More than one year has gone by since my family and I migrated here in the US. Here are the Top 10 Money Saving Tips which we employed during our first year of stay:
1) We bought second hand family cars. Our first car was paid in cash from the money we acquired selling our cars in the Philippines. The remaining money was used to pay for our second car with the balance costing us $100/month payable in 5 years, interest-free from a loan made with a relative. To date, that is the only loan we have.
2) We rented a fairly new 2-bedroom apartment. We saved a lot in terms of energy consumption, maintenance and even start up furnishings. We get to use the gym (which is surprisingly well-equipped) and swimming pool for free. I think it will take a lot of convincing for me to decide to purchase a house. There is too much freedom derived from renting.
3) We paid our credit cards in full at the end of each billing month. We saved from paying hefty sum in interest rates. It taught us the discipline to live within our means. We only buy stuff that we know we can pay with our available cash. Within six months, our credit rating improved, from a no-credit history to a credit score of 750 (excellent). It also helped that we got an extension credit card a year ago which got us approved immediately by the same credit card company. The other credit card companies simply rejected us because of no-credit history on record.
4) We set aside at least 10% of our income for savings through the 401k. In less than a year of being employed, we've accumulated a savings of at least $4,000. We set aside another 5% for cash savings which we can access in times of emergency. Despite the fact that our annual income is just $40,000 - $50,000.
5) We bought all our furniture and appliances using our credit card to earn points and paid for it with the cash we earned from selling our stuff when we migrated. We bought most of our furniture from Ikea which made everything affordable, at the same time elegant and presentable.
6) We registered as parishioners where our kids were enrolled so we were able to avail of the discount and subsidy of the parish and still got a Catholic education for our kids.
7)We gas up our cars in Sam's Club where it costs $0.10/liter less than the going rate of the cheapest gas station in town.
8) We make good use of the public library. We avail of freebies and discounted rates offered by amusement parks and zoos which gets published in the free magazines in the public library. We borrow books, magazines, DVDs and CDs in the public library also. It's surprising to see updated copies of these, free for the taking.
9) Our cellphone plans are extensions of our relative's plan which in turn are needed in their work. We pay our minimal share of less tha $13/month while their rate is being paid for by the company they work for.
10) We buy stuff from thrift shops and discount stores like Big Lots, Dollar Tree, Gabriel Brothers and of course, Walmart. For non-perishables, we go for bulk purchases in Sam's Club. For perishables, I've learned that buying in small quantities is better because I just threw out 3 grocery bags of expired perishable products from my pantry recently. For rice, it is cheaper to purchase it in sack of 25 lbs from an international or Asian store which may be a long drive for most. So visiting these specialty supermarkets every quarter is an added treat without being expensive. We buy fruits and vegetables from a farmer's market and I usually blanch(immerse in boiling water for a few minutes) most of the vegetables to stop enzymatic degradation and put these in the freezer. That way, I don't get rotten veggies simply because I did not have the time to cook. We purchase chicken whole and I chop and segregate the parts before putting it in the freezer. Meat is also cheaper purchased in bulk from Sam's Club. I just chop it to desired cut and put it in small packages before freezing.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Benefits of Being an Employee
As a self-employed doctor in the Philippines, I did not have benefits. There was no IRA that I could invest in. But my husband and I were smart enough to save and invest some of our money in mutual funds since that was the best thing we could think of, rather than put all our money in a savings account where it will just depreciate with the inflation.
So it was totally foreign for me to be able to invest in a 401k or be receiving benefits from the company that I am working for. Since I was not yet sure about our expenditure, I chose to set aside 10% of my income to 401k. As soon as we are able to financially establish ourselves, I will increase that to 20%. Since I am still far from the retirement age of 65, I decided to invest 90% of that in stocks and 10% in bonds. Even if the stock market is not doing too well right now, eventually it will pick up. Now is the best time to invest because I can buy low and years from now, sell high. With the market plunge, there is no other way but up.
What I did not avail of, to my regret is the flexible spending account. I thought at that time that we were in a pretty good shape and the past years, we never really spent that much on health. But when I injured my back, I saw how a couple of doctors' visits could amount to a considerable amount of money. I only chose the basic health insurance for my family so my co-pay was also higher, at $40 per visit. Again, I am not so familiar with this because back in the Philippines, I don't really pay professional fees since I was a doctor myself. Either I self-prescribe or just call my friends. We do not charge PFs to our co-doctors as part of the professional oath where we treat each other as brothers and sisters. Most of my friends do not have health insurance. I decided to get one just for diagnostic coverage because that is something that will not be waived by the hospital even if we practice in that hospital. We are only given a 20% discount which is not really that much considering how expensive diagnostic work-ups can be.
Here in the US, our health insurance takes care of our bill but there is an out-of-the-pocket co-pay which can be reimbursed using the flexible spending account. In short, the FSA is a kind of health savings account. I can dictate how much I want for that, say $1,000/year. This will be deducted in my salary before tax. The advantage of having this is the immediate availability of the fund even if you have not yet contributed the full amount of $1,000. So all my co-pays for doctors' visits could have been reimbursed using the FSA. The only main drawback for the FSA is that you have to use it by the end of your eligible year or you lose whatever is left there. So it might be best if I start off with an amount close to my past year's health expenditures. I am just fortunate that my 3-week physical therapy was entirely covered by my insurance. I would have skipped it had I been required to give co-pays per visit. Then, just today, when I visited CVS to buy some stuff (not even medicine!), I saw a Flexible Spending Account Summary at the bottom of the receipt. It gave a $3.72 amount eligible for reimbursement. I can't believe how I missed out on this benefit.
But it is not too late because every year there is what you call open enrollment where you can opt to modify your benefits and health plans. So having learned my lesson, I plan to make some modifications on my benefits. I will definitely avail of the FSA and even the short-term disability so I do not need to use my paid-time offs for short term sick leaves due to disability. I just realized I am not so invincible after all. Experiencing this back injury and its initial debilitating consequences, I can never be too sure of what can happen in the future. No matter how prayerful or blessed I am, bad things can still happen because I am living in this imperfect world, inhabiting this imperfect body.
I also plan to include vision in my health benefits. Having an ophthalmologist for a husband, I thought, my family will not be needing it. Lo and behold, just early this year, we found out that my eldest daughter had an error of refraction. To think, my husband refracted her just before we left for the US last year and her eyes were perfect. Now, she's wearing glasses. We would have paid for the service of refraction if not for a very opportune moment when my husband went to a vision center in the mall and there was no optometrist on duty. My husband asked if he can use the instruments because he knows how to refract. Surprisingly, the manager allowed him. Well, he did get a customer anyway, because my husband bought my daughter's first pair of eyeglasses in that vision center. But this expense may have also been covered by an FSA if I had one.
As for our primary care provider, I like the Group Health Associates because of the MyChart feature where I can just go online and ask questions to my health provider. Just imagine having to pay $40 just to ask my rehab. doctor if I can bike or run. Rip off!
So a word of advice for new immigrants, never take your benefits for granted. Save as much as you can in your 401k, at least 10% if not 20% of your income. Get a Flexible Spending Account even if just for $500 or so, then modify during open enrollments as needed. Get a short-term disability benefit too. These are all pre-tax savings. Ask your co-employees which health plan work for them and why. For someone new to these things,the gravest sin you can commit is NOT to ask.
So it was totally foreign for me to be able to invest in a 401k or be receiving benefits from the company that I am working for. Since I was not yet sure about our expenditure, I chose to set aside 10% of my income to 401k. As soon as we are able to financially establish ourselves, I will increase that to 20%. Since I am still far from the retirement age of 65, I decided to invest 90% of that in stocks and 10% in bonds. Even if the stock market is not doing too well right now, eventually it will pick up. Now is the best time to invest because I can buy low and years from now, sell high. With the market plunge, there is no other way but up.
What I did not avail of, to my regret is the flexible spending account. I thought at that time that we were in a pretty good shape and the past years, we never really spent that much on health. But when I injured my back, I saw how a couple of doctors' visits could amount to a considerable amount of money. I only chose the basic health insurance for my family so my co-pay was also higher, at $40 per visit. Again, I am not so familiar with this because back in the Philippines, I don't really pay professional fees since I was a doctor myself. Either I self-prescribe or just call my friends. We do not charge PFs to our co-doctors as part of the professional oath where we treat each other as brothers and sisters. Most of my friends do not have health insurance. I decided to get one just for diagnostic coverage because that is something that will not be waived by the hospital even if we practice in that hospital. We are only given a 20% discount which is not really that much considering how expensive diagnostic work-ups can be.
Here in the US, our health insurance takes care of our bill but there is an out-of-the-pocket co-pay which can be reimbursed using the flexible spending account. In short, the FSA is a kind of health savings account. I can dictate how much I want for that, say $1,000/year. This will be deducted in my salary before tax. The advantage of having this is the immediate availability of the fund even if you have not yet contributed the full amount of $1,000. So all my co-pays for doctors' visits could have been reimbursed using the FSA. The only main drawback for the FSA is that you have to use it by the end of your eligible year or you lose whatever is left there. So it might be best if I start off with an amount close to my past year's health expenditures. I am just fortunate that my 3-week physical therapy was entirely covered by my insurance. I would have skipped it had I been required to give co-pays per visit. Then, just today, when I visited CVS to buy some stuff (not even medicine!), I saw a Flexible Spending Account Summary at the bottom of the receipt. It gave a $3.72 amount eligible for reimbursement. I can't believe how I missed out on this benefit.
But it is not too late because every year there is what you call open enrollment where you can opt to modify your benefits and health plans. So having learned my lesson, I plan to make some modifications on my benefits. I will definitely avail of the FSA and even the short-term disability so I do not need to use my paid-time offs for short term sick leaves due to disability. I just realized I am not so invincible after all. Experiencing this back injury and its initial debilitating consequences, I can never be too sure of what can happen in the future. No matter how prayerful or blessed I am, bad things can still happen because I am living in this imperfect world, inhabiting this imperfect body.
I also plan to include vision in my health benefits. Having an ophthalmologist for a husband, I thought, my family will not be needing it. Lo and behold, just early this year, we found out that my eldest daughter had an error of refraction. To think, my husband refracted her just before we left for the US last year and her eyes were perfect. Now, she's wearing glasses. We would have paid for the service of refraction if not for a very opportune moment when my husband went to a vision center in the mall and there was no optometrist on duty. My husband asked if he can use the instruments because he knows how to refract. Surprisingly, the manager allowed him. Well, he did get a customer anyway, because my husband bought my daughter's first pair of eyeglasses in that vision center. But this expense may have also been covered by an FSA if I had one.
As for our primary care provider, I like the Group Health Associates because of the MyChart feature where I can just go online and ask questions to my health provider. Just imagine having to pay $40 just to ask my rehab. doctor if I can bike or run. Rip off!
So a word of advice for new immigrants, never take your benefits for granted. Save as much as you can in your 401k, at least 10% if not 20% of your income. Get a Flexible Spending Account even if just for $500 or so, then modify during open enrollments as needed. Get a short-term disability benefit too. These are all pre-tax savings. Ask your co-employees which health plan work for them and why. For someone new to these things,the gravest sin you can commit is NOT to ask.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
How I Got My Children to Eat Fruits and Vegetables
It is not a big deal that my children eat fruits and vegetables, though it used to be. I remember how my eldest daughter was as a toddler. Her nanny would run after her holding out a spoon just to feed her. It was always an ordeal. You will never guess that this same daughter of mine, now 10 years old eats any kind of salad as an appetizer.
When we migrated here last year, the recurring complaint that I would hear from my husband who was forced to be a stay-at-home dad is the difficulty of feeding my 4-year old daughter. She is so picky with her food and is such a purist. "I just cooked spaghetti with meatballs and she refused to eat it! She only ate the pasta with cheese." You don't mess her food with a lot of sauce. She can eat plain rice. My husband has resigned to giving her "wet hotdog" for lunch just to relieve himself of the stress of meal preparation. Truly, it is easier to open a can of vienna sausage knowing that she would eat it without question. Even when dining out, her order is a no-brainer. Macaroni and cheese and she's good to go. That's how picky she was, until lately. I noticed the gradual turn-around. Then I realized that my eldest daughter had the same transformation years ago too.
And I think this is how it happened.
Even though she was always picky and predictable with her food taste, we never gave up on offering her new food to try. At first it was such a struggle. When she sees her plate with food that is not to her conditioned liking, she would immediately say no. And the scenario would be the same. I would get a spoonful and put it near her mouth saying, "Try it first before you say no!" However, if my youngest daughter has made up her mind about the food , she would just clamp her mouth close and shake her head until I grow tired and simply remove the food from her plate and get her what she wants. She will sometimes console me with a remark like, "Don't worry mommy, I ate fruit earlier." Then a couple of months ago, she had modified her response. She was not as firm as before. After the initial no and shake of the head, she'd later open her mouth. Then she'd spit out the food. So I had to change her plate and get her usual staple food. Weeks ago, she was now more amenable and would chew a couple of spoonfuls then later on shake her head. Then just last week, when I was preparing a salad of halved grapes and sliced cucumber crunchers (the smaller variety of cucumber) and busy mixing it with sour cream, whipped cream, salt and pepper, she came near and asked, "What are you doing mommy? Can I help?" I gave her the mixing spoon and allowed her to do some messy mixing. "Can I taste?" she asked. I raised my eyebrows, surprised that she was even interested in eating it. When she tasted it, she asked for some more and some more. So I placed some on her breakfast plate beside her pancake. And she finished it with her pancake. The next thing I know it has become her favorite.
A couple of nights ago, I spooned out mixed vegetables on her plate without asking her. She ate it without a question. Then today, as I placed beef steak on her plate and a couple of onions, she asked for more onions on her serving. Now I can see that she may just have outgrown food pickiness. So was it just a stage then? Did my persistence pay?
According to Dr. Jean Mercer, a developmental pyschologist, there is indeed a stage in a child's life when she is pickier than the other children of different age group. "Toddlers and preschoolers are often 'picky', especially in contrast to their voracious and fairly indiscriminate appetites in their first months." She relates this to the growth spurts that happens in different stages in a child's life. The greater the growth spurt in a developmental stage as in infancy and adolescence, the less picky the children are. During childhood, food adversity may not be permanent as we sometimes believe. So it is good to continue offering a variety of foods to the kids so they do not grow up to be picky eaters. It also turned out that food pickiness of the mother may be handed down to a breast-fed baby because apparently the taste of the food that the mother eats while breastfeeding is passed on to the baby feeding on her breasts. The baby then becomes accustomed only to the food that the mother eats. Offering a healthy food that the mother herself is averse to might become a frustrating struggle between the mother and the child.
Well, at least I know that my children will never be averse to malunggay leaves, squash and green beans because that was my staple food while I was breastfeeding. I never realized that the benefit would extend beyond the breastfeeding years.
When we migrated here last year, the recurring complaint that I would hear from my husband who was forced to be a stay-at-home dad is the difficulty of feeding my 4-year old daughter. She is so picky with her food and is such a purist. "I just cooked spaghetti with meatballs and she refused to eat it! She only ate the pasta with cheese." You don't mess her food with a lot of sauce. She can eat plain rice. My husband has resigned to giving her "wet hotdog" for lunch just to relieve himself of the stress of meal preparation. Truly, it is easier to open a can of vienna sausage knowing that she would eat it without question. Even when dining out, her order is a no-brainer. Macaroni and cheese and she's good to go. That's how picky she was, until lately. I noticed the gradual turn-around. Then I realized that my eldest daughter had the same transformation years ago too.
And I think this is how it happened.
Even though she was always picky and predictable with her food taste, we never gave up on offering her new food to try. At first it was such a struggle. When she sees her plate with food that is not to her conditioned liking, she would immediately say no. And the scenario would be the same. I would get a spoonful and put it near her mouth saying, "Try it first before you say no!" However, if my youngest daughter has made up her mind about the food , she would just clamp her mouth close and shake her head until I grow tired and simply remove the food from her plate and get her what she wants. She will sometimes console me with a remark like, "Don't worry mommy, I ate fruit earlier." Then a couple of months ago, she had modified her response. She was not as firm as before. After the initial no and shake of the head, she'd later open her mouth. Then she'd spit out the food. So I had to change her plate and get her usual staple food. Weeks ago, she was now more amenable and would chew a couple of spoonfuls then later on shake her head. Then just last week, when I was preparing a salad of halved grapes and sliced cucumber crunchers (the smaller variety of cucumber) and busy mixing it with sour cream, whipped cream, salt and pepper, she came near and asked, "What are you doing mommy? Can I help?" I gave her the mixing spoon and allowed her to do some messy mixing. "Can I taste?" she asked. I raised my eyebrows, surprised that she was even interested in eating it. When she tasted it, she asked for some more and some more. So I placed some on her breakfast plate beside her pancake. And she finished it with her pancake. The next thing I know it has become her favorite.
A couple of nights ago, I spooned out mixed vegetables on her plate without asking her. She ate it without a question. Then today, as I placed beef steak on her plate and a couple of onions, she asked for more onions on her serving. Now I can see that she may just have outgrown food pickiness. So was it just a stage then? Did my persistence pay?
According to Dr. Jean Mercer, a developmental pyschologist, there is indeed a stage in a child's life when she is pickier than the other children of different age group. "Toddlers and preschoolers are often 'picky', especially in contrast to their voracious and fairly indiscriminate appetites in their first months." She relates this to the growth spurts that happens in different stages in a child's life. The greater the growth spurt in a developmental stage as in infancy and adolescence, the less picky the children are. During childhood, food adversity may not be permanent as we sometimes believe. So it is good to continue offering a variety of foods to the kids so they do not grow up to be picky eaters. It also turned out that food pickiness of the mother may be handed down to a breast-fed baby because apparently the taste of the food that the mother eats while breastfeeding is passed on to the baby feeding on her breasts. The baby then becomes accustomed only to the food that the mother eats. Offering a healthy food that the mother herself is averse to might become a frustrating struggle between the mother and the child.
Well, at least I know that my children will never be averse to malunggay leaves, squash and green beans because that was my staple food while I was breastfeeding. I never realized that the benefit would extend beyond the breastfeeding years.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Worry-free and Stress-free Living
"Martha, Martha, you worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:38-42)
Months ago, I could easily replace Martha's name in the above gospel reading with my own name. But God had been dealing with this issue in my life for quite a while now that I could honestly say I have become like Mary, who has chosen the better part and indeed it will not be taken away from me.
And what was it that Mary had which Martha lacked?
Peace and contentment. Whereas Martha was filled with worries, Mary was at peace. Whereas Martha was feeling rushed, Mary was sitting contentedly. Martha's day was busy with a lot of things to do and her mind was getting muddled. She was getting overwhelmed with her tasks that she was starting to pick on other people, too, especially her sister who was not giving her a hand. Resentment, frustration, anger are evident in her complaint, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?" And the Lord chided her. "You worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed." What was it? "Mary has chosen the better part". Mary was listening to the Lord. Mary was not immersed in the noise of the environment. Mary was at the Lord's feet. The Lord was not talking about the physical activities that these two people were doing at that time when He said Mary chose the better part. The Lord was talking about their inner dispositions. Who had the quiet spirit? Who could hear the Lord more? Even if the two characters had to exchange roles, Martha sitting by the Lord's feet and Mary doing the serving, with Mary's disposition, the Lord will still commend her. Mary will be silently serving the guests while listening to Jesus from a distance. How do you think Martha will be in this new scenario? I can almost hear her saying, "Lord, don't you care that my sister is out there serving the other guests and not entertaining you. She should be here." No doubt, the Lord would still chide Martha's comment aside.
Constantly reflecting on this Gospel scene help me in various ways to quiet my mind and heart. No longer feeling rushed, I am able to do my work serenely. Without worries visiting my mind, I am able to rest in Him even as I perform my obligations. Interruptions are not as irritating as before because I am able to focus on God's small voice within.
A good complement to this Gospel reading is a verse from Matthew 6:31-33. "So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things."
Again, this reading stresses on the attitude of worry. Instead of worrying, Jesus implores that we trust God to provide all these things as long as we do what he requires of us. So in every moment of everyday, I ask Him, "Lord, what do you require of me at this very moment?".
And this was the same prayer I was just asking today while writing this reflection. Interrupting my prayer and reflective thoughts, my daughter came to me saying, "Mommy, I want pancake for breakfast please." Normally, the interruption would irritate me but hearing God's small voice in the voice of my little girl, I knew that He just answered my question. I stood up, left everything I was doing, and followed God's voice in the kitchen and cooked breakfast for my family.
Since I usually finish ahead of the girls in eating my food, I was able to continue writing and reflecting, while I feed the small one. Because of the blessed interruption, I was able to add on my reflection and prayer a detail about this particular lesson and instruction. I would have missed it had I insisted on finishing my prayer and reflective writing and ignored the clamor of responsibility and obligation in the voice of my child, in the voice of God. And I realized I just did Martha's work with Mary's disposition.
Months ago, I could easily replace Martha's name in the above gospel reading with my own name. But God had been dealing with this issue in my life for quite a while now that I could honestly say I have become like Mary, who has chosen the better part and indeed it will not be taken away from me.
And what was it that Mary had which Martha lacked?
Peace and contentment. Whereas Martha was filled with worries, Mary was at peace. Whereas Martha was feeling rushed, Mary was sitting contentedly. Martha's day was busy with a lot of things to do and her mind was getting muddled. She was getting overwhelmed with her tasks that she was starting to pick on other people, too, especially her sister who was not giving her a hand. Resentment, frustration, anger are evident in her complaint, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the serving?" And the Lord chided her. "You worry and are troubled about many things, whereas only one thing is needed." What was it? "Mary has chosen the better part". Mary was listening to the Lord. Mary was not immersed in the noise of the environment. Mary was at the Lord's feet. The Lord was not talking about the physical activities that these two people were doing at that time when He said Mary chose the better part. The Lord was talking about their inner dispositions. Who had the quiet spirit? Who could hear the Lord more? Even if the two characters had to exchange roles, Martha sitting by the Lord's feet and Mary doing the serving, with Mary's disposition, the Lord will still commend her. Mary will be silently serving the guests while listening to Jesus from a distance. How do you think Martha will be in this new scenario? I can almost hear her saying, "Lord, don't you care that my sister is out there serving the other guests and not entertaining you. She should be here." No doubt, the Lord would still chide Martha's comment aside.
Constantly reflecting on this Gospel scene help me in various ways to quiet my mind and heart. No longer feeling rushed, I am able to do my work serenely. Without worries visiting my mind, I am able to rest in Him even as I perform my obligations. Interruptions are not as irritating as before because I am able to focus on God's small voice within.
A good complement to this Gospel reading is a verse from Matthew 6:31-33. "So do not start worrying: 'Where will my food come from? or my drink? or my clothes? Your Father in heaven knows that you need all these things. Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things."
Again, this reading stresses on the attitude of worry. Instead of worrying, Jesus implores that we trust God to provide all these things as long as we do what he requires of us. So in every moment of everyday, I ask Him, "Lord, what do you require of me at this very moment?".
And this was the same prayer I was just asking today while writing this reflection. Interrupting my prayer and reflective thoughts, my daughter came to me saying, "Mommy, I want pancake for breakfast please." Normally, the interruption would irritate me but hearing God's small voice in the voice of my little girl, I knew that He just answered my question. I stood up, left everything I was doing, and followed God's voice in the kitchen and cooked breakfast for my family.
Since I usually finish ahead of the girls in eating my food, I was able to continue writing and reflecting, while I feed the small one. Because of the blessed interruption, I was able to add on my reflection and prayer a detail about this particular lesson and instruction. I would have missed it had I insisted on finishing my prayer and reflective writing and ignored the clamor of responsibility and obligation in the voice of my child, in the voice of God. And I realized I just did Martha's work with Mary's disposition.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Faces of Poverty
I thought I have seen real poverty in the years that I have been in the Philippine health care industry. I've seen parents manually ambubagging their babies because there were no ventilators available. From sheer exhaustion, a parent would fall asleep and inadvertently cause her baby to stop breathing, then be awakened angrily by the nurse for falling asleep on her baby. As student nurses, we were luxurious helps to these parents when we volunteer to take their places so they could take a nap or two. I've seen several patients hooked to a single oxygen tank in an octopus-like fashion, sharing precious air because there were not enough tanks to provide each patient with. I've seen two mothers swim in a bed wet with each others' amniotic fluid, sharing a most precious space in order to bring out their babies into the world and five babies share one bassinet sucking each others' extremities. And I thought I have seen poverty.
Then I was confronted by an old man, lying in his own automated bed, with nurses asking him, "can I get you anything else?", looking at me with eyes filled with emptiness, hopelessness and despair. "I have no one with me. I want to die," he said. He lives alone and the last time he saw his son was five years ago. Then I see a different kind of poverty, far from the material poverty that I was accustomed to. It's a poverty that is more difficult to address, or so I thought. For how can you give faith to someone who has lost it? Hope to someone who does not believe? Love to someone who has no one to hold? Nurses who listen with their hearts are luxuries to these patients. Immersed in the business of charting and carrying out doctors' orders, the thirty minutes spent at bedside are hard to go by but may just be the kind of fresh air that this patient needs in his lonely world of existence. And I have that kind of luxury, having only two pieces of papers to chart on and three to four hours of bedside monitoring.
"Tell me what does God have to say to me, if there was a God?" he asked, in a plea of despair. I see a beggar pleading for the smallest grace that he can hold. And I find myself totally unprepared, the greater beggar that I am. Then I realized that I cannot be one of those girls caught by the bridegroom without oil in their lamps. In the health care industry that I am now in, the patients are hungry for the word of God. And although this man was receptive and wanted to believe, I could see the great struggle in him. The second time that he challenged me to let God speak to him, I was more prepared. I asked him to repeat after me. "Jesus, I accept you as my healer right now because I have no one else to turn to. I feel so crappy and sick. Please help me. In your name I pray." He obeyed like a small child, it almost made me cry. I realized that it takes as much generosity in my part to address this kind of poverty as the kind of poverty I see in my country. Time and presence are luxuries in this kind of world. The greater luxury is to share my faith to someone who is running empty because I needed to empty myself in order to allow the Spirit to move. In this kind of situation, I cannot depend on human wisdom and reasoning alone. It will take years for faith to grow that way. This is the kind of situation which needed divine intervention pronto because this man is nearing the end of the road. He needed the kind of opportunity given to the robber beside the Crucified Christ who stole heaven in a split second. And I think that moment of confession may just have been his moment. And even if I left him that day still hearing some harsh words coming out of his mouth, the apology that came after the act was enough for me to realize that the seed was planted. And in the kingdom of heaven, even a faith as small as a mustard seed will bear much fruit in the end. For it is the Divine Gardener who will make sure that the seed that was sown is not sown in vain.
Then I was confronted by an old man, lying in his own automated bed, with nurses asking him, "can I get you anything else?", looking at me with eyes filled with emptiness, hopelessness and despair. "I have no one with me. I want to die," he said. He lives alone and the last time he saw his son was five years ago. Then I see a different kind of poverty, far from the material poverty that I was accustomed to. It's a poverty that is more difficult to address, or so I thought. For how can you give faith to someone who has lost it? Hope to someone who does not believe? Love to someone who has no one to hold? Nurses who listen with their hearts are luxuries to these patients. Immersed in the business of charting and carrying out doctors' orders, the thirty minutes spent at bedside are hard to go by but may just be the kind of fresh air that this patient needs in his lonely world of existence. And I have that kind of luxury, having only two pieces of papers to chart on and three to four hours of bedside monitoring.
"Tell me what does God have to say to me, if there was a God?" he asked, in a plea of despair. I see a beggar pleading for the smallest grace that he can hold. And I find myself totally unprepared, the greater beggar that I am. Then I realized that I cannot be one of those girls caught by the bridegroom without oil in their lamps. In the health care industry that I am now in, the patients are hungry for the word of God. And although this man was receptive and wanted to believe, I could see the great struggle in him. The second time that he challenged me to let God speak to him, I was more prepared. I asked him to repeat after me. "Jesus, I accept you as my healer right now because I have no one else to turn to. I feel so crappy and sick. Please help me. In your name I pray." He obeyed like a small child, it almost made me cry. I realized that it takes as much generosity in my part to address this kind of poverty as the kind of poverty I see in my country. Time and presence are luxuries in this kind of world. The greater luxury is to share my faith to someone who is running empty because I needed to empty myself in order to allow the Spirit to move. In this kind of situation, I cannot depend on human wisdom and reasoning alone. It will take years for faith to grow that way. This is the kind of situation which needed divine intervention pronto because this man is nearing the end of the road. He needed the kind of opportunity given to the robber beside the Crucified Christ who stole heaven in a split second. And I think that moment of confession may just have been his moment. And even if I left him that day still hearing some harsh words coming out of his mouth, the apology that came after the act was enough for me to realize that the seed was planted. And in the kingdom of heaven, even a faith as small as a mustard seed will bear much fruit in the end. For it is the Divine Gardener who will make sure that the seed that was sown is not sown in vain.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Loving Summer
Summer is here. Groceries are teeming with fruits and vegetables in very affordable prices. Grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, pineapples, avocadoes, dewberries, melons, plums, peaches, pears, apricots, etc. It is so easy to incorporate all these fruits to our meal so the kids could enjoy it. I incorporate blueberries to their pancakes which burst as the pancake cooks. They put on whipped cream and fresh strawberries on top of the pancake and they're good with it. The key to keeping the freshness of the fruits is washing them only before they are served and eaten. Otherwise, the berries and grapes will easily rot. When the fruits get to that stage where it is no longer fresh, I just make a smoothie from it. Iced tea goes well with sliced strawberries too.
Last week I also discovered vegetables that I can use to substitute for veggies that are not available here. I cooked monggo with spinach instead of ampalaya leaves. I got to make kale salad which has the consistency of talbos ng kamote. The kids loved the salad with sesame oil, garlic salt, pepper, sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice with slices of fresh tomatoes and chopped onion leeks. It's good that I was able to grow herbs on pots. My deck is teeming with basil, rosemary, dillweed, parsley and tomatoes which are now in bloom. The onion leeks which I put on a glass of water is still growing leaves for more than a month now. If there's one thing I love about summer, it's the gastronomic experience that goes with it. Grilled foods are in. Since we could not have a grill on our deck because of state laws, I bought a George Foreman grill as a birthday gift for my husband. He loves it. Now we have a summer that sizzles.
Last week I also discovered vegetables that I can use to substitute for veggies that are not available here. I cooked monggo with spinach instead of ampalaya leaves. I got to make kale salad which has the consistency of talbos ng kamote. The kids loved the salad with sesame oil, garlic salt, pepper, sugar and freshly squeezed orange juice with slices of fresh tomatoes and chopped onion leeks. It's good that I was able to grow herbs on pots. My deck is teeming with basil, rosemary, dillweed, parsley and tomatoes which are now in bloom. The onion leeks which I put on a glass of water is still growing leaves for more than a month now. If there's one thing I love about summer, it's the gastronomic experience that goes with it. Grilled foods are in. Since we could not have a grill on our deck because of state laws, I bought a George Foreman grill as a birthday gift for my husband. He loves it. Now we have a summer that sizzles.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Amazing Technology
Once more, I am amazed at how technology has made things very easy here in the US. I recently visited my new primary care doctor. She belongs to Group Health Associates. She holds clinic which is very near our place. When I registered I was given the option to fill out the myChart feature of their health care. It enables me to have a web account with them so I can view my appointments, make new appointments or even email my doctors regarding questions. I can also ask for prescription refills through this account.
Last Thursday, I had a severe low back pain which did not respond to NSAID intake. When I went to the GHA clinic to have my blood drawn, I asked the secretary if I could make a stat appointment with my primary care doctor because I just wanted a prescription for muscle relaxant. I was informed that she was only there in the morning so the secretary typed a message for her instead. After 10 minutes, I was told that she had muscle relaxants prescribed for me and that I could pick up the medicine at Walmart pharmacy (where I usually buy my medicines). I was impressed with the network that they have even with pharmacies. When I went to Walmart, my medicines were ready for pick-up and I just paid $4.00 for co-pay.
Then this morning, I went to my rehab/physical medicine doctor for a consult. He prescribed for an MRI and the nurse made an appointment for me for this procedure at Bethesda North. Then he prescribed a steroid and asked me where I wanted the drug picked up. My husband and I decided to get it from Bigg's because it is on the way to our house. When we went to Bigg's we saw that there was actually a drive-thru where you could pick up medicines but the pharmacist informed us that it will take 15 minutes for her to process the transaction because I was a new patient for that pharmacy. So the next time that I need to pick-up a drug from them, I can use the drive-thru already. Amazing.
This reminded me of the drive-thru at the bank which was very convenient especially during winter and when you have kids with you. You simply go through the drive-thru and they have canisters which you put your deposit/withdrawal slips. The canister is sucked by a vacuum which delivers it to the bank teller who communicates with you via an intercom.
In the hospitals too, a lot of technological improvements are put into place. One hospital that I go to, no longer uses paper charting. Everything is done through the computer software Epic Hyperspace. The main advantage is that doctors see all orders at a glance, even those given by other doctors. You also see all medications that are prescribed to the patient. It makes it easier for pharmacists to see redundant medications or drug interactions. It is also easier for nurses to see what medications are due at a particular hour. The doctors are also able to access the patient's chart even when they are outside the hospital. Hopefully, all these technological advancements will result in better patient care.
Last Thursday, I had a severe low back pain which did not respond to NSAID intake. When I went to the GHA clinic to have my blood drawn, I asked the secretary if I could make a stat appointment with my primary care doctor because I just wanted a prescription for muscle relaxant. I was informed that she was only there in the morning so the secretary typed a message for her instead. After 10 minutes, I was told that she had muscle relaxants prescribed for me and that I could pick up the medicine at Walmart pharmacy (where I usually buy my medicines). I was impressed with the network that they have even with pharmacies. When I went to Walmart, my medicines were ready for pick-up and I just paid $4.00 for co-pay.
Then this morning, I went to my rehab/physical medicine doctor for a consult. He prescribed for an MRI and the nurse made an appointment for me for this procedure at Bethesda North. Then he prescribed a steroid and asked me where I wanted the drug picked up. My husband and I decided to get it from Bigg's because it is on the way to our house. When we went to Bigg's we saw that there was actually a drive-thru where you could pick up medicines but the pharmacist informed us that it will take 15 minutes for her to process the transaction because I was a new patient for that pharmacy. So the next time that I need to pick-up a drug from them, I can use the drive-thru already. Amazing.
This reminded me of the drive-thru at the bank which was very convenient especially during winter and when you have kids with you. You simply go through the drive-thru and they have canisters which you put your deposit/withdrawal slips. The canister is sucked by a vacuum which delivers it to the bank teller who communicates with you via an intercom.
In the hospitals too, a lot of technological improvements are put into place. One hospital that I go to, no longer uses paper charting. Everything is done through the computer software Epic Hyperspace. The main advantage is that doctors see all orders at a glance, even those given by other doctors. You also see all medications that are prescribed to the patient. It makes it easier for pharmacists to see redundant medications or drug interactions. It is also easier for nurses to see what medications are due at a particular hour. The doctors are also able to access the patient's chart even when they are outside the hospital. Hopefully, all these technological advancements will result in better patient care.
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