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Making Babies
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Posted:Jan 27, 2014 3:49 pm
Last Updated:Mar 3, 2014 6:16 pm 145993 Views
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Did the title catch your attention? Yes that’s right I am discussing making babies here since it has been a topic lately in the chat room and the blog land. It’s not the conventional way that we know, no rated R here. I am talking about the technical, assisted reproduction, test tube babies, in vitro fertilization or whatever you want to call it. This process involves more than the couple and involves many professionals. Like I mentioned in one of my posts I have worked in a fertility clinic in NZ for over 5 years so I have a bit of an experience in making babies this way.
First of all for the women; yes you can get pregnant even without a man in your life, that’s one advantage we have over the men because men can never get pregnant by themselves. Technology is amazing and scary specially if put in the wrong hands or people. It will not be impossible that men will be making babies for commercial purpose like an organ factory. Sounds impossible? Not at all based on what I have seen. Have you heard about a couple who made their own pregnant by inseminating her with her own father’s sperm? No sexual contact, it was the mother who did it to her own using her little knowledge in the process. Sick? yes I call that sick. Have you heard about a couple who had another baby so that the baby cord blood could be a donor to the sibling who has leukemia? Anyway that’s another topic.
Well going back on the track, if you want to get pregnant by assisted reproduction there are several requirements and several options. First you have to have money. In NZ it cost about NZ$15K excluding fare and accommodation. In Philippines it’s cheaper can cost about PHP100K to 200K per attempt and the service is better, in the hospital that is.
Second there is age requirement, ideally you have a higher success rate if you are less than forty. Pregnancy is also more high risks of complications if you are older. The oldest woman who got pregnant by IVF is 59. Third you have to be in good health, if not, you can also have a surrogate, meaning another woman can carry your baby in their womb. I heard this is a common practice in India. The oldest living human being from IVF in NZ is now over 50 years of age. No it’s not me I was born in Phil.
The process:
The first step is a screening to find what is the problem and what is suitable. If everything else failed then you may opt for In vitro fertilization. The woman will be given medications for several days to produce more mature eggs. We normally produce only one mature egg each month but with medication they can ripen more than one. When the eggs mature they will be collected surgically. Lots of ouch here. The eggs collected can be from zero to forty, on the average 5 to 8 in my experience. The more eggs the higher the risks. Not all of these eggs will get fertilized and if they do you don’t want to have them all at the same time. You can have them frozen until such time that you are ready to get pregnant again. There is one ethical question here, if you already have babies and you don't want to have anymore, what will you do with your frozen embryos? Remember these are living embryos just frozen, ready to become a new human being.
For the men they get the easy job, they go in the collection room to do their part. Easy job I say but still others cannot do it. Some man plays hard to get so it has to be done by force. They have to undergo surgical sperm retrieval, we call it getting the sperm straight from the factory. Such is the case for those who had vasectomy or other problem. Once we have the sperm the best ones are selected and then inoculated to the egg, all done under the microscope by the watchful eye of the scientist. If an embryo develops it will be transferred to the uterus after 3 to 5 days and there it is you have an embryo in the womb so you are pregnant. Now being pregnant is another topic.
Sound simple and easy? Maybe not? In writing it is. There’s more to it but I don’t want to bore you.
The real test is not about having babies it is about becoming a good parent. Having babies is a choice whereas being a parent is a responsibility. A friend of mine said anyone can be a parent and I said yes that’s true. Anyone can be a parent but not everyone is suitable to be one or is willing to be one. If even just a quarter of population are suitable AND willing to become parent, then there will be no need for orphanage. Will you consider adopting? I will, that's one of my plans.
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Farming and relationship- Repost.
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Posted:Jan 25, 2014 12:14 am
Last Updated:Oct 21, 2017 11:12 pm 138977 Views
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I have posted this before using my old handle I am reposting it for someone in an abridge version. Enjoy.
Living in a farm for several years I realized that taking care of your relationship is like farming. A little bit of shit to your plants help. You can’t put too much water nor too much sun. Water I akin to attention and sun to neglect in a relationship and you know what shit is figuratively I suppose. Shit or manure is fertilizer, it nourishes the plants but you can only put so much at a time. If you put a lot of manure or shit in your plant then it will not grow, it may die or grow some toxic weeds or poisonous mushrooms. In the early years of your plant you have to pour a lot of attention to it, you will have to shield it from too much sun, too much rain and the worse weather like typhoon. Yet despite all that efforts you cannot be so sure in the early years if it will give you the fruit you expected but if you continue to look after it you will eventually get the reward.
Once your plant has grown into a tree with established roots it can bear more shit and can withstand harsh weather but you still have to guard it and look after it so that it will continue to give you fruits. Your tree will give you fruits, fulfilment and fill you with pride. Same principle applies to a relationship I think.
I am not an expert in farming or relationship it's just my own personal experience and observation.
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Small act of kindness.
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Posted:Jan 19, 2014 4:24 am
Last Updated:Jan 20, 2014 12:48 am 139258 Views
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Someone said “people will not remember you for what you did but how you made them feel.” I have proven this lately from comments I got from my friends and cousins for what I have done to them over 30 years ago and I can’t believe that they can still remember. First the of our laundry lady from way back. She had a 5 year old that she brings along when she do our laundry. I look after her if I am at home or take her out with me to the carnival, shopping or the park. She has been doing our laundry for maybe over 5 years so I saw her grow up. Her now has her own family and . I met them last July and I was so touched when her told me that their mum has been telling them about me and how I made her feel because of what I did. Such as giving her food she has never eaten before like apples. In those days apple is a luxury. I have forgotten all of that but she never did because she said I made her feel very special.
A cousin of mine who is now living in LA and has a very successful career also told me that she will never forget how we made her very happy the way we treated her when she was still a . She experienced movie house then only because of us. She tells that to her family too. Friends of mine are also very grateful when they told me they will never experience Starbucks if I had not taken them there.
From their comments I believe I have done something good.
But wait there’s more.
Last Friday when I was in the bank I overheard a young man probably in his early twenties asking a bank teller to allow him to have an overdraft of twenty dollars because he is hungry and his government allowance is not due until few more days. His request was declined and that made me so sad and uncomfortable, he reminded me of my . He must be really desperate to ask the bank like that and face embarrassment. What I did I took a twenty dollar and gave it to him. I ask “will this help?” Almost teary he said yes. He said thank you very much and he said “oh you are a beautiful lady.” What an expensive complement. They said if you give something back it comes back many folds. We went around the mall after that and did a bit of shopping until the shops closing time. On our way back home I decided to get some cash from the ATM machine. Guess what? I couldn't believe my eyes there was a one hundred dollar note left on the machine cash dispenser. I look around and there’s no one else around. What did I do? What else will I do? If I can give I can also accept.
What random acts of kindness have you done or received? If you haven’t I suggest you take the opportunity to do it. I am sure it will make you feel good. In giving we also receive.
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6
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online lover?
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Posted:Jan 17, 2014 4:27 am
Last Updated:Mar 4, 2015 3:56 pm 88935 Views
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Someone: “Do you want an online lover?”
Me: “ What!? The hell NO!” 
What has this world gone to? Really, asking someone you just met to be an online lover? I am not that naive I know what he meant but I may be wrong. On second thought I should have asked him what he meant by online lover because it’s not in the dictionary. I can express my feelings online to the person I love like in the old days where you send letters, cards or talk on the phone. Is that the same thing? Shish I should have asked him. I will if he talks to me again. He was not Filipino as you probably have guessed.
Other questions I get like "are you single and looking?" or someone says "I am looking for a soul mate are you available?". It's like they are asking for volunteers and expect someone to come forward and raise their hand. Others are like looking for blood donors, "I need someone in my life" any type ab please fill in the screening form.  Of course they can't be serious or are they? If they are, they obviously do not know the Filipino way of courtship or if they are Filipino they must have forgotten. Or is it just me? What is your view on this? How do you reply to such questions? Has any Man here been asked same sort of question by women?
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4
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What's in a name?
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Posted:Jan 15, 2014 1:38 am
Last Updated:Apr 17, 2014 11:09 am 52716 Views
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Someone: "I left a message on your phone number bizzy, I did not have your name. Hope this finds you happy and well."
Me:"Sorry to hear you forgot my name. I have been emailing it to you. You might have mistaken me for someone else.
Someone: " I have the correct number and I don't have any other contact."
Me: "Yes that's my number, what I'm saying I have been emailing you with my name and how come you say ... Thanks anyway I am not interested. Good luck.
Whew that was funny. I was ready to accept his invitation for a coffee and meet him in person. I have thought about it for a long time if I should. I am very cautious here because I am in a foreign land and I don't know many people here. I guess it comes with age too, being more cautious. I have been in touch with this man for about a month via email and then his last email he gave me his number asking if we can meet for a coffee. It was a different email thread. I replied and gave my 's number and told him I share the phone with my because my one was broken. ( Smart ei?) He left a voice and text message alright, but the heck he did not know my name? After emailing him with my name he now says he doesn't have my name. Are you kidding me?  I am not going to have a coffee with you without giving my name and without knowing your name too. Oh well I guess it's not meant to be somebody up there is saving me from disaster. Thank God.
What's in a name anyway? Is there a lot to it? Firstly we were given names without any say in it. I have a cousin named Bimbo in Phil and when they moved to NZ obviously he has to change his name. If you are a business then your name should say what your business is about eg Toys R Us etc. Now what about the handle names here? There are some I wouldn't even dare write here because they are not worth the attention. I guess our real names doesn't really mean a lot because they were given to us by our parents. The handle names here are different because we chose them, to me, the handle somehow reflects one's personality, intention or purpose. It is our sole identification here in FFF, at least initially. Real names do not really matter here but outside FFF that is a different story. Do you agree?
Now will you go out with someone who forgot your name? I will if we are going to meet as a group. But alone for a coffee? I did not and I will not. What about you?
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14
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How heavy is half glass of water?
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Posted:Jan 14, 2014 5:12 am
Last Updated:Jan 15, 2014 8:18 pm 51118 Views
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You probably read this one before I like to share it to those who have not and let's be inspired by it.
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz. She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn't change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.” Remember to put the glass down.
Now if you'll excuse me I am putting my glass down and put my feet up, open my laptop, read , blog and chat. Oh what a beautiful life
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R I P annefran, iS THIS TRUE? BE THE JUDGE - my comment update
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Posted:Jan 6, 2014 8:22 am
Last Updated:Jan 8, 2014 12:01 am 51532 Views
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I thought it was a terrible joke when this lady told us about Ann in the chat room. I met Ann through another chatter who became a friend of mine, lets call him GHI. From the many chat times I had with GHI I can tell he is a nice person. He sound very cocky at times and a bit in denial that he wants a gf. In my observation he is actually too shy to pursue a girl. He and Ann has been friends here in FFF for about 3 years purely platonic. He introduced Ann to me as his best friend. GHI told me that he is going home in January and that he is going to meet Ann in Feb. She is the first one that GHI will ever meet he even said if I was there we can all meet, the 3 of us. Sadly that's not going to happen now.
The past week whenever I meet and greet Ann in the chat room she doesn't greet me back. I told GHI and he said he will tell Ann when he see her. Last night Ann came in and out of the chat room and as usual I greeted she did not answer but finally the third time she finally replied not the usual greeting we do, she said she is "just waiting for someone." I said to myself what a brat but I posted "that's ok". Everyone else greeted her and follow up on her post. To everybody's shock the handle said she is not Ann but she is Ann's friend Luci. She is using Ann's account on Ann's request to look for GHI to tell him something. Luci also said that it is the last night she is going to use that account because Ann pass away that afternoon. I reacted straight away thinking it is a very bad joke. I ask Luci some question about Ann and GHI and her reply confirmed what I knew. Luci also gave me Ann's real name in private message when I told her I know some people who can verify if what she said is true. Luci also said she is going to give a copy of death certificate once it's released.
The question many FFFrs ask is: "Is it true?" Did she really die or was it a hoax she is playing on GHI. Perhaps to avoid meeting him? Many more questions. Why is she in prison why did she not go out on bail? Someone asked how come she had a cellphone when she was supposed to be in jail. Luci answered you can have cellphone in jail you just have to pay 500 pesos a week. Why will she do that just to avoid meeting GHI when they are not even in a relationship? There is so much cloud of doubt that I do not know if it is even worth my time. If it is not true I am disgusted to know that I have mingled with such lowly kind of person. I'd rather mingle with the homeless lunatic, a harmless drug addict or an alcoholic. If this is not true it just makes me feel sick. On the other hand it is good too if she is not really dead I just wish that she can change his/her ways. If it is true then RIP Annefran.
Ok what do you think, any CSI agents out there? Anyone who had experience similar thing? Is it true or a hoax? I hear you say it's not worth our time but to me it's to sharpen some alertness.
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I am asking. Can you die from it? Will one become like a soldier who’s been to battle and will never like to come back again? Obviously we all react differently. I can’t say I have had a broken heart but was seriously hurt once before I obviously got over it and now I enjoy looking back at the memories including the hurt feeling I had then. I just seriously laugh about and recall it with so much fondness. 
