I was a single mother for 2 years before I met and married my husband.

A year and a half of that was spent living under my parent’s house so it is no wonder they are very attached to my son (he is also the first grandchild) and vice versa. It made moving out of their house very difficult. To alleviate the pain that was caused, my parents and I agreed that my son would spend every weekend at the grandparents. I was hesitant really but I did not say no. I did not want to hurt my parent’s feelings or myself feel that I was somehow responsible for depriving them of their grandchild. And so it continued that way… even after I was married and gave birth to another child. I could still recall times wherein I would find myself calling my mom – asking if I could have my son for the weekend instead of having him spend time with them. It was the time that I often felt that I did not spend much time with my eldest as I was working 5 days a week and sometimes even more than 8 hours a day.

I cannot remember exactly when it started… everytime I would fetch my kid from my mom’s, it would be a battle of tears… a lot of tugging, crying, wailing, pulling, pushing. The crying would continue in the car, and even as we arrive home. My son would end up sleeping with tears in his eyes. My son did not want to go home with me anymore. He wanted lola. He wanted lolo. He wanted all the things that he could get and he could do at my parents house that he could not do or have at home. He’s already 3 and very smart. And I do my best to catch up and make sure he still grows up disciplined – like I and my other siblings were brought by our parents. But it is a struggle to discipline when the lessons taught are not consistent. I feel that most of the time my son is confused. His mom says “No” and he hears others say “Ok”.

A few days back, I had a serious talk with my mom regarding my son. She understood my challenges and agreed I had to keep my son in line or risk having him bring his insolence until he grows older. But – that was my mom. My father did not quite have the calm reaction that I was half-hoping for.

I did not intend to hurt anyone. I don’t do the things I need to do to deprive them of their precious grandchild. In the end – all it meant was that I was breaking my father’s heart. I just hope when I get my chance, it will not be too late to teach my kid the lessons I want to teach to him.

(C)

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That which does not kill us makes us stronger
– Friedrich Nietzsche

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View more pictures here -> 3RD ITAP PICTURES
(C)

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The other day I was telling my friend about how I lost my old posts from the old site because of what happened to the server… she then mentioned that she had just read about my write-up on tampons. She had also just referred a friend to my blog for research as she was having a hard time finding someone in manila who used tampons. ‘Try finding a store that actually sells the stuff!’ - is how I responded. It started me talking about tampons and how it basically saved me from all my monthly period woes. In the end I believe I was able to convince my friend to try it. So let me re-publish that post and hopefully I’ll convince more people so that in the future maybe even our sari-sari stores can sell them.

FEMININE HYGIENE It was that time of the month and I spent last wednesday at the mall frantically looking for man’s greatest invention for women. I spent almost 45 minutes combing the whole Glorietta mall looking for tampons. I was looking for a particular brand and type. And although I knew Rustans and other PX stores carried the product, I was disappointed when I came up empty handed after visiting these places. Its a fact that it is not commonly used by pinays but it was ridiculous that I couldnt find one store that sold it. I went to the last PX store I knew and was relieved to find they had Playtex- but only the regular one in 8-pc packs. I found myself buying boxes of it even though it wasnt the one I preferred. I wonder why there are no local manufacturers of tampons. Its a shame that it hasnt been embraced by Filipinas. I guess everyone has heard about the urban legend involving the tampon.

One day this woman was unfortunate to have her tampon get stuck inside her. It was on the same day that she had plans to go on a blind date. She quickly rushed to the hospital where the Gyne happened to be an attractive man. She had no choice but to allow him to grope inside her just to get the tampon out. She went home after to prepare for her date. In the evening her doorbell rang signalling the arrival of her blind date. She opened the door and her mouth fell……..standing outside was her blind date……the Gyne!

And thats just one. I myself did not care to use it for fear of it getting stuck inside me. So its really a blessing that a friend convinced me to use it. And now Im sorry that I had to spend 20 years of my menstrual life without it. Benefits:

• Makes daily activities a lot easier to do
• Imagine not feeling the bulk of a pad or feeling like there’s something sticking between your legs
• Imagine not having to worry about stains
• Imagine being able to run without fear of your pad falling off
• Imagine being able to participate in sports without having to feel constricted
• Imagine being able to go swimming without fear of your period leaking once you get out of the water
• Imagine being able to wear a thong even during your period! (greatest benefit)

Downside:

• Hard to find as only PX stores or Rustans sell them
• One box of 8 is more expensive than 6 packs of Whisper pads

Here are the different tampons Ive seen sold here and that Ive tried:

TAMPAX are the most expensive of the lot but work best for me. Even their regular ones beat the supers of the other brands. Plus its environment friendly using cardboard applicators.

PLAYTEX are 50% more cheaper than TAMPAX but are also 50% less absorbent. Perfect for lighter flows. Not environment friendly as its applicator is made of plastic.

OB TAMPONS…..umm…..umm….I still have the ones I got for free at a badminton tournament (it was included in the freebies) stashed at a drawer somewhere. It has no applicator plus its too small for comfort (well personally - its size makes me doubt its effectivity).

So for all ladies out there….go out and try it. Dont worry about TSS. Get yourself educated to make your worries disappear and start getting comfortable about having your period every month. Pads are so last season. Tampons rock!

(C)

** Pictures courtesy of their website.

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(pictures courtesy of Victoria’s Secret)

Bra-less vs. Breast cancer
- from PDI article Inside Out by Cory Quirino (9/19/06)

…”Women who wear very tight bras for a long period of time, say 12 hours a day, are more likely to develop breast cancer than those who dont wear bras…(from the book Dressed to kill: The truth between cancer and bras)…

Worse, women who wear bras when they sleep are 125 times more likely to develop the dreaded disease.

Tight bras smash lymph vessels situated very close to the breast’s surface. The cleansing action of lymph fluids that flow through the vessels to clean out toxins is prevented by bras.

Bras also squeeze clusters of lymph nodes in the armpits that produce immune cells to fight disease.

TIPS:

1. Dont wear a bra to bed
2. Use a bra loosely. It should never leave a mark on your back or skin.
3. When removing a bra, massage your breasts to get the lymph flowing again.
4. Try to minimize wearing underwire, push-up or strapless bras.
5. Try not to wear a bra at all.

I had this in my draft entries folder for over a month now. On the morning of Sept 19, I received this text from my husband - women who wear bras when they sleep are 125 times more likely to develop breast cancer. - I called him when I read it. He said he was reading the Inquirer (news in paper mind you) and came upon an article he really wanted me to read. And so he gave me the newspaper article that night and now Im sharing it with all the women out there. Im one of the fortunate ones to have an actual need for underwire bras so I was aghast at the thought that one of my favorite articles of clothing can actually cause cancer. Im also one of those who actually wear bras to bed (Old Navy no pad bras) for fear of sagging breasts. Now my husband delights at the thought of making sure I practice not wearing my bra to bed.

So now do bra manufactures stamp their products with some fine print saying…. WARNING: use of this product can cause cancer - much like how it is with cigarettes, or alcoholic drinks or even the cups that serve hot coffee in MCdo? A part of me feels sorry that I read the article (bad me!) but for the most part its always better to be aware of how we treat our bodies.

Do I still wear my underwires?…. oh yeah… 

(C) 

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