Just When I Thought
My hands were shaking and cold when I received the shocking news last Saturday, at around 6 o'clock in the evening. Mommy Vee sent me a text message, congratulating me. I didn't believe it at first. I thought I might have won some raffle or something, but when I saw my Facebook friends' posts on my wall, that was when I believed.. I passed..
Let me tell you a little something about what happened 6 months ago..
I was working at Convergys while preparing my papers for the NLE. I had to go back to school after working hours just to follow up my scrubs. Thought everything was easy, huh? There were a lot of delays and unexpected circumstances plus, I was having a hard time going to bed during day time. I would usually go to work feeling an ache on my head. So, with all the hassle and sleepless days, I decided to quit my work. Even my supervisor, also a nurse, encouraged me to take the board last December. I thought quitting was a good idea. It was, to say so but the problem with the papers still, hadn't been resolved. One thing I was having trouble with was our thesis output, which was supposed to be submitted earlier, a few weeks after the graduation. I spent a reasonable amount just to get it done and voila! One problem out, or so I thought. Although the output was submitted and I was cleared, more discrepancies and problems came. Toinks.. I had to wait for the CHED authenticated scrubs and for the signed and notarized RLE grades. Indeed, preparing documents to be submitted for the NLE application was very stressful.
When I thought I had all the documents I needed, I booked a round-trip ticket to Cebu and left on a Sunday, October 3, 2010, a few days after I accomplished all of the documents. (See how stressful nursing is??) I stayed at my uncle's house in Bulacao, Talisay City, together with three of my friends, Nong Mark, Gel and Jepunneh. The following day, Monday, we were driven by my uncle to PRC Cebu. It was fully packed by the crowding applicants and we had to follow a very long line, which looked like the Snake game on a mobile phone. It was 6:30 in the morning and the PRC Cebu office was still closed. To pass the time, we got to know some applicants from the province where we are from and we were surprised when they told us they had been falling in line since 2 o'clock!
After a few hours of waiting, the office opened and we barged in. Luckily, my aunt knew someone working at PRC and so we immediately consulted her. She gladly assisted us and so my friends had not had a hard time with the processing except with me. When I handed in my documents to her, she checked. I was glad as I saw her flipping over each page of my compiled documents when suddenly she stopped on a page (Photocopied RLE Grade) and felt the paper. She gave me a questioning look and asked if I brought an extra or perhaps an RLE grade with the school seal. I was scanning through my clear book hoping I could find one but I found none! I was sweating like a pig and my hands were shaking. I felt my world torn when she told me she was sorry she couldn't allow me to proceed to the next step since I had one lacking document. I tried putting myself back and thought of what to do next. I called my aunt and my uncle and explained what happened. I called my mom thereafter and she was exasperated. I asked her a little favor if she can reproduce another copy of my RLE grade. She agreed. I sighed with a little relief. I went home with frustration and questioned God. I kept asking myself what I did wrong. A few hours later, my mom called my uncle to inform him that she sent my RLE grades via LBC courier.
The next day, Tuesday, I stayed the whole day at my uncle's place. I finally received the document my mom sent me at noon on a Wednesday, just a few hours before my flight back to Bacolod. Good thing I thought of asking my aunt's friend for assistance again, which she gladly did and so I finished my filing in less than 10 minutes! That afternoon, I flew back to Bacolod.
A few days after the filing, the review for the board started. I think it went well because it was fun and I gained new friends namely. Sharmaine, Jaja, Emi Rald, Nang Marilou, April and Herbert. We had a lot of bonding moments together. We would go to malls, go to amusement parks and sing together in videoke houses. It was nice knowing them. But time passed by and we had to say our goodbyes when our review sessions came to an end, but left each other with a promise to meet again on the day of the oath taking ceremony.
I only had two weeks left since the review ended and before my departure to Cebu. I spent the remaining weeks reading on the materials distributed to us by our review lecturers and coordinators. I crammed and I did not know the extent of it. I simply said, "I'll read on what I can but I should not require myself to read and memorize everything."
A few days later, December 15, 2010, I flew back to Cebu. I spent the last four days before the examination day reading the materials. I wasn't so conscious of the time then.
Friday, December 17, 2010, my aunt and I went to a place in the south called, "Simala", a shrine built for Mama Mary in Sibonga, Cebu. Although I am not a Catholic myself, I had to be there and respect my aunt's beliefs since she and my uncle were devout Catholics. The place was so nice and looked like a castle from afar. I was mesmerized at the sight of the people entering the place of Mama Mary, asking her to answer their prayers. Cebuanos really have strong faiths and it is due to their faiths that they have been blessed by Mama Mary.
The following day, Saturday, was our closed-door coaching day with Sir Jhem Caraig. There were some pointers but I really did not rely on them. That night, I prayed fervently. It was my faith which strengthened and encouraged me.
I was awoken the following day with my alarm. I looked at my cell phone and it was around 3 in the morning. I got up, took a shower, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth and went back inside the room for my daily devotional. I was crying. But then, I managed to smile when some of my review friends called to wish me good luck. A few moments later, we headed off to the examination venue. It took us an hour to get to the venue. I saw some students wearing their white duty uniforms while we were on our way. A few more minutes since we left the house, we finally reached the school. The students were crowding the school's entrance. I was reunited with my other batch mates and had a little discussion with them while waiting for the school gates to open. Few minutes more and the school gates finally opened. We went inside immediately and went looking for our respective room assignments. Some students were lucky enough to be assigned to rooms on the first three floors except for me and the others. Unlucky for us, we were assigned to rooms on the 6th, 7th and 8th floors. And we had to take the stairs since the elevator was fully-packed! My anxiety kept rising as I trod up the steps. With my heart beating hastily and losing its rhythm, I finally found my room. I took a seat next to the chalk board and placed my things on my side.
A few minutes later, our proctors went inside. They were very considerate, very kind but firm and patient as well. We were tasked to fill out the very first page of the answer sheet set. My anxiety rose even more. We took our seats and started detaching our answer sheets. I was praying and I made sure that I kept it clean and wrinkle-free. I managed to detach one successfully and then I thanked Daddy God. When everything was all set, we all prayed together. The next thing we knew our questionnaires were handed to us. I counted the pages to make sure I got a complete set. I prayed again. I thanked Daddy God I got a complete one. As soon as I opened the first page and read the first question and the possible answers, my heart exploded...
I sat there for a while staring blankly on the page. It felt like I was broken. I began reciting the prayer that I had prepared a long time ago, the prayer almost the same with my sister's prayer when she took her board. After a few minutes of regaining my composure, I started answering. There were times when I had a hard time analyzing a question. There were times when I found one question easy. But then, at the back of my mind, I wasn't exactly sure if my answers were correct. Every time I found a question difficult to answer, I would feel the insides of my right-side pocket. I kept Sto. Nino inside my pocket all throughout the exam. I thought it helped but it didn't. I was desperate when I knew that I might have made the wrong answer. I was even more desperate when I saw some of my room mates submitting their papers. I thought I was the only student who had a hard time answering the exam. I wasn't even sure if I shaded the boxes correctly. I prayed and asked forgiveness from Daddy God for choosing the wrong answers and for shading incorrectly. I got worried when a batch mate and I met at the canteen to discuss some of our answers. My apprehension intensified when she told me it was easy for her while it was difficult for me. Disappointed, I went home and cried so hard that night. I kept questioning the Lord for leaving me. The next day came but this time, I was a little bit fine. I thought talking to my Daddy God the other night relieved me somehow.
When the days of the exam were over. I promised myself a vacation. I spent Christmas in Cebu with my mom and some of her elementary batch mates and even went to Dumaguete to attend our church's Single's Conference. My vacation indeed ended with a blast. I was very satisfied and was too preoccupied that I forgot about the exams! The remaining days after the exams were merely spent on prayer and having a positive outlook.
My anxiety remained to its fullest level and it hasn't decreased since the start of the exams. I've heard many issues regarding the release of the results. When I found out it was intended to be released on a Sunday, February 20, 2011, I decided to switch off my phones and not go online in Facebook.
But then, I was teased. I was online on Facebook at around 6 in the evening when suddenly there was a ring on my phone. I checked to find out that it was a message. It was from Mommy Vee. I opened it and was speechless with the content of her message. It said, "Congrats, Je!" I stopped and wondered. I replied with, "Mommy, for what?" She replied, "You passed the board!" Still dumbfounded, I called her. "Mommy, please I don't have time for jokes like this. Did I win the Gaisano raffle?" She said, "No! You passed your board exams! I asked my nephew to check it online! You did it!"
Did she just say, "You did it?"
I did not believe it at first until I checked it myself online. I cried so hard when I saw my name on the name list. I could not believe it! Daddy God heard my prayers! Just when I thought I made the wrong choices, that was when Daddy God's wonders worked. All throughout the exams, He was holding my pencil and was answering for me! I wasn't alone! He was there! And now, He just made me feel that I was and will never be alone. Thank you, Daddy God! I love you but I know You love me more than I do! Thank you, you made my mom proud! I am proud to say that I am and always will be a FILIPINO REGISTERED NURSE! =))
To my tagged friends: I know this is long. But passing the board made me so inspired to write this. I don't really insist that you read this but if you do, I hope it might be of an inspiration to you as well. I don't even care if you would like it or not, so long as you have learned something from it. Thanks! God bless you all!.. =))
Jem's Note:
This is a copied, pasted and edited version of the note from my Facebook account, which was written on February 22, 2011.
Let me tell you a little something about what happened 6 months ago..
I was working at Convergys while preparing my papers for the NLE. I had to go back to school after working hours just to follow up my scrubs. Thought everything was easy, huh? There were a lot of delays and unexpected circumstances plus, I was having a hard time going to bed during day time. I would usually go to work feeling an ache on my head. So, with all the hassle and sleepless days, I decided to quit my work. Even my supervisor, also a nurse, encouraged me to take the board last December. I thought quitting was a good idea. It was, to say so but the problem with the papers still, hadn't been resolved. One thing I was having trouble with was our thesis output, which was supposed to be submitted earlier, a few weeks after the graduation. I spent a reasonable amount just to get it done and voila! One problem out, or so I thought. Although the output was submitted and I was cleared, more discrepancies and problems came. Toinks.. I had to wait for the CHED authenticated scrubs and for the signed and notarized RLE grades. Indeed, preparing documents to be submitted for the NLE application was very stressful.
When I thought I had all the documents I needed, I booked a round-trip ticket to Cebu and left on a Sunday, October 3, 2010, a few days after I accomplished all of the documents. (See how stressful nursing is??) I stayed at my uncle's house in Bulacao, Talisay City, together with three of my friends, Nong Mark, Gel and Jepunneh. The following day, Monday, we were driven by my uncle to PRC Cebu. It was fully packed by the crowding applicants and we had to follow a very long line, which looked like the Snake game on a mobile phone. It was 6:30 in the morning and the PRC Cebu office was still closed. To pass the time, we got to know some applicants from the province where we are from and we were surprised when they told us they had been falling in line since 2 o'clock!
After a few hours of waiting, the office opened and we barged in. Luckily, my aunt knew someone working at PRC and so we immediately consulted her. She gladly assisted us and so my friends had not had a hard time with the processing except with me. When I handed in my documents to her, she checked. I was glad as I saw her flipping over each page of my compiled documents when suddenly she stopped on a page (Photocopied RLE Grade) and felt the paper. She gave me a questioning look and asked if I brought an extra or perhaps an RLE grade with the school seal. I was scanning through my clear book hoping I could find one but I found none! I was sweating like a pig and my hands were shaking. I felt my world torn when she told me she was sorry she couldn't allow me to proceed to the next step since I had one lacking document. I tried putting myself back and thought of what to do next. I called my aunt and my uncle and explained what happened. I called my mom thereafter and she was exasperated. I asked her a little favor if she can reproduce another copy of my RLE grade. She agreed. I sighed with a little relief. I went home with frustration and questioned God. I kept asking myself what I did wrong. A few hours later, my mom called my uncle to inform him that she sent my RLE grades via LBC courier.
The next day, Tuesday, I stayed the whole day at my uncle's place. I finally received the document my mom sent me at noon on a Wednesday, just a few hours before my flight back to Bacolod. Good thing I thought of asking my aunt's friend for assistance again, which she gladly did and so I finished my filing in less than 10 minutes! That afternoon, I flew back to Bacolod.
A few days after the filing, the review for the board started. I think it went well because it was fun and I gained new friends namely. Sharmaine, Jaja, Emi Rald, Nang Marilou, April and Herbert. We had a lot of bonding moments together. We would go to malls, go to amusement parks and sing together in videoke houses. It was nice knowing them. But time passed by and we had to say our goodbyes when our review sessions came to an end, but left each other with a promise to meet again on the day of the oath taking ceremony.
I only had two weeks left since the review ended and before my departure to Cebu. I spent the remaining weeks reading on the materials distributed to us by our review lecturers and coordinators. I crammed and I did not know the extent of it. I simply said, "I'll read on what I can but I should not require myself to read and memorize everything."
A few days later, December 15, 2010, I flew back to Cebu. I spent the last four days before the examination day reading the materials. I wasn't so conscious of the time then.
Friday, December 17, 2010, my aunt and I went to a place in the south called, "Simala", a shrine built for Mama Mary in Sibonga, Cebu. Although I am not a Catholic myself, I had to be there and respect my aunt's beliefs since she and my uncle were devout Catholics. The place was so nice and looked like a castle from afar. I was mesmerized at the sight of the people entering the place of Mama Mary, asking her to answer their prayers. Cebuanos really have strong faiths and it is due to their faiths that they have been blessed by Mama Mary.
The following day, Saturday, was our closed-door coaching day with Sir Jhem Caraig. There were some pointers but I really did not rely on them. That night, I prayed fervently. It was my faith which strengthened and encouraged me.
I was awoken the following day with my alarm. I looked at my cell phone and it was around 3 in the morning. I got up, took a shower, ate breakfast, brushed my teeth and went back inside the room for my daily devotional. I was crying. But then, I managed to smile when some of my review friends called to wish me good luck. A few moments later, we headed off to the examination venue. It took us an hour to get to the venue. I saw some students wearing their white duty uniforms while we were on our way. A few more minutes since we left the house, we finally reached the school. The students were crowding the school's entrance. I was reunited with my other batch mates and had a little discussion with them while waiting for the school gates to open. Few minutes more and the school gates finally opened. We went inside immediately and went looking for our respective room assignments. Some students were lucky enough to be assigned to rooms on the first three floors except for me and the others. Unlucky for us, we were assigned to rooms on the 6th, 7th and 8th floors. And we had to take the stairs since the elevator was fully-packed! My anxiety kept rising as I trod up the steps. With my heart beating hastily and losing its rhythm, I finally found my room. I took a seat next to the chalk board and placed my things on my side.
A few minutes later, our proctors went inside. They were very considerate, very kind but firm and patient as well. We were tasked to fill out the very first page of the answer sheet set. My anxiety rose even more. We took our seats and started detaching our answer sheets. I was praying and I made sure that I kept it clean and wrinkle-free. I managed to detach one successfully and then I thanked Daddy God. When everything was all set, we all prayed together. The next thing we knew our questionnaires were handed to us. I counted the pages to make sure I got a complete set. I prayed again. I thanked Daddy God I got a complete one. As soon as I opened the first page and read the first question and the possible answers, my heart exploded...
I sat there for a while staring blankly on the page. It felt like I was broken. I began reciting the prayer that I had prepared a long time ago, the prayer almost the same with my sister's prayer when she took her board. After a few minutes of regaining my composure, I started answering. There were times when I had a hard time analyzing a question. There were times when I found one question easy. But then, at the back of my mind, I wasn't exactly sure if my answers were correct. Every time I found a question difficult to answer, I would feel the insides of my right-side pocket. I kept Sto. Nino inside my pocket all throughout the exam. I thought it helped but it didn't. I was desperate when I knew that I might have made the wrong answer. I was even more desperate when I saw some of my room mates submitting their papers. I thought I was the only student who had a hard time answering the exam. I wasn't even sure if I shaded the boxes correctly. I prayed and asked forgiveness from Daddy God for choosing the wrong answers and for shading incorrectly. I got worried when a batch mate and I met at the canteen to discuss some of our answers. My apprehension intensified when she told me it was easy for her while it was difficult for me. Disappointed, I went home and cried so hard that night. I kept questioning the Lord for leaving me. The next day came but this time, I was a little bit fine. I thought talking to my Daddy God the other night relieved me somehow.
When the days of the exam were over. I promised myself a vacation. I spent Christmas in Cebu with my mom and some of her elementary batch mates and even went to Dumaguete to attend our church's Single's Conference. My vacation indeed ended with a blast. I was very satisfied and was too preoccupied that I forgot about the exams! The remaining days after the exams were merely spent on prayer and having a positive outlook.
My anxiety remained to its fullest level and it hasn't decreased since the start of the exams. I've heard many issues regarding the release of the results. When I found out it was intended to be released on a Sunday, February 20, 2011, I decided to switch off my phones and not go online in Facebook.
But then, I was teased. I was online on Facebook at around 6 in the evening when suddenly there was a ring on my phone. I checked to find out that it was a message. It was from Mommy Vee. I opened it and was speechless with the content of her message. It said, "Congrats, Je!" I stopped and wondered. I replied with, "Mommy, for what?" She replied, "You passed the board!" Still dumbfounded, I called her. "Mommy, please I don't have time for jokes like this. Did I win the Gaisano raffle?" She said, "No! You passed your board exams! I asked my nephew to check it online! You did it!"
Did she just say, "You did it?"
I did not believe it at first until I checked it myself online. I cried so hard when I saw my name on the name list. I could not believe it! Daddy God heard my prayers! Just when I thought I made the wrong choices, that was when Daddy God's wonders worked. All throughout the exams, He was holding my pencil and was answering for me! I wasn't alone! He was there! And now, He just made me feel that I was and will never be alone. Thank you, Daddy God! I love you but I know You love me more than I do! Thank you, you made my mom proud! I am proud to say that I am and always will be a FILIPINO REGISTERED NURSE! =))
To my tagged friends: I know this is long. But passing the board made me so inspired to write this. I don't really insist that you read this but if you do, I hope it might be of an inspiration to you as well. I don't even care if you would like it or not, so long as you have learned something from it. Thanks! God bless you all!.. =))
Jem's Note:
This is a copied, pasted and edited version of the note from my Facebook account, which was written on February 22, 2011.
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