My Own March Madness (Mar 09 Update)

Things I learned recently...


1) Medicine-

According to a neurosurgeon I met last week, Medicine is defined as the elimination of possibilities.

It's good to know that since I'm back to square one as to finding out what is wrong with my body medically. It's been going on now for 4 years but at least we are eliminating one possibility each time.

My body gets fatigued very easily, loss of appetite, has muscle pains, joint pains, amongst others. We know it's not arthritis so that's good. It also has nothing to do with my food diet. Although I've developed a better eating habit and style. I've also disciplined myself to eat a more balance meal and am also satisfied with one serving instead of the all-I-can-eat style I used to have.

Admittedly, I was frustrated when I saw the doctor last week as they were asking me the same questions that have been asked by others before. But then it caught me that this was their first time seeing me. That was rule number one in my customer service training from years before.

Customers will always ask you the same question over and over again, but I have to remember to not get frustrated as this is their first time asking me that question.

So when I remembered that training from years before, I mellowed down a bit.

They stuck and poked me with a two inch needle all over my left body, from my ankle, to a few inches above my femoral artery, to my shoulder and also sent tiny amount of electric shocks to get a reading of my nerves and muscle synapses. So far, I'm normal.

One day, I will frame a certificate that says I'm normal with all the doctors signatures and show it as proof to the next person that calls me weird.

It was also good that the doctor had a good sense of humor. After the two hour test, I asked him to write down all the medical terms he used. When he gave me that piece of paper, I quipped:

Me: Good thing you're a surgeon and not a calligraphy expert, as I can't read a single thing you just wrote.

The doc laughed and wrote it again. But it didn't help.



2) I am grateful for the simple things

A lot of small and simple good things happened this past month. I was reacquainted with many folks I knew from the past.

One such is a family I had the opportunity of teaching in the Philippines as a missionary. They now live in Arizona. So when I went to visit another friend from the past I also went to visit with them.

We laughed and reminisced. The mother used to hide from us missionaries but was always pleasant when we were able to meet with her. She joined the Church after I had left. A death occurred in the family and it made her think of her family relationships. She remembered what she had learned and was able to find out for herself that the teachings of the Church regarding eternal family is really true. She then acted accordingly to her own beliefs and convictions.

Her husband is now preparing to enter the temple and together with their grown daughter, who also is married and now have 3 children of her own, will enter the temple to make promises to each other so that they can be a family not just in life but even after death.

I am amazed at the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What we love and important here in life doesn't have to end after death. But it can continue on.



3) I'm looking into buying my first home

So far, I've looked at 6 different places. I'm shooting for 80k by looking at foreclosures trying to get the most for my money. But I haven't found one in the neighborhood I like. I've looked at duplexes, townhomes and condo that fit my budget of no more than 150k. We'll see if it's the right time and if I'm in the right situation to do so.

I was planning on waiting until after grad school but if I buy now, I may be able to turn it around after grad school and make a little profit.

Again, I'm keeping my eyes and ears open and carefully planning and preparing. With all the tax credits available now, there couldn't be a better time. But as I mentioned previously, I'm carefully weighing all my options and personal financial situation.



4) I'm reading more

I've been reading more books. From writers who have been successful, history and non-fiction. I'm trying to learn from them so I can avoid making the same mistakes but also so I can see if anything they've experience can benefit me. One so far has motivated me to consider and research becoming a travel agent. Not necessarily to earn more money but to get the discounts associated with travel agents-- getting discounts at hotels, ticket prices, and rental cars.