Uwa Bu Ije (Life is a Journey)

Uwa bu ije summarizes a lot of the things we might probably go through in life. Indeed, life is a journey. 

I remember when I was a lot younger in primary and secondary school; I just wanted to be done with school and go get my dreams. I wanted to just take on the world! A lot of us wanted to unleash ourselves on the world and make positive changes all the way.

Well, how has that worked out for you? Have you got there yet? Have you made any significant progress in achieving that? Did you change your focus at some point? Were you brutally focused on getting there? How about the challenges you faced? How about the little bumps that almost discouraged you? The list goes on and on. Ije uwa (journey of life) is indeed a journey.  

Ije uwa (life’s journey/ journey of life) is one that is filled with lessons. It can be filled with joy and memorable moments too. It can come with pains, sorrow and joy. It can have a mix of happy times and not so happy times. it can have a mix of the good times and not so good times . Ije uwa is indeed something else and nobody gets out alive. However, through the journeys, some humans have managed to immortalize themselves.  Ooh okay, let us not go there. It would be a topic for another time. 

But, how has your journey been so far? What are the lessons you have learnt so far? Have you been able to create good memories? Have you been able to make the little moments count?  Have you been able to bond with your family and friends, and create long lasting memories? Have you managed to stay happy amidst the challenges that come with Ije uwa? Have you been able to maintain your sanity in the face of the challenges? Remember, nobody gets out alive in this journey. 

You remember that kid from the block that was very poor?  Today, he runs one of the biggest firms and has done really well for himself. You remember that other guy from the next street?  He worked so much to get his life started but ended up making little progress.  He is still trapped in the rat race! You remember that woman that waited for so long to have a child and lost her only child to hands of armed robbers??  Ooh, you also remember that other lady that is leaving happily ever after with her husband and children? 

You remember that guy/ lady that always wanted to get married but ended up not getting married? You see how her friends are all living with their families facing their own challenges??  How about that guy that graduated top of the class with no job or business till today? Ooh, how about other one that got a job with that big multinational and died the previous year? 

You see, these stories aren't new anymore. There is hardly any situation that is exactly new in this modern day and age. You think you’re alone? Think again please. However, everyone's Ije Uwa would be unique with peculiar challenges and experiences. Well, there is no guaranteed route to success. In the same way you can have a heart attack at 35 even if you eat healthy and exercise, you can sometimes fail even if you make the right decisions (unfortunately). What you can do, however, is dramatically increase the odds in your favor.

In my opinion, I would suggest that it is always best to live your best life and do as much as you can while enjoying the little moments.  Learn to take things easy and don't be too hard on yourself.  Treasure the little opportunities you find and I hope that you find the strength to face the challenges that comes in your Ije Uwa. 

In the end, stay happy and stay hydrated. Drink water and stay healthy!  In this Ije Uwa, challenges do not end. They would keep coming until the day you die. May be, the challenges are an integral part of our existence.  May be! 

To summarize, I will leave you with this: 

Remember that the only control you have is working hard and then let it be. 

Please drop some of the exciting challenges you might have passed through in your ije uwa so far in the comment session. 

Have a wonderful weekend guys!

Gpland

xxx

Read That Leaflet

Reading the leaflet attached to a drug pack before ingesting the drug can save you.  This can really save you! 

My god mother is a hypertensive patient. Once, she went to see the doctor and the following drugs were prescribed: Lisinopril, amlodipine and Indapamide. She carried on with the medications and felt really better. However, some weeks down the line after she started the medications, she began having this strange cough. Initially, she thought it was an ordinary cough and she was hoping it would subside after sometime. But, the cough continued and became worse. 

At that point, she proceeded to the pharmacy and she was given a cough syrup to help with the cough. She said, “whenever I take the cough syrup, the cough subsides only very temporarily and comes back even worse than it was”. Again, she thought the cough could have resulted due to an allergic reaction to something she is ingesting, and had to do a few adjustments to her meal. Still, the cough persisted!

When she spoke to me about it, I strongly encouraged her to go to the hospital and get medical attention. Then, she decided to call her doctor to have a chat about how she was feeling. Immediately, the doctor asked for a list of the blood pressure drugs she was  taking. Then, he  asked her to discontinue one of the drugs ; lisinopril, and told her that the cough will gradually reduce  until it stops totally when she discontinues the drug. She adhered to the doctor’s instruction and the cough reduced and disappeared as the doctor had predicted. 

Apparently, one of the side effects of lisinopril includes a dry tickly cough that doesn’t go away. So, reading the leaflet of a drug before ingesting it would go a long way in informing one on the RED FLAGS to watch out for when consuming any drug. Taking out that extra 2-5 minutes reading the leaflet attached to the drug before consumption could turn out to be a life saver. 

So, going forward, please endeavour to read the leaflet that comes with the drug and do not hesitate to seek medical attention when you start noticing something strange. Remember to take good care of your health. Do not self-medicate. Always get medical help from medical professionals. And, stay safe and well!

Have a great weekend ahead 

Gpland

xoxo

Do you really care?

When the popular Nollywood actor, Muna Obiekwe, died some years ago, the story that made the rounds was that he had suffered a kidney disease and needed funds, but was too scared to reach out to people for help. Some of you blamed him for dying in silence and some judged it as pride! 

I have also seen on FaceBook where some motivational speakers will be posting things like "speak out, don't die in silence, we are here for you’’, blah blah blah! And, I laugh!                    

                      You know what's missing in today's world? 

Genuine things, Genuine thoughts, Genuine care, Genuine affection, Geniune intentions, Genuine love and mostly importantly Genuine Humans - Emiliya

A few weeks ago, I made a post on Facebook and What’sApp, saying that “I needed help in this period of the lockdown due to COVID19 pandemic”. I can bet, a lot of folks probably saw this post but ignored it. Only a handful of people actually reached out to find out if everything was okay with me. Just a very few of them actually! They went the extra-mile to call and text, and I really appreciated it!

Over time, I have come to observe that as a people, generally, we are far from being as kind-hearted as we want to project ourselves to be. Oftentimes, it is all about ‘’showmanship”. That is why your neighbour knows that they'd rather eat their cold food in peace than come to knock your door to ask for a box of matches, on that rainy afternoon when theirs suddenly goes too wet to strike or is exhausted.

This is why your friend who has had a bladder failure and wet her bed, would rather keep the mattress indoors (even at the risk of it getting rotten!), than bring it out to air dry. That is why some would rather stay indoors and drink garri without milk or sugar for days and keep smiling, pretending that everything is great, rather than opening up to the next person.  

You, yes you that says you care, do you really care? Are you not just saying it to sound relevant? That woman (single mother of three) that approached you for assistance last term towards paying her children's school fees, didn't you turn her down after preaching a long sermon about why women should keep themselves? Didn't you throw in some 'useful' pieces of advice to her about 'how not to be lazy'? That pregnant girl that died having an abortion, would you have taken her in had she come to you for help?

During this pandemic, did you reach out to anyone? Were you able to give out a cup of rice from the one you have? Yes, you that gave out food packs to the less privilege and took a picture of them (without their consent), do you really care? Do you really care or was it just for a good PR and approval ratings from the public especially on social media? Do you really care? The last time you saw that stranded man/woman on the road; did you bother to reach out? Or, did you just assume that the stranded man/woman is one of those co-operate beggars on the road? 

Well, we need a change! What we need is love, real love! That kind of love that is never enough! That kind of love that is so compassionate! So merciful! The kind of love that understands what empathy is.

Let us really have a change of attitude. Let us endeavour to DO GOOD!

xoxo

Gpland

House_of_GP

Contributions from

Emmanuel Ohia and Godspower Dickson

The real value of money

Money has become such an important aspect of our everyday existence. Round the clock, people all over the world are engaged in various kinds of work in order to get money. Subsequently, this money would be used to provide basic needs of life to get by or can be invested to get ahead.

Overtime, the value of money has often been weighed by the measure of what it can buy i.e , it's purchasing power. However, I'll like to take a slightly different approach and explore the value of money from how it is got instead. This might give a new perspective to the value of money and might help improve how we spend money, invest it or even help improve how some people perceive gifts, especially when viewing such on a percentage basis taking into congnizance how much hard work was put in to getting that money.

Some weeks ago, I was privileged to visit a site where some construction work was on going. It was such a wonderful experience. The work men had to work so hard for their wages. Each mason man had to lay 120 blocks for about N3500. While , their respective laborers had to carry the 120 blocks to their individual mason man , measure out the required quantities of sand  to be mixed with the cement,  fetch the water that would be used for the mixing ,and finally carrying  the mortar to their respective mason for about N2000 or less ( depending on the negotiations). Sometimes, laying that amount of blocks can span for a period of over 5 hours. If the sun is intense on the day, the workers would feel the total effect of the heat from the sun while working. Indeed, the money made by these men isn't in any way easy. 

Have you ever seen those guys selling sachet water (popularly called pure water) or bottled water on the roads? Have you noticed how much distance they run to sell the water on the roads? These water sellers have to get up early to secure the water and get ready for the rush hours where sales are at its peak. Some of these sellers usually begin the day with just N200, which is equivalent to two bags of water or even N100 for a bag of sachet water. Usually, with every bag sold, the money is doubled. You see, these sellers have to work so hard, run so hard and take the risks of been hit by a vehicle, just to make a profit of N100. 

Understanding the process and the effort some people actually invest in making money can actually improve our own valuation of money . Understanding that some amongst us work so hard for just so little can change our view of money . Now, this here is the real  value of money ! 
I am guessing you might be familiar with other people around your neighborhood that might have to work so hard for so little. Please, feel free to add to the list of workers who work so hard for so little. They are the real deal! 

This write up is dedicated to all the people out there that work so hard to make ends meet. To all the people that work so hard just to get by. To all the hard workers that hustle even under the scorching heat of the sun to feed. You are the real gem! You are not alone!

Well done guys

I salute!

Gpland  

From

The House_House_of _GP

Hepatitis B Virus Infection

What is Hepatitis B Virus Infection?

Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is a major global health problem. It can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Facts

• Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
• The virus is most commonly transmitted from mother to child during birth and delivery, as well as through contact with blood or other body fluids.
• WHO estimates that in 2015, 257 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B infection (defined as hepatitis B surface antigen positive).
• In 2015, hepatitis B resulted in an estimated 887 000 deaths, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (i.e. primary liver cancer).
• As of 2016, 27 million people (10.5% of all people estimated to be living with hepatitis B) were aware of their infection, while 4.5 million (16.7%) of the people diagnosed were on treatment.
• Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccines that are safe, available and effective.

Transmission

·         hepatitis B is most commonly spread from mother to child at birth (perinatal transmission)

·         through horizontal transmission (exposure to infected blood), especially from an infected child to an uninfected child during the first 5 years of life.

If you enjoy giving a head (oral sex), thinking of getting a tattoo, if you like swallowing of sperm, and  unprotected sex , this might interest you:

·         Hepatitis B is also spread by needlestick injury, tattooing, piercing and exposure to infected blood and body fluids, such as saliva and, menstrual, vaginal, and seminal fluids

If you are LGBT or you have multiple sex partners, this might interest you:

·         Sexual transmission of hepatitis B may occur, particularly in unvaccinated men who have sex with men and heterosexual persons with multiple sex partners or contact with sex workers.

Health care and veterinary workers, please note:

·         Transmission of the virus may also occur through the reuse of needles and syringes either in health-care settings or among persons who inject drugs. In addition, infection can occur during medical, surgical and dental procedures, through tattooing, or through the use of razors and similar objects that are contaminated with infected blood

Vaccination is key, sterilization is key and having protected sex is also crucial.

Symptoms

·         Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

·         A small subset of persons with acute hepatitis can develop acute liver failure, which can lead to death.

·         In some people, the hepatitis B virus can also cause a chronic liver infection that can later develop into cirrhosis (a scarring of the liver) or liver cancer.

Who is at risk of chronic disease?

In infants and children:

• 80–90% of infants infected during the first year of life develop chronic infections; and
• 30–50% of children infected before the age of 6 years develop chronic infections.

In adults:

• less than 5% of otherwise healthy persons who are infected as adults will develop chronic infections; and
• 20–30% of adults who are chronically infected will develop cirrhosis and/or liver cancer.

 HOT!!! 

HBV-HIVCOINFECTION

According to WHO, about 1% of persons living with HBV infection (2.7 million people) are also infected with HIV. Conversely, the global prevalence of HBV infection in HIV-infected persons is 7.4%. Since 2015, WHO has recommended treatment for everyone diagnosed with HIV infection, regardless of the stage of disease. Tenofovir, which is included in the treatment combinations recommended as first-line therapy for HIV infection, is also active against HBV.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. Therefore, care is aimed at maintaining comfort and adequate nutritional balance, including replacement of fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. SEE A DOCTOR. NO SELF MEDICATION!

 Unfortunately,

In most people, however, the treatment does not cure hepatitis B infection, but only suppresses the replication of the virus. Therefore, most people who start hepatitis B treatment must continue it for life.

Challenging Realities

There is still limited access to diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B in many resource-constrained settings. In 2016, of the 257 million people living with HBV infection, 10.5% (27 million) were aware of their infection. Of those diagnosed, the global treatment coverage is 16.7% (4.5 million). Many people are diagnosed only when they already have advanced liver disease.

Among the long-term complications of HBV infections, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma cause a large disease burden. Liver cancer progresses rapidly, and since treatment options are limited, the outcome is generally poor.

Prevention

•          Vaccination is the most assured preventive measure against HBV.
•          All children and adolescents younger than 18 years and not previously vaccinated should receive the vaccine
•          In addition vaccination, implementation of blood safety strategies, including quality-assured screening of all donated blood and blood components used for transfusion, can prevent transmission of HBV.
•          Safe injection practices, eliminating unnecessary and unsafe injections, can be effective strategies to protect against HBV transmission.
•          Safer sex practices, including minimizing the number of partners and using barrier protective measures (condoms), also protect against transmission.

Stay safe guys!

xxx 😘 ❤️❤️

Gpland  

From

The House_House_of _GP

Random Tips From a Rich Pool

Marriage / relationship is an interesting topic. Consequently, there are a lot of advise out there about marriages and relationships. A lot of folks have expressed their opinions in diverse ways on the above. Still , it's not exhaustive! In this article, I will drop a few bullet points which might be useful in the bid to do marriage / relationship right. 

• Marry your friend. This is so key!
• Build memories and create family rituals rather than comparing your marriage with someone else’s.
• Be willing to learn and unlearn things.
• Be vulnerable and teachable.
•  Please both parties should learn to say "sorry" even though you are not the offender because two wrongs can’t make a right.

• Never say things out of anger. Control your emotions!
•  Never compare yourselves with others. Every relationship has its own unique challenges.
• Don’t go into marriage with expectations like a man should always provide solely or a woman should always be the one to cook. Be open-minded and flexible. This will save you a lot of troubles.
• Two people can’t understand love the same way, it is rare!  However, both should be ready to learn what love means to each other. Communication is key!
•  It’s not like men or women are right all the time. I’m not saying the husband isn’t the head. However, there are times the wife needs to understand the thought process of her man respectfully. Generally, communication can help create understanding and partners should endeavor to run things by each other.

•  We should all be ready to play the fool at some point. Swallow your pride! It won’t take you anywhere as you guys might be fighting and sleeping on the same bed.
•  I believe marriage is simply two forgivers living together. Do right, be right, forgive!
• How you pass a message across is very vital irrespective of the gender. There should always be understanding between both parties though. It makes everything easier.
•  Have a joint account where you save and from where you pay your bills. But also have your personal money.
• Can you guys just concentrate on knowing and finding yourselves first?
• Enjoy your company; take care of yourselves first. Love yourself(ves). And,  don’t stop after marriage.

I close with this :

• You can’t learn everything .  A lot you’ll learn while being married/ or in a relationship.

Again, this is far from being exhaustive. And, feel free to add yours to the unending list and share with your family and friends please 🙏.

xxx 😘 ❤️❤️

Gpland ( and contributions from AHS 2006 set ) 

From

The House_House_of _GP

Patterns: Nitty -Gritty Blabs in Relationship

You know how you just feel and are quite confident that this person likes you? That was how I felt towards her until I stopped seeing her for a long time. Recently, when we met, I was so excited and we talked for a bit before running along. However, we exchanged numbers and everyone was happy. Immediately I got home , I decided to call to know what's been happening with her and probably just talk a bit about nothing *smiles* . However, the first question I got from her was: are you working? Damn! In my mind, I couldn't just make sense of such a straight forward question. Well, I guess, that's how she rolls.

Back to the matter ...

The other day, I was chatting with a friend and we delved into relationship talks. He told me that he has met quite a number of ladies. But, one of them really stands out. Physical beauty and all of those superficial things aside, he said this particular lady talks to him and listens to him like no other person does. He enjoys the manner she talks to him. He went on to say that even when he's angry and so vexed , the way she talks to him and listens to him just helps to calm him down and makes him realize that he can be better . For that singular reason, he would choose her over every other lady he has met. Woooo, I didn’t see that coming!

Also, I remember someone telling me that he loves the way this particular lady loves him. He said: she loves me in a very special way and when I think of the way she loves me, I am just so happy and feel so blessed. For that, he said, he would choose her over every other lady he has met.

Well, the choice of who one goes out with or chooses to marry can come down to the very little things we unconsciously display/reveal. It might come down to the various characters and behaviors we portray every day, even unconsciously.  I call them ‘’patterns’’.

I like to think that the pattern captures both the personality and character an individual possesses as the character and personality can sometimes be very different. As Betty Russell (2016) puts it: ‘’Personality is not a predictor of character. We all know people with good character and delightful personalities, but if you are like me, you also know folks who may be fun at a party, but if you need someone to have your back ... they are not the ones you call. And then there's the really good person you know you should want to date, but--eh--there's no spark. That person of good character maybe has a not-so-great personality’’

My advice: In your search for a partner, pay more attention to the patterns the person displays. The pattern actually reveals the character and personality, and probably their true nature in more ways than you know. As Fitzgerald Scott puts it in his book, The Great Gatsby, ‘’Personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures’’.  Remember to always follow the ‘’ patterns’’.

Ooh, before I sign out, let me drop this here ...

You can be everything and more the person wants, but, if the person doesn't really like you, it won't matter. On the flip side, the person might just like you for no serious reason. Though, you might try to make sense of it, you just can’t! He/ she loves you the way you are. Well, in any case, just be the best person you can ever be and take it one day at a time.

xxx

Gpland

From

The House _of_GP