Thank you for the prayers

This is for all my friends and relatives who prayed with and for me before, during, and after my hospitalization at NKTI last week.

I know who you all of you are, and you know who you are.

I also thank my doc, Dr. Benita Santos Padilla, her partner in the procedure, Dr. Morabe and Benita's doc friends, her discussants (discussing my case)

My most heartfelt thank yous to all of you.

An Early Christmas Concert: Yuletide in November

    

Kidney Friends invites you to an early Christmas concert, a fund raising activity to support entrepreneurial endeavors of patients with kidney disease.


Click here to read about kidney friends

Concert Details

Day:             Wednesday
Date             27 November 2013
Time             7 pm
Venue            Manila Polo Club

Address        McKinley Road

                     Makati City
                    (02) 817 0951
                     manilapolo.com.ph‎

The Show:     Yuletide in November

featuring         Jose Mari Chan
                       Mitch Valdes

and the singing nephrologists -----
                      Gina Nazareth
                      Dingdong Biruar
                      Brian Cabral
                      JP Lagunzad

Tickets         Pesos 5,000.00

May be obtained at           
                      Room 3225, 3rd floor,
                      Annex I (Doctor's Clinics)
                      National Kidney and Transplant Institute
                      East Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City 

for inquiries call              
                      Irish
                      981-0300 local 3225

or leave a comment on this page

you know Jose Mari Chan and Mitch Valdes, right?
the singing nephrologists are very good.  i have enjoyed their performances in previous concerts.
ArtsnFriends also support Kidney Friends.

See you there.....

Weekend 20-22 Thoughts

I had a chance to chat with the wife of a friend last week.

Her husband is Beta Epsilon frat brother Junette Cruz.  i do not remember his batch.  If you are a Betan aged 50 and above, you have probably been to the house - where i live - as i live in ye olde homestead in Kamias.  Junette (Juanito is his real name) remembers the house and has pointed out the same to his wife, Marlyn.

Junette is currently undergoing dialysis.  Dialysis costs about 4K plus per session, and he has 2 sessions per week.  Diabetes caused his ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease).   Hemo-Dialysis is NOT easy, and it is expensive.  Money doesnt flow the way it used to flow....

Did you guys know that Junette has a special child?  Well, now you know.  

If there are any Betans or other friends out there with money to burn, you might want to say hello, or better yet, send him some special loving through a deposit to his bank account.  Every bit helps. Do you know that 300 will pay for transportation costs?  I have his cell phone and his wife's cell phone number.... so if you want to know, just comment or send email through this post. 

**************

When one is sick, and boy do i know this well, one feels things a lot more deeply.  Hurts are deeper,  Pains are sharper, but a bonus, Joys are .... more ebullient and ecstatic.  And one feels lonelier.  A little kind word to say hello goes a long way.  Do you have a sibling who is sick?  Have you asked if he or she is still alive and well?  No?  Ah, then at least you have shown your true colors.

Or are you envious and jealous because this sibling seems to have money you dont have so you dont care?  Do you wish the person dead so you might inherit?  Hahaha.  Fret not, you are probably not in the will anyway. 

******************

In a strange way, there was communication with Edgar H. Sarte last weekend.  i found several letters that he wrote to me while i was at STI.  Some of them, if you will believe it, discussed/talked about STI policy.  i always did ask him when there were things i didnt agree with;  i would tell him why i and he would return the favor.  Such were the letters.  I did found 2 pictures of Angelo, he would send them sometimes as Angelo is my godson. My, he was so very young then.  Now, from Vilma's FB, he is grown into a handsome young man.  i wonder what Ed wants to say .....  i have seen him several times in my dreams so maybe one of these nights he will make an appearance.

*******************

i did go and visit the Pharisees.  And although i know i am healed, i fear i must visit the Pharisees some more.

my brilliant nephro, my Sayans high school classmate, Dr. Benita S. Padilla - who still heads the NGO Kidney Friends - she is connected with NKTI (National Kidney and Transplant Institute), has changed my meds again.. If she had been my doc from the beginning, i may not have needed the transplant in 2008.

Still, God has a plan and i abide by His Will.

**********************

and oh, i re-arranged my elephant collection.  havent taken the pics yet ...
just to fascinate you, i have elephant buttons, elephant hair clips, an elephant push pin, an elephant pair of salt-and-pepper containers, an elephant shaped pillow, an elephant candle holder, an elephant eraser,  elephant paper clips, an elephant picture frame, and elephant odds-and-ends.  :-)

Social Security System - Using the Internet to Serve Members

The Social Security System is trying out different ways and means to reach its members.  With many of its members using the internet more and more, SSS has expanded its internet presence.  This blog is NOT part of the internet SSS expansion.  Although i hope the SSS posts will help individuals who have concerns.

Rather, this blog aims to serve members as a public service because as an SSS member, and having worked in the private sector, i know it can be sometimes difficult to ask, or know what to ask. 


This blog will not just touch on SSS, but other items of interest to me - and sana  (hopefully)  of assistance to the readers.


***************


i believe that each one of us is obliged to serve as the Lord has served, to share as He has shared.   we have only one life to live, and i would like to live this life partly in service in ways i can.  as the Lou Rawls song goes - click if you want to hear Lou Rawls youtube

i am a kidney transplant, and life is different, but almost normal.  i cannot have pets though, although i would like to have a cat or a dog.  i used to have pets.  *sigh*

i am deeply grateful to the family of my donor, who agreed to give one of his kidneys to me.  my kidney partner is a young boy of about 12.  my donor was a young man, the victim of an accident.  i am also grateful to my friend and doc, Dr. Benita S. Padilla, MD.  She is a nephrologist, and a very good one!  and deeply grateful for the miracle of a donor.  
Thank you God.


God is good.  God is great. God is Love.

Looking backward to look forward

Last February 6 2008, Ash Wednesday - I had life-changing surgery.  i had a kidney transplant at the National Kidney and Transplant Institute.

It will be my two year anniversary this Saturday. And today, as Saturday approaches, i think about yesterday and look at tomorrow, to see what i should implement today.

Life goes on, sometimes so fast. We must never forget to stop, take a breath, and look at where we are, what we have done, and what we have yet to do, and most especially, to always count our blessings.

Amihan, Alice, Benita, Dr. J

Robert A, Amihan, Alice, Benita, Dr. J

In December 2008, we had the first of Arts n Friends art sale. We were at Rafa's.

By the way, watch out for the Arts n Friends gallery at multiply. http://artsnfriends.multiply.com/

Black Soup Owner, me, Alice, Rafa owners, Benita, Manny

Last 30 January 2010, we had the second Arts n Friends art sale at the Black Soup at Maginhawa Street. We had lots of fun, even if we were so very tired at the end of the day.











One of the main beneficiaries of Arts n Friends is the NGO Kidney Friends. Their website is at http://kidney_friends.livejournal.com/