Alyssa De Dungca's CVS Story
It was Quite the Adventure
There I sat on one of those comfortable swivel chairs right in front of the thick grey computer screen seriously doing what I was doing - playing games, messing with draw, whatever it was. I was only seven years old. What kind of seven year old spends numerous hours in front of a computer screen? You see, this was 2004, and I was that seven year old. My eyes were so focused and at last I took my eyes off the computer monitor. At that moment, I had the biggest headache a seven year old can ever have. I closed my eyes for a moment of time to get back to reality. Three minutes and forty two seconds passed and I opened my eyes. My headache was getting worst. I decided to inform my mom about my headache. After all, she was very knowledgeable about headaches. I was very sure that the cause of her headaches were my siblings though. She gave me some Motrin and told me to go rest. I absolutely despise liquid medications! I would rather get a shot! Yet, I quickly took the nasty orange poison liquid and went to bed.
I was in deep sleep for a couple of hours and then I immediately woke up. I thought I was going to be better, but I was wrong. I got worse. I started to feel nauseous, so I sprinted to the bathroom. I started to gag and in time I began to throw up constantly. I was miserably hugging the toilet bowl, scared to death for my life. My parents heard me and decided to take me to the emergency room.
It took a long time for me to be checked. Couple of hours passed and I was finally on a hospital bed. The doctors checked my vital signs and took my parents to the corner to discuss what was happening. The doctor told them that I was sure to have the stomach flu. A nurse came into the room, plugged me into an IV, and ran me with fluids and medications. I feel asleep and in time I woke up again. This time I woke up feeling better. The doctor came back and asked me how I was feeling, and I'm not going to lie, I was so much better. That same day they decided to discharge me and let me go home.
Days, weeks, and months passed. I was sick on and off. But no worries, it was only the stomach flu. The frequency of this disease was quite questionable, so my parents and I decided to go back to the hospital. Finally, it was time for a diagnosis. It was quite dreadful. Medications, shots, exams, tests, and I was only seven. The doctors never really knew what illness I had. In fact, the stomach flu was only an assumption. But, I just knew I was sick and had to constantly go to the hospital to feel better. This went on and on for the entire year.
2005 came and my birthday was slowly approaching. I turned 8 years old and I finally became a 4th grader. I can't recall any memories from the fourth grade. I basically didn't go to school because I was still constantly being diagnosed. Although, I do have some memories from being eight years old. I remember riding my first ambulance and being transferred to another hospital. It was quite a ride. When I got to the other hospital, the nurses and doctors decided to investigate my stomach. They told me not to eat for 12 hours straight, and boy that was extremely hard for me. The next day, they put me to sleep and when I woke up, I had a tube running down from my nose, to my throat, and down to my stomach. It was the weirdest feeling ever. All I could think about was food and I longed for it. It was time for dinner and I basically inhaled my meal. I ate it way too fast and I began to vomit. As I vomited, the tube came out with the rest of my meal, so the diagnosis was a fail. Days, weeks, and months passed. I was still sick on and off, but no worries, the doctors were positive I had the stomach flu.
2005 was not a good year for an eight year old like me. I was sick on and off and sick as can be. One day, I was ill and went to the hospital again. It was becoming a routine, but not a good one. Of course, they gave me medications, put me to sleep, and we hoped for the best. When I got better, the doctors prescribed me some medicine and I took it every day. It made me a bit better, but not one hundred percent. That year, I was diagnosed with a dreadful disease called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. No, it wasn't the stomach flu after all. This was a relief. I finally knew what illness I had. This realization made my 2005 a bit more interesting.
Years passed, and I kept taking the medicine, but I always went back to the doctors to refill my subscription. On the year of 2013, I was still going to the doctors frequently. During that summer, my mom and I realized I was growing a strange lump on my neck. I went to the doctors and they checked me once again. A young Asian doctor came and suggested a minor surgery to remove the lump. My mom and I decided to take that risk and do the surgery. After all, it might make me feel better. August 16 came and early that morning, my parents drove me to the hospital and, I had that surgery.
Recovery was very quick, and I can honestly say that it did make me feel better. A entire year and a few months passed, today is December 14, 2014, and I can truly say that I haven't had a single headache since the surgery. Now, I'm living life to the fullest. I now can look back at my life so far and say..."It was quite the adventure".
DECEMBER 7, 2015
Well, here I am again. It's practically been a year since I've been on this site. Anyways, I'm here to continue my story. Looking back at this article made me realize that I forgot a major part of my story. So, *ahem* let me continue.
This past year has not been very pretty. My illness came back, and I've been in and out of the hospital for the past few months. I'm back on the medication too. It's been quite hard for me. I am now a high school graduate and am currently taking my "pre req" at a local community college to get into medical school. I also have a part time job at a sandwich joint. Being a new adult, balancing school, and a part time job is a struggle for my health.
But, ever since this "adventure" came back into my life, I can honestly say that God has showed Himself more real to me. He has used many talented doctors to help provide me medicine to get better, He has used my family tremendously to have strength to help me whenever I am sick, and He has also used so many people to show His love and care for me by allowing these people to learn about my ailment and moving their hearts to pray for me. God is good. He has blessed me in so many ways, and I believe that He has a divine plan and purpose for my life, despite my illness.
There's this saying - "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it." I honestly believe that God is personally there with you when you face hardships and struggles in your life. All you need to do is seek Him and He will show Himself real to you.
Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. "
There I sat on one of those comfortable swivel chairs right in front of the thick grey computer screen seriously doing what I was doing - playing games, messing with draw, whatever it was. I was only seven years old. What kind of seven year old spends numerous hours in front of a computer screen? You see, this was 2004, and I was that seven year old. My eyes were so focused and at last I took my eyes off the computer monitor. At that moment, I had the biggest headache a seven year old can ever have. I closed my eyes for a moment of time to get back to reality. Three minutes and forty two seconds passed and I opened my eyes. My headache was getting worst. I decided to inform my mom about my headache. After all, she was very knowledgeable about headaches. I was very sure that the cause of her headaches were my siblings though. She gave me some Motrin and told me to go rest. I absolutely despise liquid medications! I would rather get a shot! Yet, I quickly took the nasty orange poison liquid and went to bed.
I was in deep sleep for a couple of hours and then I immediately woke up. I thought I was going to be better, but I was wrong. I got worse. I started to feel nauseous, so I sprinted to the bathroom. I started to gag and in time I began to throw up constantly. I was miserably hugging the toilet bowl, scared to death for my life. My parents heard me and decided to take me to the emergency room.
It took a long time for me to be checked. Couple of hours passed and I was finally on a hospital bed. The doctors checked my vital signs and took my parents to the corner to discuss what was happening. The doctor told them that I was sure to have the stomach flu. A nurse came into the room, plugged me into an IV, and ran me with fluids and medications. I feel asleep and in time I woke up again. This time I woke up feeling better. The doctor came back and asked me how I was feeling, and I'm not going to lie, I was so much better. That same day they decided to discharge me and let me go home.
Days, weeks, and months passed. I was sick on and off. But no worries, it was only the stomach flu. The frequency of this disease was quite questionable, so my parents and I decided to go back to the hospital. Finally, it was time for a diagnosis. It was quite dreadful. Medications, shots, exams, tests, and I was only seven. The doctors never really knew what illness I had. In fact, the stomach flu was only an assumption. But, I just knew I was sick and had to constantly go to the hospital to feel better. This went on and on for the entire year.
2005 came and my birthday was slowly approaching. I turned 8 years old and I finally became a 4th grader. I can't recall any memories from the fourth grade. I basically didn't go to school because I was still constantly being diagnosed. Although, I do have some memories from being eight years old. I remember riding my first ambulance and being transferred to another hospital. It was quite a ride. When I got to the other hospital, the nurses and doctors decided to investigate my stomach. They told me not to eat for 12 hours straight, and boy that was extremely hard for me. The next day, they put me to sleep and when I woke up, I had a tube running down from my nose, to my throat, and down to my stomach. It was the weirdest feeling ever. All I could think about was food and I longed for it. It was time for dinner and I basically inhaled my meal. I ate it way too fast and I began to vomit. As I vomited, the tube came out with the rest of my meal, so the diagnosis was a fail. Days, weeks, and months passed. I was still sick on and off, but no worries, the doctors were positive I had the stomach flu.
2005 was not a good year for an eight year old like me. I was sick on and off and sick as can be. One day, I was ill and went to the hospital again. It was becoming a routine, but not a good one. Of course, they gave me medications, put me to sleep, and we hoped for the best. When I got better, the doctors prescribed me some medicine and I took it every day. It made me a bit better, but not one hundred percent. That year, I was diagnosed with a dreadful disease called Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. No, it wasn't the stomach flu after all. This was a relief. I finally knew what illness I had. This realization made my 2005 a bit more interesting.
Years passed, and I kept taking the medicine, but I always went back to the doctors to refill my subscription. On the year of 2013, I was still going to the doctors frequently. During that summer, my mom and I realized I was growing a strange lump on my neck. I went to the doctors and they checked me once again. A young Asian doctor came and suggested a minor surgery to remove the lump. My mom and I decided to take that risk and do the surgery. After all, it might make me feel better. August 16 came and early that morning, my parents drove me to the hospital and, I had that surgery.
Recovery was very quick, and I can honestly say that it did make me feel better. A entire year and a few months passed, today is December 14, 2014, and I can truly say that I haven't had a single headache since the surgery. Now, I'm living life to the fullest. I now can look back at my life so far and say..."It was quite the adventure".
DECEMBER 7, 2015
Well, here I am again. It's practically been a year since I've been on this site. Anyways, I'm here to continue my story. Looking back at this article made me realize that I forgot a major part of my story. So, *ahem* let me continue.
This past year has not been very pretty. My illness came back, and I've been in and out of the hospital for the past few months. I'm back on the medication too. It's been quite hard for me. I am now a high school graduate and am currently taking my "pre req" at a local community college to get into medical school. I also have a part time job at a sandwich joint. Being a new adult, balancing school, and a part time job is a struggle for my health.
But, ever since this "adventure" came back into my life, I can honestly say that God has showed Himself more real to me. He has used many talented doctors to help provide me medicine to get better, He has used my family tremendously to have strength to help me whenever I am sick, and He has also used so many people to show His love and care for me by allowing these people to learn about my ailment and moving their hearts to pray for me. God is good. He has blessed me in so many ways, and I believe that He has a divine plan and purpose for my life, despite my illness.
There's this saying - "If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it." I honestly believe that God is personally there with you when you face hardships and struggles in your life. All you need to do is seek Him and He will show Himself real to you.
Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. "
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