What is Hepatitis A?

My daughter is scheduled for yet another vaccination tomorrow. This time, it's for Hepatitis A (or Hepa A for short).

Here are some notes I took from my research of this virus.

1. It causes liver disease.
2. It is carried in feces and may be transmitted by unwashed hands.
3. It is also transmitted by contaminated food and water.
4. Symptoms are fever, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine.
5. There is no treatment for this virus, but children often recover on their own within 2 months.
6. 3-5 out of 1,000 cases of Hepa A are fatal! =(

*Source: parentcenter

So, better be sure your children are protected from Hepa A, ok?

Stay healthy!

Regular/Special non-working holidays

Do you know the remaining national regular/special non-working holidays for the year?

Mark your calendars for these dates! Yipee!!!

December 1 (Monday) - nearest November 30, Bonifacio Day
December 25 (Thursday) - Christmas Day
December 26 (Friday) - Additional special non-working day
December 29 (Monday) - Additional special non-working day
December 30 (Tuesday) - Rizal Day
December 31 (Wednesday) - Special holiday, last day of the year

* Source: http://www.gov.ph/faqs/holidays.asp

When do you put up your Christmas decors?

I'm excited this year to decorate our home for the Christmas season. The reason behind my excitement is that our daughter is already a year and a half old, and she's starting to be fascinated with colorful objects. We went to the mall last weekend, and she was so filled with joy at every Christmas tree that she saw in the mall and even at the Christmas decors along the streets. That's why I was excited to buy Christmas decors and immediately decorated our home when we got home. =D Now, my daughter points at the Christmas balls when I ask her where her toy ball is. :) It gives me pure delight when I see my daughter's eyes shine with glee as she marvel at the sight of our colorful Christmas decors!

You, when do you put up your Christmas tree and other Christmas decorations?

Stroke Indicator

I got this e-mail from a friend.
I thought it would be good to share it here so that more people will be aware of how to recognize a stroke, and hopefully, more people will be saved from it.

Blood Clots/Stroke - They Now Have a Fourth Indicator, theTongue.



I will continue to forward
this every time it comes around!


STROKE: Remember The 1st Three Letters.... S.T.R.


My nurse friend sent this and encouraged me to post it and spread the word. I agree.

If everyone can remember something this simple, we could save some folks. Seriously..

Please read:

STROKE IDENTIFICATION:

During a BBQ, a friend stumbled and took a little fall - she assured everyone that she was fine (they offered to call paramedics) ....she said she had just tripped over a brick because of her new shoes.

They got her cleaned up and got her a new plate of food. While she appeared a bit shaken up, Ingrid went about enjoying herself the rest of the evening

Ingrid's husband called later telling everyone that his wife had been taken to the hospital - (at 6:00 pm Ingrid passed away.) She had suffered a stroke at the BBQ. Had they known how to identify the signs of a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would be with us today. Some don't die.... they end up in a helpless,
hopeless condition instead.

It only takes a minute to read this...

A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke... totally . He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting
the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough.

RECOGNIZING A STROKE

Thank God for the sense to remember the "3" steps, STR . Read and Learn!

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Unfortunately, the lack of awareness spells disaster. The stroke victim may suffer severe brain damage when people nearby fail to recognize the symptoms of a stroke
.
Now doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

S * Ask the individual to SMILE.

T * Ask the person to TALK and SPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCE (Coherently)
(i.e. It is sunny out today)

R * Ask him or her to RAISE BOTH ARMS.

If he or she has trouble with ANY ONE of these tasks, call 999/911 immediately and describe the
symptoms to the dispatcher.

New Sign of a Stroke -------- Stick out Your Tongue

NOTE: Another 'sign' of a stroke is this: Ask the person to 'stick' out his tongue.. If the tongue is 'crooked', if it goes to one side or the other , that is also an indication of a stroke.

A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this e-mail sends it to 10 people; you can bet that at least one life will be saved.

Mother's Quote

Simply having children does not make mothers.

~John A. Shedd