Prinsesa’s Anatomy

Is there a doctor on call who speaks cat language? Sorry, I got no subtitles.

Migraine? Check.

Rhinitis? Check.

Periorbital pain? Check.

PND? Check.

Sore throat? Check.

Muscle aches? Check.

Body weakness? Check.

–

Whew. That was a long list. Somebody call – what’s that number again?

Sleepy Jin

Amongst the many patients I saw yesterday at the hospital OPD, two struck me most.

One was a beautiful innocent girl who had a huge lump on her left chest. It was still unknown what was contained in that cyst-like lump – we did not have sophisticated machines in our primary hospital – but the doctor said it could be abscess or water, and it could also be malignant or benign, depending on the laboratory work that will present.

As I watch the little girl leave with her mother, it was as if I heard my heart broke into small pieces, looking at the pure innocent face of that little girl and how fragile she was in her early childhood, yet the state of her health – or her life – was so unstable.

It just felt so unfair. Here was a soul who was so young and fresh and had the whole world ahead of her yet was threatened with illnes and suffering, or death. Of course, there is also a chance that everything will be okay, and the sparkle on her eyes before she was out my sight, made me wish that it would be so too.

However, the next patient that stuck with me got a different side of me involved. She came in for anti0rabies shots because apparently, she got bitten by a kitten whom she found in her house and when she was trying to dispose it like some unwanted thrash, the kitten bit her on the arm, the appearance of the wound got her disturbed so she immediately sought medical intervention. Trying hard to keep my tone neutral, I inquired about the state of the kitten, and uncomfortably, she said her kid killed it.

It felt like I went blind for a few seconds because my pupils constricted so much because of anger. I really cannot imagine how inhumane some humans can be in treating animals. I cannot believe how some can call themselves human yet their concern for innocent and helpless animals measures to the emotional range of a monoblock chair. To be honest, I did not want to give that woman her shot, and I did not feel any guilt at all in wishing for rabies to get her. If it was any consolation, th doctor did not allow her to have her shot at our hospital, because her referral from the health care facility where she got her first shot was incomplete and vague.

Inside me, I felt some sense of redemption for that little kitten, whom I know for sure is now playing with a giant ball of yarn and is given warm ear scratches by the Absolute Whiskers up in cat heaven.

My family and friends were stirred by an e-mail, apparently sent by me through my e-mail account, saying that I was in Nigeria and needed help financially because I have lost my wallet and I needed $2500.

Mother Goose told me about it last night and truth be told, my e-mail account has been hacked, and I cannot gain access to it this morning.

It amazes me how much spammers can do. For one, they have active imaginations, faking out stories for who knows how many accounts they use to create scams. My family and friends knew of course it was not me. If that was me, I’d ask for a bigger sum of money. LOL.

To everybody who was on my address book at prinsesa_fajardo, my account has been compromised and you can have the honor to ignore or curse any weird messages that you will receive or has already received.

***

Yesterday, my students at the emergency room received a reality check on what nurses really do.

We had a poisonous snake bite case and our primary hospital did not have anti venom. The patient, who was a mother of two young boys who came with her to the hospital, had to be transferred to Manila, about three to four hours from where we were.

When the woman came in, she could talk and breathe normally, though she said her eyes were blurring. By the time we got her lying on the ER table, as we were starting the IV line and oxygen, she was numb and blind, her speech was slurring and she could not breathe.

It was all very quick, from the time she came in to the time she was transferred. My students were there to see it all and they told me it changed how they looked at nursing – that it required so much strength and compassion at the same time.

One of my students told me she wanted to cry but she knew she couldn’t. She said she was so moved by the way the mother kept on saying, “look after my children, look after my children” time and time again until she could speak no more.

We were informed that the patient died on the road, during transfer, not long after she has left the ER.

I told my students that experiences like this were not uncommon in the hospital setting, and this was just the start of the many life and death scenarios that they would see. If there was anything positive that came out from it, my students said they were motivated to study harder, so that next time a life was in the balance, they would know exactly what to do so that they could help more.

My heart went out to the family of the patient, and to my students, who gave me a glimpse of how beautiful their souls were, for being brave, for being emphatic, for being strong.

I found this article on Y! Philippines today about yet another industry scandal from the People’s Republic of China, involving toxic children’s toys and clothes, probably for the nth time.

According to state media, nearly half of the clothes and toys made in Guangdong, the China’s top manufacturing province that is the center of their export industry, is unsafe, containing toxic levels of formaldehyde which can cause skin or respiratory infections, and lead, cadmium and chromium – all health endangering metals. All these due to the use of substandard raw materials and paint.

I am so starting to wonder whether this really is a secret plot of China to kill the children of the world one toy or cloth at a time, because this issue keeps on coming back from the milk to the kid’s furniture problem.

This finding has a great implication for Filipino buyers, especially those not on the wealthy scale because they are usually the consumers of China-made products albeit without so much knowledge as to the safety of what they are bringing home to their kids.

I guess sometimes, cheaper doesn’t always mean quality, and by far it absolutely doesn’t mean safe, so keep your wise-buyer caps on okay?

I just caught a couple of minutes airtime of the daily evening news and I heard that there is already a confirmed case of the A(H1N1) flu in the country.

Just this morning, my Man was asking me if traveling was advisable these days because of the outbreak, and of course, because I love him I said… yes, travel is still advisable. LOL.

I am a state registered nurse but I am no expert on A(H1N1), but as I see it, this outbreak is no different from other diseases that you can acquire from everywhere. It is the common flu, only a new variant, which can be cured and can be readily prevented with good hygiene and a strong immune system.

I do not understand why mass media is driving all the world into panic. I think AIDS, or dengue hemorrhagic fever, is more lethal than A(H1N1) but the world is certainly not panic buying on condoms or mosquito nets, why so?

Consequently, I remember another incident I experienced this afternoon as I was waiting in line in a fast food chain for a little snack. It was not a very long line, I think I was the fifth person from the counter, make that four because those in front of me where lovers.

What’s funny was the fact that, at some point in the line, the girlfriend slowly turned towards the boyfriend and squeezed her head into his chest, the measure of her height against his. I thought it was supposed to be for a hug, but what do you know, I was dumbfounded when she actually turned around on purpose just to sneeze at him.

If A(H1N1) virus was around, I could’ve died on that same line because my mouth was wide as a bucket from laughing.

When they say ‘laughter is the best medicine’ they weren’t joking at all. It is proven scientifically that being happy affects the body positively in so many ways, contrary to stress states when the body secretes hormones like cortisol that suppresses our immunities, plus being happy, or just smiling, is easier to do.

However, what makes men and women laugh are also proven scientifically to be very different things. Women prefer what you may call ’smart jokes’ whereas men would laugh till they drop with slapstick humor. Usually, what women will find dangerous, offending, or a medical emergency is what men considers as ‘funny’.

As I was reading through an old Reader’s Digest issue I found lying somewhere in the house, I found two interesting jokes that sure made me laugh – and yes, these two are more of the smart jokes.

A priest, a rabbi, and a minister are in a boat out in the middle of a lake. The priest says, “I’m thirsty. I’m going to get something to drink.” So he steps out of the boat, walks across the water to shore, gets a soda, walks back across the water and gets back in the boat.

The minister syas, “I’m thirsty too.” So he walks  acrossthe water to shore, gets a soda and walks back to the boat.

The rabbi says, “My turn.” He gest out of the boat and immediately sinks.

The priest turns to the minister. “Think we should’ve told him where the rocks were?”

Second one:

A priest, a rabbi and a minister decide to see who’s the best at his job. So they each go into the woods, find a bear and attempt to convert it. Later they get together.

The priest begins. “When I found the bear, I read to him from the Catechism and sprinkled him with holy water. Next week is his first communion.”

“I found a bear by the stream,” says the minister, “and preached God’s holy word. The bear was so mesmerized that he let me baptize him.”

they both looked down at the rabbi who is wrapped in a body cast. “Looking back,” he says, “maybe I shouldn’t have started with the circumcision.”

-Both submitted to RD by Rabbi Sandford Kopnick, The Valley Temple, Cincinnati Ohio

Have a nice day everyone and produce tons and tons of happy hormones!

Swollen gum? Check.

Pain? Check.

Failure to eat and open mouth? Check.

Fever? Check.

Swollen cheek? Check.

Difficulty in speaking? Check.

Wisdom? No. No check.

I do not really see any wisdom in this sudden eruption of my wisdom tooth, violently making its way up to rupture my gum from the forgotten depths of the underworld. I do not see any wisdom at all… only a lot of painkiller caplets.

Did I mention that I hate going to the excavationists popularly known as dentists?

Does anybody know where I can contact the Tooth Fairy?

I went to church last night with my sisters. It turned out that yesterday marked the start of the 40 days of waiting for the actual lent, I’m not sure what really defines the 40 days, but there is a 40 days thing going on.

The priest said that after Ash Wednesday, the lent is indeed looming in. On that light, he asked if we are already hungry and fasting, or if we are still so full, both with food and with all the wants we fill our lives. He instructed people to fast -  to allow once body to be weak so you will feel a dire need for the word of God. That statement goes out to you joyfulchicken and your carnivore posse. LOL

I am not totally against the practice of fasting preached by the church – after all it is the church. But after the mass and before having dinner a strong thought occurred to me. Why would you choose to weaken your body for the Lord where you can strengthen it to do service for Him better?

***

For some reason, I thought about euthanasia last night while at the church too. Of course euthanasia is illegal – especially in a ‘traditional’ country like RP.

Interestingly, I thought about the legal Do Not Resuscitate or DNR order that a patient or the family of a patient have as a right. This can be asked to the attending physician by the patient and the physician cannot object. This is an order written on the chart of the patient, DNR meaning, once the patient goes into a sudden cardiac arrest nobody will do cardiopulmonary resuscitation to try to revive the patient.

A DNR order allows the patient to ‘go down’ without a fight, unlike what usually is the scenario in a hospital where endless CPR will be rendered first in a last ditch effort to save the patient.

To an extent, DNR is synonymous to euthanasia – mercy killing.

***

PM is still lethal today. I wonder when did weekends as rest stopped occurring for me?

I feel like a cat roadkill, a slave water buffalo, and a soldier ant with no rights.

As what my youngest sister Kulot says, I think I need a “power hug”.

LOL. I just had to laugh at that title.

Anyway, my Natural Science 2 class at the university is now dealing with the nervous system. Of course I have to prepare for my teaching right, and one particular preparation merits posting on this blog.

I was surfing the net for interesting brain facts and what I found were certainly most interesting! I decided to pick only 10 amongst the humongous amount of information I was able to find. Here you go. And tell me how they made you go ‘hmmm….’

10 BRAIN FACTS that make you go Hmmmmm….

1. The electric consumption of your brain when you are awake can illuminate a low wattage light bulb, about 23-25 watts.

2. You are actually paralyzed when you are sleeping because your brain produces a hormone that stops you from acting out your dreams.

3. It is not possible to tickle yourself because your cerebellum, a part of your brain, warns your system about what you are about to do so you can never burst into a fit.

4. It is not your brain that is hurting when you have a headache because your brain does not have any pain receptor. Doctors can actually operate on your brain when you are wide awake without anesthesia and you will not feel anything.

5. If the blood vessels on your brain would be laid out it will circle the world more than four times because it is about 100,000 miles.

6. An octopus has more nerve cells compared to a man, 300 billion opposed to 100 billion.

7. In finding a man, size does matter – the size of his vasopressin receptor that is. The longer it is the longer a man is likely to be trustworthy, loyal, and faithful.

8. The female is nature’s default setting. All fetus have the female gender from the start but at about eight weeks old, a sudden surge of male hormones comes from the brain that kills all of the female attributes.

9. Love hurts – literally, because the receptors in the brain for physical pain and emotional pain are the same.

10. In order for a woman to be able to have an orgasm during sex, her amygdala, the brain center that controls fear and anxiety must be turned off. One good tip: warm her feet.

Beauty in struggle

Broken Waves

I did not intend to go, but I was glad I decided to stop

By the beach and see the sun cast its warm glow on the troubled sea,

As the waves violently crash, against each other before

Finally bowing down to the shore… broken, but only to go back,

And crash again, and again, and again without a care in the world.

Because waves were meant to crash against each other and

Into the shore. No matter how broken it looks to the eye,

It will always stay the same because that’s how it should be.

Like you and me, crashing and burning but always

Returning to each other. Because we both know very well

That’s how we both want it to be, no matter the struggle of the waves.

Because ultimately there is beauty amidst the chaos of it all.

This lame poem is my response to the photo-inspire me tag that Kat sent me. Although I know I suck at poetry, I was interested to give it a try so go ahead and tell me how poor I did in the most creative way you can think of.

Anyway, this is how the tag went:

Write a poem or an inspiring line based on a photo of your choice. This photo can be your own, or someone else’s. (If the picture is not yours, please ask permission from the owner when you post it, or better yet, provide only the link to the picture that inspired you, without posting it.)

Your poem or inspiring line may be of any length, and any genre. It can be humorous, sentimental, heart-warming, whatever. You may write in Ilokano, English or Filipino.

Post your inspiring line in your blog and in the comment section of this page (or just a link to your post so we could go and check it there). For poetry submissions, please indicate if you wish your piece to be posted in Bilingual Pen as an article submission.

The goal of this game is to get us to write, and express our thoughts and emotions.

I am really interested as to how my kuya soulsheik will do with this tag.

***

There were a couple of earthquakes today and it was the first time I experienced an earthquake when I’m out of the house. I was only at the third floor but I got dizzy due to the earthquake and its aftershock. Crap. I don’t like earthquakes.

Something I also loathe is going to the dentist as attested by my post Mouth Temporarily Closed for Renovation but as luck would have it, I am badly suffering from multiple tooth aches. Ouch! Tooth ache is so irritating! Hate toothache! Hate toothache!