Up Plant Down

Typhoon Glenda's howling, more than 150kph winds brought down the fortune plant next to our apartment, practically inhibiting our egress. So I had to do what needs to be done - put the tall, heavy plant back where it belongs. That was when Glenda decided to pour her torrential rain.

Needless to say, my lower back and both thighs were groaning the day after from all that exertion. Oh well, at least it was not a mango or narra tree that went down, otherwise I would have to put on my monkey suit and clamber over just to get out of our home.

Oh Caffeine, My Caffeine

For five agonizing days I suffered. I had a relapse of some sort from the very same thing that caused me to be hospitalized last November. Intermittent stomach pains and extreme difficulty in peeing every single day. Thinking on what could possibly have caused this misery of mine, I came to a conclusion: caffeine! And meat. Both where responsible for my troubles eight months ago. My doctor told me that. However since the side effect of those killer food have already been surgically removed, I thought I could go back to my gastronomical inclinations. Big mistake!

I believe it started around May when I started drinking coffee in the mornings again. Then an occasional Coke every now and then. Add to that, the liempos and the steaks and their ilk that had become an almost daily fare on our table (and when eating out). That had been the routine, so to speak, until that fateful Monday morning when I woke up with stomach pain that had me doubling up. A trip to the toilet even aggravated it. I discussed the situation with my wife and we both agreed that its time to revert to the good ol' meatless/caffeine-less diet. Coincidentally, we are going to have our church's mid-year prayer and fasting beginning that Tuesday. Since we always participated in that, I prepared myself mentally, physically and spiritually.

The pain and urinating difficulties caused by the diverticulitis of my urinary bladder remained during those three days of fasting. When I woke up early on Saturday I was surprised by the lack of pain and even my peeing was a bit easier. Although we are back to the three meals a day routine, I made a firm resolution not to have any caffeine and to minimize my consumption of meat. By Sunday, our friends noticed how I have already lost some weight. Nevertheless I felt fine. No more stomach pains. I feel better and I pee better.