Running Hiatus

Some of my friends have been asking me why I will miss running. Some people have been wondering why my strong passion for this sport would lead to a negative effect on my body. Well, this is going to be that blog post where I will share what’s really happening.

I have been running since high school. In fact, I was part of the track and field team in our school. I used to run for 30-45 minutes during training days. I also did gymnastics for a couple of months but didn’t find passion in that. Basically, I lived an active high school life because I was afraid to gain the baby weight I lost after grade school. Aside from the active lifestyle I had, I was vegetarian for 2 years and no rice diet for the same period of time.

I went to college and discovered so many food choices. It was my first time then to eat fishballs from the street, calamares and the like. I felt the need to eat rice again because everyone was doing so. SPELL PEER PRESSURE. I ate so much everyday. I remember eating before leaving school, eating upon arriving home, eating after an hour for dinner, and midnight meal with my brother. IT WAS A CYCLE OF NON STOP EATING. Little did I know that my weigh from 125 lbs became 160 lbs. I started to hate looking at myself in the mirror because pimples were appearing everywhere.

I decided to seek consult because of my missed periods. I discovered that the reason behind my weight gain, pimples, and bloated feeling is PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome). I underwent several tests for that and was told to take birth control pills and was advised to lose weight to combat the insulin resistance. During that time, weight loss was impossible. I WAS ALWAYS HUNGRY. I was looking for food 24/7. I also took metformin (which people claim to help with weight loss, but I didn’t get the same effect) to prevent developing Diabetes and to fight insulin resistance. I struggled so much during that time that I just neglected my reproductive health. Until the summer after that when I decided to really focus on being healthy. Besides, I couldn’t even button my uniform by myself. It also took me more than 20 minutes to wear the white stockings for duty. Bottomline is, I FELT SO HEAVY AND BLOATED.

I took the first step and started my fitness routine during that summer. I wasn’t eating healthy but I was working out. From 160 lbs, I lost 25 lbs. By the time school started, I was 135 lbs.
I started getting my period monthly when I reached that weight. I maintained that weight for more than a year.

After college, I took the board exams and gained a few pounds while reviewing for the boards. So I promised myself that after the boards, I would focus on being healthy since I would be a bum. I started with my work out routine around July. I wasn’t running yet when I started. I only incorporated running around October 2011. I missed my period for July 2011 and I thought it was just because of the stress of the boards, so I didn’t mind it. I didn’t realize that my period for June 2011 would be the last one…..

I continued with running and going to the gym that year. I was just waiting for my period without realizing that running might be the reason why its not coming…..and I waited and I waited……

until now.

I have been going to the doctors, and good to know that I don’t have hypothyroidism! Praise God. I just have one more diagnostic test to go through. Basically the diagnosis right now is Functional Hypothalamic Amenorrhea brought about by the weight loss and exercise.

You might ask why I have it when I’m not underweight. Apparently, this does not only happen to those who are underweight. It also happens to normal weight/overweight individuals who have bodies that don’t agree with so much weight loss. I was told that my body is not used to this level of body fat so its not working as efficiently as before. It was also aggravated by my PCOS.

Right now, I have cysts on both of my ovaries, a small uterus (which will be bigger, Praise God) and a confused hypothalamus. I have to gain weight and I have to stop running for a while. It is so hard for me to accept this reality because I worked hard to reach my weight, but when I think of it, id rather gain it back and be fertile and normal than have this weight and not have a healthy reproductive system.

Sometimes I ask myself if I ran too much. Sometimes I ask, what if I listened the first time I visited my doctor. But at the end of those numerous questions, I just tell myself that things happen for a reason. I am just grateful that at the end of the day, even if I feel heartbroken because of my situation, I have a God who comforts me and assures me that NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.

A lot of women are experiencing this as well, but not all are comfortable with sharing it. I just want to share this so that some athletes out there would be aware that our bodies need to be listened to. We can’t allow our bodies to suffer like what I did to mine. I’m also sharing this so that when I get my period, I would be a testimony that God heals. I was told that I might not be able to get pregnant but I know that God won’t let that happen

So there, that is the reason why I am not going to write posts about running for a while. Once I get my period back (plus a lot of weight), I will write again. For now, BEAR WITH MY POSTS ABOUT FOOD <3

Years from now, my future kids would know that I did everything to be able to have them. And I know when that time comes, I would be the happiest mom in the world.

Freedom!

The words, “You can run again” are the best words I’ve ever heard from my doctor.

I actually got 2 kinds of news that day, one bad and one good. I was fortunate to have heard the bad news first, that I have a close to zero chance of getting pregnant when I want to because when I went to my OB, she totally turned my depressed self to a hopeful one.

Before I started gaining weight, the thickness of my endometrium was just 1 point something mm. I gained 5 lbs and it thickened to 2mm. I gained 15 lbs and it was 6mm last april…I binged so much for the month of april and really lived a sedentary lifestyle.. a month after that ultrasound, my ob expected it to be 9mm, AT MOST…

But God has His ways of making me feel happy, I had the ultrasound and my endometrium lining thickened to 14mm. 14mm. FROM 1 mm. Thank you God!!!!

I was so happy when I saw the results. I could not believe my eyes… I still have cysts on my ovaries but the improvement on my endometrium is phenomenal. I didn’t think that she would allow me to start running again, but she did!

She said those beautiful words that I’ve been waiting for for the longest time. I feel weak physically and I feel like I’m going to faint when I climb the stairs, not so good. She has a lot of conditions for me.

Yes, I can run to my hearts content but I MUST, MUST, MUST eat so much after running that it would hurt my belly. HAHA! So yes to all my favorite food, and yes to my favorite sport. <3 good deal!

I should lift weights. Not heavy ones, just the light ones with lots of reps. She said I needed to build muscle in order to have a stronger body!

Lastly, I cannot lose weight. I can only maintain my body thus more calories out, more calories in.

She gave me 7 days of protein and fat loading (ofcourse with carbs), before I go back to her to get meds for my lining to shed. Now, I am consuming so much food from different restaurants…I am enjoying this while I can. I can' wait to go back to her to finally drink some meds.

Sorry estrogen and progesterone pills, you are not going inside me. ALL NATURAL to!

PS. I learned that a lean, strong body is better than a thin sickly one. It's not a piece of cake accepting my body right now, I feel sad at times (like when I discovered I can't pull up my uniform beyond my knees), but I want to develop muscles, to be stronger and ofcourse to be healthier….so new goals are set…indeed, STRONG IS THE NEW SEXY

WHERE TO EAT: CORON, PALAWAN

I just came home from Coron and my oh my, all I can say is, the island is really beautiful!
I never thought I would have that feeling of being so close to nature, all I could think of is how
the perfect stones were formed…how the clear water remains so still and how God made that paradise for us
humans to see. I LOVE CORON. I have so many beautiful words to say about it but let me start with my favorite thing in the world, FOOD!

I went to coron with Pau, Nimo, Waves and Mariel. We were so sad that our dearest Kathe was not with us…that’s why it is a must that we travel more to have trips together. We didn’t have a super planned itinerary, we just booked a flight and got a place to stay in. I have just a few recommendations as to where you could eat when you visit coron.

The Top restaurant on my list is KAWAYANAN GRILL STATION. It is the closest restaurant to our place (Grand Vista) and it was always part of the top 3 list of the people we asked there. So we had to give it a try.

I ordered a SOLO SEAFOOD PIZZA (their bestsellers under the category of pizzas).

For only 150 pesos, you get to enjoy 8 small slices of this goodness. I am not sure what cheese they used but im sure they didn’t use a cheap one because the cheese was really good. I didn’t expect to get a lot of bites of real seafood but I did. So thumbs up for this one!

Waiva ordered SEAFOOD CARBONARA. When her dish came, we all wanted to try it out because it smelled so good, plus the sauce was insanely generous!

It was only 170 pesos I think, good enough for the taste!

Nimo ordered her favorite, lechon kawali.

a little bit expensive though, for 270 pesos but it was cooked really well. crunchy! you could feel the oil on your lips haha. worth the calories I must say!

Pau ordered SIZZLING PORK SISIG. We don’t have a photo because we were so hungry when it arrived. I think it costs 180 pesos. Not my super favorite but it was also good.
Mariel finally got herself SIZZLING GAMBAS! She was craving for that ever since we got there. the sauce of that dish was perfect!!! I wish I have the same passion for shrimp just like Mariel, hehe.

One thing to take note about restaurants in Coron is that they don’t serve service water. So you really have to order a drink, which I must say are expensive! You shouldn’t be shocked with the bill as well because they usually have 5-10% of service charge.

After our bounty dinner, we decided to have a little bit of karaoke time inside the bar. it costs 200 pesos per hour… i think Mariel sang way to much haha! We had the CORON SLING for the night.

it costs 350 pesos. It wasn’t a pain to drink that concoction because it tasted sweet. drinks should be that way!

We sang for 2 hours while enjoying our drink and laughing our hearts out.
If you are looking for a place to eat at, and drink while singing, KAWAYANAN GRILL IS THE PERFECT SPOT!

Next on my list is SANTINO’S GRILL. They are famous for their ribs! We came from a tough trike to MT. TAPYAS plus a dip in the hotspring so we were definitely up for a meat fest.

We were sooo hungry then even if we had a heavy lunch at Grand Vista.

Pau and I shared an order of a FULL SLAB PORK RIBS with a side of FRENCH FRIES.

It costs 475 pesos compared to the half slab that costs 250 pesos, so you save 25 for being a hungry beaver. hehe.
The sauce they use for the rub of the ribs is a little bit sweet but not overpowering the taste of the meat. it was good!

Nimo and Waves ordered a FULL SLAB as well with a side of mashed potatoes.
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I ate all their mashed potatoes, lol.

Mariel was supposed to get shrimp for the night but the waiter came back and informed us that it wasn’t available. So she got SIZZLING PORK SISIG.

For DESSERT, I would recommend ICE VALLEY. It is a korean owned spot that offers different drinks and halo halos to cool a hot day. We went there after our SPICY DINNER at BISTRO CORON, so our palate was up for a sweet treat.
We were the only customers that night, the sign saying “ICE…WIFI…” won over us! it was hot, the food for dinner that we ate was hot and we wanted WIFI….that was not working when we got there. FAIL!

Waves got the MANGO BANANA SHAKE and Nimo got COCONUT SHAKE.
Mariel, Pau and myself shared the LARGE MIXED FRUIT HALO HALO.

460 pesos for that mountain of ice and fruits on top. Worth it? Not so much. Yes it was delicious but you would know that the ratio of ice:fruit is unreasonable.. at least it took out the spice lingering on our taste buds.

huge bowl of ice…and some fruit hehe….

One more restaurant that we ate at is BISTRO CORON. We had a tough time deciding where to eat at that night but the common denominator among the top lists of the people we asked is this. soooo we went there.
Foreigners dine there because of the ambience and well, the food that they serve.

four ladies ordered the MEXICAN STYLE CHICKEN and Pau got a tenderloin steak. They didn’t fall in love with the chicken because it was so spicy… but we all agreed that the potatoes on the side was delicious. The tenderloin was juicy and really soft to chew. I guess we ordered the wrong dish… maybe next time!

Lastly, if you are on a budget, you might as well try LOLO NONOY’S. Not located along the street of the “main” town, we wish we found it earlier. Our meals cost us around 500 each but in LOLO NONOY’S, you can get a meal for less than 200 and be a happy diner! Plus, they don’t have service charge. good ey?
we got there late afternoon and we ordered mais con yelo, halo halo, palabok, mixed pancit, bacon sandwich and ham sandwich.
My order of halo halo was just 60 pesos, and the ham sandwich for 80 pesos so I just spent 140 pesos on that merienda! it was a treat.

We had our other meals ordered in GRAND VISTA, and lunch was mainly served on a beautiful beach. We weren’t able to take photos of those because I totally forgot about it, haha!

Here are some tips when you are dining in CORON:
1. It’s helpful to ask the tricycle drivers where to eat at, they usually give the right list hehe. It would also be nice to ask the reception of the place you are staying at.
2. Do not be shocked when your bill comes and it is higher than expected, remember, they usually have a 5-10% service charge.
3. TRY THE STREET FOOD. we didn’t do that, i regret not doing that because when we passed by the food carts, they looked delicious as well, next time!
4. If the place serves bottomless drinks, get that. Of all the places we dined at, only KAWAYANAN GRILL offered a bottomless drink.
5. ALWAYS BE PREPARED TO EAT LIKE A KING. I gained a few pounds during my trip there because I really enjoyed the food.
6. Make sure to ask the waitress on what she recommends. This would help you trim down your picks.
7. SAVOR THE AMBIENCE. restaurants make sure to give guests an experience that is not only unforgettable because of the food, but because of the ambience.
8. Do not be too demanding. Usually, restaurants have ONE waitress who is also the cashier and the manager and EVERYTHING. so keep in mind that they are not like QUINN from diner dash! be patient.

That’s about it. More posts to come about CORON!

I can feel it!

Hi guys! Finally, after gazillion number of years, and lots of blood extractions, I had my MRI procedure done. HOORAY!

I was so excited to have it done so I would know what to do next but when I got there, the rad tech saw my braces and asked, “DOES YOUR DOCTOR KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BRACES?!” what kind of question is that. ofcourse my doctor knows that, its hard not to SEE braces!! I had to call my dentist (who wasn’t available that time) and ask the materials that were used to make the braces. Any form of metal is not allowed when undergoing MRI, unless you want to be attached to the machine and break it!

I stayed under that machine for 30 minutes as they tried to check if my braces would affect the visual field of the sella. thankfully, it wasn’t an obstruction! I hated every second of that MRI. there was a pounding sound that really bothered me. PLUS, the first girl who tried to give me the contrast performed maneuvers inside my vein. So she had to ask another one. HATE! I stayed there for more than an hour, i didn’t like it!

After the MRI, the rad tech handed me the frames of my brain and told me to come back for the reading. I’m no einstein to interpret those frames, yes I know the parts but I don’t know if something is wrong. Mom was waiting outside the whole time and when she saw my bruise she told me we should eat at Vikings to make me happy. YUP, my mom knows my weak spot. It was too traffic on the way to MOA so we just settled with DADS. it was a delicious dinner date that I spent with mom. I love how she makes sure that my tummy is full.:)

I CAN FEEL IT COMING, the menstruation. I can feel that I’m a woman! hahaha!
I think I’m slowly recovering…slowly but surely… as they say, change is the only constant thing in the world…

here are the changes i’ve been seeing/feeling!

I SWEAT A LOT, yup I know its really hot but I used to not break a sweat despite the terrible heat!
I HAVE A PIMPLE ON MY BROW, I haven’t gotten a pimple for months!
MY WATCH IS REALLY, REALLY TIGHT. My then loose watch is not unbearable to wear! boohoo.
I HAVE A DISTINCT BELLY. I used to be afraid of getting a belly but im more afraid of not getting pregnant in the future!
I AM HUNGRY, ACTUALLY HUNGRIER THAN BEFORE. I eat every hour. I am nourished. All food groups every single day and yet I am always hungry. )
I FEEL BLOATED. I don’t know if its because of the weight gain or the whacked hormones… but I am bloated!
I AM SOOO MOODY. One minute im happy, the next im crying on my bed thinking about the worst possible things!

All these changes are distinct changes that I can observe.. I’m lucky if my menstruation comes today! haha! MRI results came in and its all normal! HOORAY!!!

AS SOON AS I GOT IT, I texted my OB and endo and I told them the results. I had a follow up question…
“CAN I LOSE WEIGHT AND RUN AGAIN, PLS?”

BOTH ANSWERED, “NO”

HAHAHAHA! I could cry reading their texts but I didn’t. I just told myself that when this is all over, I will run all the races I could and be at my best shape

I can’t end a post without sharing the mean comments I get from people, here goes..
“ano na nangyari sayo para ka ng bola!?” (okay, if you say so!)
“dati ang payat mo na nagpabaya ka nanaman, sayang ka” (wow!)
“alam mo dati okay na ung katawan mo pero ngayon bumalik nanaman sa dati”
“tama na yan, wag ka na magpataba, ANG PANGIT MO NA!” (okay doctor kita eh hahaah)

I really am confused as to how to see this weight gain. I have friends and family who tell me that I look better now. I mean, healthier. They said I looked dry and so thin before. I really don’t know. But of course, I hate that my clothes don’t fit the same way as before… and i don’t feel “athletic” anymore.. but what can i do?! hahaha!

So yeah, I have a normal MRI, plus I am gaining lots of weight….there are haters, there are loverS… I don’t know when I can run again..all i know is that I’M EXCITED TO BE OKAY! I’M EXPECTANT!

quickpost: VITEX

I’ve been taking VITEX supplement for more than 2 weeks now. I bought it from healthy options. Being the eager beaver when it comes to herbal supplements, I had to try this. A lot of women experiencing amenorrhea, pcos, etc have taken this and experienced wonderful results. They can’t pinpoint exactly the cause of the menstruation, but this is definitely part of the entire process. Women who used this had their menstruation after more than 6 months of using this. I’m claiming that im not one of them because I BELIEVE THAT I WILL GET MINE SOON. when i say soon, it may be in a few seconds, minutes, hours or just DAYS. that’s what I want to believe in.

if this helps, im going to promote this herb to all women out there experiencing menstrual problems!

Summer so far

I’ve long waited for the days when books would be at least 5 meters away from me. I’ve long waited for the days when I could sit down in coffee bean with my favorite hot tea, and pastries while I stare at people walking and rushing because they are busy….and I’m not. I’ve long waited for the kind of sleep that would make my head hurt because its just too much for me. Ofcourse, I’ve long waited for the moment when I can just be boring, lazy and carefree!

THANK GOD FOR SUMMER BREAK!

As if my 1 year of bumming around, running, eating and sleeping wasn’t enough, I HAVE ANTICIPATED THIS SUMMER BREAK SO MUCH! I realized that it is really a good thing that I took a break before I entered med school. i can just imagine my burn out if I went straight. and now…after 10 grueling months of studying, and of feeling good and bad about different things, I CAN PROUDLY SAY THAT I’M A SECOND YEAR MED STUDENT!

yup, i didn’t quit. and I don’t think quitting is an option now. I only have one choice, and that is to finish what I started and do my best.

I started my summer break by joining my friends to a party organized by filae. It was a fun night and Harvey joined us! Which made it all the more fun

MAJOR MAJOR part of my summer was the bls and first aid training we had in school. I have to say this, its hard to be a certified first aider!!!! so many requirements, and the worst part is learning how to do the bandaging. kudos to the team for having a successful simulation of a disaster! I was so ashamed when I didn’t know what to say during the “crisis”. at least im done with it though

I always miss my college friends. Maybe I got too attached with them, and ofcourse, we share a special bond that no one can ever replace. Too bad Nimo, who is usually there, didn’t make it. I met up early with Kathe, and we stayed at krispy kreme for donuts and coffee.

we went to coffee bean after and waited for the waves and mariel

Kathe lost so much weight, and I’m proud of her. I am always shocked when I hear stories of weight loss that involves strict dieting. I cannot imagine myself controlling my food intake! Goodjob ki!

We had dinner at banapple and then gelatissimo for dessert and jamba for drinks!

its always a good time with these girls. im glad I went out with them

long time plan of visiting ihop with anna finally pushed through…may bonus pa, OSKY! hahaha it is rare for me and anna to like the same type of food, that’s why loving pancakes and waffles makes it more special!

after ihop, we went around high street and then got tired so we tried chez karine macarons…to sit down.
nothing fabulous about it really… just same old macarons! we decided to try icings in market market because they were sooo thirsty!
the cake was really just…ICING. HAHAHAHAHA.

Sad that I don’t document medical missions I’ve attended..Im proud to say that I know how to do a german cut and I’ve performed at least 6 bloodless circumcisions!
hehe.. We joined the tuli mission sponsored by beta fraternity in our school, and one of the sponsors is the dad of anna, 66 patients for 60 volunteers. whatta ratio!
i got tired even though I only did one procedure that day, but not so tired to have photo sessions c/o anna. PLUS IT WAS ANNA’S BIRTHDAY THAT DAY!!! belated happy birthday duktura :p

doctors to be….

We went to gianina’s place to celebrate the birthday of anna and to celebrate being 2nd year students

we had so much fun!!!! i can’t wait to do this again with my good friends.

I finally met up with monique, finally! We used to spend so much time chatting during our 1 year break before med, and ever since med started, we only met up once! imagine
We ate at nihonbashteiand dessert at red mango. afterwards, I joined her shop for her pasalubongs for her relatives in the US.

Aside from those meet ups and food trips I wasn’t able to document and share a review about, basically I’ve been spending a lot of time in my doctors clinic and laboratories. good thing about each visit to any medical facility is a delicious food trip afterwards. I am blessed to be surrounded by concerned family and friends who remind me that IT IS OKAY THAT I AM GOING THROUGH THIS, BECAUSE IN THE END, I WILL BE HEALED.

yeah, its really tiring and stressful to go through tests and hear doctors say that I need to gain more….but I get strength from God. I can only do this through Christ, and it is a true blessing that I have come to know my savior

I’ll share a Different post about my current status.
enjoy the rest of the summer heat guys!