That thing that sprouts in places where you least expected… Looks like a pimple at first that’s why you ignore it but after days… It becomes bigger and painful, with redness and pus inside… You don’t know what to do with it and you’re too shy to tell anyone because of that “invasive” spot. Little did you know that it spreads in some other places that is very uncomfortable… you can’t walk, you can’t talk about it and just bear the pain inside…

Here comes Online Doktora…

Online Doktora is a Filipino podcast that discusses and explains topics concerning overall health and wellness. Your ONLINE DOKTORA, Anna Katharina Garcia-Peña, RN, MD, MPH, will always be ready to answer your questions about health and wellness. All podcast episode is in Filipino (Tagalog) format that made it unique and listener friendly made for Filipinos here and abroad. You can also e-mail her for your questions and get the chance to be aired in her next episode…

Going back to the issue above… listen and be aware… (Click the link below)

http://www.bncast.com/onlinedoktora/paulit-ulit-na-pigsa/

Just a brief background of the host…
Anna Katharina Garcia-Peña is a registered nurse and a licensed physician in the Philippines. She also holds a Master of Public Health degree and an undergraduate degree in Psychology. She is currently a university professor teaching nursing courses.

And Yes, She’s my mom!

Catch her at www.annakatharinamd.com and www.onlinedoktora.bncast.com

All the things inside me and the things I’ll tell and type about will be used against me, if not for now… maybe there will come a time… (I hate being careful and contained)

Anyway, my mum just offered to increase my weekly allowance because she saw the bitterness consuming my well-being… Who would decline with that right? But I did. My weekly allowance is enough for my daily expenses and other expenses besides that (you know what I mean…)

I will be 22 years old this July and still I can see no fulfilment in what I am doing… My mum said “Ano bang pinapagkaabalahan mo?…. Pagboboypren?” (Perhaps my mum will have read this post eventually…) I think besides “whatever-you-call-what-I-am-doing” yes, I am majoring in my “love” life. LOL!

And then after all this “thing” that consummate me… then I turned back to Facebook and Twitter… I saw this

Do I really just have to wait and see? Or am I being trying hard to appease people who doesn’t even notice?

I have read the sentiments of others who feel the same… I think all it takes to end this is guts to really tell how you feel…

Today… I am updating my resume… but who cares?

Check if they are nurses… if they are. This post might give answer to your query.

The “BLACK-OUT” is in support for AYNLA’s (Alliance of Young Nurse Leaders & Advocates International Inc.), a national registered organization of nurse leaders & advocates in the Philippines—- Nurses Black-out campaign 2011.

This is for every nurses’ endeavour, cause or advocacy…

They came up with the advocacy particularly to utilize social media as a tool for nurses’ rights awareness building, initiate social & mass mobilizations in relation to the protection of nurses’ rights and to garner support from individuals, organizations and communities to end all forms of discrimination and abuse to nurses in the workplaces and communities.

Increasing number of nurses has always been a problem (or shall I say, is becoming a crisis) but why just now? According to PRC (Professional Regulation Commission) our country already produced 200,000 unemployed and underemployed RN’s in the year 2010.

It is ironic that the Philippines is one of the top exporter of their own skilled, professional nurses but the country, itself is lacking of many nurses to take care of the communities and the society.

Hospitals and healthcare facilities acknowledge their shortage of nurses but fails to hire more because of proclaimed budget constraints. This leaves dozens of nurses flooding in workplaces other than in the field of nursing like call centers.

Many new nurses, wanting to gain hospital/clinical experience as a presumed key to international employment, offer their professional nursing services to the hospitals without getting paid. [Please insert my name here...] —Yes, we are called “Volunteer Nurses” “OJT Nurses” “Nurse Trainees”… And yes to the fact that we pay for a “3-month” or “6-month” hospital experience.

This campaign period is from January 01 – 11, 2011. I know it’s a bit hard to change your profile picture to BLACK but it is for a good cause so why not join the cause?

VOLUNTEER NURSE AKO KAYA BLACK ANG PROFILE PICTURE KO… XD

Im soooo sorry for that, my dear blog.

Anyways, I would like to Congratulate my new colleagues for making it out alive Welcome to the world of Registered Nurses where BUMs, Underemployment, Unemployment, Non-stop training, Job/Hospital Hunting and VOLUNTEERISM starts.

Pardon me for sounding a LITTLE Sarcastic but yes, that’s the sad reality. Nevertheless, enjoy the feeling till it last! ? Say hello to your names at the broadsheet and tarpaulins for some :]

CONGRATULATIONS, GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS :]]

*Will not post the list of passers, top-performing schools etc anymore. LAZY. Sorry. LOL ?*

Humans experienced technology at its best during Internet’s breakthrough. We can access everything in just one click. In contrast to the old times, wherein you really have to be physically there to actually know about what you want to know about.

The wonders of Internet have brought to us OLX. It is an online portal where you can buy and sell cars, gadgets and other stuff, canvass for prices, shop, look for a job, advertise and more in the Philippines and abroad. If you are into online shopping, wants to purchase items that are rare to find, into bargains, wants to find tickets for leisure and entertainment, wants to advertise your business, into real estate… OLX is a perfect website for you.

This website is very advantageous for people applying /looking for a job because OLX contains a vast Classified Ads depending on your needs. The great thing about it is that, you can post your own advertisement and even advertise yourself for free!

I actually had fun browsing and reading different ad placements in the Health Care section since I belong to the “unemployed nurse” status though I am currently studying after I graduated college. I was hoping to look for a vacancy as a nurse but to my dismay, I just found faces looking for the same thing.

Oh well, on the bright side, you can actually save money by just exploring OLX because instead of going to the busy offices in Makati and fight for jobs in Quezon City you just have to sit back, connect to the web and do some clicking. What an awesome relief right?

• Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao became a trending topic on Twitter both for Manny Pacquiao and Pacman
• Just use “Pacman” instead when referring to Manny Pacquiao to avoid error. (Pacquiao is often misspelled) LOL
• Listening to live radio stream and reading tweet updates is also fun (No commercial/Ads)
• Manny Pacquiao is the first fighter to win seven world titles in as many weight classes (HISTORY again for FILIPINOS)
• Pacquiao had an ear injury prior to his fight today. Used Tuba-Tuba to manage it. But he’s OK now — got it from the radio news
• When you had the chance, PROMOTE
• When you want to escape, DANCE

I am not a boxing fanatic, nor am a fan of Manny Pacquiao but I always see to it that I watch Manny’s victory speech/interview after. I even recorded it. Watch this:

Congratulations to Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao for winning! (WBO Welterweight Champion)
Another Pride and Glory for the Philippines
Kudos!

P.S
I loved Miguel Cotto’s Tattoos

5. Read about water-borne diseases. Know it so that you can prevent it. What are the common water-borne diseases:
A. Diarrhea
B. Amoebiasis
C. Dysentery
D. Cholera
E. Acute Gastroenteritis
F. Typhoid Fever
4. Cook food properly. Avoid raw foods, vegetables, fruit, meat that are not properly cooked because it may have been in contact with contaminated water that can cause disease when ingested.
3. Clean environment. Make sure that garbage, animals are away from your drinking water source. More often, the feces of animals have parasites that can contaminate your water and will lead to disease.
2. Clean drinking water source. There are many ways to clean your drinking water such as boiling, filtration, purification and distillation. If you have extra money, you can buy water from drinking stations per liter or bottles. As much as possible do not share drinking bottles/glasses.
1. Proper Hand washing. This may be a cliché but it is the simplest way in order to prevent the spread of disease causing microorganisms. Poor hygiene is one of the major cause of water-borne diseases and main culprit of acquiring hookworms and pinworms from contaminated sources.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE.

1. Through PayPal For international donations. Proceeds will be sent to Philippine National Red Cross
2. Through SmartMoney 5577-5144-1866-7103 Proceeds will be sent to Philippine National Red Cross
3. Through GCash 0917-9751092. Proceeds will be sent to Philippine National Red Cross
4. Through Text

Proceeds will be sent to Philippine National Red Cross. Transaction fee is for free.
5. Through Credit Card via ABS-CBN Proceeds will be sent to ABS-CBN Foundation
6. Through Credit Card via GMA Proceeds will be sent to GMA Kapuso Foundation
7. Through Cash/Cheque/Bank via GMA Proceeds will be sent to GMA Kapuso Foundation
8. Through Cash/Cheque/Bank via ABS-CBN Proceeds will be sent to ABS-CBN Foundation
9. Through DSWD donations drop-off points
10. Through Bank via Philippine National Red Cross

10. Visit www.ondoyrelief.org, www.typhoonondoy.org
11. For more detail ways on how to donate, please click here, here and here
12. For more info, please click here

May GOD help us all.

5. Be Aware. Turn on your television sets, radios, and internet for news. If there’s any “important” information that you can share please do spread the news. Awareness can also decrease a person’s anxiety level.

4. Look through your closet. Sort the things that you can donate to the people affected by the disaster. Send it to the nearest relief center e.g school, parish church, establishments, etc.

3. Be Sensitive. If you don’t have anything good to comment/say or post in your blog, Twitter, Facebook, Friendster, Multiply, MySpace account and whatnot please, DO SHUT UP. In the same manner, please exercise your PATIENCE. Just think of the people who are outside fighting for their lives and think of yours— safe, sound and comfortable.

2. Don’t clog the network. Don’t send group messages/chain texts that are unnecessary are obviously just rumors. Just because you don’t have anything to do or you just want to use up your unlimited text. It affects the rescue system the government and other agencies are conducting. Communication is important so please. (This pisses me off. Really!)

1. Pray. I don’t need to elaborate on this but if all else fails, HE IS OUR ONLY REFUGE. Let us pray that our country can surpass this disaster. For those who are still on their roofs and have nothing to eat or drink, for those who are safe in their homes, for the rescue team, the government and other agencies… send them your holy spirit and give them strength in this catastrophic moment. AMEN.

This are just few, simple, little things we can do to help. If we start doing this by ourselves, we can make it easier for the people who are really IN there, IN that situation whether they are the victims or rescuers.

Ondoy is an eye-opener for us all. It is an instrument by God not to punish or make us suffer but to make and draw ourselves closer to him. Let us not be mad, let us not question why instead, let us unite as one nation so that we can all make it through this state of calamity.

I personally, have done all of the above since I can’t go out and I am here at home safe and sound. I am thinking of volunteering for tomorrow,so let’s see. How about you? What will you do to help?

Disease awareness (news, posters, ads)

Hand washing (Soap and Water/Alcohol/Hand Sanitizer)

P.S This is the OC-OC side of me, I always bring alcohol wherever I go…

Isolation and Quarantine

Thermal Scanning

P.S The first time I went back to FEU after months, I was nervous because the guards are checking the temperature and the night before, I had a fever. Good thing I was able to get inside and I was negative. LOL!

Immune System Boosting (Vitamins and Nutritious foods)

Avoidance to crowded places

P.S I think I was already exposed to the virus since I am always taking the LRT and during the outbreak, my friends and I went to the airport going to Palawan

Personal Protective Equipment (face masks)

The country was able to fight the Pandemic and served as an aid in increasing the people’s awareness to such health situations.

Few weeks ago, I was thinking about AH1N1 because it doesn’t make it to the news anymore unlike the previous months then, It was like I became a psychic or a coincidence that a few days after I thought about it, Department of Health (DOH) warned the Philippines about the possible second wave of Influenza AH1N1. It was said to be more virulent than the previous strain since it is also a flu season. DOH has been preparing and monitoring cases of AH1N1 present in the country.

For now, let us pray that we can surpass this disease and do our part in preparing ourselves in acquiring this virus. How? Just look above…:))