Healthier Choices

Growing up, every time I got sick, I was always brought to the hospital to be treated by a traditional, conventional medical doctor. We always brought home with us, my mom and I, either a bottle of candy-flavored liquid medication or, as I got older, bitter and dull-colored tablets or capsules. I’ve taken countless types of broad-spectrum antibiotics, paracetamols, decongestants, expectorants, pain relievers, and other prescription and over-the-counter drugs. I get sick when I forget to take my multivitamins. It’s a miracle my liver and kidneys are still functioning just fine. I’ve been raised with the belief that modern medicine can prevent any illness, can cure any disease.

Lately, though, my body hasn’t responded that well to prescription drugs. Recently I went to my doctor to have a minor infection treated. She gave me a broad-spectrum antibiotic. I’ve taken this particular drug before, although I think its side effects second time around are more apparent. First 24 hours I experienced mild dizziness, and then a metallic taste in my mouth up to a few days after I stopped taking it. Another side effect  was oral thrush a few days after I completed my prescribed dosage. Obviously, the broad-spectrum antibiotic she gave me was a little too strong that it killed all the healthy bacteria in my body, thus making it conducive to a fungal infection. I didn’t want to go back to the doctor to have another prescription drug given to me to treat this rather harmless fungal infection. So I took the matter into my own hands.

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Living in the Moment

Two nights ago, my mom and I were watching Oprah. That night’s episode celebrated children who overcame big obstacles - Siamese twins who were successfully separated, a girl who was born with both her legs fused to each other and now can walk and dance, and a boy who survived Hurricane Katrina to name a few. But what touched me the most was a baby boy named Eliot. He was born with underdeveloped lungs, a hole in his heart and DNA that placed faulty information on every cell of his body. Even before Eliot was born, the doctors said he probably wouldn’t make it to birth.

The dreadful diagnosis though didn’t stop Eliot’s parents from believing in hope, in life, in love, in God. Eliot’s birth was a miracle on its own, and they celebrated the boy’s birthday every single day. They took about 3,000 photos of Eliot, and even made a video diary of Eliot’s rather short journey in this world.

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If I Were a Doctor

At the start of ‘09, I had a strange epiphany. I got it right after I woke up from an afternoon nap. I don’t know if it had something to do with my dream because I couldn’t remember the dream when I woke up. My epiphany was that if I went on to be a doctor, I would probably be a neurologist, a psychologist, a psychiatrist or a psychotherapist. You see, my mom wanted me to be a doctor but like any good mother didn’t force me to do something I didn’t want, and she let me pursue the field I wanted.

Looking back, I believe I would have been a doctor if I really wanted to. I was good at school initially but slacked off eventually due to some traumatic childhood event and due to some bad decisions made on my part. And why neurology/psychology/psychiatry/psychotherapy? I don’t know exactly. I’ve always been interested in what’s going on in our brain for as long as I can remember. All the nonfiction books I’ve read so far I lately realized always have a psychological aspect to them, significant or otherwise. I am an avid viewer of Discovery Channel and the National Geographic Channel and I am always fascinated by shows that focus on the human mind, how people interact. Would you believe that I actually am excited by the fact that we humans only use a small percentage of our brain’s potential? Imagine what we could do if we were using our brains to their full potential. The possibilities are endless, and it would be nice to actually discover what other things the mind can do.

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And You Think Your Problems Are Unbearable

A few days back, I chanced upon the Biography Channel’s The Woman With Half a Body. The special features Rosemarie Siggins, who was born with sacral agenesis. At the very young age of 2, her legs were amputated so she could have a better quality of life. Her story is very inspiring, as she remains positive despite unbelievable odds.

Because her legs were amputated, she had to learn to walk on her hands. She also learned how to use a skateboard, which I thought was cool. What’s cooler is she has a passion for  fast cars, and at the time of filming, she was beefing up a Mustang for the racetrack. She’s actually kind of a tomboy, but she found someone who is completely devoted to her and doesn’t really mind her not having legs. Watching her journey to finding the love of her life gives me hope. There is someone out there. You just have to find that person or be lucky enough to meet him in this lifetime. I think her husband is extraordinary. He definitely sees through her disability and sees the beauty within her. Now, they have a son, who was born normal.

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My Not-So-Brilliant Brain

This past weekend, I got a chance to watch a National Geographic special about geniuses — My Brilliant Brain. One episode featured a female grandmaster and another an ordinary man who accidentally developed savant-like abilities. The female grandmaster is a testament that geniuses can be made through hard work, diligence and dedication. She had been playing chess since she was little, and her father trained her six hours a day. She is so good at it that she can beat almost anyone even if she can’t see the chessboard. She had done it through her cell phone. Her working memory is so good that she can visualize the whole game in her head.

On the other hand, a man in England suffered from a brain aneurysm and miraculously survived. After his recovery, he mysteriously had a compulsion to paint. Night and day he painted like mad. He was consumed by his compulsion. His wife eventually had to move out because it was driving her nuts. He has been painting for six years now and is still at it, his passion unwavering. His work is extraordinary, not the kind you would expect to come pouring out of an ordinary man.

Watching this show made me feel that I am just an ordinary person, that I’m just like everybody else. But I don’t want to be like everybody else. I want to be extraordinary. I want to someday make a mark in the fields I am passionate about. But my brain is perfectly normal, unlike those of the geniuses featured in the show. They either have some sort of brain ‘damage’ or hormonal imbalance that makes them what they are. And I would give almost anything to have the brain of a genius. Well, since suffering from a severe head trauma, surviving it and developing savant-like abilities are next to impossible, I guess I should at least try and work with what I have.

Spared by Dengue

Our friend Florence (or Joy to close friends) died of dengue fever when we were in third year high school. I remember her being a cheerful person. She excels in her favorite sport, soccer, and at age 15, she was already a member of the Philippine women’s soccer team. From what I remember from stories about her untimely death, she became feverish one afternoon. She was having her period at the same time. UPLB Infirmary still sent her home despite her high fever. That night, she already spat out blood and was rushed to Los Baños Doctors Hospital. Doctors immediately sent her to Manila for blood transfusion but she didn’t make it; her veins had already ruptured.

Vigil was held for, I think, a week at St. Therese Chapel. Two days after her death, my friends and I visited. In the afternoon, we headed home and I felt a little feverish. My mom immediately brought me to a clinic along Lopez Avenue and I was confined that night; I had dengue fever, so you can imagine the silent paranoia that was looming over us. Even though my family and friends didn’t say it, I knew they were terribly worried about me; they didn’t want another casualty.

Now, I know you’re wondering why I wasn’t brought to LBDH; that’s because they weren’t accredited with my health insurance so I had to settle for the clinic on Lopez Avenue. The clinic was family-run. Sad to say, it was a far cry from what LBDH is, staff and facility-wise. The nurse who administered my IV was obviously novice because she had only successfully inserted the needle in my vein at the third try. What torture! When I got up to walk to my room, I looked down the floor and there was a small pool of blood, which obviously was mine, because of the nurse’s incompetence. Sheesh. Anyway, I got a private room; but with no TV. Can you believe that?! I had to have friends over so I won’t die of boredom.

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