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March 2013

My son’s premonition of death during a Holy Week?

luijoe-cross

The Holy Week holds a special meaning in my heart as it’s during this time that my precious son talked about eternal life. How would I have known that he was preparing himself for his death?

“When I die, I will be alive again“,
Luijoe (with excitement), a month before he became an angel.

A month or so before Luijoe went to heaven, he asked me questions about angels, death, heaven and graves. I don’t exactly remember when Luijoe started to ask me those things.

luijoe-at-luijoe-meadow1

This is what I wrote two weeks after Luijoe died.

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Diabetes and oral health care

I got diagnosed with Diabetes on June 2000, a month after my beloved son died. It was my desire to have another baby at some point so I underwent a thorough medical checkup. The diagnosis should not have stopped me from having another baby but I felt I needed to have my diabetes under control. Perhaps it was because of my deep sadness over my son’s death that I had no desire to take care of myself. I struggled with my overweight body until there came a time that my blood pressure shot up to 160/90 which seemed so scary. My stress test showed distressing results that the doctor thought I needed Angioplasty. An angiogram revealed no major arteries were blocked. Phew what a relief.

Being diabetic made me take some changes in my life like small frequent meals, exercise, and being careful to about infections.  People like myself are 2x times more likely to develop serious gum problems.

Why?

Well, diabetes makes my body more susceptible to bacterial infection, since there is a decreased ability to fight bacteria that invade the gums. I was not aware of gum problems until my dentist fitted me with my new invisalign dental braces.  There was a time my gums became swollen. Just by sheer coincidence, Colgate sent me a two tubes of Colgate Total® Pro-Gum Health toothpaste for me to use. I am glad that I am informed of this special toothpaste that may help a lot of diabetic patients out there.

Good oral health could improve diabetes control

People with diabetes can protect their oral health simply  by brushing with a toothpaste specially formulated for gum health. A toothpaste like Colgate Total® Pro-Gum Health toothpaste can help reduce bacteria build-up that cause gingivitis, an early form of gum disease and  provides bacteria protection even after brushing.

Those with poorly controlled diabetes increase their risk of gum problems. Periodontitis can also make diabetes control more difficult. This is because inflammation of the gums can reduce the action of insulin, leading to difficulty in controlling blood sugar levels. Researchers believe that there is a two way relationship between periodontitis and diabetes.

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How to live an exceptional, superb, and powerful life

lifeLife seemed unfair to me before I walked the rocky road of recovery in late 2004. Wallowing in self-pity and hopelessness was a daily routine hoping eventually I’d die soon from my misery. I practiced negativism for almost 4 years until I snapped out of it. It must have been divine providence or my angel nudging me to live a new normal. Or simply, I got tired of hearing my old whiny self. Really, life need not be unfair. Sure the five deaths including some members in my family of origin is unimaginable grief. But here I am, alive and trying to make a difference in this temporary place we call Earth.

How did I do it? A lot of prayers. A lot of self-help books. A grief therapist, yes! A spiritual seminar. A daily aerobic workout. A new wardrobe. A new attitude. Eventually, I reinvented myself but then again, recovery is always a work in progress. I stumble now and then but I always pick myself up, brush the dirt, hold my head up high and walk again.

A high school classmate emailed a list of forty tips for an exceptional, and an enriching life which contains very powerful tips for any phase in our lives. It summarized everything I have learned or am still learning from life. Whether one is in a mid-life, quarter life or job crisis, the 40 tips remind us to keep on going whenever things don’t work out the way we want them to.

Implement whatever you can.

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a PVR/TIVO, tape your late night shows and get more sleep.

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, “My purpose is to ___________ today.”

5. Live with the 3 E’s: Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

6. Watch more movies, play more games and read more books than you did in 2006.

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a mom blogger who advocates constructive engagement in issues on family & society.
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