I am feeling a lot better these past two weeks. I can finish my sentences without pause and walk without running out of breath. Doing nothing, relaxing the mind, and all your well-wishes helped a lot. And the medications, of course.
Thank you very much for your thoughtfulness. You were all so kind. It was overwhelming. I did not expect that. And the tiny house mail I received from Janis was the loveliest surprise. Many thanks! Much appreciated. I loved it and it made me feel cared for. Blog friends are the best. How can one not get better?
Mainly, I wrote this post to vent and let go of the negativity that threatens to consume me. You responded with so much love and good energy to put a smile on my face and banish the stresses away. It did not matter that we are separated by screens and kilometers of ocean – the positivity reached me. Thank you for all the encouragement and support!
My uncle also helped me. He possesses precious knowledge of natural healing from the indigenous people of The Philippines, the Aetas. These pastes, barks, and roots have been a constant part of my life and I always marveled at the magic of plants and how generous they are to us.
During my dark times, I was hospitalized every six weeks because my lung condition was out of control. Along with the litany of medications from my pulmonologist, my uncle gave me a teaspoon of juice extracted from a paste of ikmo or piper betle and other herbs. It tasted like death but worked as an anti-asthmatic agent. I took the same concoction last week and my lung situation calmed down.
Of course, I am still taking my prescriptions and taking it easy. The palpitations remain but I am no longer swollen from scalp to toe, which I am thankful for. It is so painful to be a balloon ripe to burst.
My worries have lessened, too. It was incredibly bad for me before but it does not mean it will happen again. I must trust my body and let it do what it needs to do. I still get waves of fear from time to time but I do not cling to it. There is no amount of worry that can stop what is meant to happen.
And so I just try to relax and breathe and do the best I can. I cannot thank you enough for going through this with me. At least, to me it feels that way. Thank you for the inspiration, kindness, and generosity. I will make sure to pass on the goodness to honor all of you.
Markus + Micah 
So lovely to read this after reading your older post. I admire you for being strong, despite the illness and anxiety. Thank goodness for friends and family with so much love. Sending hugs!
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Hugs received! Thank you. My lungs are having a hard time here in Germany. The dry air. Ugh.
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Couldn’t agree more!
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So glad to hear you are steadily on the mend. Hang in there – it is a long, slow road to recovery …. sending you hugs for days when it is hard.
How is Markus doing? It must be so tough for him to helplessly watch you in pain. When I was going through my own recovery & rehab from pneumonia, I reckon it was much tougher on Loving Husband mentally & emotionally because he felt things were so out of his control.
P/S Thank goodness for natural remedies. In our household, we are firm believers in alternative treatments and will often turn there first.
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Thank you. Last night, I was out of breath again but it is okay. At least it is not a daily experience. Markus does all he can, and I agree, illness in a house affects everyone. I am also glad you have recovered well from pneumonia. Did your doctor tell you to limit physical exertion after that? Mine told me to give up muay thai many years ago but I did not listen and it turned out fine.
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I was very clear with my Doc that I was planning to go back to running once I could & he didn’t say no. But Loving Husband watched me like a hawk for more than a month. It took about that long just to walk without being breathless but I managed to cover 5k at the end of the month.
Sometimes I think we just have to listen to our own bodies – like you keeping with Muay Thai … because it brings you joy.
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Agree. It is a lot about patience and respecting our bodies. Also humility. When I was competitively training muay thai, my body was always sore. I thought it was just a part of it but I was wrong, of course. I am glad you overcame your illness. I have not kicked actually since I tore my MCL in 2017. I always said I would come back but the pandemic happened and I did not get the opportunity.
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Best laid plans. But Life happens and we adapt. One day at a time.
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Happy to read this. I know you’re on the mend now. Looking forward to reading about what happens next for you. Good things, of course.
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Many thanks, Mrs. Bean. I will keep on being a moon beam in whatever shape or form is available to me.
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So glad to hear you’re feeling better, and I hope that trend continues!
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Thank you, Diana. I am trying to recover as best as I can. A lot of the wellness starts in my head and trickles down my body. It has been going well.
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I’m glad you’re feeling better!
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Thanks! Slow progress is still progress.
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Off topic: when do you do your annual turtle fundraising? I want to plan ahead.
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You are so sweet. The earliest the turtles can possibly lay eggs is in September. Last year, we started in December the moment we heard of the project. We will definitely update you all once we see the first nest!
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Thanks!!
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I am so glad to hear you are feeling better Micah! It is such a blessing that you are able to walk around and talk without distress. My hope is that your body continues on this path so you can get back to all the activities that bring you joy 🙂
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Yes, thank you. Sometimes I get frustrated when I think about all that can be but are not because of my current situation. I am sure you are familiar with the feeling, too. But that is okay, we just have to accept and be grateful for that which we can do.
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Sending you positive and healing vibes!! ❤️❤️
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Many thanks. It does help!
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Take utmost care and get well soon, Micah !!! Wishing for your speedy recovery ❤️❤️❤️
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Thank you. I really appreciate it. Blog friends are so nice.
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I am so glad you are feeling better. It sounds like your uncle’s “recipes” helped. We can learn a lot from the indigenous peoples.
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Yes! There is so much wisdom in their lifestyle and it is much kinder to nature. Sadly, a lot has to improve with the government support our indigenous peoples are receiving.
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Isn’t Janis a star? Also, those around you are the network of life that you need, in fact, we all need that network of love and care. Keep well, dear Micah 💐💐🙋♂️
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She is the sweetest. I was surprised and very much enjoyed her present. I feel lucky that I am surrounded with supportive blog friends. It really does make a difference.
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HI Micah, I am so glad to know you are doing better. My son, Michael, also suffers from chronic asthma and he’s been through a bad time too recently. I think the stress of covid adds a lot to these sorts of issues.
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Thank you. Is Michael feeling better now? Also I have seen bad news coming from South Africa. I hope you are all doing okay and are far from the unrest.
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You are welcome Micah. That is incomparable to how you’ve been inspiring us since day 1. We appreciate you and we do really pray that you will regain your strength and woooah @ ikmo!!! I didn’t know it has medicinal use, perhaps the reason why lolas who do “nga nga” live longer?
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Thank you, Janis! I appreciate you very much. I think there is a lot to learn from nature and our elders and the indigenous peoples. Their way of life is different but there is much wisdom to be found there.
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Micah, this is so wonderful to see. How awesome is Janis, and then your uncle as well 😊 Yes, please keep looking after yourself through further relaxation and keep doing the best you can. With all my further well wishes 😊
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Yes, thank you, Sean. It has been positive so far. I look forward to the day I do not have to take medications again. Steroids are not easy. I really get hit with all its side effects.
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