Super Dok

And he is gone again

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 03:14:00 +0000

For three consecutive Saturdays my dad was with us. He came at seven in the morning. He joined us for breakfast after all needed examinations were done. He was always enthusiastic and happy, as if on top of the world. He shared to us a lot of his past experiences, most of them I heard so many times before. Except for his health and his already aging body, he is very much the same. He is still the dad I spent a lot of my childhood memories with.

First Saturday. He spent breakfast and lunch with us. In between, he chatted with my kids, asked them too many questions with regards to their studies. It was his first time to spend more than an hour with them. He was observing them and was constantly giving them advises. He went home after lunch.

Second Saturday. He brought us fresh produce from the market. How thoughtful of him. He looked more relaxed and at home now that he begun exploring the entire house, something he never did during his past visits. He stayed the whole day and even went with us when we attended the anticipated mass later that day. He bought crabs on our way home from the church, offered to cook, and stayed for dinner. It was late when he bade goodbye.

Third Saturday. Dad was his usual self, even happier I think. He brought with him some clothes this time. I was hesitant to ask but I suspected that he would stay for the night. And he did. He cooked ginataang tilapia for and ginataang alimango for dinner. I never knew he is fond of cooking anything with coconut cream. He never really did that when I was still growing up.

The following day, Sunday, Dad woke up earlier than all of us. Since it is my time of tutoring the kids, he spent most of his Sunday morning watching TV alone or talking to the maids. It was in the afternoon when he asked my husband to prescribe some medicine to his adopted son who is suffering from cough and colds. The boy came with the driver when the latter fetched him.

After he left, we decided to tell Dad through text that we love treat him and care for him but not with any member of his other family. There were previous occasions that we treated each one of them, and we allowed it because we were hoping that it would end there. But it did not.

(to be continued)

Sunday, a Family Day

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:27:00 +0000

I love Sundays! It is always the day I looked forward to every week. It is the day when the whole family is at home, enjoying our free time together.

Our family always spend our Sundays at home, except on special occasions when we have to attend meetings, birthdays, etc. It is the day when the kids make their homework, getting ready for the school day ahead. It is also the day when we watch TV or DVDs together. It is the day when I prepare something special for my family to eat. It is always my day in the kitchen.

Because of our internet problem, we just can't refrain from going out today. We need to go to the mall where the internet cafe is. To my surprise, there are lots of people in the mall. Even having a seat in the internet cafe took each of us 15 minutes to wait.

Outside the cafe, people are just chatting with one another trying to catch up with the latest news. Some are just window shopping, others are just plain lazying out wearing slippers and house clothes. Well, doing that is waste of time for me. I'd rather stay at home than walk endlessly in the mall trying to kill time.

Avoiding Miscarriage

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 09:07:00 +0000

Several factors are associated with miscarriage. Oftentimes if it's not genetic, or a previous history, it is work-related. As doctors, we often advise patients to take a rest and avoid stressful situations. We also advise refraining from or totally avoiding smoking or alcohol consumption.

In a recent US study, it has been found that high doses of caffeine also increases risk for miscarriage. It was mentioned in the paper that high doses meant caffeine of more than 200mg. This is approximately around three cups of coffee and around five cans of caffeinated softdrinks.

So, if you are pregnant, it better to totally refrain from drinking anything with caffeine. It is better to be safe than to be sorry.

No Internet Connection Again!

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 08:56:00 +0000

Today is Sunday, and I'm spending a part of it in an internet cafe just because we have no internet connection AGAIN. Our internet provider, Digitel DSL, failed to provide us connection for almost two weeks now for the same reason as before - stolen cable.

My husband already contacted their office but they just couldn't do anything. We just have to wait. But until when is really a problem. There is no definite date given.

The problem is we still have to pay in full though the problem is on their part. This has really affected my family. And that include the kids. Internet connection is really a necessity in our household.

We did not sign the waver

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 04:46:00 +0000

Raymund, now a ten-year old boy, pursued his dream to become a varsity player. Of course, we are very supportive of him, preparing everything he needs for the first tournament, an event sponsored by Milo. Everything is now ready. BUT there's one last thing we had to do as parents - to sign a waver.

They (the organizers) don't actually call it as waver. They call the paper they are asking parents to sign as "application form". It is stated in the paper that "we, the organizers and the school, have no liability for whatever happens to your child during the tournament".

My husband and I refused to sign simply because signing will leave us with nothing but to accept the consequences just in case something happens. Basketball is a rough game and anything can happen. This already happened to a doctor-friend of ours whose daughter met an accident while performing in the cheering squad. The kid was on the third level, standing on the shoulders of her team mates who were in the second level, when she fell to the floor, her head banging on the ground. The father spent a fortune for his daughter's hospitalization with not a single cent from the school nor the organizers, just because he signed the waver. Luckily, his daughter is alive and the accident left no permanent damage.

We asked the school to allow Raymund to play, without us signing the paper. They then referred us to the organizers. The representatives of Milo called us up, asking us why we are "afraid" that something might happen. They said they prefer that Raymund be removed from the team rather than joining with incomplete requirements. But the school does not want to remove him knowing his capability. Raymund is the star player. And so he stayed.

It is not actually a question of being afraid. As parents, we want the best for Raymund. We want him safe wherever he is and whoever he is with. Signing the waver removes that responsibility from the organizers to take care of these kids, not just with Raymund. They just don't want any liability.PERIOD.

On Raymund's part, joining the varsity is voluntary, no one pressured him, no one asked him. He just like to do it, to play bearing the name of his school. And we pay the tuition fee in full, with no discounts, even him as varsity player.

The decision is that the organizers will have to observe how he play on the first game. If he is not good enough, he is out of the team. My son is quite apprehensive. I know he wants to say as a varsity player. We explained to him our point and I know he understands.

UPDATE: My son has been totally disqualified from the Milo tournament. But he is definitely joining the IRAA games.

The Importance of Sleep

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 01:19:00 +0000

Busy individuals are so used to depriving themselves of quality sleep just to get things done. I myself is not an exception. Because of too many things to do and with too little time, that is the most appropriate thing to do at the moment.

Coming from a family of diabetics, I am at risk of having one. But with regular exercise, and at the age of 42, I do my best to keep free from the disease. And I can say that so far, I am successful in that aspect. Lately, I read a study conducted by University of Chicago that suppressing deep slow-wave sleep for three consecutive nights increases the risk of having diabetes. So, this I have to work on.

Slow-wave sleep is the deep, restful type occurring at the onset of sleep, that is during the first hour, interrupted periodically by REM sleep, then recurs again. It comprises around 75% of the total sleep time of a young adult. The brain waves at this stage of sleep are very slow, and there is decrease in up to 30% of the blood pressure, respiratory rate, and basal metabolic rate. It is the stage of sleep that restores the normal balance among the neuronal centers.

In the study, it has been found that depriving one's self for three nights of adequate quality sleep decreases insulin sensitivity. This means that the body's ability to process glucose is reduced and thus increase diabetes risk.

See, reduced amounts of deep sleep is really bad. It has been associated with aging, obesity, and metabolic abnormalities. Now, with diabetes. So, I see to it that I don't deprive myself of sleep three nights in a row, even during my busy days. I want to live long enough to see my future grandchildren, or even my great grandchildren.

A Journey to the Movie house

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 00:30:00 +0000

The last time I entered a movie house was....uhm....years ago ( I don't actually remember exactly when). It is because it is more convenient for us to watch DVDs at home. Well, as part of my hubby's birthday celebration, I watched a movie on a weekday with the entire family.

Choosing a movie that would suit everyone, especially my six-year-old boy, is a must. I don't want anybody going out of the movie house in the middle of the story just because he is bored or something. So I have to read reviews on the different films being shown and be able to choose the best for our group. It was good it was the first day of screening of Journey to the Center of the Earth. All of us did really enjoy the movie.

It is a fantasy, action, adventure movie with Brendan Fraser as Professor Trevor Anderson, a teacher and the head of the Center of Volcanic Activity. His brother, Max, a scientist, disappeared when he placed the monitoring units he built around the world. Trevor found a secret code in Max's book which matches with volcanic activity numbers. So in his quest to find out what happened to Max, and to check one of his units, he and Sean, Max's son, flew to Iceland. Together with Hannah, a beautiful mountain guide, the three of them were trapped in an abandoned mine. Their search for a way out and be able to return to the surface lead to their discovery of dangerous places and fantasy land found in the center of the earth.

Very nice movie, indeed. Kids will surely enjoy watching it. Actually, there are lots of new movies that can be downloaded free in the internet. Within a span of one week , and with my busy schedule, I have watched four more movies downloaded from free the net - Kung Fu Panda, Hancock, Wanted, and Wall-E. Isn't that nice? I feel so up to date!

Photo credit

No Exercise with Wii

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 01:21:00 +0000

Many people think that playing with Nintendo's Wii active games console will give a good exercise and will lessen the risk for obesity. That is why parents buy the unit not only for the kids but for the entire family as well. Since kids love playing with computer games, they eagerly do the different games with Wii - boxing, bowling, tennis, racing, etc. And they can do it inside the comfort of their homes, together with the rest of the family.

Though there is nothing wrong with such games, research study from Liverpool John Moores University, England, recently shows that energy expenditure from such games is very trivial to be able to contribute to weight management that will lead away from obesity. This only means that there is no substitute to doing active sports like jogging, aerobics, swimming, biking and the like.

Some parents reason out that more and more children become obese nowadays because there is no more room for them to play actively compared to olden times when, there were more open spaces like vacant lots, public parks, backyards, where kids can run and play. These spaces have now been replaced by big buildings and structures thus limiting their activity. Well, that is very true but there are still options.

We all know that nobody is safe anymore to bike along the streets, or in the sidewalks. That is why we have stationary bikes, of different models, depending on the purpose that we want to use them. They are very convenient as we can use them while watching TV, or just binding with the kids, while inside our homes. The treadmill, manual or electricity driven, is another alternative which will allow you to burn fat adequately, providing high energy expenditure, also in the comfort of your own homes. And there are still more alternatives to choose from. It all depends on your preference.

Some people are lucky enough to still have the privilege to go out of their homes and do the sport itself. This is a lot better and there is no substitute for it. If you're one of them, then go out now and start your regular exercise.

Photo credit here

He turned 41 yesterday!

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 02:44:00 +0000

Who else but the love of my life. My best friend. My adviser. My husband.

He was a heavy alcoholic drinker when I met him. Before we got married he asked me if I will still allow him to drink after we marry. I answered, " Yes, but only occasionally". I was expecting for him to complain but he kept silent. After we married, he became a totally changed man. He only drinks when my uncles ask him to, which is very seldom. I am even the one to tell him that he can drink when we are on parties, but he always decline. When I'm in the grocery, there are times that I buy 2 to 3 cans of beer, his favorite brands, but they are just allowed to expire in the fridge. He only drinks red wine nowadays, once a week, and that's because it is good for the heart.

My best friend turned out to be a very responsible father to our kids. He teaches them to be courteous to everyone, by correcting their manners as he sees them. He is very supportive to all their undertakings.

He was the laundryman and the house cleaner when we were starting out as a couple. He sometimes cook during those days, only when he was really sure of the recipe. Because of time constraints, he does not cook anymore, but he remained to be the driver, plumber, carpenter, and a very good provider.

Life with him is full of happiness. There are no regrets whatsoever. I'm just so lucky having him as my husband.

Happy Birthday, my love!

Don't tell me that I have forgotten it. No, it's beyond that. I was just too preoccupied with work these past days that I failed to find time to post. Anyways, I was the first one to greet you on you birthday.

Feelings of Acceptance

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:36:00 +0000

One Sunday afternoon, my hubby told me that my dad called him up because of difficulty of breathing. He said that dad had it immediately after a short jog. Initially, of course, Randy don't know what to think. He has been dad's doctor for his hypertension and diabetes ever since we got married but dad was lost to follow up since he stopped coming home. It was a surprise for Randy to know that dad was still taking the same medicine he prescribed on his last visit. Randy requested for a chest x-ray, prescribed antibiotics for his cough, and asked him to visit us in our clinic.

The next morning, after bringing the kids to school, he again received a call from dad. He was already near our house but dad asked him to go back to Dagupan where he lives. Being the obedient child that he is, he obliged though patients are already waiting in his clinic. He had a short chat with dad over a cup of coffee and assured him that he'll be back the next day with his bag to examine him more thoroughly.

Of course I was surprised to know that he met with him, entered his house, and that he was going back. I was pressing him to tell me what the house look like, how dad looks like, how he is, who was with him when he visited, etc. But he said that I was going with him when he returns to dad's. I don't really know what to say or feel so I didn't answer. But honestly I was thinking about my feelings. What if there's somebody there aside from him when we visit? I was skeptical about going but Randy just laughed when asked if dad wants me to go with him.

I was still undecided but I know that I feel happy just thinking that I was gonna see him. In fact I even bought fruits for him. Maybe this is how it feels if a person finally accepted the situation.

Classes was canceled that Tuesday morning because of heavy rains. So instead of bringing the kids to school and visiting him afterward, the boys came along with us.

It was raining heavily. The maid opened the gate and instructed us to park inside. It is a big house with two cars in the parking space. Dad was in the front door waiting for us. He smiled when he saw the kids stepped out of the car.

My heart was pounding heavily. I hastily approached him, got his right hand and paid him respect. He looked at me and smiled, patted the boys and led us all to the receiving area. His adopted son was there and sat with us. Randy immediately examined him while I scanned the place sitting down.

Dad looked very different from when I last saw him months ago in Manila. He is skinny now. And his blood sugar is way too high. I instantly felt there is something really bad happening to him. After an explanation, he finally agreed to come with us in our clinic for more thorough examination. That was after we had a hearty breakfast with him and prepared by him.

After taking ECG, it saddened me to know that dad is suffering from myocardial infarction. This means that the artery supplying his heart is already blocked making his heart to malfunction. We advised hospitalization but he declined and just asked for medications instead. We advised him on the gravity of his condition and that he is free to call us anytime. He went home after taking his lunch with us.

I felt sorry to see him in this condition. Now I am praying that God will give him more days. To enjoy life with me and my family. To patch up whatever misunderstanding he had with mom and my sister, before it's too late. My feelings for him have not changed at all. I still love him despite his shortcomings. Now I'm sure that I have forgiven him.

No Internet Connection for Days

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 00:58:00 +0000

I cannot imagine living nowadays with no internet connection. My entire family depend on it- the kids for their research works, me and hubby for our updates, e-mails, blogs, etc.

We are subscribing from Digitel DSL for several years now and we had no problem. After typhoon Cosme, people in our area learned that selling stolen cable lines will give them large amount of money (it's actually Php250 per kilo). And that's how all this problem started.

I had no problem with Digitel. The manager in their Dagupan City office was really sincere in telling us that they will do their best to restore connections. But it's the people in San Fabian, our town, particularly in Cayanga (our baranggay) and its neighbor, Longos, who are the problem. The moment the lines are replaced, they immediately steal them after the linemen left. They gave Digitel people hard time financially as well because these lines are actually expensive. I don't know what Digitel resorted to but it took them two weeks to restore everything.

Two weeks without internet connection was too long to bear. We had to go to internet cafes if there was really a need. The problem was that I don't have much free time to stay in the place because of my work and so I was not able to update my blogs.

During those two weeks, changing internet provider crossed our minds. But we had to pay around Php 3000 if we terminate our subscription from Digitel. I thought that was too much. So we managed to wait. But the next time it happens again, it's definitely bye-bye from Digitel.

Smart Kids

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 00:00:00 +0000

It was Wednesday afternoon. Randy and I decided to meet in CSI City mall, a more convenient place for us to meet, instead of him fetching me in the medical school. It is faster that way, with less traffic because we will not be passing the downtown area.

When the kids learned that their Dad will see me in the mall, they called me up and asked permission to come. I insisted that they stay behind and just rest. But they insisted to go with their Dad.

When they approached the mall's parking area, the kids thought that they saw me walking in the lobby. They asked their Dad to drop them in the spot. Then Randy proceeded to look for a place to park.

The kids then walked towards the direction of the lady that they thought was me. After noticing that it was a stranger, it was too late to go back to the car. Their Dad was nowhere to find.

Being the kuya, Raymund thought of a way to find me. He felt that his brother was his responsibility as the younger one started to cry. He first thought of calling home to tell the maids where their exact location was. Because he left his cellphone at home, he asked the guard where to find a payphone. The instruction was so vague to him so he started to think for another way. The guard asked him who he was looking for and so he began to describe me. The guard told him that he saw a woman in violet pass by and went in the direction of the National Book Store. Since he knew I needed to buy some school supplies for both of them, he led his brother to the National Book Store. And it was there where they found me.

I was looking for a sketch pad when I heard the word "Mommy!" from somewhere near. I was very sure it was Raymund's voice. I turned around and saw my kids- Raymund wet with too much perspiration holding the hand of his brother. Ralph was crying and wrapped his arms around me immediately after he saw me.

I was then in a daze. I forgot everything on my list and just proceeded to pay what I was holding. Then I led them out of the book store into the parking area where their Dad was.

There is no blaming anybody. I consoled my kids and was just glad nothing bad happened to them. Yes, it was a bad experience for them but it was a learning experience.

Nutrition for Diabetics: Glucerna SR

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:53:00 +0000

High blood sugar is such a problem especially if one is used to eating sugar-rich food such as cakes. Most diabetics will just skip desert in order to avoid these sugar-laden goodies. But there is no room for deprivation even with high blood sugar as long as you watch what and how much you eat. The most important thing to do of course is exercise.

There is this new product in the market named Glucerna SR from Abbott (this is not a paid post). It's not actually that new as it is already in the market since last year. It's just that not many are using it either because they still haven't heard of it or because of the price. It is a low calorie drink in powder form which provides complete and balanced nutrition. It is high in monounsaturated fatty acids which help lower blood cholesterol. It also promotes a healthier heart. Though I am not a diabetic, I've tried it and I can say that it gives you the sustained energy that would last you for the rest of the day. You won't be looking for more food in between meals as diabetics often do. Therefore, it allows you to comply with your diet.

The good thing about it is that in can be used also for cooking once you get tired of using it plainly as a beverage. It can be used in making soups (like cream of tomato, cream of mushroom, cream of corn, broccoli soup, or carrot soup), in baking (as a substitute for chocolate in making brownies), in desserts, and in milk shakes if you want to add a twist to your beverage.

Here is a sample recipe using Glucerna SR (taken from the fliers given by Abbott).
Broccoli Soup
Ingredients:

6 scoops Glucerna SR powder
1 small head broccoli
200 ml water
salt
pepper

Preparation:

Wash broccoli. Cut into small pieces
Steam broccoli until soft
Put steamed broccoli, Glucerna SR and water into blender
Blend ingredients together until well-incorporated and smooth
Add salt and pepper to taste
Heat to serving temperature. DO NOT BOIL
Serve in a soup bowl

Taste may differ from what you are used to but at least you are eating healthy. A healthy lifestyle is a must in diabetics. That includes a healthy diet, weight management, and exercise.

Experience with Frank

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:55:00 +0000

After that horrible experience with Cosme, I felt nervous and apprehensive of what's going to happen to us with Frank going in our direction on Sunday afternoon. It was a terrible feeling. A result of bad days we had after Cosme - what if there will be no electricity for countless days, what if our roof gets blown up this time. You know the feeling. Even others had it too as several women were rushed to our place because of chest pains. Just the sound of the strong wind blowing hard on your roof and making that unmistakable rattling sound on your windows and doors makes you shudder.

Frank's path was so erratic even people from the weather bureau had difficulty predicting it. It was just good it turned out to be less strong as Cosme - there was no need to move appliances away from windows and doors. The good thing was that electricity was restored just after six hours of brownout though it continued to rain that day.

The thing that worried me most was the cancellation of classes. Friday was Dagupan City Day, hence a holiday in Dagupan City. Then classes were suspended Monday because of possible floods brought by the typhoon. If the rains continued, classes might be suspended up to Tuesday, the news said. This will then result to several Saturday-make-up classes for my kids. It's good today, Tuesday, is a sunny day. Though it rains often in the afternoon, there is no more typhoon. At least for now.

Nutrition: Know the Glycemic Load

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 03:35:00 +0000

I have mentioned and even explained metabolic syndrome several times in this blog. And maybe by now, you must already have an idea of what this condition is all about. It is a common condition so that we all must be aware of its complications.

Metabolic syndrome is the end result from years of taking in foods high in refined carbohydrates such as breads, starches, and sweets. And all these result in high blood sugar levels which we all know is toxic to the body. This boils down to the fact that we need to control our blood sugar level and one way (there are lots of other ways) is to be more watchful of what we eat. How? We must know if the food we eat convert quickly to sugar. If it is, then this food has high glycemic index and needs to be avoided.

Glycemic index measures how rapidly glucose is absorbed from the intestines into the blood. The higher the value, the faster the rate of absorption of glucose. It is a fairly easy guide to follow, isn't it? All we have to do is to look for the glycemic index of the food before we eat them. And most diabetics use this guide to watch their sugar intake. But there is a more important parameter that can be used in place of glycemic index. It is best that we should also know the glycemic load of the food that we eat.

Glycemic load is the percentage of carbohydrate the food contains. Each unit of glycemic load is equivalent to the effect of 1 gram of pure glucose on blood sugar. This is important because there are some foods that have high glycemic index but have low glycemic load. Therefore, they are safe to eat as well if you are watching your blood sugar level. Let's take carrots for example which has a glycemic index of 92. A 100g serving has 5.2g of carbohydrate resulting in a very low glycemic load of only 4.3 (GL= (92 x 5.2)/100 = 4.3).

Knowing the glycemic load then gives us wider food choices. Most fruits and vegetables like apple, watermelon, orange, and cantaloupe, tomatoes, asparagus, broccoli, spinach, green beans and cabbage all have low glycemic load. Watermelon have high glycemic index but very low glycemic load (only 4 per serving).

Coleslaw

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 07:55:00 +0000

Yes, this is not a food blog. But since some of you might want to try preparing a coleslaw, I decided to share my coleslaw experiment. Oh, how my family enjoyed it.

I had prepared the same in the past but unlike this one, I used very few ingredients (carrots, cabbage, and mayo) before. That was eleven years ago when I do it only to satisfy my craving and not for anything else. The other day, just out of the blue, my husband asked me to make one. And he wanted it to be something special. Since we were having lechon kawali for lunch that day, I thought that would be perfect as a side dish. And so I set out to make one right after having breakfast. Like I've said, it was great and my family loved it.

I started by cutting into thin strips 1 carrot, 1 small cabbage, 1 onion, and 1 apple. To make this step easier and faster, I used a mandoline. I then prepared the dressing by adding equal proportions of mayonnaise and full cream milk, mixed until creamy in consistency. To the dressing I added around 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, salt and pepper. I then poured the dressing mixture into the vegetables then finally I added raisins. I mixed them all up, stored in the refrigerator for an hour or two to let the flavors to develop before serving it to lunch. It's perfect!

Are There No More Trees?

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 07:34:00 +0000

After the typhoon and there was no electricity, me and my family stay most of the time in the garden. We are already there as early as 5:30 in the morning because we slept as soon as we switched on the generator at 8:00 PM. It was just perfect because our body clock had already been tuned in to the incoming school opening. Anyway, it is during these early hours that birds are also very busy chirping overhead. Little did we know that they had built again their own nest underneath our air conditioner.

This had happened so many times before but since we generally clean all air conditions inside the house every six months, the birds had gotten tired rebuilding their nest every so often. And so we thought there would never be a nest under the air conditioner again, until this time.

Why, there are still plenty of trees left after the storm. These birds love to stay under the air conditioner. Maybe they also feel better underneath than when they are on the branches of trees.

My Growing Up Years

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 01:30:00 +0000

Today is my 4_th birthday (happy birthday to me!) and so I thought of telling something about myself - the then, the weird, and the funny!

At birth. My parents were longing for a baby boy. Without the benefits of ultrasound they presumed that I was a boy while still inside my Mom's tummy. And because I was so dark when I came out (normal labor assisted by a hilot at my Dad's ancestral home) my Dad jump with joy thinking I was a boy. He stopped jumping when the hilot announced "a baby girl!".

Kindergarten. My Mom forgot to fetch me from school. After two hours of waiting I became hysterical my teacher just couldn't pacify me. She tried all sorts of alibis to stop me from wailing. I finally stopped when I saw my Mom.

Grade school. Oh how I love to cook. I will stay in the kitchen all the time during my free time whenever somebody is preparing food. I will watch and try to do everything on my own - peeling, chopping, sauteeing, etc. - as if I'm an expert. One time my Dad was cleaning the crabs for cooking when somebody was calling from the gate. He had to leave the kitchen telling me not to touch anything. Curiosity high, I sticked my finger in its open claw. It suddenly closed catching my forefinger. I shouted and cried in pain to call my Dad's attention. Instead of getting mad, he was laughing while he was immersing the crab in boiling water.

Another in grade school. I was squeamish to vegetables of any kind. Whenever I don't feel eating what's on the table, I go with catsup on my rice. One time our maid accidentally poured the catsup on my eyes when she opened the bottle while she was standing at my back.

High school. I love wearing heels. I was in one old pair to a party when I tipped over something causing the right heel to fall off. I decided to remove the left heel to make it even. I ended up going home wearing flats.

College. I was a newbie in Manila. Being unfamiliar with the place, my sister brought me to school on the first day. Making sure that I'll be able to reach home after my class, she asked me to point the direction I should heed. I pointed the P. Noval direction instead of Gov. Forbes. She then had to fetch me for one week or so until she was convinced that I will not get lost.

Still in college. We were staying in one dormitory along Dapitan street. One lazy afternoon a dorm mate asked me to buy green peas in the sari-sari store downstairs. I hurriedly went and got a can only to find out later that she wants the crunchy one.

That's me - Amelyn (short for AMElia LYNda). I am celebrating my special day with my entire family. Thank GOD we have our electricity back today.

Discovering 168

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 03:00:00 +0000

Several months ago a friend mentioned to me about 168, a mall in Divisoria offering very affordable items made in China. Her budget goes a long way in 168 as she can purchase at least four or five blouses with her Php 1000. She uses these blouses everyday to work and certainly she looks good on them. Without knowing where she buys them, one will not surely notice that her blouses are that cheap. And so because of curiosity I was very eager to go and find something for myself and my family.

It was one day after our Tagaytay trip when my husband and I decided to look around. The prices were tempting for one not to buy. It is also very easy to haggle - the sales person will immediately give in to your price. So we ended up with plenty of "good" finds.

You know how it is in Divisoria - cheap items, plenty of people, simply difficult to move around and inspect every item. And so it was very difficult for me to look at the details. You know the result - there were minor damages in some of my finds (like my pants with white lines). Luckily it's not in all of them. I am aware that they accept exchange for damages but that is not possible considering where I live.

This multi-colored bag (picture below) is another find. It is really cheap but not so durable. After several days of use it gave way. I can still use it when I carry a lighter load though. But it did not last the way I expected it to be.

We Filipinos love to buy affordable items compromising quality for price. Sometimes we are easily convinced and most of the time we buy on impulse. If we continue to patronize this kind of products, we ourselves are in the losing end. Yes, they are cheap and very affordable. But they are in truth DISPOSABLES.

Look What I Got....

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:00:00 +0000

Its commonly known as cold sores or fever blisters. Its been with me since I was in Med school, becomes latent for sometime then reappears again whenever I'm stressed. That's how this illness is, now you see it now you don't! It is caused by a virus known as herpes simplex and resolves by itself without any medication. Taking antivirals before the blisters appear helps hasten the condition.

What then caused this thing to reappear in my face after so many years of latency? In my case I'm thinking maybe it's the brownout (yeah, until now, on its 3rd week!). Its giving me STRESS full intensity.

Because of the rising price of diesel we decided to run the generator mostly at night so all of us can sleep well. So imagine the heat we have to brave during daytime especially if we are inside the clinic and treating some patients. Its good once in a while there is a cool breeze coming in from the window on certain afternoons.

What Does a Rainbow Mean To You?

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Wed, 28 May 2008 03:13:00 +0000

I saw this rainbow the other afternoon. It is so perfect and so I felt that there's hope - that soon electricity will be restored (calling on DECORP!) in our place. Yes, it's been 12 days since the storm. Though we have our genset to give us light at night and provide us with cooler ( and bearable) environment, life still is not what it used to be.

We have given up on our refrigerator. Since we cannot stock any perishable thing on it and only drinking water is what's left inside, we decided to turn it off temporarily. That is until electricity is restored. The only problem is that we need to go to the market to buy anything to cook. And we don't find fresh items in the market everyday. We have resorted to canned goods for several days now but the kids are clamoring for something more delicious. I think that means something fresh like chicken and fish.

Anyway, there's nothing we can do but to wait. I just hope that it will not last a month. That would be too much to bear.

Basketball as an Afternoon Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Tue, 27 May 2008 12:20:00 +0000

Basketball is such a popular sport. This is evidenced by the presence of basketball courts (big and small) in every place. The male community, young and old, love to play it, my sons included.

Except on a rainy afternoon, Raymund and Ralph make it a point to play basketball, always donned in their rubber shoes. They spend more or less an hour in the half court (in our backyard) made for them by their Dad. If my husband and I are present, he would play coach to them while I play the water girl. When the game is over, I play the waitress serving them their afternoon snacks.

This is my kids' form of exercise. My husband encourage them to do it regularly. Actually there is no pushing them as they have already fallen in love with the sport. They also have their personal NBA favorites in the person of Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Derek Fischer to name a few.

Raymund plans to be a varsity player this school year. He had been planning to join ever since but was unable push through. I am sure this would be a fun alternative to his hectic academic schedule.

After the Storm

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Sun, 25 May 2008 12:07:00 +0000

Two days after typhoon cosme brought havoc to our lives, the kids pestered me to go to Dagupan City just to look around. They wanted to see for themselves the condition of the place and the extent of the damage which is causing the prolonged brownout. So we decided to go that day and buy our groceries. They insisted to come (though I disagreed) thinking that it will be a walk in the park, maybe because they are too bored staying inside the house. They learned their lesson well for we had to wait in the queue four hours just to be able to reach the cashier and pay our groceries. They had to bear the heat and learn to be more patient.

My kids are so used living comfortable lives and staying in air-conditioned rooms is one thing they can't do without. That's why we chose a school with air-conditioned classrooms and we go to an air-conditioned church. I often wondered how they will adapt if these life's comforts are no longer in their midst. I would always think that they will have great difficulty coping. But life after typhoon cosme proved me wrong.

Of course the change wasn't immediate but slowly they are able to sleep at night with just the wind coming from the electric fan ( we have our generator set turned on at night). They also are able to take naps in the afternoon with the soft breeze blowing from the window. If before they spend most of their time during this summer break watching TV, DVDs, play station, surfing the net and playing computer games, with very little time spent opening their books, now it's the other way around. And I'm so glad that books I bought from Time Life did not go to waste. I hope that they will continue to appreciate good books as they move on in their lives.

It's now one week with no electricity. We have adjusted to the routine. In fact we haven't notice that it's already one week since then. Though we hope that electricity will be restored soon, I am so glad my kids are flexible enough, to be able to cope with life's imperfections.

Are You Sure You're Healthy?

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Wed, 21 May 2008 03:29:00 +0000

Many people will say they are healthy when asked by a doctor. But on further questioning if they undergo routine physical examination and laboratory work-up, obviously they don't. How then can we say that we are in reality, healthy? Does it mean only the absence of symptoms, or simply feeling nothing? Does that guarantee us of a long and symptom-free life ahead of us?

I guess not. Not because doctors want to have patients all the time that they want people to go to them and look for any kind of illness that will make these people go back time and again. Not because doctors make up illnesses for these people which are in reality not present. The truth is that nobody can guarantee he is healthy even without feeling anything.

There are lots of diseases common nowadays which are often accidentally diagnosed simply because a person does not feel any symptom. Let's take diabetes as an example. Most of the time nothing is felt. It is only during the late stages wherein signs and symptoms appear and oftentimes it is too late. There is no going back.

Hypertension, also a common geriatric illness, is oftentimes misunderstood. People are still waiting for headache or nape pain to appear before they go and have their blood pressure checked. And if the doctor found his blood pressure to be high on several occasions, they would question the absence of symptoms. What if the person's pain tolerance is high that's why he is unable to feel anything? Isn't the blood pressure reading evidence enough?

Central obesity, which is defined as waist circumference > or = 90 cm for South Asian men and > or = 80 cm for South Asian women, is in itself symptom free. But it is a part of a group of symtoms which make up metabolic syndrome or syndrome X. The most important component of this syndrome is diabetes mellitus. And in order for a person to be said to have the syndrome, he must have central or abdominal obesity ( as defined ) plus any two of the following: hyperinsulinemia, hypertriglyceridemia, hypertension, and hypercholesterolemia. And as you can see, most of these conditions are symptom-free. They are usually seen after a thorough physical examination. Now do you still consider yourself healthy?

Knowing More on Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Amelyn R. Rafael,MD) — Wed, 21 May 2008 00:00:00 +0000

Since I was a child, all I knew was to point and shoot with my camera. I would go on taking pictures of anything that took my fancy without anybody telling me that all of it was wrong, that there is more to it than just mere pointing and shooting. That is how photography is with majority of people that I know and that was all my idea of photography until I attended a practical photography workshop last month sponsored again by LRI.

It was again a night full of memories. Me and my husband were invited and we were thinking it was just one of those scientific lectures. We were actually surprised to learn that the lecture was about photography by two of the famous photographers in the country. It was a totally different thing for the two of us and maybe to some of the doctors who were present that night. I got excited especially when they announced that there will be a photography contest right after the lecture with a brand new camera as the first prize. Since I always have my camera in my bag from the time I started blogging, I figured that maybe I was good enough to be able to take home a prize. Well, that was how I found out that there's more to photography than what I knew.

There are actually so many important rules to follow, and one of them is to be able to communicate through the picture. You must be able to impart your message through your photograph.

I often take pictures with my subject in the center of the frame. I learned that this should not be so as it creates a boring image. Putting it on the sides is the best thing to do. Try to experiment and you will know why.

We were also told to define the subject and give it more emphasis. Any other object taken along with the main subject must be given less importance. It should only be there to give visual support. Otherwise it will produce visual clutter rendering the picture effortless.

When you remove from the frame visual distractions, you are putting only the essential in the frame. To do this you should move closer to your subject or try to zoom in. Doing either of these two produce different effects.

Well, the best thing to do in order to get the best picture is to shoot and shoot. Practice makes perfect and by experimenting you will be able to make your pictures better, if not the best. The tips mentioned are not all. There is still the physical aspects of the camera, the light effects, and the visual elements. I'm trying my best to learn from experience and I'm not even halfway through. Photography really is an art.