A Father’s Gift

“I gave up an unhealthy lifestyle.”

After a night of too much holiday partying, Louie Martin woke up with palpitations and a throbbing headache that wouldn’t go away. A blood test showed that he was pre-diabetic. That day changed his life. After doing his research on diabetes, he realized how serious his condition could become if he kept putting off getting a healthy lifestyle. “I decided that I could still do something about it,” he says. “My kids are still young and I want to see them grow up.”

After seeing a specialist, he changed his eating habits and how he lived. “Now I have to be more responsible with what I do, what I eat, I have to take care of myself,” he shares. “If I get stressed, my sugar goes up, too. Thus I should enjoy the good things in life, which is family. I’m more attuned now to my family and my parents. I make it a point to spend quality time with my family after school. I still work hard but everything has to be done in moderation. I now rest my body and my mind. I exercise. I have to be in shape. I feel better. I am healthier. I have lost 40 pounds since that time. I am happier.”  

It was an easy choice to make even if it required a lot of discipline because Louie did it for his family. “My dream is to see my children grow and have their own families. I hope and pray that I live long enough to see that. If you don’t manage your diabetes, it can lead to complications. With that in mind, it’s easier for me to have the discipline and the commitment to really take care of myself. In the past, I took a lot of things for granted: my health, my family. I felt I was Superman, but now I know I can go anytime. Now I live one day at a time, appreciating my health and my family.”

 

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“I gave up smoking.”

Rey Laguda had been smoking for at least 15 years before he decided to quit.
“I’ve tried quitting so many times because of the health risks smoking brings,” he says. “A friend once told me that I might get into the habit of “quitting”, and going back again, but this last time was different. When I made the decision to get married, I knew there were going to be changes in my lifestyle and outlook. I knew smoking was going to go - it was only a matter of time. Camille’s pregnancy brought so many blessings! Apart from the obvious ones, it helped me through the process of quitting the vice. It's not so much one or several incidents that made me stop; it's more of me understanding what I wanted in life against what I was losing if I continued smoking.”

Although he wanted it to happen, quitting was not easy. “I personally think it takes heart, mind, and body to succeed. All three are necessary to quit and to stick with it,” shares Rey. “During the whole time Camille was pregnant, it was a struggle for me. Fighting the urges, dealing with stress and the way I coped with them, sorting through excuses in my mind, and withdrawal symptoms. But as I said, it was a process, and I needed to force myself into it and go through it. It was the only way to get all three—heart, mind, and body—to agree and be in sync.”

Although he did it for his wife and unborn child, Rey also realized that he has gained something as well. “I breathe better,” he says. “I am now more conscious of my health. I am far from perfect but with more resolve to be more fit and healthy.”

 

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“I gave up my job.”

When Vier Tajonera’s wife Justine gave birth, they both decided that they wanted a parent at home with their son and future children. “We don't want our kids growing up with just the yaya,” he shares.

Because Vier wasn’t earning as much as Justine and he wasn’t exactly in love with his job either, it made sense that he gave it up and stayed home with the kids. “However, we had a deal,” he adds. “The prerequisite for me to quit my job was to have a business or a source of income. That's how Mom Massage came into existence.” Sometimes, he misses the income that he used to get from his job at the bank, but Vier says, “I came to realize my time was worth much more than the salary I used to receive. This life is better for me mainly because I own and control my time.”

Today, Vier is very happy with the choice he has made. “I feel alive and fulfilled. I feel more confident talking to people, especially to my classmates in high school and college, about what I do. And the best part of my day is playing with the kids. Whether it be playing video games, football, or just horsing around,” he says.  “My life has changed dramatically”.