Goodbye and Hello

I have officially said goodbye to my previous work last Monday, April 25. It was not extraordinary at all. I wasn't even given my own despedida by my boss but was just included in Tinette's depedida and Bridal Shower celebration. Good thing I already had a fun and hilarious going away gimmick with some of my closest officemates in the team plus Maya and Rico at Dencio's Metro Walk last April 22.

I honestly encountered some mixed emotions. I did not know whether to be sad because I am leaving my comfort zone plus the friendships I have gained for good or glad to have finally been given an opportunity to spread my wings. I felt a little depressed but I just clinged to the fact that I can still see my closest friends anytime I want although we wouldn't be able to do our usual things anymore. I will truly miss:

1. my shopaholic, eating, "CR anyone" buddies and the Voltes V
2. the members of the Sex Committee and our assemblies
3. my clients whom I have nurtured for more than 3 years
4. instant messengers ICQ, YM
4. Unlimited surfing of the net about new places, etc.
5. my computer and the weird things it does
6. taking leaves - Gosh!
7. going out on sales calls/having my own time
8. the joy and fulfilling feeling of closing big packages
9. P10 magazines, and
10. My team, our meetings and eat-outs

Goodbye to my old world and hello to a new environment and sets of opportunities for growth. I may be gone but I will cherish the fond memories I have shared with my officemates.

Tricia is now a mother!

My honey baby Trica gave birth to 3 cute brown puppies today. Unfortunately, the third one did not make it. She labored almost the whole day with 1.5 to 2 hour interval per puppy. I was with her the whole time and witnessed the miracle of life.

Pictures of Tricia while pregnant.

Here are some pictures I took on this red letter day for my honey.



Tricia with her cute puppies.



The third puppy who is now in heaven.

I do not have a name for them yet. Please help me think of adorable names(for a boy and a girl).

Pilomatricoma

This is the diagnosis for my cyst. “This is a common and benign skin tumor derived from the hair follicle. They usually occur on the head and neck and are more common in women.”(The Doctor’s Doctor website). It just so happens that mine grew on the right arm.

Benign!, this is my first good news for the week. After confirming the diagnosis with my surgeon, I immediately called the HR of my future employer. It was the only thing that we both wanted to find out in order for me to finally tender my resignation. Oh, wow! After almost two weeks of waiting for my medical results and hearing the frustrating news of other required medical clearances, this was it. What’s more, I can opt not to stay for 30 days since I still have 11 days vacation leaves and I can use them for my terminal leave. Yehey!!!

My current boss is requesting me to stay up to the 28th of April instead of the 22nd, my preferred last day in my resignation letter. But I will not give her that. But, I may have to compromise… we’ll see. I will think about that tomorrow. For now, I would like to savor the satisfying feeling of finally leaving for a new challenge.

My Milestone

I finally mustered enough courage, although partly forced because it is a pre-employment requirement to finally have my more than a year old cyst in my upper arm removed. I was accompanied by my very good friend Elisa who happens to be a medical student to Medical City for my operation at 5:00 pm. She said I was so fidgety and was obvious that I was nervous because I was asking silly questions. I mean who wouldn’t be. I knew it would really hurt. But come to think of it, I have had my share of physical pains in the past, including tooth extraction, facials, wart cautery, etc. All I had to endure was the pain of the anesthesia.

I left the office at 4:30 and went straight to my health card’s office to get my Letter of Authorization. By 10 to 5, I was already in Ambulatory OR and was asked to change to a medical gown. I was only talking with my Elisa for less than 5 minutes when the nurse told me that it was time. The operating room was daunting. It reminded me of the series ER although it was bare with few instruments. I was asked to lay down and the right sleeve of my gown was removed exposing my arm. My upper arm was cleaned with Betadine several times and the procedure was what the assistant doctor called “prep”. Then they positioned my arm on another table and covered my arm with eye sheet to just expose the area of the cyst. Then finally, they draped a cloth to separate my face from my arm. Oh God, this was it.

Then I felt the injections. The pain was gradual. I guess it was more painful as the anesthesia entered my skin. Then I felt being cut but there was no pain. They had a hard time taking the cyst off since it was already hard and stuck. I heard several nips and cuts and finally the doctor checked if there was any left. Then, they cauterized my blood vessels to close them and stop the bleeding. Next came the stitching which seemed like forever and finally the bandage.

The whole procedure took almost 30 minutes and the cyst looked like a ball of whiteheads(weird). After the operation, I was glad it was over and done with. I had a total of 4 stitches on a diagonal wound. I did not want to take a look at it yet. I just want to savor the thought that the cyst was gone and worry about the scar later. I just hope that the results of the biopsy would come out as benign. ‘Til Monday for the results.