..welcome me back to the singles’ world again, guys!
But after a back-to-back cheating boyfriends (a gay, spineless coward who still couldn’t show up his face to me and a smooth-talking filth), I guess I’ll have a rest muna.
It’s time to be thinking of myself before others who aren’t worthy at all.
Please visit my official blog, Prudence and Madness.
Friendster blogs are getting boring.
It is another collection of short stories, much like his previous "Smoke and Mirrors". In the blurb, his writing style was said to be an amalgam of the eerie atmosphere of H.P. Lovecraft, the imagination of H.G. Wells, and the droll wit of P.G. Wodehouse. I like both H.P. Lovecraft and H.G. Wells but I’m not familiar with the writings of P.G. Wodehouse. Nonetheless, I love Neil Gaiman’s work on my own, even without comparing his work to some classic writers.
I was introduced to the Neil Gaiman writings when I was a college student in DLSU. My friends would lend me copies of The Sandman graphic novels (which they borrowed from richer friends because only they could afford the P1000/book at that time. The Sandman collection well amounted to about P12000). I got immersed into his world of religious, Roman, Greek mythologies melded with contemporary characters. And the graphics novels are loaded with quotables quotes and other thought-provoking dialogues ( I’m a sucker for such things. Those who know me well, or, at least, read my blog posts, can attest to that, as I often blog about these stuffs). Add to these the captivating artwork of Dave Mckean. It’s more than enough to satisfy my craving for some intellectual and creative stimulation.
So, it’s going to be a couple of lovely nights full of literary orgasms with Neil Gaiman. Though he may not reciprocate because he’s gay, I still love him.
Reading fictional stories has always been one of my favorite pasttimes. I do read nonfiction books, too, but there is rather an irresistible pull that I experience everytime I read fiction. Perhaps it could be some pseudo-courage to break free from the bounds of reality. Or the cliche escape from harsh reality.
There have been innumerable times that I tried to write short stories and even a feeble attempt at a novel. But I don’t think I’d be a successful fiction writer because I’m not patient or creative or cautious enough to be such. Consider one who makes clay pottery; he can sustain attention and the right amount of pressure on clay with precision for such a long time that he is rewarded the very gradual creation of his art in his own hands. I don’t think my mind is wired to do that. My memory is like a sieve which has big holes so ideas easily slip past. I cannot hold on to ideas for very long; not long enough for it to hatch into a veritable oasis of literary fiction.
In cases wherein my mind is filled with such ideas, my PDA or my small shorthand notebook comes in very handy for such devices are cures for an unretaining mind. I have such stores of ideas, like rows of stillborn fetuses in sterile jars in the laboratory shelves or embryos in suspended animation. Or may be like agar plates filled with bacteria, incubating in a temperature-controlled oven. Which idea lives or dies is not really much my decision; it depends on the whims of chance. And this absence of control over the existence or survival of these ideas is the very reason that I cannot be a fiction writer.
I read somewhere that if you put computers to a dozen of monkeys and let them type at whim 24/7 for the rest of their lives, one ought to come up with, at least, a classic. If that statement is somehow true, then perhaps there is still hope that someday I might come up with an accidental genius.
* * *
After A Different Bookstore, my next stop was Goodwill Bookstore. It stocks plenty of medical textbooks, references and reviewers. I want to see what new titles are available and just how pricey those are so that I’ll know how much I must save. There are two comprehensive study guides on Emergency Medicine that I really want. One costs P5000 and the other one about P4000. So, I guess I need to raise about P9000, if I’ll be getting both of them. But I think I’d settle for one and, thus, my new savings target is about P5000. Perhaps I’d be able to get one next month.
As written in many inside front covers of medical books, Medicine is an ever-changing science. New developments were made almost every year and medical books released updated editions every 3-4 years. As one who is, indeed, serious in practicing Medicine, one needs to be up-to-date with the new clinical guidelines, studies, and recommendations which could save lives someday.
And so, though I’m struggling financially, I do have to save some for these books. It’s not a luxury, buying these pricey books. It’s a must.
Just the other night, a close girl friend told me via SMS that she’s confronted by another temptation in the form of a 30-something, chinky-eyed, hot, male dentist, working in their company. Add to that a killer smile. Just exactly the kind that comes off irresistible to her. Married, though. But that didn’t quite diminish his seeming yumminess to my friend. And this hot chunk of male goodness has just asked her out on a date.
The problem here is my friend is devoted to her current beau. This temptation would have been welcome, if she was single. But, unfortunately, she isn’t. However, what harm can a single dinner date do? Well, it depends on what could happen during that single dinner date.
She asked me, then, to advise her on what she must do.
This is the sum of what I’ve told her:
Go out with him, then. Temptations are hard to fight and all the more you fight it, it gets stronger and you get weaker, being drained of strength. Better to give in a little and turn it to your advantage. When you go to that date, firmly bear in mind that nothing else will come after it. No more follow-up dates or casual coffee rendezvous. Just that one single date. And in that date, you must get to know him, well enough to dispel the enchantment you have about him. Look for things about him that you don’t really like. Even as mundane as the irritating scent of his cologne or the way he crassly chews his food. I do believe that, when you try to face the temptation head-on, you’d be able to break its hold on you, rather than trying to evade it on the get-go and be surprised when you find it sneaking up on you, tightly grabbing hold of you, and then, finding yourself helplessly falling. No, you should not put on such cowardly act. The evasive maneuvers should be used after the date. There will be two outcomes: one is that he’ll be mad at you; the other is that he’ll deem it as a challenge silently issuing from you, therefore, he’ll pursue you further. But then, at least, you’ll already be an arm’s length away from temptation.
I hope my feverish friend will be able to get through this intact and whole. I would really be sorry to see such promising relationship ripped to shreds just for moments of thrill and pleasure.
It’s been a long while since I’ve been tagged! Thanks Jhay! Hehehe! Now here’s something for me to do this lazy Saturday morning. Although, I think, I have already answered something like this before. But, who cares?
3 smells I love
1) Coffee! Especially the inside of Starbucks Coffee Shop! (Now I’m shaking. It’s been a while since my last dose of coffee)
2) Cinnamon
3) The smell of newly photocopied papers. Hehehe.
3 smells I hate
1) Body odor (I just remembered my 30-minute ordeal in the jeepney when I got seated next to a man with the worst body odor in the world. And he’s got his arm up then. Ugh.)
2) Strong perfume or cologne
3) Urinated walls (especially when I walk past it. Yuck! Men who made them are pigs.)
3 jobs that I have had in my life
1) General medicine practitioner
2) Preemployment Clinic Medical Evaluator
3) Emergency Room Physician
3 movies that I could watch over and over
1) The Matrix Trilogy (I must have watched the series for the nth time)
2) The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy
3) Underworld 1 & 2
3 fond memories
1) Island hopping in Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales
2) Badminton/Starbucks nights with close friends
3) Snuggling in bed with my Honey.
3 jobs I dream (would love) to have
1) Physician-Lawyer
2) Biology or Religious Studies Professor
3) Highest Paid Blogger in the World Wide Web! (Hehehe.)
3 things I would like to do
1) Lose weight
2) Have coffee at Starbucks
3) Talk to my Honey
3 of my favorite food
1) Pasta
2) Pink Salmon Sashimi
3) Dishes with chicken on it
3 places I would like to be in/at right now
1) Starbucks Coffee Shop
2) Powerbooks
3) In the arms of my Honey
3 things that make me cry
1) Songs that remind me of a certain person
2) Being ignored when I wanted attention
3) Anything sweet and thoughtful
1. How often do you blog? I visit blogs everyday, though I don’t post actively. I post every 2-3 days on the average.
2. Online Alias: Altashheth/Prudence/Tess
3. Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew? Yes, especially that one time when a taxi driver, who lined up in the taxi lane, refused to take a young woman, her baby, and loads of groceries because the way to the place she’s going to has heavy traffic. I told the driver that if he’s going to be picky with passsengers, he shouldn’t have pulled up in the taxi lane and pick his passengers elsewhere. And what’s the problem with heavy traffic? Hello?! He’s driving in the Sampaloc area where there is heavy traffic 24/7. He still refused to take in the lady and sped off. I scolded the security guard who was there. He was the one in-charge of the taxi lane. He should know what to do with those kind of taxi drivers.
4. What do you do most often when you are bored? Read a new book or my favorites (The Lord of the Rings or Anne Rice novels)
5. When bathing, which do you wash first? Hair.
6. Have you ever been awake for 48 hours straight? Yup, it goes with the job.
7. What color looks best on you? Yellow and pink.
8. What’s your favorite alcoholic drink? Vodka and Tequila
9. Do you believe in heaven and hell as real places that we go to after we die? No. Those were just concoctions of the priests.
10. Do you find that you have more online friends than offline friends? No.
11. What was your favorite subject in school? History, Philosophy, Comparative Anatomy, Human Anatomy and Physiology, Pathology, Internal Medicine
12. Are you a perfectionist? I don’t know.
13. Do you spend more than you can afford? When I’m on my shopping binges.
14. Is it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved before? Yes. It makes one feel more alive.
15. Do you consider yourself creative? Yes.
16. Do you give yourself the credit you deserve? Sometimes, I think.
17. Do you donate time or money to charities? Sometimes. Only when the receiver moves me. I’m not a believer of charities.
18. Have you recently done something to yourself that you’ve criticized others for doing? Hmmm…can’t remember anything now.
19. What’s on your mind right now? I want to stay in my bed and read my fave books again.
20. Say one nice thing about the person who tagged you and the five people that you are going to tag: I haven’t met Jhay personally but I think he’s an interesting person, besides the fact that we’re both Biology majors! Hahaha.
The five people I’m going to tag are: Carlo, Chel, Ivan, Karmi, and Ram.
I was searching Technorati for blogs that post Magdalene-related articles and came across a Myspace blog post. Check out the full article here. The post was written by The Native King. It’s not informative but, rather, I appreciate the sincerity emanating from it and the author’s willingness to further discuss the topic.
Here’s the comment I left in his site:
Yeah, I’ve been greatly interested in the Magdalene eversince I read the Da Vinci Code book. But, prior to reading the book, I’ve already formed some vague hypothesis regarding the mystery surrounding the Magdalene. That was because of the Goddess religions that I read when I was still in College and because of my Religious Studies subject. I took into reading the Bible closer and found none that would be proof that Magdalene was indeed a prostitute. So, it was just some pope’s mistake to label Magdalene as a whore. That’s the time I realized that a lot of things taught to me since I was young are all lies. And so my quest for true knowledge and truth is on.
I agree with you the people who fear things they don’t understand wouldn’t want to hear those words you said or by anyone who will be saying similar things, for that matter. As in the movie Matrix, these people have been too comfortable with the System that they are unwilling to challenge it further. I pity those. Even if it would turn out that I got it wrong, I’d still be proud that I questioned the old beliefs. Because by then, I can rightfully claim that I gained the knowledge by actively searching for it and not by passively receiving whatever is shoved at me.
Been online for a long time today, though I haven’t been posting much on my blog. Just visiting other blogs and leaving comments. I can’t think of entries I’d want to post because I’m a bit lonely. My Honey, who came home last Tuesday, is off to Bicol today for their family reunion to be held next week. And then, he’ll be staying there until November 5, so as to celebrate the All Saints’ Day with his family.
I’m sad because Honey is not here. Again. 
1) Bring copies of prescriptions or even used foil packs of recently taken medications.
This is important, especially if you can’t always remember the names and you are seeking the services of a physician whom you haven’t consulted with before. It is no good trying to describe the physical characteristics or form of your medications to your doctor because almost all tablets/capsules look alike. It is not useful to do guesswork, for both the doctor and the patient, especially when it comes to medications.
2) Know the name of your doctor.
It is rather embarrassing asking for your doctor by describing his/her hair color/length, body habitus, attire, or type of car he/she drives to the receptionist or to any of the hospital or clinic staff. Also, to know the name of your doctor is a sign of respect.
3) Do not call your doctor very late at night or during the wee hours, unless it is really an emergency or he/she told you that it is all right to do so.
Doctors work irregular hours and sometimes have sleepless nights in a row. But doctors are also human beings. We need to sleep, too, you know. You may be unnecessarily disrupting a much needed and deserved rest by making inconsiderate calls.
4) Do not take it against your doctor if he does not reply to your text consultations, but rather asks you to just see him in his clinic.
Filipino patients just LOVE to make text consultations. But patients can rather be vague with descriptions regarding their illnesses. Here are some examples:
"I have cough and colds and fever. What meds do I take?"
"I have stomache. Can I take this medication?"
"Why does my knee still hurt?"
These are just some of the text consults I’ve received which cannot be fully answered unless I see the patient. Prescribing medicines is not as simple as categorizing each as whether it is anti-cough, anti-colds, anti-stomache, etcetera. In interviewing and examining a patient, different algorithms, depending on the complaints and present health condition, run through the mind of a doctor, trying to discern the origins of such signs/symptoms. These algorithms are also guides for ordering the appropriate laboratory tests. So don’t begrudge your doctor. It is important that he sees the patient personally. An exception to this is that if the doctor already knew the patient’s history very well and the patient’s complaints are similar to an associated chronic illness that the patient have.
5) Be compliant with the medications prescribed to you.
It is rather useless going to the doctor again and again for the same complaints when you do not follow the regimen prescribed to you. Discuss with him whatever it is that hinders you from taking the drug: financial constraints, undesirable side effects, unavailability in the locale, etcetera, so that adjustments can be made.
6) Please be reminded that clinic hours are not the same as hours in the office which can be strictly implemented.
Most patients complain of the long times they spend waiting at doctors’ clinics. But there are lots of valid reasons for the doctor to be late or not show up in his clinic. This is especially applicable to doctors who handle surgical/ob-gyne/ICU cases, which are emergencies most of the time. Doctors, in turn, should keep their clinics informed about his availability for that day or ask someone else to do it for them, in case they’ve got their hands full. If your complaint really can’t wait any longer, proceed to the emergency room so as to be attended to. But don’t expect to be treated immediately, especially during the busy days, because triage works in the ER; emergency cases are always prioritized.
…’coz I’m going to see my Honey! He arrived last night from Guam. Before that, he got stranded for several hours in Honolulu because of the earthquake. I wasn’t able to come to him today because of my clinic :-(.
But then, tomorrow, I’ve got no clinic. So I’m going to spend all day tomorrow with my Honey! 
Yehey!
It was one of those busy nights at the ER, full of patients seeking OPD treatment in an emergency setting (read: patients who are either too busy to go to regular clnics during weekdays or too impatient to line-up at those clinics) when this woman, at her early 20’s, entered, sat down in front of the ER reception desk, and said she was seeking consult for an abdominal pain she thought was due to indigestion.
She is a petite, chubby young woman, fair, and seemingly shy and soft-spoken. Her companion, a female cousin, is of similar disposition. Both sat and waited patiently as my co-resident and I disposed of the other patients.
Then I interviewed her and here is how our conversation went (in Filipino, for full effect):
Me: Ano po ang ikokonsulta?
Px: Sumasakit kasi tiyan ko simula pa ng hapon. Dito sa puson. Tapos nung umihi ako may mapula.
Me: Sige, i-examine muna kita tapos ipa-examine natin urine mo.
When I made her lay on her back at the examining bed, I noticed for the first time that her abdomen was slightly globular. What I noted as a bulging abdomen when she was sitting down was actually a small globular abdomen.
Me: Buntis ka ba?
Px: Hindi po. Tumaba lang.
Me: Sigurado ka ba? Mabilog ang tiyan mo. Hindi taba ‘yan. Kailan ang huling mense mo?
Px: December last year po.
Me: Hindi ka ba kinakabahan na 9 months ka ng hindi dinadatnan?
The patient didn’t reply.
Me: Kailan ang huli mong sexual contact?
Px: December din po.
My co-resident and I computed for the age of gestation and expected date of confinement.
Co-res: Pucha, 37-38 weeks AOG na ‘to ah, if reliable ang sexual history na binigay niya. Pero hindi malaki ‘yung abdomen niya for this pregnancy.
Pregnancy test done turned out positive. I checked for fetal heart tone.
Me: May heart beat. 130bpm. Positive pregnancy na ‘to. Puede pakitanggal ‘yung pants and underwear. Kelangan ko i-examine ang puerta mo.
When the patient removed her pants and underwear, I noted that there were blood stains on it. The patient claimed the stains weren’t there before she urinated. I became rather hesitant to do an IE since there is the possibility of a placenta overlying the cervical os, or placenta previa, which could bleed further if I manipulated the cervix. An ultrasound of the abdomen was needed to rule out the possibility.
But I wasn’t given that chance anymore. Several minutes later, the patient’s sheets underneath her were stained with clear, yellowish fluid. The amniotic bag was broken already. Then I did my IE.
Cervix was 100% effaced, and fully dilated.
Patient was already screaming that her abdomen and her vagina hurts. A very different kind of pain from the one she was complaining upon coming at the ER.
I ordered that the patient be hydrated intravenously and be taken directly to the delivery room, all the requisite blood sampling to be done once in the DR already. While I followed the patient to the DR, my co-resident called upon the OB-Gyn and pedia consultants on-deck that night to inform them of the situation.
But it seemed that the baby cannot wait any longer. After an hour of crash-course on proper breathing techniques and baby pushing and not screaming and endless reprimands to keep her legs and thighs wide open, she delivered a live, healthy, term baby girl, though a bit small for her gestational age. The baby seemed asleep and did not cry immediately. Upon suctioning of the mouth and nose, she finally got disturbed and irritated enough to scream to everybody’s satisfaction.
Just imagine how bothered, bewitched, and bewildered her cousin and her other housemates were when informed that the patient they brought in complaining of indigestion delivered a live baby girl. Nobody knew she was pregnant. Even the patient herself denied ever being pregnant.
When asked who and where the father is, the patient, now a mother of a baby girl, only smiled and said he is "just around".
Hmmm.
