Priotise

First of all, I'd like to thank all who expressed their concerns and prayers for En. After some aggressive treatment including oral steroids and Combivent via the nebuliser (apparently the Ventolin inhaler wasn't effective this time because En's breath was too shallow for the medication to get to the lungs), the wheezing began to fade. Doctor advise to put her on long term antihistamine until the weather change for the better. In fact, the same apply to Xuan as well since she is also hypersensitive to weather changes.

En stayed at home for the entire week because in the midst of the wheezing episode, she suffered stomach flu as well. (Poor gal!) One could tell her immune system had been badly compromised. Anyway, we thank God we learnt our lessons from the previous experience (where she lost consciousness after few days of diarrhea) and sent her for medical review right away, so she didn't have to suffer as much this time round.

Now that En is much better, I have to start to catch up with my studies and be prepared for the challenges starting in 2 week's time. My schedule is so ridiculously packed, I sometimes wonder how I can survive this semester without neglecting my family.

Then I am reminded of my personal philosophy "In life, you win some, you lose some". Can I afford to lose some marks, live with lower grade and pass my exams with less than satisfactory results? YES, I can. Because the grades doesn't matter as much as my family members does to me. When I learnt that my cousin's teenage son died in a car accident over the weekend, I was badly "hit" as well. Even though I knew my nephew is now home with the Lord, I cannot imagine the loss and grief my cousin had to bear. She loved him so much...

Any of you having problems prioritising? What does it cost you to let go of some of the not-so-important appointments, gatherings or even commitments, just so you could spend some quality time with your family? Think, think, think...

Time is like a river. You cannot touch the same water twice because the same water that had passed will never pass again.

- author unknown.

Insomnia

Tonight is going to be a sleepless night for me. Something I have not experienced for a long, long time...

En is wheezing badly again, and the symptoms doesn't seemed to go away despite administering 4 dozes of Ventolin at one go. The fear of her turning breathless grips me like nothing I can describe. I am physically tired yet my mind couldn't "switch off" because I am in fear - fear of having to send my girl to the emergency department again while I watch helplessly at a corner...

Those of you parents out there whose kids suffer from asthma may think I'm over-reacting. I am, indeed, and I must confess that my fears could be unfounded to some extend. But my heart weighs a million tonnes because I am guilty. It was exactly the same time last year when she developed similar signs, and I, being the full time caregiver, dismissed it as common cough symptoms. The foolishness in me simply didn't realise my girl was in need of help, leading to her subsequent episodes of chest infections, surgery and finally bronchopneumonia. The damage done was much more than expected and some were permanent. She is more susceptible to infections and airway obstruction (call it asthma if you like) ever since. Whenever she falls ill due to respiratory issues, I feel responsible. I know I need to get out of this bottomless guilt pit but...

God has forgiven me. It is the big ME in me who finds it hard to forgive myself. Pray for me, my friends. I needed your prayers... Got to go serve the midnight dose of Ventolin now. I bet I can hear the coughing even in my sleep...