OOTD : Thankful

This OOTD post is dedicated to give thanks to God, my family and the people who stayed with me while I’m in one of my toughest journey. Remember the flower icon that you can choose together with the other emoticons in Facebook? Yes! This post is inspired by that.

As most of you know, I got hospitalized a few weeks ago. Here’s my story. I’ve been visiting a lot of Drs for years now because of different conditions :

1. Cardiologist because of my Tachycardia

2. OB because of my Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome

3. Rheumatologist because of my Fibromyalgia

4. Pulmonologist because of my Asthma

5. Hematologist because of my high WBC.

A high white blood cell count isn’t a specific disease, but it can indicate another problem, such as infection, stress, inflammation, trauma, allergy, or certain diseases. That’s why a high white blood cell count usually requires further investigation.

Lately, my WBC got constantly high so they needed me to take a lot of tests. One of which is oncology related blood tests. Because it was quite alarming already, other Drs cooperated to look for the reason of a possible infection. My nephrologist and rheumatologist helped in the process as well. I had an MRI test (see here) and some blood tests that helped in looking for the reason of a high WBC. All tests showed negative results.

While waiting on the results of the tests, I got sick. I had fever for a week and had a bad asthma attack. I went to the ER because I can’t breathe anymore. Both of my lungs and heart are giving me a hard time. In the ER, I was surprised to know that I can’t go home yet because of my high WBC. This time, my pulmonologist wanted to know the reason behind the high WBC. Because of that, they asked me to have a whole abdomen Lung CT Scan with Dye Contrast.

A CT angiogram (CTA) may be performed to evaluate the blood vessels (arteries and veins) in the chest. This involves the rapid injection of an iodine-containing fluid (contrast material) into a vein while obtaining CT images. Because CT scans are able to detect even very small nodules in the lung, chest CT is especially effective for diagnosing lung cancer at its earliest, most curable stage.

In preparation for this test, I fasted for 4 hours. At first, they injected me with the dye for a skin test then added more dye after testing. I had to stop swallowing my own saliva because the dye is inside my body and can be tasted already. I panicked a bit when I felt the heat in my abdomen area. My heart palpitated and I felt so nervous. I didn’t like the feeling. After that, they proceeded with the whole normal process of a CT scan.

Of course in the hospital while admitted, I had to be injected with steroids for me to breathe and in return they had to check my blood sugar for a possible shoot up because of steroids. My heart rate and BP are constantly monitored and I nebulize every 6-8 hrs to normalize my breathing pattern. My hospital’s nurses and my pulmonologist, Dr Agno took care of me very well.

Now fast forward to May 8 when ALL my tests are shouting negative.. I’m here to say thank you to my family who took care of me as I go through this journey and to my only friend who stood by me since Day 1 of my battle with a high WBC. You know who you are. Thank you!

These gifts mean so much to me because it’s the first time that someone sent me a gift from outside the city and the first time for me to receive a gift from a follower turned into a friend. As a blogger, finding a friend is something ordinary.. but meeting a possible best friend is extraordinary. She is more like a sister to me and I am grateful that my friendship is well reciprocated. She encourages me to think positive and to trust myself more. I always look forward to talk to her and tell my boring stories. I can’t wait to hear her sarcasm and insult of the day. 😆 For once, I learned to take life easy. To appreciate my life more and to stop listening to negative people. With her friendship and my husband’s love and support, I am still sane. 😅 From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

So I’m trying out a new look. What do you think about it?

I made my makeup light to match the lady-like vibe of the dress and bag. Also, I know that my friend will be very happy to see me wearing a light makeup.

My whole experience made me see who has got my back when I’m beaten up. I also saw my weaknesses in every aspect of life while going through this journey; but I appreciated myself more for being strong even in the midst of trying times. I noticed who left me and I saw who prayed for me. In the end, I am thankful. To my dad, mom, brother and Pearl – thank you for staying with me in the hospital. It means so much to me. To my husband and children who never left my side and understood all my tantrums – I can’t thank and love you enough. To my friends and followers who prayed for me – thank you. I am blessed to be loved by my followers. God bless all of you! 😊