Of Prednisone, Filipinos and Hygiene

My face looks like a moon today, full moon to be exact.

Lately I’m taking steroids, 30 mg everyday of prednisone, one for breakfast and the other for supper. I really don’t like it for so many reasons but I gotta have it. If given a choice, I won’t take it. It is a corticosteroid drug that prevents the release of substances in the body that cause inflammation. Prednisone is used to treat many different conditions such as allergic disorders, skin conditions, or breathing disorders and a whole lot more.

I’m not a doctor. Now I really wish I pursued my dreams of becoming one.

Slightly full moon face. Three days before the prednisone but already taking the turbuhaler.

I have a bad case of asthma attacks lately and I was told by my doc that if by Saturday I'm not showing any improvements, I will be be admitted to the hospital. That scares me a lot. Right now, I'm trying to be a good girl diligently taking my meds, just to avoid all sorts of trips to the hospital. Changes in the Philippine weather makes me think that my fellow asthma gang out there is definitely having a bad time breathing like this woman here. I was actually laughing when I heard what the anchorman said at the news this morning. He said that the weather changes so often these days, one minute it’s raining and then the next time you know, the sun is already shining. Filipinos might end up crazy soon. He was quick to ask the question as to how pinoys with asthma were faring these days.

I literally raised my hands and feet.

Christmas is supposedly around the corner but the extreme heat we’re having makes me think we’re not doing justice to the idea of cold Christmas mornings. Sigh. And yes, I think that deadline at the office a week ago officially did it to me. Stress is really bad for one’s health.And yes, I have tonsilities, too.

My doctor gave me a week on pred. This explains the moon face that I’m currently sporting and I’m not proud of it. But since it is here to stay or two weeks or so, I might as well deal with it. This is my second day but I already transformed myself beautifully into a full moon.

My face beams like no other. It is pinkish,smooth and soft but yes, I still look like a moon. The fluid retention and weight gain that comes as one of the side effects of taking pred is scaring me. When the doctor told me he’s going to put me on prednisone, I am sure my asthma attack is that bad. I don’t like taking it, for one, it gives me a very bad case of heartburn. I feel like my chest is being lit by gazillions of matches altogether creating a wonderful bonfire. Yes, lately I’ve made it a habit to chug a liter of water in a matter of an hour and make frequent trips to the bathroom, of course.

Life under prednisone is not easy.

Second, the fluid retention and weight gain is frustrating. It would have been okay if the weight gain is distributed evenly throughout the body but for reasons I don’t know, the weight seems to accumulate more on thy face. Thus today, I feel like an enormous moon basking its glory under the dark sky. Well at least, I get to feel how it is to be a moon, right? (Positive thinking sometimes helps a lot.)

Third, there’s the craving. I don’t know why but one of the side effects of taking this steroid is that I seem to be hungry throughout the day. When asthma attacks set in, no processed food for me. No sugars. No fats. Not too much sodium. It’s okay with me. I’m not so much with sweets and processed foods anyway. I’ve already made a lifestyle change many years ago. I’m no die hard health nut but I take good care of my body. I do exercise. I’ve taken a good liking with taebo, everyday, except on Sundays, I sweat the toxins from my body through taebo.

I am a goat.

I eat vegetables like my life depends on it. I’m a vegetable lover and a certified green smoothie diva. But I like meat, too though not on everyday basis. Maybe once or twice a week is enough. To settle my cravings and hunger pangs as side effects, I’ve hoarded fruits and veggies like next week is the end of the world. Hoarding dark chocolates is tempting. Very tempting but I’ve always reserved this treat once a month, that is, during my monthly period. A bar or two is enough once a month.

With all these talks about food, I am thinking what is the standard Filipino diet.

Is it still rice and fish? And on the way throw in some nice vegetables to complement the thought. Being close to the Pacific ocean and being surrounded by bodies of water, it is not questionable that rice and fish may have been the standard Filipino diet. But with the changes through the years, is it still rice and fish? I, for one, can’t live without rice. No matter what they say about rice as too heavy for the stomach to be eaten three times a day (notwithstanding the idea that some Filipinos do eat rice with viand as a form of snack), I am still a Filipino through and through.

I want my rice. Period.

It’s okay if I can’t eat it three times a day like what I’m doing now. But at least once a day say breakfast or lunch, I should have it. The idea of not eating rice once a day is enough to make me delirious. You have taken one precious part of my life if you do that. Eating rice and fish brings happy memories of family meals. A friend of mine told me that when she went to Germany to study, one of their German friends told them that they seem to identify the smell of the Filipinos akin to a fish.

I don’t know if that is racist or what.

If I will believe what they say about Africans having that distinct smell or Koreans having that distinct smell then I might believe them that Filipinos do smell like fish. But through the years, I’ve met a considerable number of Koreans in the Philippines and a number of Africans who belong to different nationalities and I can say that it doesn’t hold any water. Some might smell but some don’t. I think it holds true to every nationality regardless of your color and affinity. Maybe it has something to do with what a person eats, maybe hygiene or maybe it has something to do with preconceive notions of certain groups of people. I don’t know

So, do Filipinos smell like fish?

I do especially when I’ve just finished eating some grilled tuna with lemon and soy sauce. Of course those are the moments that I literally don’t mind it. Otherwise, I smell good. I take a bath twice a day. Sometimes, three times a day. Spaniards three centuries ago made some interesting comments about us pinoys. Philippine settlements during the Spanish period are riverine in orientation, water is not a problem. Spanish chroniclers and historians noticed that Filipinos take a bath frequently especially if the scorching heat of the sun is too much to bear. Filipinos take pride in their hygiene.

Believe me, not much has changed.

Now, I really don’t know why I started with prednisone, then went on describing my diet and end up talking about our hygiene. I’ve read that some of the side effects of taking prednisone is nausea, heartburn, insomnia and mood swings. Sad to say, I have all of them. I was crabby the other night to someone and literally just shut off my system. I feel like an owl. I slept at the wee hours of morning and I feel like vomiting and my chest burns like hell. Sigh. After this episode, I will get back on the right track of living the good and healthy lifestyle. That definitely means no stress at work.

I may have written something that is out of sorts tonight, (Look at my train of thought) but I’m happy to say I feel better after writing this. Yay! I am positive that when I get back to my doctor this Saturday, he will be so generous and kind enough to let me get off this drug. I know I will get well soon and after that, I’m going to see a homeopathy doctor. Practice healthy living. Enjoy the sun. Have fun with my family. Hug and kiss the people that I love. I prefer alternative ways of dealing with things.

Now let me get myself some milk and start counting the lizards inside my room.