I was hoping that by this time, I would be enjoying electricity in our home in Moonwalk, Las Piñas, Metro Manila. But no dice, one week after “Milenyo,” we are still without electricity.
At the height of “Milenyo” Thursday last week, I was having severe asthma attacks. When the typhoon died down, I went to the nearby Perpetual Help Medical Center.
I’ve lived with asthma since childhood. It’s a family illness. I have my daily maintenance, “Symbicort,” morning and evening daily. Last Thursday’s attack was one of the more serious which was made worse by the lack of electricity. I could not use a nebulizer at home.
At the PHMC’s emergency room, my breathing didn’t ease much even after nebulizing three times. I had to be injected with a steroid. That helped.
The hospital could not admit me because there was no room available. I was seventh in the waiting list and since check-outs are rare in the evening, I was told that the earliest that I may be accommodated would be afternoon the next day. That was a big IF.
Of course, I could stay in the emergency room unprotected from all the viruses. After four hours, feeling a little better, I went home making our way through darkness and the devastation of “Milenyo.”
Heat and inadequate ventilation are triggers of asthma. Without electricity, I was back at the hospital Saturday afternoon. Situation was still the same: all rooms were booked.
The situation was the same Monday night.
Since my pulmonologist, Dr. Ricardo Salonga, is accredited in three other hospitals (Manila Doctors, Medical Center Manila and PGH), those were my other options but those are all in Manila. That would present additional difficulty not only for me but for my family members who would be accompanying me.
I was confined at the PGH for my cancer surgery and chemotherapy sessions and I know how much more difficult it is to get a private room there. It’s like racing for an Olympic gold.
Anyway, I’m on Medrol to help in my breathing. I pray electricity would finally be restored in our place for us to enjoy the electric fan and air-conditioning. Also, so that I can nebulize at home.
I’m not the only one in Malaya down with asthma. Despite initial signs of an asthma attack, our business editor, Yeng Galang, was at the Manila City Hall Monday morning for the hearing of the libel case filed against her and Malaya publisher Jake Macasaet by Mike Arroyo.
There was no electricity at the City Hall that day, four days after “Milenyo,” so Yeng and Jake had to walk up to the fifth floor, where the trial was to be held. Yeng had to go straight to St. Luke’s Hospital after the trial.
Certainly, I don’t enjoy getting sick but it’s something that I have to accept.
I think of the families in at the foot of Mt. Makiling in Los Baños whose dwellings were washed away by the flash floods, the people whose houses were burned after the electricity was restored; the driver of the Toyota FX that was killed by the billboard on Edsa. I’m sure what I went (and still going) through is nothing compared to their sufferings. May they be blessed with the strength to overcome and carry on.
Ma’m Ellen, I’m sorry to hear about your “asthma” ordeal…alam ko kung gaano “kahirap” yung naramdaman mo, ‘coz I also have chronic asthma. Grabe kapag umatake na, hirap huminga…nasisinghot mo ang hangin pero ayaw pumasok sa baga..talagang napapamura ako. I used to rely on “symbicort” na “inhaler”…pero last year, ayaw nang “pakinggan” ng asthma ko yun…kaya ngayon, tuwing aatake “si muning sa loob ng dibdib” ko, nebulizer na ako…my Kumpadre who owns a private hospital here on the island gave me as gift a “portable nebulizer”, halos sinlaki lang siya ng “instamatic na camera”, it can operate both on AC via household outlet, or DC via the car cigarette lighter port…tell you it’s really a “life saver”. Hope you and your “group” would be well enough na…by the way, I don’t know if it has something to do with the improvement I am feeling now, but since I started to regularly take Vitamin C(ascorbic acid like Ceecon), nabawas-bawasan yung “atake ni muning”. Again, ingat lagi Ma’m Ellen…Godbless 🙂
ellen, take care of your health. i also recommend you follow or try spartan’s advice. god bless.
Thanks. Saan ba nabibili ang ganyan kaliit na portable nebulizer.
I wanted to rest at home today but I can’t because it’s hot. I was forced to go to the office. At least, it’s air-conditioned.
Take care Ms. Ellen. Better take Vitamin C in all form:
fruits, vegetables, & generic tabs.
Wala pa rin palang kuryente sa MW/LPC? Paano na ang labada?
Mainit pa! Grabe naman ang bagal ng Meralco.
Ellen:
I will include the ionizer that I bought to clean the air in your room that you can attach to your computer in my package for you with the interviews of the caregiver and the PC applications that I have downloaded for you.
It’s a gadget I now use that has helped my chronic coughing to disappear. My son, who has asthma, says it is good for him, too. It might work for you. It’s my birthday gift even if I don’t know when your birthday is.
Sorry to know your condition , Ellen. Hindi ko rin maintindihan kung bakit almost one week na ay wala pa rin kaming kuryente. Sa Laguna, ayon sa mga relatives ko ay marami pa rin mga lugar ang walang electricity. Meralco is very incompetent, so is FLECO (First Laguna electric Cooperative). Napakahirap matulog sa gabi ng walang hangin, puyat lagi sa pagpapaypay tapos paggising sa umaga, magsasalok pa ng tubig sa poso. To hell with this imcompetent government of the fake president. Napakayabang niya magsalita na kesyo napaganda niya ang economy ng bansa. PWE!!!
The governor of Laguna ya may kakapalan din. Sa office ng Red Cross (Laguna) ay abala ang mga volunteers sa pagbabalot ng mga relief goods, biglang dumating si Gov. lazaro, may kasamang photographer at presto, nag-posed sa harap ng mga volunteers at nagpa-“kodak”. Ang kapal!! As if siya ang nagbibigay ng mga goods. At ano itong nabalitaan ko na ang printing equipment/office ng Lalawigan ng Laguna ay ayaw ipagamit ni Gov. sa mga pulitiko lalo na kung hindi niya kaalyado. Kahit may pambayad hindi pwede. Siya lang ang pwedeng magpa-print ng kanyang mga streamers with matching photos.
Talamak na talaga ang kampon ng mga mandaraya, sinungaling, at magnanakaw sa ating bansa. Wait for another disaster to come………dahil sa mga demonyong lider ng ating bansa.
Hi Ellen,
Hope you are feeling better today.
My sister is having same problems I was told.
Meralco needs to update its installations or modernize its systems.
To think that this is the seventh day after the typhoon!
grabe yung situation mo, ellen. sana magka-ilaw na sa inyo.
How on earth can this happen.
The only reason is that Meralco or whatever maintenance company is in charge of the cabling system has not UPGRADED their installations.
It smacks of poor Meralco management.
Either that or there are not enough technicians to repair the damaged cables and electricity facilities.
Ellen – You need a long vacation away from madness, at least until you completely recovered. Hawaii sounds exciting and Hawaiianguy will be there to greet you, of course with several leis. I think if you nice to him, he might even do the hula for you with his girls. (Sorry hawaiianguy to much temptation to miss it) Anyway, is being in the Philippines “Making Life Worth Living?” I stole that from you, thanks. In seriousness, and on the flip side of the coin, what’s life without good health? Somehow to function to the higheest point of your objective in life, and one’s capability or be on top of your game, one must have good health at least. So priority must be in order, Ellen you need an Hawaiian treat.
By the way, what how do you personally define, “making life worth living? Would you share with us, pretty please with cherries on top.
Furthermore, Arizona’s. of USA dry climate is excellent with some one with Ashma Blues, according to what I read and heard. The native indians never have that problem, so the legend must be true. If you’ve problem with passport, you can consult with Bolate’s lawyers, perhaps you are qualified for an asylum. Not the other asylum, if you’re getting my drift.
Kawawa naman kayo Ms. Ellen at pati na ring ang mga taong naapektuhan ng bagyo. Matagal na akong gustong mag post dito sa blog ninyo. Buti nakapasok din. Napag uusapan namin ng misis ko, yung mga sunod sunod na delubyo tulad ng pagsabog ng Mayon, mudslide, landslide, SARS, oil spill atbp. Lahat non sa panahon ng pekeng namumuno sa Malakanyang, hanggang ngayon ay di pa sya makahalata. Ano pa ba ang gusto niyang mangyari, ang mismong Malakanyang ang tamaan ng kidlat at lahat sila doon ay malitson na? Kahit nasa malayong lugar kami (salamat sa Panginoon), naiisip pa din naming ang Pilipinas dahil sa kawalang ng malasakit sa kasalukuyang namumuno. Puro PR, pero kulang naman sa gawa. Nakakalungkot.
Ellen, I can only know too well how helpless you feel with your asthma in the midst of the blackouts. I was an asthmatic myself and even had attacks so severe I had to be hospitalized several times, and in those days, the nebulizer has not yet been invented. I got instant relief by pouring boiling water into a container and mixed it with “Vicks” that melted and vaporized immediately. I also use menthol oils sometimes. I use a carton cone to collect the vapors and inhaled them. It soothes the throat, nostrils, and unclogs the chest almost instantly. It also relaxes the upper torso which strains so much from lying over several pillows.
It’s good that Ms. Yuko is generously sending you an ionizer as it will clean the air of dust, pollen, animal hair and other allergens (asthmagens?). It will also remove the wrong-charged ions that come with lightning-energized and smoke-polluted air that do not fall with the rain. Beware though of the hot air that blows out of it. You also have to change the filters regularly (I buy ours at Abenson’s Landmark).
I am lucky to have licked the disease in my teenage years but sadly, asthma has re-emerged in my children. Since my asthma was allergy-induced, what I did was to fight the disease by slowly ingesting in small doses everything that was no-no by the doctor’s advise. Name it – eggs, crustaceans, chicken, fish – I ate little quantities and suffered a little each time until my body was accustomed to the amount of histamines they produced and moved to larger doses until finally I was immune! I can now consume a kilo of prawns or crabs (fresh only, though) without constricting my windpipe or having an instant asthma attack.
I hope the experience I shared will help you and our friend-bloggers. Good luck and God bless, Ellen, and hope you’re feeling better already.
Thanks, TongueInAnew. I’m allergic to dust. Kaya talagang sapol na sapol ako dito sa Pilipinas.
Finally, our electricity was restored last night. Yehey! It’s a blessing.
Ellen Says:
October 4th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
Thanks. Saan ba nabibili ang ganyan kaliit na portable nebulizer.
I’ll ask my kumpadre where he got the “portable nebulizer”…called his office just now, but he’s currently off-island, his people told me he’ll be back next week…but I presume he got it from those medical supplies dealer over there in Bambang, Manila…he’s buying some of the supplies for his hospital here from those fil-chinese dealers…although he also buys from both US and OZ suppliers, so I am not 100% sure where he got it. But like I said before, it’s been a “real life-saver” for me. Take care Ma’m Ellen, try to stay away from downtown Manila, the pollution there is really too much.
“Finally, our electricity was restored last night. Yehey! It’s a blessing.”
all right!
Dust allergies are symptomatic of asthma alright. But the more severe floaters are animal hair, feathers and pollen. Especially these times that grasses are pollinating. I remember, these were the months that I had most of my attacks – the rainy season.
Ion particles in the atmosphere caused by lightning hover above and surround you. When lightning that touches ground happens within close vicinity, the ions are discharged to earth. You will then feel some relief and your stuffed sinuses are suddenly okay. But not for long because the wind currents move ionized air back to your location. The best thing to have is an ionizer, ours has the same wall space as a 1/4HP aircon. It cleans the room of dust, fur, feather, pollen and neutralizes the bad ions in the air. Best installed inside an airconditioned room, it has helped my kids avoid asthma attacks.
Regarding electricity, a new scandal has been found in the WESM (Wholesale Electricity Spot Market), designed to open up the power supply market thus generating enough competition to bring down our very expensive power rates.
The agency tasked to oversee the trading of power has suspected PSALM (Power Sector Assets Liabilities and Management) of having a hand in the recent price-fixing scam that has sent the spot price up to 75% higher in September than when it was inaugurated in June.
From P2.788 per kilowatthour in June, it has jumped to P4.853! This is the same PSALM that gave themselves a P10M “bonus” for the Masinloc Power Plant deal that was never consummated. Wala talagang habas! Ang kakapal ng mukha!
Kaya asahan na naman nating sisibat pataas ang babayaran nating kuryente in the next bill. Haay!
Read it at INQ7.net or click here fro the details.
Re: “From P2.788 per kilowatthour in June, it has jumped to P4.853!”
But that’s daylight robbery! Why can’t the consumers band themselves together and sue the bloody electrical company leeches.
Consumers band themselves, Anna? Hindi nila alam iyan. Hindi nga nila alam kung ano-ano ang rights, privileges and duties nila. Ang alam nila ngayong magbenta ng kidney! 😡
Ellen:
I’ve bought the ion cleaner and will send it tomorrow when I pass by the Post Office on the way to church. I’m sending it together with the downloaded applications to safeguard our PC and the interviews that you may use for your article via EMS. It should be there in three days’ time.
I’m also allergic to dust. I don’t have asthma but I used to have this chronic cough that the ion cleaner has helped diminish. All you have to do is attach it to your computer’s USB port. It is small and you can carry it around. I have bought one for my son, too.
Tama kayo Anna, Yuko, nakakapagod na yata. Sa maniwala kayo o hindi, may bagong kagaguhang ginagawa itong gobyerno araw-araw, taranta na yata ang taumbayan.
The other day, I was with Vice Mayor Tony Calixto and other Councilors, some of whom are close friends, and their followers when we trooped altogether to City Hall and Tony held a press conference where he showed media the recent TRO he got from the court and he wanted to assume his old position immediately. He was told he cannot do so unless it had the approval of DILG’s The Tree. But what do you know, Calixto received a call from a DILG official informing him that he is being suspended anew on charges filed by the acting Mayor and his gang! Hindi pa nga siya na-iinform sa bagong charges kuno na mukhang inimbento lang naman ni Puno, sususpindihin na kaagad. Sabi ng mga tao doon, parang chorus na buntunghininga-sabay-iling na “Tangina talaga,oo…”
Di ba sobra-sobrang pambababoy ‘yan? If they can do it to an honest Mayor like Peewee Trinidad or to Vice Tony and ten of his councilors, how much more against the lowly ordinary citizen who is powerless, barely educated, and no resources to fallback on should they choose to fight this war of shit, poo and crap with the powerful pigs of San Miguel District?
Tapos mababalitaan mo si Binay naman ang tinira.
Tapos mababalitaan mo na inambush yung security ni Binay.
Tapos maririnig mo si Gloria Ilusyonada na “Second World” na raw tayo.
Tapos sasabihin, walang nagkasala sa Automated Counting Machines.
Tapos may balitang yung pondo sa relief operations pinaikot-ikot lang sa Guimaras, Ginsaugon, Aurora, pati sa Lebanon. Saan napunta yung perang ipinondo diyan, e iisa lang naman pala ang pinaghatian. Mas marami pa ang naibulsa.
Tapos ngayon itong price-fixing sa power.
Hindi na kaya ng parally-rally ito. Kaliangan siguro rebolusyon na.
Dagdagan ko pa, yung 13-year P25B tax case ni Lucio Tan sa BIR, inabswelto na rin pala ng korte.
Tongue,
Re: “Di ba sobra-sobrang pambababoy ‘yan?”
I am appalled that the political situation has gone so dramatically baboy!
Really, it’s like a bad comedy except that no one is laughing. How on earth can people find stability in a regime that thrives through aggression. Even in warfare, there has to be a lull in fighting so that forces can regroup but in the case of the Philippines, it’s non-stop aggression from the biggest criminal syndicate that we know: Gloria’s malacanang mafia!
And as you say, this 25B Peso tax “credit” to Lucio Tan has added to the non-stop scam practised by this government.
One wonders if a bloody revolution is not the answer to cleanse society of all these misfits.
May kilala akong artista na may asthma din…si Asthma Moreno na naging asawa nina Rudy Fernandez at Dolphy.
Artsee… you’re funny!
Mais, c’est de n’importequoi!
Yes, I agree that Arroyo will have to fall one of these days. Sadly, she will bring down the country with her.