia filling ready to be wrapped around the egg crepe wrapper. Love it! 

Shopping at Saizen

"Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright..." is one of the many Christmas carols I hear being played in the radio, over the television and in shopping centers. Similarly, as I do my countdown, there are 69 days more to go before the merry, festive and joyous occasion! And like most kids, I am starting to also feel the anticipation brewing for that day to come.

Yesterday my Mom, Dad and I rediscovered a place called Saizen in Robinsons Galleria, 3rd level. It is a Japanese store where all items are priced at P85. We spent two hours in this haven of goodies as we searched high and low for gifts to be given to relatives, meticulously inspected each and every item available in all the aisles, corners and shelves.

There are various items found in this store: kitchenware, hardware, Japanese food and drinks, school supplies, toys, toiletry stuff, gardening materials and pet paraphernalia. With the augmenting prices these days, it is prudent to stretch one's moolah and still get quality goods worth sharing to my love ones this season!

Quotes

Source: flickr.com

Faith Power Works Wonders

I wake up half unconscious... my abdomen sore... my throat dry and hoarse after the tracheal intubation... my eyes blurry from the effect of the anesthesia...

Still unconscious and half awake amidst the hush conversations of the two clinicians who were in the room and the presence of another patient who was situated on my far right, I feel my abdomen. I fell asleep again. I awoke with a clearer vision this time that I was in the recovery room and I whispered a heartfelt, "thank you, Lord" upon the realization that the hysteroscopy was successfully done!

Five Months Ago

I braved myself to finally visit my sister-in-law who was an OB GYN specializing in ultrasound in Cardinal Santos Hospital due to excessive and prolonged bleeding every time my period comes. I wasn't afraid of hospitals nor doctors but I disregarded the idea that something might be wrong with me and associated the bleeding to stress.

It was positive. The bleeding was due to the prolapsed submucous myoma found in my uterus that was as enormous as my womb! I stayed calm and consented to the medical treatment I had to undergo before its removal. I was given a kind of medication to mimic menopause. This way, the myoma will decrease in size for easier removal in the future.

Blood Transfusion, Biopsy Samples and Cancer

On August 9th, I was hospitalized after my hemoglobin went down! This was followed by two pap smear tests to get a sample tissue for biopsy. Another ultrasound was done to find out if the medication worked. The mass was seen in my cervix but has decreased in size. The doctor's diagnosis was cervical cancer. Hysterectomy or radiation therapy was discussed to us. I was numb.

New Hope

My family and I could not reckon cervical cancer. We mustered sufficient courage and had sought a more experienced Oncologist. He prescribed the necessary laboratory tests before a procedure was done and I obliged. I also obtained a clearance from a Cardiologist after the CT scan result showed that my left leg had deep vain thrombosis (DVT).

My final check up with my Oncologist was alarming since he could not separate my cervix from the myoma unlike his previous internal examination. Nonetheless, his diagnosis was a conclusive myoma because a cancerous mass would never decrease in size. Mine did.

He explained that the procedure will be hysteroscopy. However if for whatever reason, it

becomes bloody, he would have no other choice but to go on with hysterectomy which we do not like to happen because my uterus will be starkly removed, together with the myoma while the former will be done through my cervix.

I went home quite uncertain and anxious upon seeing my pad with blood. The closer the date of the procedure was, the less sleep I had at night. I was unfazed despite the myriad events that happened in the last two months. I had faith that my Lord will guide the doctors throughout the procedure and that He will allow hysteroscopy done to me.

As the clinicians were transporting me to my room and back to the hospital bed, I literally thank God for the success of the procedure. The many emotions my family and I went through was worth it for it has made my faith stronger and I praise and thank the Heaven for an extended life on September 26th!