about Leomar

It’s pretty difficult to decide where to begin with this entry because there have been so many situations demanding my thoughts. As much as I’d love to choose just one, the others seem to cry out for their turn to be first. But since I have to start somewhere, I’ll go with my personal challenges first, the rest can follow.

Let’s begin...

As I mentioned in my previous blog, I’ve now completed my training in Medical Coding, and to be honest, the anxiety I once ignored has only grown bigger. I can’t say I’m in the best condition to take the CPC exam, but I keep telling myself that I’m ready. Perhaps I feel pressured to take it this year because if I wait until next year, new versions of the study materials will be released, and that might bring changes to what I’ve already learned. But judging from the changes between last year’s and this year’s versions, it probably won’t make that much difference.

Another reason I’m hesitant is because of the possible exam questions related to medical terms and organizational standards, topics that aren’t directly tied to diagnosis and procedure coding, which I’ve heavily focused on. I was stunned when I saw those kinds of questions during our mock exam. Even though there were only a few of them, they still worry me. I keep thinking that even if I do perfectly on the ICD-10-CM, CPT, and HCPCS sections, I might still fail because of those other questions. Am I being paranoid? Maybe.

Now here comes another challenge I’m facing. The CPC exam isn’t free. Before I can even take it, I need to register for an AAPC membership, which also costs money. On top of that, I need to bring original coding books to the exam, and since the ones I got are just copies, I’ll either have to buy or rent the official ones, all of which I simply can’t afford right now because I’m unemployed.

This ties back to my earlier concern about the exam deadline. Even if I manage to find a job soon, I have less than two months to take the exam before the next version comes out. In that short time, I probably wouldn’t be able to save enough to cover the total cost. If I don’t take the exam this year, I’ll have to restudy everything I’ve learned over the past five months. Still, it doesn’t seem too overwhelming-- I can handle it.

At the moment, I’m looking for a job, even if it’s not related to medical coding, because most coding job postings require a CPC license and to make it harder, many also require a bachelor’s degree in a medical field. I’ll find a way around that. I actually had an interview earlier this week for a kitchen staff position, but it paid below minimum wage. Many of my friends discouraged me from accepting it because it was way too low for a 10 hour shift. They said I’d earn more as a cleaner, working just 8 hours for double the pay. Trusting their advice, I turned down the offer and am now searching for other opportunities with their help. As for asking financial help from my new friends here in the UAE for the CPC exam, I decided against it because we’re all facing our own struggles.

Well, this helps, writing about my life’s little dramas. Haha! I actually meant to write about other people’s challenges that affect me, but maybe next time.

I’ll have to keep my hope afloat, no matter the burdens I carry, those I face now and whatever may come in the future.

Well then, it’s time to get back to reviewing what I’ve studied to keep everything fresh, and to keep searching for a job that will one day lead me to the CPC exam.

Ciao!

"The Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog" by Caspar David Friedrich

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." ~James 1:2–4

Back in May, I made a bold decision to remain here in the UAE after much difficult reflection, sacrificing the dreams I had envisioned back home. Perhaps those dreams are only postponed, if God still wills them to come to reality in the days ahead. Though I don’t particularly like being here, and the choice to stay wasn’t easy, I must say it has brought joy to my family. Seeing them happy about it has given me peace, like I’ve achieved something meaningful by living out a selfless principle—to share joy, not hoard it. Of course, it’s not always going to be a smooth, happy story, there will be bumps along the way. After all, driving on a perfectly paved road rarely leaves you with any sense that a real journey took place.

Since it took me a while to decide to stay, it also took me some time to start my life here in the UAE. Unlike back home where I could survive with almost nothing if I were willing to live like a hermit, life in a foreign land is a different story. If you want to make progress, you have to embrace both what you love and what you despise, the things you're proud of and even those you’re embarrassed by. It’s a real-life version of Charles Darwin’s survival of the fittest. Sure, struggles exist back home too, but the difference between the two worlds is vast. I came to know it even in just a short time because it’s something that strongly radiates from the people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, and the unique culture of this land. As I’ve often said (and I don’t know how much longer I’ll keep saying it) I don’t like this place but I have to be here. My entire existence is anchored to what I believe is the purpose of my life. But even a ship with its anchor dropped doesn’t stay perfectly still—it drifts with the current, and that, best reflects my current situation.

Anyway, that’s enough for the drama.

Right now, I’m in my fourth month of training to become a Medical Coder. I’d say it’s neither easy nor hard—it’s somewhere in between. But as the saying goes, “not choosing between two options is choosing the worst,” so I’ll admit it’s hard, at least for me. What I find most challenging isn’t the coding guidelines, but the medical terminologies. They’re all so new to me that I feel like I’ve figured out how to navigate the system, but maybe I underestimated the weight of what I’m carrying. It’s like learning to drive a 10-wheeler truck, I might know how to steer it but I didn’t anticipate how tough it would be once it’s fully loaded with deliveries I’m responsible for. To add to that, I struggle to understand my professor because of the language barrier. While most of my co-trainees, both Filipinos and foreigners, seem to follow her well enough, I often find myself in the corner, wishing for subtitles would magically appear whenever she speaks. It’s different from previous trainings I’ve been where we were almost treated like preschoolers, this one feels like a leaf drifting quickly down a river—you catch a glimpse of it, and it’s gone, khalas! I don't mean to sound ungrateful—after all, I’m a foreigner in this land, and it’s my responsibility to adapt. So between the unfamiliar medical terms, the difficulty in comprehension, and the fast-paced teaching style, the struggle is oh so real. Even when I replay the recorded sessions made my keyboard’s back arrow starting to wear out. But to be clear, none of this discourages me. In fact, it pushes me even further, and I welcome it. I’ve given my full consent to this struggle because I know it’s for my own good and for the good of others. This my way of surviving in this foreign land and I got to do it by hook or by crook!

Another struggle that I—well, my entire family have had to face, which even affected my new found friends, is the legality of my stay here in the UAE. I can’t legally remain without a valid working visa, and such a visa isn’t simply handed out by the government; it comes with fees, restrictions, and rules.

A friend of my sister’s—let’s call her Choi—offered to help me get a partner’s visa that would allow me to stay legally for two years. The process was initiated, and a new visa was issued, so we believed everything was settled, I could stay and move freely in public. But what we thought was okay turned out not to be. After going through the entire process and with my sister Apol paying the fees in full, we later found out that two essential components were still missing to make the visa fully legal—those are Medical Insurance and the Emirates ID, which every expat must have. I frequently reminded Choi about these requirements, and each time she assured me everything was under control until the day I was fined for overstaying. This brought anger and frustration to our family at a time when we were already dealing with other pressing challenges. It wasn’t just me she betrayed, but also the friendship she had with my sister and the trust of our whole family. Believe me, we have tried reaching out to her to resolve this, but she’s been elusive and insists that everything was done properly. When I first raised the issue back in June, she seemed surprised the process wasn’t complete, giving me hope she would fix it. But now, faced with the truth, she’s had no choice but to indirectly admit she didn’t finalize it despite being fully paid.

Right now, I’m stuck at home, afraid to go out because I don’t want to risk legal consequences that I never wished to fall upon me. Thankfully, I have friends ready to take up arms not just for me, but for my entire family. Hopefully, by God’s will, everything will be resolved—whether or not it turns out as we hoped, as long as it’s alright, that will be good enough.

UPDATE: August 1, 2025—I started writing this blog yesterday while waiting for my friend, Sis. Faye, who had accompanied me to the Typing Center to help sort out my visa issues. They initially managed to work around the problem, but there was only a slim chance of getting it resolved. We were advised to closely monitor the status of the application which I did throughout the night. When I saw no updates, I eventually drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Sis. Faye kept calling me. I had a feeling it was about the application. I woke up late, having stayed late the night before, and though I hadn’t checked the status yet, I sensed she probably had. Still, whether it was approved or not, I knew I had to accept the outcome with peace. After all, there wasn’t much I could do in the first place. Sis. Faye had even covered all the expenses of the transactions. Then, with a calm and somber voice, she began, “Tito...” followed by a brief pause, “it’s approved.” I hurriedly thanked God, both for the approval and for using Sis. Faye as an instrument of His grace.

Now, it's clearer to me that I’m meant to be here in the UAE not simply because I chose to, but because God has a far better plan than mine. After all, I am His servant. Let it be done to me according to His will.

"Forgotten Village" by Arkhip Kuindzhi

After a long internal struggle about whether to stay here in the UAE or return home to the Philippines, and after many prayers and a looooot of reflection, I finally decided to stay.

I had been holding back from flying home, despite my sister’s and mother’s silent and subtle pleas for me to remain. A couple of friends even "kidnapped" me for several nights for some fun-- cleverly disguising it as an attempt to convince me to stay. Even my family back in the Philippines wanted me to stay. It felt like I was carrying this decision alone like it was me against the world. But of course, Our Lord and Our Lady were always there to ease the weight in my heart.

I made my decision on May 6, 2025. That day, I was reading the Gospel and its reflection on my Daily Mass Reading app, and I was deeply moved. I even pretended to use the toilet just to give myself one last moment to reflect. That afternoon, while doing groceries and listening to Gospel songs through my earbuds, I suddenly said to myself, "I’m going to stay."

The Magnificat kept repeating in my mind-- Our Lady visiting St. Elizabeth, a reflection that deserves its own post. And while I was waiting at the bus stop, the song "I Am With You" started playing, and I was so moved I almost cried… though, crying in the scorching UAE heat didn’t seem ideal! When I got home, I asked my sister how to reserve the flight ticket, she asked why and I told her I’ve decided to stay. She low-key screamed in excitement.

Unfortunately, the ticket I had couldn’t be reserved or transferred. I considered selling it, but the name couldn’t be changed. The only option left was to rebook it, which might cost more. Thankfully, one of my sister’s friends suggested I rebook it for a few months to a year later, when the rebooking fee might be cheaper.

Now that I’ve decided to stay, I’m starting from scratch. After much thought, I came across a Medical Coding course that doesn’t require a medical background-- very convenient. I told my sister about it, hoping she’d help since I had no money. To my surprise, she was happy about my decision and even paid the full training fee. She also reminded me that it was the first thing she suggested before, which I had ignored.

Yesterday, May 10, I officially enrolled in the course. I was given gigantic books but I didn’t feel overwhelmed. I had already done some research, even if briefly, and I’ve got the gist of it. I truly believe I can do this.

And so, a new journey begins. But this time, I won’t waste a single bit of it.

For the glory of God. Amen!

It’s still winter season, and this is the best time to explore the UAE. As I was told, there are only two types of weather in this country: extreme cold or extreme heat. Coming from a tropical country, I can already imagine how hot it must get, because if it’s this cold now, I can only expect how scorching it will be once the season changes. It’s also only during this season that the Sheikh Zayed Festival is celebrated in Al Wathbah, halfway between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi.

During our visit, we were lucky to get tickets at a lower price, which significantly increased by New Year's Eve-- probably due to the one-hour-long fireworks display. Although we missed this spectacular event, I’d still say our visit was perfectly timed. We went as a family, and the 70 dirhams admission fee was much more affordable compared to the 350 dirhams it became after the price hike. We also had more time to enjoy the place than we expected.

Right at the entrance, I was already overwhelmed by the effort put into the event, it was like they were telling me to prepare for a feast for the eyes. Once inside, it was clear that no expense had been spared, everything was designed to give an unforgettable experience. Everywhere I turned, there was something new and amazing to see. I also had the chance to witness a performance by Emiratis performing the Al Ayyala (I’m not entirely sure if that's the correct name, but after doing some research, I believe it’s one of its many variations). Although I didn’t understand a single word, knowing that it’s their preserved tradition made me appreciate it even more.

The place was so vast that I never felt bored, even though we were just walking around. However, we were in a bit of a rush, and I didn’t get to fully absorb the mesmerizing moments whenever something caught my interest. We were in a hurry because someone was waiting for us in Abu Dhabi. They say it's like Dubai's Global Village, although I’ve never been there, I imagine the concept must be similar. There were different areas representing different countries, showcasing their cultures, arts, and products. I even got to watch an Indian dance performance right before my eyes, it was so upbeat that I almost wanted to join in! While there were some things that seemed unusual to me, I understood that it’s part of their culture, and it wouldn’t be right for me to judge or laugh at it. They might find things from my culture just as strange. What made me a little sad was that I didn’t get the chance to try any of their delicacies. As I mentioned earlier, we were pressed for time. We only had about 30 minutes to stay there, so instead of strolling and enjoying the food and the view, we were rushing from one spot to another to snap family pictures.

The lighting, the atmosphere, the structures, the exhibits, and the shows, it was like there was no end to the things to see! I’d only ever seen those things on television, and just that was enough to excite me. So you can imagine how thrilling it was to finally experience it all in person! It was truly amazing!

In less than an hour, we departed from the Festival and continued our outing to Abu Dhabi, where we had dinner at a luxurious hotel, all thanks to my cousin, Genevieve, who treated us. We had pizza and a sushi boat with, if I remember correctly, five different kinds of sushi. Afterward, we went sightseeing around Abu Dhabi. I’ve always had a fear of heights, but seeing the gigantic buildings there only intensified it. I developed an even stronger fear-- fear of heights just from looking at those towering structures. We didn’t stay long and traveled back to Al Ain, where we currently reside. It was almost a two-hour trip, but I slept throughout the ride and woke up when we arrived at around three in the morning.

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Down and Over

THE ROAD IS NOT SMOOTH, BUT IT IS MINE

AND SO IT BEGINS!

FROM SHEIK ZAYED FESTIVAL LIGHTS TO ABU DHABI CITY SIGHTS

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