Green Mango Smoothie

I was sick. I have no more sinat but I still feel a little bit woozy. I am starting to blog again so I guess I am fine.

July 14 SFO time:

Bong helped packed my bags. I have one small balikbayan box, another long and slim box with Edmund’s golf clubs, plus my carry-on and handbag.

The sun was still up when we left Hayward at 8 pm.

Then it started to get cloudy when we were at the San Mateo bridge

What a beautiful sunset

We were at the SFO International Airport by 8:30 pm.
Dati dollar dollar lang, It’s now $5 per cart

Len and Bong helped me with my bags

Upon checking-in, I was given a twenty dollar food voucher for my dinner because the PAL flight to Manila would be delayed for 3 hours for good reason. Instead of a one hour stop-over in Guam, the plane would fly direct to Manila. If we leave as scheduled at 10:30 pm, we would arrive in Manila at 3:00 am and NAIA would still be closed.

I ordered wanton noodle soup at the food court. The Filipina staff told me there wouldn’t be any sukli so I ordered chicken wings and a bottle of water. It all came out to $19.75. I only ate the soup and wanton not the noodles, and I brought home (to the Philippines) the chicken wings.

There were about two dozens of people watching their loved ones clear through the security check points

I boarded the plane at about 1:15 am

As soon as I reached my seat the flight steward immediately offered me a drink, He held a tray and asked “Mrs. Yee, would you like a drink, orange juice, apple juice or mango smoothie?” I couldn’t risk drinking orange juice because it triggers my migraine, I wasn’t in the mood for apple juice so I picked the light green colored green mango smoothie. It was a bit frothie, parang bula. It wasn’t asim and not too sweet either.

The pilot announced “doors closing”. Cabin crew ready for take-off

It was 1:40 am my time when we took-off,

and immediately after, the flight attendants became very busy preparing for our dinner cum midnight meal. The food was, as usual, good.

I had chicken with mango dressing and smoked ham for cocktails,

marinated scallop and jumbo prawn with sake, mirin and coriander dressing for my appetizer.

I picked rellenong bangus with sofrito sauce and lemon grass scented rice for main course.

I felt really full. What with the pansit luglug and halohalo that  I ate at Toppings Too earlier in the day, the wanton soup, the cocktails, and this full meal. The stewardess offered me some cheese but I declined. After a few minutes, all the food that were in my stomach decided to leave me. I ran to the toilet and whaaaaaaaa!!!!

I felt a little relieved and went back to my seat. It didn’t bother me, I just thought, na umay ako sa pagkain. The stewardess came and gave me a small cup of very tigas strawberry ice cream by Haagen-dazs.

After an hour, hmmm, my stomach started to act-up. I told myself, “ay, perfect timing naman itong tyan ko. It’s been 3 days tapos dito pa gustong mag-iskandalo”.
I kept going back and forth to the toilet hoping to discard some but to no avail. It helped that I was at seat number 4A which was right beside the toilet. And it was also good that I had no seat mate. I heard the stewardess saying that seat #4B is broken.

An hour later, I couldn’t sleep because my stomach was a bit painful. I went to the toilet again, each time staying for 10 minutes waiting for something to come-out, but nothing, not even a whiff of air.

After another hour, the pain had become capital P A I N. I couldn’t sit straight nor I could walk. I was so embarrassed already because every time I came out of the toilet, the flight steward would go check if the toilet was clean. Of course it was. I just sat there waiting for kingdom come that did not come.

About half-way to Manila, the pain became unbearable. I was grimacing in pain so I went back to the toilet and just sat there. I could feel that there was air moving around on the left side of my belly. I tried everything, I poured hot water on my belly, and massaged it, together with some pakiusap to relieve me of this tremendous discomfort.

When I was a little girl, I sang “pearly shells…. from the ocean…… shining in the sun….” before I reached “covering the shores”, my poo would drop. I tried that too, but it did not work because I was too distracted. I was nahihiya baka people were lining up outside, baka the steward was wondering why I have spent hours in the toilet….

This blog would be the most unglamorous blog you would ever encounter and I beg for your indulgence. To continue…

Instead of air, blood oozed out. I have seen this happened before so I did not get nervous. I just cleaned up and went back to my seat. I told myself I shouldn’t force it because nerves in my brain could pop and that would be goodbye world.

My tears were already flowing and I decided I would just wade it and wait till I get home. But no, the pain was so terrible there’s no way I could wade it. I wanted to stab my stomach to let out the gas. I ran to the toilet again but I told the steward this time that I am really not feeling well and I have stomach pains. I felt a little better when he assured me that it’s fine even if I stayed in the toilet for a long time because he would just redirect the other passengers to the other toilet.

This time, I just sat there, crying and screaming (not so loud) to let out the unbearable pain. It was a good hour. I held on to the lever on my left side, and held on to the faucet on my right. I had no more strength. I just sat there with dried mouth and eyes closed. I couldn’t even open my eyes nor move my hand. I wanted to call the steward to help me but how?

I gave birth to my two children thru ceaserian section. Naisip ko, siguro ganito ang manganak thru normal delivery. Ang hirap pala.

I didn’t know how long it has been. When I opened my eyes, my body was slumped on the right side of the toilet. My head leaning on the sink. It was good I was seated when I lost consciousness or else I could have dropped on the floor.

I gathered myself up and went out of the toilet. There were two guys standing and waiting for me. One was a male nurse crew and the other one was Flight Steward Michael Nolasco. The nurse asked me where the pain was, if on the right side of my stomach then it could be appendicitis. Luckily, the pain was on the left side. he gave me Pepsi because he said the carbonates would help push the gas out. I took two sips of soda and ran to the toilet again.

This time, watery substances flowed out. Seven times. It relieved me of the gas and the pain.

I went back to my seat, the nurse and Mike Nolasco gave me a hot water bag which I placed on my belly. Hindi na ako nahiya, basta ibinaba ko ang aking pants to put the bag. I was just too weak. I was too disoriented. I was sweating and shaking at the same time.

I fell asleep, with the help of bonamine tablet I took after dinner. I woke up chilling and feeling so cold.
I used my right hand to grab my sweater and blanket. My whole body was aching, my feet were so cold and I had fever. I was too weak to even take the Biogesic tablet. I couldn’t move.

I woke up an hour before we landed. I had a light breakfast of fresh fruits and croissants.

I skipped the main course for fear of having a bad tummy again.

We’re about to land. We flew for 13 hours and it’s July 16 now in Manila. The sky has turned bluish.

Bukang-liwayway

There was Claudia Wilson-Tambunting and her hubby at the nearby row. Their 4 children were in the economy section including the yaya but were going back and forth to where their parents were. I could hear their voices and people saying “ssshhhhh” but I was too sleepy and tired to even glance.
I saw them earlier and they were all good looking especially the youngest boy.

The crew offered to carry my stuff and put me in a wheel chair which I refused.

It did not help that the plane parked at the very end of the building which made me walk from end to end while carrying my heavy bags. There was a bit of a commotion when I reached the immigration area because actor Gabby Concepcion arrived too. People were taking pictures and posing beside him. I didn’t know that we were on the same flight. I didn’t take his picture. Both my hands were occupied. I was holding my bags

At the SFO airport, people were anxiously watching their loved ones go through the security area. At the NAIA II, relatives naman were excited to welcome their loved ones.

It was 7 am and for some reason, traffic at EDSA northbound was heavy.

When we were near Guadalupe, my stomach acted up again, parang lalabas na ang oooooooo ko. Parusa talaga. I felt so helpless and desperate. In split second, I thought of getting off and making poopoo in the middle of EDSA, who cares.

I was thinking, what have I done wrong the past few days that I am made to suffer this way?

mama Mary pls clear the road so we could pass

Super traffic everywhere that morning.

When the vehicle reached our gate, I did not wait for the gate to open, I got off and ran to the first toilet in the garage.

I was in bed the whole day, too weak to even open my eyes. I felt my children hugging and kissing me. My brother, Kuya Lito came and asked me to sign documents so I was forced to get up. He came to our bedroom.

I slept the whole day and night. The following morning, my whole body was still sore, my bones, my muscles. I had sinat still. I took paracetamol every six hours.

I thought I was feeling perfectly fine when I woke up this morning. I got ready for work, but when I was having breakfast, my body started aching again. I went to the office for a while but left at 1 pm, ate lugaw, then went to Dr. Perfecto Palafox at the Cardinal Santos Hospital.

My ECG, BP, etc. are normal and I have no more sinat. He told me my body reacted from the pain and I got dehydrated. I wasn’t given any medicine but was advised to go rest. And not to drink green mango smoothie ever again.