True Healing

True
Healing
Cymbeline Villamin
True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin
True Healing
by Cymbeline Villamin
Copyright 2014
This book or any part of it may not be
reproduced or distributed in any format
whether print or digital, without written
permission by the copyright owner.
Published and Distributed by
CRV Bookstore
http://crv-bookstore.blogspot.com
Email: crvillamin@yahoo.com

True Healing
To
GOD
be the glory
Table of Contents
Foreword
Honey for Good Health
Tai Chi for Everyone
Taking Care of our Feet
Healing and Freedom for All Women
Treating Abdominal Pain
Cure for Osteoarthritis
Managing Postpartum Depression
Waiting for the Cardio
Coping with Chemo Side Effects
Healing in Linac
Hypnoanesthesia
Palliative Care
Cannabis for Healing
Healing with Food
Foreword
Heal first the soul in order to cure the
body. Doctors are Gods gift to humanity
while the allied professionals nurses
and rad techs sincere acts of caring
and kindness which are not reflected
on hospital bills, are indeed priceless and
life-changing.
Sometimes a dreaded disease is a wakeup call and a turning point in the
patients life; and doctors, nurses, and
rad techs are a human metaphor for
the divine touch.
The Author
Honey for Good Health
Image from Google.com
Eat honey, my son, for it is good...

-Proverbs 24:13
The Old Testament often refers to the
Promised Land as the land overflowing
with milk and honey. John the Baptist
survived in the wilderness by eating only
wild locusts and honey. Milk (rich source

of protein and calcium to build tissues
and bones) and honey (preferred source
of carbohydrate for energy) are a
powerful tandem. Every morning before
jogging or brisk walking, a cup of citrus
tea with a teaspoonful of honey is great
for going the extra mile without
experiencing fatigue. For those who
suffer from insomnia, a glass of hot milk
with a tablespoonful of honey will induce
sleep. Honey in glass bottles is available
in most supermarkets. My daughter
regularly supplies me with bottles of
honey from Los Banos.
Gift from the Bees
Honey is a carbohydrate compound,
composed of two inverse sugars called
levolose and dextrose, predigested by
bees (of the genus Apis, thus the term for
raising bees for honey production is
called apiculture) from nectars of
flowers, inverted then concentrated. A
colony of some 20,000 to 40,000 female
bee-workers are at work at a time to
produce honey. There is only one queen
bee, the mother of all bees who does
nothing but mate and reproduce. There

are only a few male bees called drones
whose only purpose in living is to have
intercourse with the queen, after which
the drone dies, as penis and abdominal
tissues are ripped off after intercourse.
The floral flavonoids in honey are
antioxidants and have powerful
influences upon entry into the cells of our
body. They increase antioxidant levels
within; decrease capillary permeability
and fragility; scavenge oxidants and
remove free radicals; inhibit destruction
of collagen in the body; and improve
the body immunity functions. In vitro
studies show that flavonoids have antiallergic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-diarrheal, and anticancer activities. Thanks to God for the
bees that pass the precious floral
flavonoids to us humans.
Health Benefits
Honey is a remedy for many ailments. It
serves as cleansing tonic for cuts and
burns, and a mouthwash-gargle as well
for sore throat when combined with
lemon and warm water. For cough and

cold, drink a glass of warm water
combined with a pinch of iodized salt,
four tablespoonful of lemon juice, and
two tablespoonful of honey.
Because it has anti-microbial and
cleansing properties, honey is an
excellent facial wash and ingredient for
bath recipes. Constant use of honey
results into glowing skin. Honey is used in
spas all over the world. Honey is good
not only for the skin but for the entire
body, making it agile and youthful, truly
an anti-aging food. We can spread
honey on bread toasts or top boiled
saba bananas or sweet potatoes with it.
Honey also alleviates constipation and
obesity, lowers bad cholesterol as well.
Peoples in ancient civilizations of
Greece, Rome, Egypt, India, and Israel
have eaten honey to preserve youth
and good health, prolong life.
In the Season of Harvest
A word of caution, though-- Do not give
honey to infants and toddlers because
10
their digestive system is not yet fully

developed to fight the naturally
occurring bacteria which the bees
collect together with the nectar. Eat
honey as you would other food-- in
moderation, within the context of a
balanced diet. The Proverbs say, when
you find honey, eat only what is enough.
Do not eat more than what is sufficient
for you will vomit.
Even if honey has anti-tumor or anticancer properties, we know we cannot
be healed by honey alone when for
example, we are already at a late stage
of the disease. Most of us want
everything instantly. We want health,
wealth, happiness-- now-- totally
abandoning the universal law of sowing
and reaping. If we sow a healthy lifestyle
of balanced diet, regular exercise,
enough rest and sleep then we reap the
benefits of good health and long life. We
are all farmers waiting for the season of
harvest. Let us teach our children the
healthy lifestyle so that they will sow its
seeds and so that they too will reap an
abundant harvest of healthy old age,
and live life to the full.
11
Tai Chi for Everyone
visualphotos.com
I remember my eldest daughter when

she was still in college and enrolled in tai
chi for her PE class, telling me, Mommy,
you must try tai chi, its perfect for you.
At that time, I was more impressed with
aerobics and jogging, not knowing (but
now I know, after eight years-- thanks to
the free tai chi experience provided

12
recently by the sugar buddies at the

Asian Hospital and Medical Center) that
the slow, graceful movements of tai chi
synchronized with deep breathing can
keep mind and body healthy, by
sending signals to the brain to stabilize
flow of body fluid, blood pressure, body
pH (balance of alkalinity and acidity),
and stimulate cell growth.
Many forms of exercise are healthy,
although not everyone can engage in
aerobics, jogging, running, swimming,
dancing, or cycling. But everyone can
brisk-walk and do the tai chi, both young
and old alike. Brisk-walking and tai chi
are low-impact exercises that rarely, if
ever, cause injury. We can walk and tai
chi in the park, garden, beach, or
neighborhood streets at break of dawn
or late afternoons. We need not pay any
coach or instructor regularly after the first
orientation and beginners session. There
are plenty of How To literature and
videos on the Internet to guide us.
Although, it is best if we can join a group
and split the fees among ourselves for
the tai chi teacher. The tai chi instructor
will teach specific positions and how to
regulate our breathing. He can also
13
teach how to practice tai chi safely,

especially if we may have injuries,
chronic conditions, balance or
coordination problems. Although tai chi
is slow and gentle, with virtually no
negative side effects, it is possible to get
injured if we do not know how to do tai
chi properly. It is possible we could strain
our muscles or overdo it when first
learning.
What is Tai Chi

Tai chi means great energy. It consists
of bended knees and slow, graceful
movements synchronized with deep
breathing. Each posture flows into the
next without a pause, ensuring that the
body is in constant motion. The concept
and practice of tai chi existed as early as
the 12th century, formulated by a Taoist
monk. Knowing the ancient beginnings is
the essence of Taoism. It is about being
one with nature and the universe, not
opposing or contradicting. Tai chi has
five styles, named after the Chinese
families that developed them namely
Chen style, Yang style, Sun style, Wu Hao
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style, and Wu Jianquan style. Videos of

the Yang style (10-form and 24-form)
abound on the Internet. I do the 10-form
Yang style, following after the video I
downloaded from YouTube.
These are the popular tai chi moves,
named after animals and elements of
nature:
Commencing (Qsh), Preparation,
Beginning
Part the Wild Horse's Mane (Ym
Fnzng)
White Crane Spreads Its Wings
(Bih Langch), Stork/Crane
Cools Its Wings
Brush Knee and Step Forward
(Lux ob), Brush Knee and Twist
Step
Playing the Lute (Shuhi Pp),
Strum the Lute, Play Guitar
Reverse Reeling Forearm (Daojuan
Gong), Step Back and Drive
Monkey Away
Left Grasp Sparrow's Tail (Zuo Lan
Quewei), Grasp the Bird's Tail
15
Ward Off (Peng)

Rollback (Lu)
Press (Ji)
Push (An)
Right Grasp Sparrow's Tail (You Lan
Quewei)
Single Whip (Danbian)
Wave Hands Like Clouds
(Yunshou), Cloud Hands, Cloud
Built Hands, Wave Hands in Clouds
Single Whip (Danbian)
High Pat on Horse (Gao Tan Ma),
Step Up to Examine Horse
Right Heel Kick (You Dengjiao),
Separate Right Foot, Kick with
Right Foot
Strike to Ears with Both Fists
(Shuangfeng Guaner)
Turn Body and Left Heel Kick
(Zhuanshen Zuo Dengjiao)
Left Lower Body and Stand on One
Leg (Zuo Xiashi Duli)
Single Whip Squatting Down,
Snake Creeps Down,
Golden Rooster Stands on
One Leg, Golden Bird
16
Standing Alone
Right Lower Body and Bird Stand
on One Leg (You Xiashi Duli)
Shuttle Back and Forth (Yunu
Chuansuo), Fair Lady Works with
Shuttles, (Walking Wood), Four
Corners
Needle at Sea Bottom (Haidi Zhen)
Fan Through Back (Shan Tong Bei),
Fan Penetrates Back
Turn Body, Deflect, Parry, and
Punch (Zhuanshen Banlanchui)
Appears Closed (Rufeng Sibi),
Withdraw and Push, as if Closing a
Door
Cross Hands (Shizishou)
Closing (Shoushi)
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taiji.de
Health Benefits from Tai Chi

Although tai chi is generally safe, it is still
best to talk with our doctor before
starting a new program, particularly if we
think we may have problems with our
joints, spine or heart; if pregnant; with
any fracture or severe osteoporosis.
18
Tai chi can help reduce stress. During tai

chi, we focus on movement and
breathing. This combination creates a
state of relaxation and calm. Stress,
anxiety and tension melt away as we
focus on the present, and the effects
may last well after we stop your tai chi
session. Despite its long history, tai chi has
been studied scientifically only in recent
years. And although more research is
needed, preliminary evidence suggests
that tai chi may offer numerous benefits
beyond stress reduction, including:
Reducing anxiety and depression
Improving balance, flexibility and
muscle strength
Reducing falls in older adults
Improving sleep quality
Lowering blood pressure
Improving cardiovascular fitness in
older adult
Relieving chronic pain
Increasing energy, endurance and
agility
Improving overall feelings of wellbeing
19
A Whole New World
squidoo.com
Coach Pilar, our teacher at Asian really

opened for the sugar buddies (a support
group of diabetic patients, loved ones,
caregivers and friends) a whole new
world with tai chi. We enjoyed the
calming eastern music and the new
moves that our bodies are amazingly
capable of performing. I immediately
noticed the pain in my upper arms (side
effect of mastectomy that also removed
my lymph nodes and possibly caused
damage to my nerves) was gone. When
the pain returned and I did tai chi in the
20
mornings, the pain went away again. So,

on mornings I woke up late and could
not brisk-walk, I did tai chi instead to the
tune of the music Willows in the Spring
Breeze downloaded from YouTube. Thus
I found a new source of joy again and it
felt like falling in love for the first time.
Awesome but when we continue to
seek, we find; when we ask, we receive.
All we have to do is call on God. Call to
me and I will answer you and tell you
great and unsearchable things you do
not know (Jeremiah 33:3)
21
Taking Care of our Feet
He poured water into a basin

and began to wash his disciples feet,
drying them with the towel.
John 13:5
Many of us go to great extremes in

taking care of our facial skin, going
through elaborate rituals in the morning
upon waking up and at night before
going to sleep. We clean with facial
scrub or facial wash and then after
rinsing, apply toner or moisturizer. Before
22
going out to work we wear sun block or

put on a foundation or apply face
powder. At night, again, we cleanse,
tone, moisturize, sleep with an anti-aging
cream on our face.
Anal Care is More Important than Facial
Care
But only a very few among us show
much concern about anal care. We can
laugh about it but seriously speaking,
anal care is more important than facial
care. Of course these days, there are a
lot of hygienic wash for the intimate
parts, those that maintain the genitals
right ph level. But we must not neglect
anal care by washing the area with a
mild soap and clean water, and then
wiping it dry with a clean towel. We must
never take for granted any itching,
redness, swelling, or any suspicious
growth in the anal area specially if there
is pus or if it is hot. Consult with a doctor
immediately, this is part of the colo-rectal
cancer prevention.
Feet Care is also Very Important
Aside from the anus, another part of the
anatomy that is often taken for granted
are the feet. The feet are equally
23
important as the eyes, nose, ears, heart,

kidneys, lungs, pancreas, genital, ovary,
prostate, skin, etc. We must not regard
foot spa as an unnecessary luxury. We
must indulge in it whenever possible in
our favorite salon or spa center. Caring
for our feet is like a solemn ritual. It is
showing our loving stewardship of our
body, which is the temple of the Holy
Spirit. It is in effect, thanking God for his
gift of life.
No less than the Holy Scriptures
emphasizes the importance of the
human feet, as vital instruments of our
redemption, taking us to unexplored
destinations whether physical or spiritual,
to learn about the splendor of divine will
and creation. In Luke 7:38, Jesus Christ,
much aware of his forthcoming
crucifixion, allowed a sinful woman to
drench his feet with her tears of
repentance, in effect washing them
clean and then wiping them dry with her
long hair.
On the night after sharing a meal
together when he was about to be
betrayed by Judas Iscariot, Jesus
washed the feet of his disciples. It was an
24
act of perfect love and servitude by the

Savior. The act sent forth a message of
humility and greatness. He who leads
must serve. The king is the servant of all.
Jesus encouraged his disciples and in
effect, all believers, to wash one
anothers feet.
Feet care is particularly essential for
diabetics, because they are prone to
poor blood circulation and numbness of
the feet to the extent that they do not
notice immediately if their feet have
been hit or injured by some sharp objects
such as iron nails, thumb tacks, staple
wires, stones, etc.
How to Take care of our Feet
Here are some practical tips for taking
care of our feet, whether we are
diabetic or not:
After a bath and under a good light,
inspect feet daily from top to bottom
for cracked heels, blisters, corns,
calluses, and signs of infection like
hotness, redness, tenderness. Apply
lotion or moisturizer on cracked heels.
For serious foot problems and when
25
signs of infection are present, consult

a doctor.
Using a toenail clipper, cut nails
straight across, not triangular, not too
short.
Wash feet as often as necessary with
a mild soap, rinse with clean water,
and towel-dry.
Keep feet dry specially in between
toes, because wet skin is prone to
fungal infection. Apply moisturizer or
lotion to very dry skin to prevent
cracking.
Do not go barefoot. Wear
comfortable slippers. Use proper
shoes when going out, not too tight,
not too flat but slightly elevated.
Apply talcum powder on feet before
wearing shoes.
Wear clean cotton socks before
putting on walking or running shoes.
Exercise everyday, specially the feet.
26
Stop smoking because nicotine can

destroy the blood vessels, leading to
poor blood circulation.
Treatment for the Diabetic Foot
Feet care is currently the sole domain of
spas and salons. There is no existing foot
clinic in any hospital in the country unlike
in Thailand where there are feet
specialists and doctors themselves
remove calluses by trimming with a
specialized tool, unlike in local salons
where blades are used. There is a
growing clamor for feet clinics, as
expressed by the Sugar Buddies, a lay
support group for diabetics based at the
Asian Hospital and Medical Center
(AHMC).
According to Dr. Marie Yvette Amante of
AHMC, foot doctors take care of the
diabetic patients feet in Bangkok. The
Thai doctors were very kind to train for
free two diabetes nurses from the AHMC,
Divine Diaz and Ferdinand Lantejas.
Recently, they lectured on foot care to
the Sugar Buddies and other concerned
and health conscious individuals. In the
same lecture, Dr. Amante advised the
27
participants not to use hydrogen

peroxide and povidone iodine on open
foot wounds.
She also mentioned options for
treatment to avoid amputation,
including maggot therapy, wherein
worms from sterile farms are allowed to
eat the dead tissues, as well as the use of
broad spectrum antibacterials.
Indeed how wonderfully made is the
human body. Every part has a vital ,
divine purpose to empower us to live
fruitful, joyous lives to walk in freedom
and in the light. Let us be excellent
stewards of our glorious body.
28
Healing and Freedom

for All Women
Since the ancient times up to now, there
exists a gender divide with the women as
the discriminated half of humanity.
Evidences in the Old Testament attest to
women bashingGenesis 3:16
(Punishment for Eve), Numbers 5:11-31
(Test for an Unfaithful Wife), Ezekiel 16: 163 (An Allegory of Unfaithful Jerusalem)
and Hosea 2:1-23 and 3:1-5 (Allegory of
Israel Punished and Restored) to cite a
few. It is good that in the New
Testament, the anti-women mindset was
overturned by the Messiah who is a true
feminist, as evidenced by the narratives
in Luke 7:36-50 (Jesus Anointed by the
Sinful Woman), Luke 8:40-56 (A Dead Girl
and a Sick Woman), Luke 10:38-41 (At
the Home of Martha and Mary), Luke
13:10-17 (A Crippled Woman Healed on
the Sabbath), John 4:1-42 (Jesus Talks
with a Samaritan Woman), and John 8:111 (The Woman Caught in the Act of
Adultery).
29
Artwork from Philippine Panorama
To this date, the punishment for Eves

unenlightened daughters still holds
power, with pain you will give birth to
children. Your desire will be for your
husband and he will rule over you,
which is the root of all feminist pain and
anguish. Women must seek freedom
from this enslaving sexual desire to find
peace, dignity, and true joy. It can be
done.
30
Carcinoma of the Spirit

This situation is unbelievable but real-martyr-wives opted to stay married to an
abusive, alcoholic, philandering, violent
husband and continue to give birth to his
children; or a mistress could not cut off
her relationship with a lover whom she
knows to be married and could never
give her a life of moral decency.
Everything starts as a seemingly harmless
and exciting attraction towards a
handsome male, the euphoria of
courtship, the delights of orgasm, the
romance of the wedding ceremony,
and then the woman is hooked and hell
begins. Realities set in as the fleeting
dream wears off the pains of childbirth;
the gradual deterioration of youth,
wellness, and beauty; financial troubles;
problems with in-laws; parenting blues;
waning interest on the part of the
husband; falling out of romantic love
after two to three years; marital
boredom after ten to fifteen years; and
spiritual decay as one is swallowed down
by the ways of the world.
31
Women may seek fulfillment in career,

making money; or escape in the arts,
entertainment, illicit affairs. The less
discerning is not aware that the romantic
notion discovered in ones teens and
nurtured in adulthood by multimedia, is
like a deadly virus that found a host and
continued to multiply the cell it has
infected. Soon the infected cells grew
into a full blown cancer of the spirit after
a seemingly dormant period. Carnal and
materialistic desires can keep us in
bondage and we can only be set free
through spiritual cleansing with the most
precious blood of the Savior.
Cervical cancer, the second leading
cause of death among women, and
associated with indiscriminately active
sexual activities, is caused primarily by
spiritual issues that find metaphor in HPV
or the human papilloma viruses. There
are nearly 115 distinct HPVs. HPV 16 is the
direct source of infection for nearly half
of all cervical cancers. At least 30 HPV
types target the genitalia. Approximately
15 types are cancer-causing types.
Globally, types 16 and 18 together
account for more than 70 percent of
cervical cancer cases. Other types that
32
cause cancer (in descending order of

global prevalence) include 45, 31, 33, 52,
58, 35, 59, 56, 51, 39, 68, 73, and 82. A
new vaccine that targets HIV 16 and 18,
the most common cancer-causing types
of HPV, is now available fortunately, in
the same and yet unique way that
spiritual healing is available in the past,
at present, in the future and for all times
for all of us who seek it.
Overzealous medical scientists
recommend the injection of the anti HPV
vaccine to young girls before the
possibility of infection or their first sexual
encounter, for their protection. But is it
not far better to immerse them in the
Word of God and righteous values and
lifestyle to protect them. This is more
desirable than telling our daughters this
stressful and degrading explanation, My
child, now that you are already ten years
old, I need to bring you to the doctor for
a shot of the anti HPV vaccine to protect
you in case you become promiscuous
when you grow older or your future
husband turns out to be a womanizer.
33
Ultimate Cure for the Dreaded Disease

Breast and cervical cancers threaten to
become a pandemic affecting women
all over the world. There are survivors but
there are also others who are dying.
Some got cured but had a recurrence
after five years. We know that life on
earth is temporary and everyone will die
but we need not suffer the torments of a
dreaded disease. We can pass onto the
next realm gracefully and with dignity.
The first thing to know to avoid a
dreaded disease or to get healed of it is
to realize that there is something far
deadlier than a virus and it is SIN, which
destroys the soul and causes eternal
death. Sin is a pandemic and yet
humanity takes it all for granted.
All have sinned and fallen short of the
glory of God, none is righteous, all our
good works are mere filthy rugs in the
sight of our Creator. Redemption rests in
admitting our sinfulness and asking Gods
forgiveness, accepting His Son, Christ, as
personal Lord and Savior. Then we must
strive to remain in Gods righteousness
and walk on His blameless path. Not to
do this is lethal for sin causes both
physical and spiritual deaths. Let the sick
34
among us find healing in Christ, for by His

wounds we are healed:
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities,
the punishment that brought us peace
was upon him
and by his wounds we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:5)
When the Son of God offered His life as a
ransom for humanitys sins, our major
problem has already been solved and all
that remain are easier burdens. Can He
who is mighty enough to redeem us not
be able to heal us of our pain, fear and
loneliness; as well as minister to our
deepest longing and desire to be
accepted and loved purely,
unconditionally as a woman? We are
most precious and honored in the sight
of Jesus Christ, the greatest healer and
lover. Let us strive to be beautiful as a
woman not because we want to be
loved, but because we are loved.
35
Prayer for all Women

Dear women readers, let us pray for
ourselves and for our daughters and
granddaughters as we celebrate the
Womens Month for this year 2011:
Our Father, Almighty God
You are all powerful, all knowing, all
loving, omnipresent
You are infinite and can never be
contained.
How can we ever know you fully with our
finite mind?
Even if we live a thousand years, we still
can never know You
Who is without a beginning and without
an end;
But with the little discernment You so
graciously allow us,
You multiply for our needs and is more
than enough
To comfort us, give us peace, not as the
world gives; and give us true joy.
Forgive us our sins of pride and
selfishness, anger and hatred, greed and
lusts,
For allowing ourselves to be seduced by
modern day serpents
36
Into biting from the forbidden fruit and

giving it to the Adam in our lives to
partake of also;
Forgive us all our misplaced desires
Wash us clean with the most precious
blood of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and then
Create in us a pure heart and a
steadfast spirit so that
We will continue to walk in Your light and
righteousness.
Oh God heal us, provide for all of our
spiritual, physical, material and financial
needs,
Give us freedom to be the best
individuals we can be as
We surrender ourselves and our lives
completely to Your plan for us.
Make us faithful wives and authentic
mothers who nurture all children.
Empower us oh God to obey Your will
and serve Your purpose for our lives
All these we ask in the mighty name of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
37
Treating Abdominal Pain

I was hesitant about attending the lay
forum Tummy Troubles in Children at
the nearby medical center because my
kids are mostly grown-ups. But when I
sighted the words constipation,
circumcision, hernia I decided to
learn more for the sake of my future
grandchildren. I realized the forum was
packed with very useful, practical
information for adults who need to act
decisively during emergency situations
involving children.
When do you need to bring the sick child
to the hospital
Any mother who listens to her child
complain Mommy, my stomach is
aching terribly! is usually alarmed, with
her entire system going on a very high
alert level. I remember just in the recent
past, my teenage son rushed to my room
writhing in abdominal pain. I nearly went
into panic and wanted to rush him to the
hospital. I searched for the medicine that
I usually take for gas pain but could not
find it. Then I remembered the

38
Manzanilla oil. I poured it generously on

my palm and then applied it on the
whole area of his stomach, particularly
around the navel. Then he rested on
bed. After a few minutes, he was okay
and I was so thankful.
We must remember not to panic or be
the first one to be emo (the young
peoples term for those who easily cry or
get affected). The pediatricians in the
forum gave these valuable tips (1) Ask
the child to rate the severity of his pain
using a scale of 1 up to 10, with 10 as the
most severe; and then, (2) Ask the child
to point the location of his pain.
If the pain is at the center of the
abdomen, most likely it is gas pain; if on
the lower part, it might be urinary tract
infection (UTI). If the pain is on the lower
right area of the abdomen, it might be
appendicitis.
With the boys in their teens, the parent
must be very thorough in asking because
adolescents are shy in talking about their
intimate body parts. Is the pain in the
groin area, in the testicles? Examine the
genital to see if there are rashes or if the
39
testicles are swollen, to watch for the

possibility of hernia.
Other possible medical causes of
stomach pain are parasites, food
allergies, food poisoning, viral and
bacterial infections, diarrhea, gastritis,
stress, and constipation.
Gas pains, which are very common, are
usually over in 24 hours or less. The child
must rest on bed and given a prokinetic
drug like Domperidone (Motillum). For
stress-caused abdominal pain, give
Omeprazole. Children and teens are
stressed by home and school events.
Parents and teachers can be stressors.
So, parents must be gentle with their kids;
and must also talk to the teachers to
remind them to be kind and not to
harass and terrorize their students.
Diarrhea is gone after 72 hours or less.
The child must be given Pedialyte to
avoid dehydration. Do not give pain
relievers, Gatorade, juices, sodas, coffee,
or milk. Do not force-feed the child with
solid food. Instead, give him porridge
(lugaw) and broth (sabaw).
40
When is the time to bring the sick child to

the hospital? If the child is restless, having
difficulty of breathing, pale, sweating,
vomiting and the vomit is colored yellow
or green and contains blood; the child is
not drinking, not urinating then he must
be brought immediately to the nearest
hospital to undergo tests to determine
the cause (etiology and pathogenesis)
of his abdominal pain so that he can be
given the appropriate medical
treatment.
Surgery may be necessary to treat
constipation
Sounds unbelievable but it is a fact that
some babies are born without an anus
where feces can pass out of the body.
Artificial, temporary anus are installed for
the first few months and then these
babies undergo a surgical procedure
called anoplasty before reaching two
years old, to create an opening where
the body wastes can evacuate. I
recalled, another son, when he was a
toddler, suffered from constipation. His
dad and I were very upset because he
was a special child, diagnosed to be in
the autistic spectrum of disorder. He still
41
could not communicate at that time. We

just knew from his manner of crying that
he was in deep pain. We brought him to
the nearest hospital. The doctor inserted
a suppository into his anus. We waited
and when he still could not move his
bowels, the young doctor put on his
gloves and then manually and quickly
took out the hardened stools. He did it
lightning-fast. My son was very much
relieved and we went home in peace,
very much grateful to the doctor.
Constipation in regular infants (with
normal anal opening) can be treated
with oral enemas for disimpaction or
cleaning of the colon from feces; and
then maintenance with oral laxatives or
stool softeners. Toddlers, older children,
and teens prone to constipation must be
given high fiber diets and must be
provided counseling. They must be
encouraged to move their bowels
regularly and given moral support.
The toilet bowl must be comfortable. The
constipating children must not be rushed
when they are using the toilet. They must
not be scolded or punished for soiling
their underwears. Most important, they
42
must be praised for every successful

effort at moving their bowels. Children
who had a traumatic incident
(incontinence) in school or any public
place must be comforted and reassured
that such incident can happen to
anyone, young and adult alike.
Prune, pear, and apple juices are good
to alleviate constipation. We can also
give our children fruit cakes, carrot
cakes. Apple is best eaten with the skin
(balat). Do not peel your apples. The top
ten fruits to give our children to alleviate
constipation are avocado, durian,
guava, kiwi, orange, pear, grape,
banana, mango, and papaya.
Circumcision is not necessary
It was liberating to learn that
circumcision must not be done routinely,
meaning, parents must not assume or
believe that their sons need to be
circumcised, specially at birth when they
need the protection afforded by the
foreskin. I was really distressed to see the
newly circumcised genitals of my sons in
their early teens. I now promise that none
of my future grandsons have to undergo
43
this painful and dangerous procedure.

European and Japanese men are not
circumcised. The circumcision mindset is
imposed upon us by traditional religion
and culture. It has no medical basis as
researches have shown. The procedure is
filled with risks such as excessive
bleeding, infection, and anaesthetic
complications. The foreskin is a
protective covering and significantly
enhances sexual pleasure for both the
man and his spouse.
The important role of the pediatric
anaesthetist
As surgery is a necessary life-saving
procedure for children born without
anus, suffering from hernia, and afflicted
with appendicitis, the anaesthetist
performs an equally important task as
that of the surgeon. Anaesthesiology is
both an art and a science. The good
anaesthetist allays the fears and
anxieties of both the child-patient and
his parents; sees to it that the patient
does not experience pain, and assures
the maintenance of the patients vital
body functions. Anaesthetic drugs are
poison. It can have negative effects on
44
the nervous system, cardiovascular

system, renal system, neuroskeletal
system, reflexes (such as swallowing and
coughing), and other organs systems. No
surgical procedure is risk-free.
Fortunately, anaesthetic drugs and
monitoring systems keep on getting
better. Therefore in the hands of the
experts, science and technology provide
hope and a new life for many individuals.
I was glad I went to the forum after all. I
learned a lot from the good doctors who
empowered us to be better parents and
care givers to all children, even those not
our own. Children are Gods gifts to us.
We must emulate their purity and
humility. unless you change and
become like little children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew
18:3).
45
Cure for Osteoarthritis

I remember my father (now 80 years old
and healthy enough to worship with us in
the Sanctuary every Sabbath) when he
was in his mid 70s writhing in pain due to
osteoarthritis. He said he wanted to die!
He did not want us to bring him to the
doctor. I realize now if only we were
informed about all the possible
treatment for his pain, then perhaps we
would have been able to convince him
to seek medical help. Thanks to Dr. Ilustre
I. Guloy of the Department of
Orthopedics Asian Hospital and
Medical Center, many patients and their
loved ones-caregivers are now being
enlightened about the various treatment
options for osteoarthritis.
Do you feel pain on walking, getting up
from a chair, stiffness, difficulty in starting
to move after being inactive, swelling,
warmth, creaking? You may be afflicted
with osteoarthritis. If you suspect you
might have osteoarthritis, please consult
your doctor immediately. Osteoarthritis
involves the wear and tear of the joints.
46
Some of the medications prescribed by Dr. Ilustre

I. Guloy of the Department
of Orthopedics Asian Hospital and Medical
Center, are paracetamol, non-steroidal
anti inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen, cox-2
inhibitors, pain relieving creams,
glucosamine sulfate, articular steroid injection,
and lubrication injection.
47
The Joints
Joints are an amazing biochemical
structures in humans that make
movements possible. A joint is formed by
the ends of two or more bones that are
connected by thick tissues. For example,
the knee joint is formed by the lower leg
bone (tibia and fibula) and the thigh
bone (femur). The hip is a ball and
socket joint formed by the upper end of
the femur (the ball) and a part of the
pelvis called the acetabulum (the
socket). Other examples of joints are the
shoulders and elbows.
The bone ends of a joint are covered
with a smooth layer called cartilage.
Normal cartilage allows nearly frictionless
and pain-free movement. When the
cartilage is damaged by arthritis, joints
become stiff and painful. Every joint is
enclosed by a fibrous tissue envelope or
a capsule with a smooth tissue lining,
called the synovium. The synovium
produces fluid that reduces friction and
wear in a joint.
The knee is the largest joint in the body
and can withstand up to five times our
48
body weight. Like the knee, the hip is

also a weight-bearing joint subjected to
tremendous stresses as we move. Since
they are used in various forms of activity,
the knees and hips are prone to wear
and tear, as well as injury. The most
common symptom of joint damage is
pain in the joints. The most common
cause of pain in the joints is arthritis.
Arthritis is the inflammation of the joints
which causes pain, stiffness, and swelling.
The most common form of arthritis and
the leading cause of joint disability is
osteoarthritis, also known as
degenerative joint disease (DJD).
Osteoarthritis usually occurs after age 50
years old, particularly in people who are
obese and who over use their joints. In
osteoarthritis, the cartilage cushioning
the bones wears away. The bones then
rub against each other, causing pain
and stiffness. The pain can be so severe
that the patient will avoid using the joint,
thus weakening the muscles around the
joint and making it more difficult to move
the joint. Immobility and lack of physical
activities cause further deterioration of
the patients health.
49
Osteoarthritis can be prevented by maintaining a

healthy lifestyle that
Includes regular exercise, a diet of vegetables,
fruits, fish, dairy products,
as well as calcium-vit D supplements. One must
avoid being overweight
and must not overuse the joint, must protect
them from injury.
50
Treatment Options for Osteoarthritis

According to Dr. Guloy, osteoarthritis can
be prevented by engaging in a healthy
lifestyle such as doing low-impact
exercise; including plenty of dark green
leafy vegetables as well as fruits,
calcium-rich food sources such as
seafoods and dairy products in ones
diet; and maintaining a normal weight
(avoid being obese or overweight). It
helps to take calcium-vitamin D
supplements. One must also protect
ones joints from being over used, from
trauma and injury.
Osteoarthritis can be treated with
conservative, non-surgical methods.
Long-term pain medications and joint
injections can be prescribed by doctors.
Among the medications that Dr. Guloy
prescribes are-- paracetamol, nonsteroidal anti inflammatory drug such as
ibuprofen, cox-2 inhibitors, pain relieving
creams, glucosamine sulfate, articular
steroid injection, and lubrication
injection.
51
However, Dr. Guloy is careful to point out

that not all patients will respond to
conservative treatments and will
eventually require a joint replacement
surgery. Joint replacement surgery is a
surgical procedure in which the diseased
parts of a joint are removed and
replaced with new, artificial parts. This
serves as an excellent treatment option
for damaged joints when medications
no longer relieve the patients pain.
Replacement surgery results in a return to
pain-free movement and a better
quality of life for the patient.
The surgery lasts about two hours. The
patient can go home after three to
seven days. After discharge, the patient
will continue physical-occupational
therapy to help use and strengthen the
new joint. One will be able to move
normally and pain-free in two to three
months. Joint replacement procedures
range from partial to total replacement
of the hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow.
Dr. Guloy advises us to keep our bones
and joints healthy. We need not suffer
unnecessary pain and expenses if only
we are disciplined enough and maintain
52
a healthy lifestyle physically and

spiritually for God protects the
righteous person, not one of his bones
will be broken (Psalm 34:20).
53
Managing Postpartum Depression

Giving birth, next to getting married, is
the most significant event in a womans
life. The birth of a baby opens a
floodgate of emotions ranging from
excitement and happiness to fear and
anxiety. It can also result into something
least expected postpartum depression.
Depression after childbirth is called
postpartum depression (PPD). Some of
the PPD symptoms include: feeling
restless or moody; feeling sad, hopeless,
and overwhelmed; crying a lot; having
no energy or motivation; eating too little
or too much; sleeping too little or too
much; having trouble focusing or making
decisions; having memory problems;
feeling worthless and guilty; losing
interest or pleasure in activities one used
to enjoy; decreased sex drive;
withdrawing from friends and family; and
having headaches or stomach pains
that do not go away for more than two
weeks. In some rare cases, men also
suffer from depression after their wives
gave birth.

54
Remember that the best way for a mother

to take care of her baby is to take care of
herself first. (Image from: Wordpress.com)
What cause PPD?

According to MayoClinic.com, there is no
single cause for postpartum depression.
Physical, emotional and lifestyle factors may
all play a role.
Physical changes. After childbirth,

a dramatic drop in estrogen and
progesterone may contribute to
postpartum depression. The
hormones produced by the thyroid
gland also may drop sharply,
which can leave the new mother
feeling tired, sluggish and
depressed. Changes in her blood
volume, blood pressure, immune
55
system and metabolism can lead

to fatigue and mood swings.
Emotional factors. When the new
mom is sleep-deprived and
overwhelmed, she may have
trouble handling even minor
problems. She may be anxious
about her ability to care for a
newborn. She may feel less
attractive or struggle with her
sense of identity. She may feel
that she has lost control over her
life. Any of these factors can
contribute to postpartum
depression.
Lifestyle influences. Many lifestyle
factors can lead to postpartum
depression, including a
demanding baby or older siblings,
difficulty breast-feeding,
exhaustion, financial problems,
and lack of support from spouse or
other loved ones.
WebMD.com indicates that women

most at risk for PPD are those who had
a history of depression and anxiety
disorder before, and their risk
increases with such factors as: a
history of moderate to severe
56
premenstrual syndrome (PMS);

depression or anxiety during
pregnancy; a family history of
depression, anxiety disorder or
alcohol abuse; a stressful event, such
as the illness or death of a loved one,
moving or difficulties at work; lack of
emotional support, including lack of a
supportive husband or conflict with
husband; low self-esteem or trouble
managing stress; unrealistic ideas
about motherhood; lack of sleep;
and if the pregnancy was unwanted.
Prevention
It is a wise decision for every woman who
is giving birth for the first time and even
for those who have had given birth
before and are aware of their tendency
to have PPD, to seek advise from their
obstetrician on how to prevent PPD. It is
the mothers obligation to keep herself
physically and emotionally healthy for
herself and her babys sake. Some ways
to prevent PPD are through nutritional
intervention, strengthening of
relationships with family and friends, and
cultivating ones spirituality.
57
Some experts believe that postpartum

depression can be attributed to
depletion of omega 3 fatty acids from
the mother's brain to support
development of the brain of the fetus or
breast fed infant. This can be prevented
by ensuring that sufficient omega 3 fatty
acids are provided in the mother's diet.
Good natural sources of omega 3 fatty
acids include sea foods and fishes like
tuna, salmon, and mackerel; beef; and
eggs from chickens fed on flax seed or
other feed high in omega 3 fats. Omega
3 fatty acids can also be purchased in
capsule form as a dietary supplement.
Have an adequate protein intake which
can be found in a wide variety of foods
such as meat, eggs, and cheese.
One of the most important factors in a
diet especially for pregnant and nursing
mothers is that of hydration. Physicians
recommend that pregnant women
consume ten 8-ounce glasses of water
every day. Mothers who are nursing are
strongly urged to drink a tall glass of
water, milk or juice before sitting down to
breastfeed their child.
58
Some research has shown that the intake

of B vitamins, specifically riboflavin, can
help reduce the chance of post partum
depression. Vitamin B 12 sources like sea
foods and low-fat dairy products can
also ease depression.
Low-fat carbohydrates such as baked
potatoes, Graham crackers, and pasta
without meat raise the level of seratonin,
a chemical in the brain that enhances
the sense of well being.
The pregnant woman must strengthen
family ties and friendships, encourage all
display of affection and support towards
her, and most of all, she must nourish her
spirituality. Pregnancy is the best time to
be conscious of ones dependence on
the sovereign and omniscient God
whose love is unconditional and perfect.
There is no reason to worry or fear if one
is blameless and walks the path of the
righteous. So it is best to cleanse oneself
spiritually, let go of any anger and guilt.
Ask forgiveness, forgive also others and
oneself. Be prepared to give birth not
only to a child but to a new you. Birthing
overhauls the womans entire system.
59
She can come out of it renewed and a

more beautiful person inside-out.
Treatment
If the new mother has PPD symptoms
that do not go away after two weeks,
she must not feel ashamed or guilty
about PPD and must seek professional
help from her doctor. First treatment is
usually counseling. The physician
identifies the root cause of the problem
and tries to address it. For example, the
new mother may be exhausted due to
lack of sleep or over anxious about
being a perfect mother. She will be
advised to avail of the support system
from her family. Perhaps her husband or
any one of the babys grandmothers
can take care of the baby while she tries
to rest and get some sleep. She will be
advised not to set a very high standard
for herself as a mom.
It is better to err on the side of caution. If
a woman suspects she is developing
PPD, she must seek medical help
immediately rather than wait for it to go
away or hope for improvement. The
worst PPD symptom is wanting to hurt
60
oneself or the baby, or wanting to

commit suicide. Untreated PPD can lead
to life-threatening thoughts or behaviors.
The doctor can prescribe appropriate
drugs.
MayoClinic.com provides suggestions for
lifestyle and home remedies for the
mother experiencing PPD:
Make healthy lifestyle choices. Rest as
much as you can. Include physical
activity, such as a walk with your baby, in
your daily routine. Eat healthy foods such
as plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole
grains. Avoid alcohol. Limit coffee to two
cups only per day.
Set realistic expectations. Do not
pressure yourself to do everything. Scale
back your expectations for the perfect
household. Do what you can and leave
the rest. Ask for help when you need it.
Make time for yourself. If you feel like the
world is coming down around you, take
some time for yourself. Get dressed,
leave the house, and visit a friend or run
an errand. Or schedule some time alone
with your husband.
61
Avoid isolation. Talk with your husband,

family and friends about how you are
feeling. Ask other mothers about their
experiences. Ask your doctor about local
support groups for new moms or women
who have postpartum depression.
The Value of Creativity and Sense of
Purpose
One very effective way to manage PPD
is for the new mother to explore her
creativity and sense of purpose. What is it
that she most enjoy doing
photography, painting, writing a journal
or diary, playing a musical instrument,
singing, dancing, crocheting,
embroidery, jewelry design and
execution, fashion design and sewing,
inventing recipes and cooking, voluntary
social work for the poor and disabled,
participating in a book club at the
neighborhood library, ushering ministry at
the local Church? She must engage in a
creative activity that gives her a sense of
self worth and purpose, to get to know
herself more, who she is and what she
wants. Motherhood is just one of the
many important roles that life assigns to a
62
woman. She must never give up being

her own person. It is only if she is at
peace with herself, happy about her
individuality that she can become the
best mother and wife.
Photography and other creative activities enable a woman

to
know who she really is and what she wants, which is good
for her emotional well being. (Image from: WebMD.com)
Not to be underestimated is the value of

regular exercise. This need not be boring
nor seem like a torture. Every woman
must engage in an exercise that she is
excited about and looks forward to
doing everyday. Is it brisk-walking,
jogging, biking, breathing from the
abdomen (instead of from the lungs)
and then slowly exhaling and doing this is
a favorite corner of the nearby park or

63
public garden? Is it aerobics, swimming,

martial arts, or ballroom dancing with a
group? Exercise builds muscle and bone
strength and improves the bodys intake
of oxygen which contribute to a sense of
total well being.
A great life is waiting to be lived. Every
woman must not let PPD keep her from
the beautiful journey ahead.
64
Waiting for the Cardio

On 4 June 2008, Wednesday, 3 p.m., I left
home to go to a medical clinic at
Alabang Town Center to see a
cardiologist. I needed to show him the
results of my 16 April laboratory tests,
which included cholesterol, blood sugar,
hemoglabin, liver, ECG and chest x-ray,
among other things for him to
determine my fitness to undergo
lumpectomy, because a benign mass on
my left breast kept growing and it was
supposed to be excised December last
year yet but my surgeon wanted a
clearance from my cardiologist, I
supposed this was SOP.
Upon arrival at 4 p.m., I registered
promptly at the reception and was told
the doctor may arrive 6:30 p.m.! I was
texted his schedule was 5-7 p.m. but
nevermind, I can window-shop around
while waiting. I was told to leave my
cellphone number so I can be sent a
message as soon as he arrives. At the
lounge, there was this poster that said
The whole mall is your waiting area.
65
I had plenty of time left in my hands. I

decided to stroll along the clothes shops
then toy shop on the upper level, took a
snack of Asian salad and orange juice at
KFC. Then I went to the bookstore and
browsed over the memoirs of Carmen
Guerrero-Nakpil (journalist) and Pilar
Pilapil (actress). They had beautiful
black-and-white portraits. They wrote
about the powerful men in their lives.
Carmen talked about Ferdinand Marcos.
Pilar went finally aglow in God. I failed to
find out what denouement there was for
Carmen. There were cook books. I
noticed one by Rosario Nem Singh, a
former colleague at HomeLife, which
reminded me how long I had not been
writing creatively. If I was not writing, I
was not living at all. So for the longest
time now I had been dead already. I
wondered will I ever rise again?
At the Town, I had learned the art of
doing nothing, of killing time, sitting alone
on the bench and feeling extremely
uneasy amidst crowds of people coming
and going, passing me by. Subtly I
observed a group of women in their 60s
and 70s exploring the mall like they had
nothing better to do on a sleepy
66
afternoon, because they had done

them all everything, and still they had
so much free time, they might be
impatient or scared to move onto the
next life, and they did not like to be
found bored to death in their homes. I
would not want to look but I saw lovers
kissing on the escalator, they were on
the way up while I was going down.
I was just thinking what a waste of time it
was, this waiting game. It stressed me so
much. Since I woke up this morning, I
refused to waste time before I went to
see him. I cleaned the house, did the
laundry just to keep my mind off this
reluctant but necessary visit.
I could have chosen not to go and see
this doctor but I was being responsible. I
wanted to do the right thing for my
health because I wanted to live
productively, go on working and earning
a living for my children. If I got
bedridden, that would be more
expensive and would cause my family a
problem. If the doctor pronounced me
okay, then I had to go ahead with
lumpectomy which I did not want to go
through, not because of pain because I
67
was told I would be placed under

general anesthesia I would be totally
unconscious but because of the after
effects will the anesthesia impair my
cognitive ability? The brain was a major
tool of my profession. Will I recover
easily? Will there not be any
complication that would result to further
expenses beyond the coverage of my
health insurance?
But what would happen if I did not have
the lump removed? Would it continue to
grow and become a monstrous sight?
Would it develop into cancer? I had to
ask my surgeon-breast care specialist. I
had to email her soon.
I have read in the news about this
woman who opted away from the
surgeons knife because her body could
not take the operation and the family
could not afford the expense. What she
did was lived her remaining years to the
fullest, did all the things she wanted to
do. This looked attractive and sounded
exciting to me. I would want to spend
time in a mountain health resort than in a
hospital.
68
But really, if the cardio said I was okay for

surgery, then I had to undergo the
operation before September because
after that, my health card would expire.
It was already 6:45 p.m. and there was
no cardiologist in sight. The clinic staff
were sending him text messages when I
decided to leave in frustration.
I was about to alight from the van at the
gate of the Golden City when my
cellphone alerted on a message that
said the cardiologist had arrived, and it
was 8 p.m.!
I thought it was unproductive to be
constantly planning my visit to the
doctors when I had better things to do,
things I enjoyed doing. Actually, there
were not so many. But I did looked
forward to attending the music concert
with colleagues at the UP Theatre on 9
June, 6-9 p.m. in celebration of the
science departments golden jubilee;
ballroom dancing twice a week; and
aerobics every Tuesday morning; taking
pictures of book covers with Gennys
digital cam to post on my blog.
69
I looked forward to die in a quiet,

peaceful, joyful way. It looked exciting,
being no longer confined in a physical
form. I would be free to roam the forests,
seas, mountains, heavens go to
Shibuya-ku in Tokyo, Artists Row in
Dorset, Waitakere in NZ, Vienna, Paris;
Alaska, the last frontier; Budapest;
Holland; the entire Europe then back to
the EastHimalaya; Ladahk, Kashmir.
Listen to Robs piano performance,
watch him conduct the Tokyo Symphony
Orchestra if I could do time travel
backwards to 2003, give him a kiss, hold
him tight.
Which brought me to tears now. I
remembered crying when he emailed,
saying he would present me to the
Supreme Being while we would be in
Ladahk, and wait for Him to give me
back to him to care for and dream our
dreams together until such time that He
would take us back together. Rob said
he found a new reason to live because
he had my heart to take care of. It was
true at that time but had eventually
become a lie. Before I die, I must destroy
his nude photo, it was for my eyes only.
The problem was, I had forgotten where I
70
had kept it. Rob was in my life for a

reason and a season. I fell in and out of
illicit, human love to prepare me for a
higher kind of love, that kind which was
unselfish, unconditional, Christlike:
Godlike. No regrets. He said he would
have been happy and grateful even if
we did not meet in person because we
have met in a special way in
cyberspace. Well, same here, actually.
At times, I got so terribly lonely and
bored that death seemed the only
adventure left. But I had to be grateful
for each new day, for each evening of
rest and sleep. Right now, I was going
back to the activity that gave me so
much pleasure writing. I had been into
databases lately, the new genre, the
new way of expressing human
experiences. I need to love database
because it was my work, my bread and
butter. In fairness, I was also learning a
lot. Life was good but lonely. My
husband was not mine. My sons and
daughters were not mine. I had no one
but myself. My cyber lover had really no
intention of keeping the flame burning. I
had given up on him. But of course, we
71
only gave up that or whom we could

never have anyway.
But I had God inside me. He wanted me
to be empty so He can fill me up. I
wanted to love Him too. I wanted to be
the best, to be pure, to be worthy of His
great love. Really, God, Your Son was so
unconventional so tender and kind to
the woman at Jacobs well in Samaria
and to the adulteress. Let him who is
without sin among you cast the first
stone, Jesus told the crowd who
wanted to stone to death the woman
caught in sin. Later he told her, Go and
sin no more. He loved unconditionally,
unselfishly. I would have wanted to love
in that manner too.
So, database was lifes new genre.
People neither dreamed nor thought in
narrative anymore but in lists because of
information overload. Narrative had
inner music, database had none. As
dance was poetry being written by the
body, database was like dancing
without music, and how painfully lonely
this could be-- like making love clinically
sans fire and passion; or making
72
passionate love but virtually on email or

online chat this was insane!
I did not know what I was trying to say.
By writing, I intended to annihilate
loneliness with meaning. But I had lost
the power as I could now plainly see. I
could not even tell a story. I had no
enveloping background. I had no
conflict to build up into a climax and a
denouement, an epiphany. I was good
only for database. Oh well, database
earned me a living. I may be lonely
without creative writing and a cyber love
but I had database and now I just
bought a pair of Otto wedge and a
couple of Megs at the Town. Now at 53
y.o., I could sing passionately on Videoke
and dance with pleasurable abandon.
But I did not make love anymore. It did
not matter. Nothing really mattered to
me.
I dont wanna die
Sometimes I wished
Ive never been born at all
-Bohemian Rhapsody
sang by Freddie Mercury of Queen
73
Oh, by the way, because I was a

hopeless romantic capable of falling in
love every month and because there
never seemed to run out of vulnerable
and naive lovers who never learned I
had a special friend who lent me music
CDs. He kept on lending me each time I
returned, he had new ones to offer and I
did not want to refuseSinatra, Buble,
Tyrell whats next? I knew he had
Gospel songs. I loved Shakiras
Underneath Your Clothes and Queens
Love of My Life, but I was sure he did
not have them.
And so it came to pass that while I
waited for the cardiologist who did not
arrive on time, I had this chance to
immerse in life at the mall where
everyone had the luxury of time. Not
bad. I came up with this narrative. I
guessed if I waited for the angel of
death at an appointed time, I would just
get disappointed. For death comes like a
thief in the night. I had this feeling that
death would delay its arrival and would
be there only when I stopped waiting. I
might just as well be reading at all times.
In the meantime, I would just enjoy the
sights and sounds and the feelings and
74
thoughts random like listings in

databases. Life is a database; life is
waiting for the heart doctor who will
arrive only after Ive left for home,
delaying my business with the surgeon at
the OR and thus indeed, prolonging my
agony
75
Chemo in a New Light

Early stage cancer patients dread
chemotherapy more than they fear
dying from cancer itself, because
although it kills the cancer cells, it also
harms the good cells and may cause
damage to the heart, bone, kidney,
gastro intestinal tract, liver, brain. But to
the advanced (stage IV) cancer
patients, chemotherapy is a blessing,
because it is the only treatment
available (surgery is useless) to prevent
pain and further spread of the cancer
cells to the vital organs (bone, liver,
kidney, brain) of the body. Chemo is like
a two-bladed sword. The oncologist and
the patient seem to walk on a tightrope,
always aiming for balance.
I was diagnosed as stage 3B advanced
local breast cancer patient in late
November 2008 and advised to have
four cycles of chemo, then mastectomy,
two more cycles of chemo, radiation
therapy for one month, and hormonal
therapy for five years.
I dreaded chemo so much that I opted

76
for alternative medicine for more than

two
months. But it made my cancer worse,
my tumor grew bigger. I decided to
submit to chemo middle of March 2009.
On the night I was confined for chemo,
my blood pressure (BP) rose to as high as
180/160 that the nurses stopped taking
my BP. I realized now this must be the
time when I had a cardiac injury
(blockage on my left artery) that I would
learn three months later from the result of
my Dobutamine stress echocardiogram.
My cardiologist said, You might have
had an event (cardiac injury) during a
chemo procedure
As of this writing, I have completed three
cycles of chemo and am preparing for
cycle 4. By this time, I was suppose to
undergo modified radical mastectomy
(MRM) because the tumor had shrunk to
almost 60% and can now be easily
removed, but I can not secure yet a
cardio pulmonary (CP) clearance. My
cardio wanted me to have another
heart test, the gold standard coronary
angiogram to determine if I have a block
on the artery and where it is exactly.
Meanwhile, she gave me medications to
77
prevent blood clots on the artery

(Clopidogrel) and help my heart pump
oxygen-rich blood into my system
(Trimetazidine).
I believed coronary angiogram was not
for me. I did not have severe symptoms
like chest pains. It is invasive and thus,
very stressful for me. I saw on the
YouTube how the catheter will be
inserted on the groin, a wire will be
guided towards the artery a dye will
be infused through intravenous, an x-ray
machine will be hovering over to take
pictures of the heart. The patient has to
stay in the
hospital for two days at least. The cost is
from P30,000 to P55,000. It is a major
procedure as emotionally devastating to
me as a mastectomy, and to think that I
had not even gathered enough
courage, strength, and cash yet for the
main event.
Honestly, I did not want a mastectomy. I
had watched the horrible procedure on
YouTube. I did not believe this traumatic
procedure and resulting disfiguration
were worth the exchange for a few
years extension of my life. I might be
78
even stressed so much that I might die

from surgical trauma rather than breast
cancer.
My chosen surgeon, one of the best in
the country today, was telling me, You
will see, after you have surgery, you will
say it is much better than chemo
because you are asleep, you will not feel
anything. But I was thinking of the
intubation, post surgical draining tube,
possible infection, possible nerve
damage that will mean excruciating
pain, probable cardiac failure, my being
so vulnerable with my bald head lying on
the cold operating table, the financial
burden.
I had come to view chemotherapy in a
new light, it was almost poetic. Despite
the fact that it was just as expensive,
cardiotoxic, and left me almost lifeless for
days every cycle, it was less threatening
than a coronary angiogram and a
surgery. Its risks can be calibrated and it
was the only available treatment for one
who wanted to make the remaining
years of earthly life fruitful to a certain
extent. For all I knew, all my life I had just
79
been preparing for a meaningful exit.

Coping with chemo side effects
This was how I was able to cope with the
side effects of my chemotherapy, with
the help of my oncologist:
1. To prevent fluid retention, I took
Prednisone or Decilone Forte the
evening and next morning before every
chemo.
2. After chemo, when my white blood
cells (WBC) count falls, I was injected
with Neocyte.
3. When my red blood cells (RBC) count
falls, I was injected with Erythropoetn.
4. I took Iberet- Folic 500 daily to prevent
nutritional anemia.
5. I took Hemostan when my tumor
bleeds.
6. I took Augmentin for tumor infection.
7. I took Omeprazole for stomach
80
acidity.
8. To avoid nausea, I took Gilax 30
minutes before a meal.
9. For itch, I took Virlix.
I had lost so much weight as a result of
chemo. During the times I cannot eat
anything, I took Ensure chocolate flavor
(the vanilla flavor causes me LBM). I tried
to eat hopia mongo, oats, bananas;
drink fruit juices. When I had the
appetite, I go for Asian salad, macaroni
salad, pizza, pancit palabok and pancit
malabon. I ate rice with fish sinigang,
tortang talong, or tortang dilis.
When I had bone and joint pains, I took
Anlene Gold and did the stretching
exercise that my sons ortho had taught
me. Later I would replace Anlene with
Ensure (with Fiber, Vanilla or Chocolate),
a complete and nutritious food
supplement that sustained me through
chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and
hormonal therapy during times when I
would feel extremely weak and could
not eat properly.
81
The tortures during a one to two-hour

chemo were I had to urinate every 30
minutes and dragged with me the IV
pole to the restroom with the help of the
clinic staff; boredom (I can not watch TV,
it makes my headache worse nor listen
to MP3 because I cannot enjoy the
music anyway, sitting like that on a
horribly designed chemo chair that gave
me a backache). But there was good
news, the IV pole need not go with me,
my caregiver can just take along the two
IV bags with us to the restroom. As for the
boredom, well, it was just an hour and
not life threatening.
Hair loss was not really much of a
problem. I had come to enjoy my head
scarves and bonnets.
After every chemo, whenever the tumor
skin dried and turned brittle, it gave off a
foul odor if I did not peel off the dead
skin. But peeling off led to bleeding. I
washed the tumor with hydrogen
peroxide (agua oxinada), wrapped it in
gauze, taped with micropore, and left
dry for three days. On the fourth day, I
poured hydrogen peroxide over the
gauze-covered tumor (as instructed by
82
my oncologist) so that the soft skin of the

tumor did not adhere to the gauze and
bled when I gently removed the gauze.
One of my chemo medicines,
Doxorubicin (the other one is Docetaxel)
was known to be toxic to the heart. But
my oncologist assured me that so far my
dosage was lower than the maximum
limit. Also, my ejection fraction (EF) was
consistently normal at 60 %. She saw no
problem as long as my EF was normal. EF
is the percentage of the blood pumped
out during each heartbeat. An EF of 55%
to 77% is considered normal.
Looking back now, I see chemo drugs
like the Saviors blood that cleanses and
saves, giving me a new life that is meant
to be pure and joyous.
83
Healing in Linac
On the 16th day of my adjuvant radiation
therapy for breast cancer, I rediscovered
the desire to live. However, as my 30-day
therapy progressed to conclusion, I grew
depressed because I no longer had
reason to wake up at break of dawn
and go to Linac at the university medical
center, which had become a sacred
place for me, with my favorite Radiation
Technologist as high priest of healing
ritual.
I remembered the simulation session
when my oncologist and the radtech
planned my treatment fields and doses
of external beam I would receive from
the linear accelerator. It took an hour-the marking of my body with pentel, the
making of three tattoos that were not
really painful, the radiation itself, the
measurement for my cradle pillow
which I never got to use, because during
treatment, when I was told not to move, I
managed to keep still. I asked my onco if
my radtech would be a lady. She said,
The boys would be the ones to do it, but
no problem, she assured, they are all

84
professionals. A gentleman-radtech
assisted my lady radtech. He was singing
in between the simulation procedure. He
would be the one for whom I would
develop a fondness later on.
The same gentleman-radtech gave me
my initial beam on Day 1 and he was
the one again on Day 2. He told me,
We would be seeing each other for the
next 28 days. But on the third day, I was
given treatment by a different radtech
who was not as gentle, warm, and
caring. Then one morning, there was this
another young radtech who was very
kind. From him I learned the name of my
first Radtech. Later I would be telling him
I wanted to be treated only by him and
the first Radtech. He told my favorite
Radtech about my wish and so in the
mid part of my sessions, I would come on
the schedule when they were the ones
on duty.
My romance with Radtech began one
day when the Linac broke down. I called
the younger radtech to inquire what was
wrong. He said it was a software problem
and the engineer was doing his best to
fix it as soon as possible. But it turned out
it would take a longer time for the Linac
85
to be restored and so my Radtech made

the announcement to us, patients. As I
went to him to clarify, he held my right
hand and apologized for the
inconvenience, told me I would just
receive a text message as soon as the
Linac was okay. Do you know my
number?, I asked. He said, Its in the
chart. I moved to leave but he held my
hand still and was a genius in prolonging
conversation. It seemed he held my
hand for eternity. I kept saying Its
alright its okay Ill come back
tomorrow Yes, I will have to wait first for
your text Finally, when he released me
and I was on my way out, he called.
Take care on your way home, Maam.
I just waved without looking back for the
stairs were slippery and I might fall.
Since then, I woke up very early each
morning with the whisper of a thrill. Joy
began as soon as I step into the lobby of
the medical center, go to the info
counter for the staff to process my
charge slip. I would pay at the cashiers
window and then begin my sweet
journey into the basement where the
Linac was, passing by the long corridor
on both sides of which hung oil paintings
of various scenes in the countryside--
86
pristine, quiet, joyous. When I reach the

stairs, I would come down very carefully
to avoid a fatal slip. It would still be dark
save for one light bulb. I would switch on
all the lights, place my receipt at the
reception desk, then sit and wait for my
Radtech to arrive. Meanwhile a soft
piped-in Autumn Leaves instrumental
would be playing from the central radio
room and it was heavenly, sitting alone
like that with anticipation of tender
moments with my healer.
My Radtech would arrive and greet me
Good morning! in his powerful but
gentle voice. Smiling, he would ask,
How are you? Then he would go about
opening the rooms, turning on the
computers, and warming up the
machine. He would always throw me
glances and smiles as he passed me by.
His colleagues and my fellow patients
would be arriving and soon we would
not be alone anymore , the music would
also stop playing and the business of the
day would start. As it was a first come-first
served basis, I was always the first patient
to be given treatment. He would hand
me the hospital gown and I would
change in the nearby dressing room.
Then I would climb up the Linac bed, he
87
Artwork from Health & Lifestyle
would cover me with a soft blanket, and

help position my head, turn my chin
towards the right (his hands smelled
clean and fragrant like the scent of fresh
88
mountain air), away from the beam

source, and guide my left arm to hold
onto the support rod beside my head. His
fingers would slide into my open palm
and I would realize how a touch could
be so soothing, healing, and most
precious. He would sing, She may be
the face I cant forget/ The trace of
pleasure or regret/ May be the treasure
or the price I have to pay The lights
would be dimmed and then he would
say, Dont move, we will start now. He
would then go out of the treatment
room, into the control room where the
computers are, and then come back
after the initial beams were given. Then
he would attach to Linac the gadget for
targetting the former tumor site, which
required that my open arm be pressed
closer gradually, very slowly and gently
for it would hurt due to my recent
mastectomy. Each time, he would ask,
Does it hurt? When I say, Now it hurts,
he would say, Okay, I stop here and
give me again another dose of beam.
When the treatment was done, he would
help me come down the bed, hold my
hand and assist to cover the exposed
part of me that had undergone
treatment. Always, he would tell me,
89
Were done for today. Lets see each

other again tomorrow. Take care on your
way home and lamented endlessly the
fact that I did not have a companion,
concerned as he was about my safety. I
would thank him and say, Yes, see you
again tomorrow, as if confirming a tryst.
On Day 25 of my treatment, he needed
to mark the surgical scar site as target for
booster beam. As I was on Linac bed
and he worked out the ellipse on my
chest with pentel , he leaned quite
heavily on me, with the back of his
forearm near his elbow pressed on my
stomach that was almost near the pubis.
I wanted very much to touch him but did
not, for fear of disaster, calling to mind
deaths of offenders in films Unfaithful,
Fatal Attraction, and Seventh
Commandment (or was it Sixth.?,
was not really sure but lead male star
was Kevin Costner).
On last session we were together, I gave
him a bronze merlion keychain from
Singapore, a half-man, half-lion creature
to secure keys of drawers that kept his
treasures. It was a pagan symbol but
nevertheless a good reminder that man
has capacity for both good and evil,
90
and therefore must always be on guard

so that his reason and righteousness
prevail. He thanked me profusely for the
beautiful remembrance.
Alone on my bed at night, I would
repeat to myself random lines from
Desiderata Never be cynical about
love for in the aridity of life, it is as
perennial as the grass. Gracefully
surrender the privileges of youth.
So my greed for pleasure was
rekindled So passion was like a blazing
fire But all loves must return to the
Greatest Source to be purified and
ennobled. When I placed my attraction
for the healer at Linac on the feet of The
Savior, I was given grace. I dreamed of
my husband and I, in our youth when
our hunger for each other was such that
neither can fire consume it nor the floods
drown it (Song of Songs), and I woke up
with my eyes filled with tears. I was
overwhelmed with gratitude knowing
that my husband was just in the next
room with our special son, just waiting for
signs to tell him I was ready for love.
Carcinoma of the body and spirit was
over. The grace of healing had come
upon this wretched but now blessed soul.
91
The mandrakes give forth fragrance

and at our doors are all choice fruits
both fresh and mellowed, my lover
I have kept in store for you. (Song of Songs
7:14)
92
Hypno-anaesthesia:
The patient is conscious
but faraway
You need to act like a musician playing
a masterpiece, was how endocrine
specialist Dr. Michel Mourad described
the movements of a surgeon operating
on a patient under hypno- anaesthesia.
He was the first to operate on a patient
under hypnosis at the Cliniques
Universitaires Saint-Luc in Brussels,
Belgium. The patient remains awake in
ourhands. He feels and experiences our
movements. He reads our emotions, Dr.
Mourad explained in Laurence Buelens'
My voice goes with you (Research EU,
April 2010). In a surgical procedure using
hypnosis, the surgeon needs to avoid
any tugging and to be gentle in his
moves. Self control is necessary. If
bleeding occurs, the surgeon must
remain calm. Or else, the patient will
sense his surgeon's stress and becomes
anxious. The surgical team must possess
the technical expertise to overcome
difficulties calmly.
93
Walking with the patient through the

hypnotic journey
Hypno-Anaesthetist, Dr. Christine
Watremez of Saint-Luc described her
work with Jean, a patient who had
endarterectomy for carotid stenosis. The
procedure involves removing the
atheroma plaque due to excess
cholesterol that clogs the internal carotid
artery, and then suturing and enlarging it
to avoid stroke.
Together with Dr. Fabienne Roelants, Dr.
Watremez assured that if the patient is
motivated, ready to cooperate, and
gives his trust, hypno-anaesthesia will
work. In six years they have never had a
single failure at Saint-Luc.
During the pre-surgical consultation,
Jean was told that he would not sleep
and would remain conscious; he could
change his mind whenever he wanted.
Whether forsurgical reasons or because
the patient asks for it, the team must be
able to switch to general anaesthetic at
any time. Jean had just one little job to
do-- finding a pleasant memory he
94
wanted to relive, and it was his golden

wedding in Bellini. Jean received only
analgesics to desensitize the area to be
operated on, and a light morphine
derivative that his anaesthetist dosed.
The moment Jean was brought to the
operating theatre, Dr. Watremez took
charge of him. She made sure he was
totally familiar with the place so that
there was nothing to distract him during
the hypnosis. The surgeon, Dr. Parla
Astarci also explained earlier the
different movements she would make. It
is important that nothing would surprise
the patient.
About five minutes before the rest of the
team arrived, Dr. Watremez positoned
herself on a small stool near her patient's
ear and placed his hand in hers. To the
rhythm of Jean's breathing, her voice
became softer, slower, monotonous.
You're going to fix your attention on a
point in the ceiling. At the sme time,
you're going to concentrate on each
part of your body... And each time you
breathe out, your body will relax... Allow
the pleasant images of your journey to
95
come up... Take a deep breath and let

your mind wander off gently on this
enjoyable and comfortable journey.
Very good...
A wonderful calm invaded the operating
theatre. Dr. Astarci entered without a
word, gave everyone a welcoming
glance and began to swab the zone to
be operated on with iso-betadine. Jean
was already well away.
Apart from Dr. Watremez, eveybody
kept silent, except for a few whispers. At
times, she got up to look at how things
are going from the other side of the
operating table.
She had been talking in her special voice
throughout the operation. Once the
wound was sutured, Dr. Watremez
resumed her normal voice and said,
There you are, Sir, the surgery is
finished! Jean opened his eyes and
thanked his anaesthetist warmly. It's very
rare that patients thank us after a
traditional anaesthetic. With hynoanaesthesia, they do so everytime,
according to Dr. Watremez. Patients are
surprised at the experience but happy at
96
having gone through it. Above all, they

realized that doctors can not just make
them do anything and they are not
being manipulated.
In the recovery room, Jean confided,
I'm pleasantly surprised. I didn't expect it
to be as comfortable, as easy. I was
thinking all the time of Sicily, as if I was
there. Asked if he felt anything, he
replied, Two or three pricks, but quite
bearable. He could not put his
experience into words, but articulated
the conviction, I was conscious, but I
was elsewhere.
Belgium remains the pioneer in hypnoanaesthesia
A general anaesthetic plunges the
patient into a pharmacologically
reversible coma, during which his
respiratory and cardiac functions are
performed by medical devices. The
coma is induced by a cocktail of
sedatives, causing loss of consciousness;
pain killers, which suppress trhe pain; and
possibly curare, which relaxes the
muscles. This is a heavy and difficult to
control medical event.
97
Anaesthesia is a subtle and imperfect

science, with the level of anaesthesia
needing to be very carefully controlled
to avoid awareness and pain, while
minimizing the risks of complications.
Complications due to inadquate control
of anaesthesia range from a patient
experiencing pain and some unwanted
level of awareness, to rare extreme
reactions that can lead to brain
damage or even death. The most
common problem is some awareness
during surgery, which affects
approximately one in every 900 patients.
This is particularly undesirable in those
procedures where the patient is unable
to indicate that she has become aware
and can feel pain, which can happen
when a muscle relaxant is used, for
example during caesarian section.
Patients in Europe who are anxious
about the risks of standard anaesthesia,
opt for hypno-anaesthesia. It would be
very reassuring if the use of hypnoanaesthesia would also be available as
an option for patients here in the
Philippines. Hopefully, local hospitals and
medical centers would sponsor the
98
training of our doctors and surgeons in

the use of hypno-anaesthesia, which is
desirable for some patients such as-- (1)
those who react badly to general
anaesthesia, (2) those who are selfemployed and want to be back to work
as soon as possibel, (3) patients who are
referred for hypno-anaesthesia because
nobody dares to give them an
anaesthetic because they are too
fragile; and (4) those who are
adventurous, curious, and would like to
intellectualize their medical experiences
for the benefit of researchers.
Hypnosis, which is defined as a
subjective state in which changes in
perception can be induced by
suggestion, has long been known to
surgery as early as 1830, but quickly fell
into obscurity by the discovery of ether a
few years later. In 1992, Dr. MarieElisabeth Faymonville, an anaesthetist at
the University Hospital of Liege in
Belgium, became interested in the work
being done in Switzerland by another
anaesthetist who used hypnosis to relieve
patients with severe burns. That year, she
popularized hypno-anaesthesia with
initially, cosmetic, and then endocrine
99
surgery. Today, hypno-anaesthesia is also

being used in breast, vascular,
opthalmic, ear, nose, and throat
surgeries. As of to date. the Liege
operating team has performed more
than 7,000 surgeries under hypnosis.
Patients reported a pleasant
experience.
Post surgical pain was less, use of
analgesics was reduced, patients'
recovery was better and return to socialprofessional life was faster among
patients operated under hypnoanaesthesia, as compared to patients
operated under general anaesthesia.
Also-- cost, frequency of complications,
and duration of surgical interventions
were lower with hypnosis patients.
Dr. Faymonville organized an
international training program in Liege,
availed so far to date by 450
anaesthetists including Swiss,Luxembourg
and Canadian practitioners, but
particularly large numbers of French.
France also has a training center at
Rennes. Germany and Austria are also
beginning to show interest in hypnoanaesthesia. Hopefully, the Philippines
100
too. Queen Fabiola of Belgium helped

immensely to popularize the use of
hypno-anaesthesia by undegoing the
treatment herself in 2009. Hopefully also,
our legislators will craft bills that are
beneficial to our people, including
support for the very cost-effective and
less traumatic hypno-anaesthesia.
Reference:
Buelens, Lurence. My voice goes with you, Research
EU, April 2010.
<http://ec.europa.eu/research/researcheu/63/article_6326_en.html>
Understanding Anaesthesia Could Help Us All,

Tackling Complexity in Scinece, A NEST Pathfinder
Initiative, European Commision, Luxembourg, 2007.
101
Palliative Care Helps Patients

to Live Longer

Medical Internist Dr. Wilfredo
Saulog alerts his colleagues about
the shifting paradigm on palliative
care.
[Photo by: Rainier John Santos]
Dr. Wilfredo Saulog, Internist, was serious

in his task to win both his colleagues' and
the laymen's interest in the shifting
paradigm concerning palliative care.
This was during the recent forum,
102
Sharing the Care, held at the Asian

Hospital and Medical Center. He shared
the study,Early Palliative Care for
Patients with Metastasis in Non-Small-Cell
Lung Cancer by Jenifer Temel et al.
published by the New England Journal of
Medicine (NEJM), easily searched online
by Google.
The study proved that early palliative
care, in contrast to the conventional
later-stage palliative care, led to
significant improvements in both the
patients' quality of life and mood. When
compared with patients receiving
standard care, patients receiving early
palliative care had less aggressive care
at the end of life but longer survival (a
difference of three months).
This same study by Temel et al. was cited
by another research, Palliative Care-- A
Shifting Paradigm by Amy Kelly et al.
published also by the NEJM, as
representing an important step in
confirming the beneficial results of a
simultaneous case model that provides
both palliative care and disease-specific
therapies starting at the same time of
diagnosis.
103
It is traditionally accepted that palliative

care is given to patients who are
predictably and clearly dying. But the
modern approach now, the new
thinking-out-of-the-box, as Dr. Saulog
puts it, is to provide palliative care as
early as the time that the disease is
diagnosed, alongside the specific
treatment protocol for the illness. Dr.
Saulog was empathic about the manner
of breaking the news regarding the
terminal illness, to the patient and his
family. The doctor must be sensitive on
this matter... this is an aspect of palliative
caring. Life-threatening illness, whether it
can be cured or controlled, comes with
it a significant burden of suffering for
patients and their families. Reducing the
patients' misery helps them to live longer,
as shown by the recent studies.
The ideal arrangement then is for the
team of palliative doctor, specialist, and
family caregiver to collaborate in
treating the patient, with the ultimate
goal of providing him with quality life
without pain, for the remaining days of
his life.
104
Face the business of dying
There are times when the side

effects of treatment are much
more stressful than the disease,
observes Dr. Kelly Salvador,
Medical Oncologist.
[ photo by: Rainier John Santos ]
Agressive treatment modalities such as

surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation
also serve palliative purposes. But there
are times when the treatment and its
side effects are worse than the disease
itself. Doctors then must guide and
encourage the patient to choose a
palliative option that is acceptable in
terms of side effects and cost. Whatever

105
is the patient's informed decision, his

doctors must be supportive and willing to
walk with him to the very end. For
nothing can be more painful than to
walk alone with a dreaded disease like
cancer for instance. This is the mindset of
Dr. Kelly Salvador, Medical Oncologist,
one of the speakers, along with Dr.
Saulog, during the same forum
mentioned earlier.
If for example, the patient no longer
wants to have chemotherapy towards
the near-end of life, his doctor must seek
with him other options for relief such as
hypnosis, sedation, or the gold standard
for pain relief of dying patients-- the
beloved morphine. The patient must
not be burdened with pain, so that he
can attend to the business of dying--- to
soul-search, to reconcile with his God, to
have peace. It is most humane and
loving to provide patients with the
opportunity to die well.
Dying well
It is a good palliative doctor's duty to see
to it that his patient has passed all these
following landmarks of dying well:
106
Sense of completion with worldly

affairs
Sense of completion in relationship
with the community
Sense of meaning about one's
individual life
Expression of love of self
Expression of loving others
Sense of completion in relationship
with family and friends
Acceptance of the finality of life, of
one's existence as an individual
Sense of new self beyond personal
loss
Sense of fulfillment about life in
general
The palliative doctor must have this

sense of mission about accompanying
his patient in the latter's final journey into
the next world. Only then can doctors
transcend themselves from being mere
physicians to become true healers.
107
Cannabis for Healing
Marijuana as Medicine? : The Science

Behind the Controversy (2014) by Alison Mack
and Janet Joy, published by National Academy
Press, Wahington D.C. is an objective and
lucid analysis of Marijuanas usefulness in
treating a variety of symptoms; confronts the
legal issues as well.
108

Behind the Controversy, written by Alison
Mack and Janet Joy for the Institute of
Medicine, and published recently by the
National Academy Press, Washington
D.C. (available for purchase in print
format and free download in PDF file
from its website at http://www.nap.edu)
is a must-have book in the library of the
proposed Medical Cannabis
Compassionate Center (MCCC) of the
Philippines, as provided in House Bill (HB)
No. 4477 known as Compassionate Use
of Medical Cannabis Act filed by Rep.
Rodolfo T. Albano III of 1st District Isabela
last 26th May and referred to the House
Committee on Health. Members of the
said committee and also of the House
Committee on Dangerous Drugs can
benefit much from reading this book as
they deliberate on the merits of the bill.
Full text of the bill can be downloaded
from the website of the 16th Congress.
Mothers Behind the Compassionate Use
of Medical Cannabis Bill
109
Months before the filing of the bill,

members of the Philippine Moms for
Medical Marijuana, dared to come out
on national television and talked to print
media about their advocacy, bearing
with malicious insinuations, so that their
children, most of whom suffer from
epileptic seizures and debilitating
symptoms of autism, can benefit from
the drug. They took inspiration from
similar advocacy groups in some 20
states in the US whose children benefit
from regulated use of medical Marijuana
(Scientific name: Cannabis sativa). For
instance, the Autism and Compassionate
Care Connection, based in Southern
California since 2010, had collected
data on seven teenage patients with
autism who were prescribed Cannabis
by their physicians, targeting symptoms
of insomnia, seizures, anxiety, aggression,
inflammation, hyperactivity, and selfinjurious behaviors.
It is understandable that many are
shocked and opposed to the use of
medical Cannabis, thinking that the
dangers far outweigh the benefits.
Parents are afraid of addiction and
resulting crimes, destruction of young
110
lives and futures. But knowledge will set

us free, science will empower everyone
to be compassionate and at the same
time set boundaries and parameters.
Everyone must be involved here. As
parents, we care not just for our healthy,
normal children but also for other
parents children who are sick and
differently abled because they too need
our help, they also have the right to live
full lives and contribute meaning to
humanity.
At this point, it is interesting to note the
Holy Scriptures references to Cannabis,
referred to as Calamus, Kaneh, and
fragrant cane (Exodus 30: 22-23, Song
of Songs 4:14, Isaiah 43:24, Jeremiah 6:20,
and Ezekiel 27:19). It is used in Biblical
times to make perfumed oil meant for
anointing. The Messiah or Christ literally
means covered in oil or anointed.
Christ shocked the religious leaders of his
time when he healed on the Sabbath.
He broke the law to bring comfort to the
suffering. How grateful we are that today
we need not break the law but rather
create one that will ease the pain of our
fellowmen.
111
Medical Cannabis Bible

So far as of this time, no book is yet as
comprehensive and reader-friendly as
Behind the Controversy. The reader is
made to understand where the book
came from and where it is going. It does
not advocate nor does it discourage the
use of medical Cannabis. Instead, it aims
to encourage debates on issues so that
both policy makers and the general
public can work together for the benefit
of patients. It is currently the bible or most
authoritative book about medical
Cannabis, having synthesized the results
of major scholarly researches and stories
of patients who benefit from the drug.
The book introduces us to the illustrious
beginning of medical Cannabis. It is
listed in the Chinese Compendium of
Drug Recipes, compiled in 1 A.D., the
worlds oldest pharmacopoeia that
recommends Marijuana for more than
100 ailments. The writers Mack and Joy
do not forget to explain the harmful
effects of Marijuana before they
proceed to discuss the major diseases
that Marijuana can treat, including AIDS,
112
cancer, glaucoma, neurological

disorders, muscle spasticity, and pain.
There is a very interesting chapter that
deals with the nature of pain, being the
alarm of disease, the symptom that
announces all is not right with our bodies,
the main reason people seek medical
assistance.
It is useful to know the types of our pain
somatic, whose signals travel to the brain
via the peripheral nerves; visceral or
referred pain which seems to come from
a different part of the body than its
actual source; and neuropathic, when
the nerves sustain an injury.
Cannabinoids (Marijuanas molecules)
are a promising source of analgesic
medications.
Placing in Context
Aside from taking care not to burden the
reader with technical jargon, the book
also places the use of medical Marijuana
in context with legal issues, patents,
financial risks for pharmaceutical
companies, including the lengthy and
complicated process of research and
development, and securing government
113
approval for new derivatives of

Cannabis which our own scientific
community, pharmaceutical industry,
and government will find useful, as the
entire country awaits the enactment into
law of HB 4477.
114
Healing with Food

Please test your servants for ten days:
Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water
to drink.
Daniel 1:12 (NIV)
In the Old Testament, the young prophet

Daniel and his three other very intelligent
friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
from Judah-- who were held captives in
Babylon for training in literature and
other disciplines, in preparation for
serving the king-- refused to partake of
the royal food and wine, but asked for
vegetables and water only for
nourishment. True to their claim, they
were found to be healthier than the
other young men who ate meat.
Thousands of years had passed and yet
medical science validates the Biblical
truth that a diet consisting of generous
servings of vegetables and fruits, is
indeed good for human health. These
are also a potent arsenal in the battle
against cancer. Below is a slide show of
cancer-fighting foods from WebMD <
http://www.webmd.com > to help us
115
remember the healing foods that we

must include in our daily diet.
Fighting Cancer by the Plateful

No single food can reduce risk of
cancer, but the right combination of
foods may help make a difference. At
mealtimes, strike a balance of at least
2/3 plant-based foods and no more than
1/3 animal protein.
116
Fighting Cancer with Color

Fruits and vegetables are rich in cancerfighting nutrients - and the more color,
the more nutrients they contain. These
foods can help lower risk in a second
way, too, when they help us reach and
maintain a healthy body weight.
Carrying extra pounds increases the risk
for multiple cancers, including colon,
esophagus, and kidney cancers. Aim for
at least five servings a day, prepared in a
healthy way.
117
Folate-rich Foods
Good sources of folate are asparagus
and eggs. We can also find it in chicken
liver, beans, sunflower seeds, and leafy
green vegetables like spinach or
romaine lettuce. The best way to get
folate is not from a pill, but by eating
enough fruits, vegetables, and enriched
grain products.
118
Cancer-Fighting Breakfast
Folate is an important B vitamin that may
help protect against cancers of the
colon, rectum, and breast. We can find
it in abundance on the breakfast table.
Fortified breakfast cereals and whole
wheat products are good sources of
folate. So are orange juice, melons, and
strawberries.
119
Cancer-fighting Tomatoes
Whether it is the lycopene -- the pigment
that gives tomatoes their red color -- or
something else is not clear. But some
studies have linked eating tomatoes to
reduced risk of several types of cancer,
including prostate cancer. Studies also
suggest that processed tomato products
such as juice, sauce, or paste increase
the cancer-fighting potential.
120
Tea's anti cancer Potential

Green tea may be a strong cancer
fighter. In laboratory studies, green tea
has slowed or prevented the
development of cancer in colon, liver,
breast, and prostate cells. It also had a
similar effect in lung tissue and skin. In
some longer term studies, tea was
associated with lower risks for bladder,
stomach, and pancreatic cancers.
121
Grapes and Cancer

Grapes and grape juice, especially
purple and red grapes, contain
resveratrol. Resveratrol has strong
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties. In laboratory studies, it has
prevented the kind of damage that can
trigger the cancer process in cells.
122
Water and Other Fluids Can Protect

Water not only quenches our thirst, but it
may protect against bladder cancer.
The lower risk comes from water diluting
concentrations of potential cancercausing agents in the bladder. Also,
drinking more fluids causes is to urinate
more frequently. That lessens the amount
of time those agents stay in contact with
the bladder lining.
123
Mighty Bean
Beans are so good for us, they may help
fight cancer, too. They contain several
potent phytochemicals that may protect
the body's cells against damage that
can lead to cancer. In the lab these
substances slowed tumor growth and
prevented tumors from releasing
substances that damage nearby cells.
124
Cabbage Family vs. Cancer

Cruciferous vegetables include broccoli,
cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts,
bok choy, and kale. These members of
the cabbage family make an excellent
stir fry and can really liven up a salad. But
most importantly, components in these
vegetables may help our body defend
against cancers such as those of the
colon, breast, lung, and cervix.
125
Cooking Methods Matter

How you cook meat can make a
difference in how big a cancer risk it
poses. Frying, grilling, and broiling meats
at very high temperatures cause
chemicals to form that may increase
cancer risk. Other cooking methods such
as stewing, braising, or steaming appear
to produce fewer of those chemicals.
When we stew the meat, let us
remember to add plenty of healthy,
protective vegetables.
126
Berry Medley With a Punch

Strawberries and raspberries have a
phytochemical called ellagic acid. This
powerful antioxidant may actually fight
cancer in several ways at once,
including deactivating certain cancer
causing substances and slowing the
growth of cancer cells.
As the popular saying goes, Prevention
is better than cure, and less expensive
too, less traumatic in fact, delicious, a
true delight to the senses with these
medley of vegetables for stir fry and
salads; as well as fruits for snacks, adding
to breakfast cereals or make into drinks.
Let us live life to the fullest and enjoy the
blessings of healing foods.

127
Cymbeline Villamin is freelance journalist since

2010, writing mostly for Philippine Panorama, the
Sunday magazine of Manila Bulletin; and Health
& Lifestyle, the magazine for doctors. Previously,
she was feature writer for more than two
decades in HomeLife, and for less than a year
after graduating from college, in Focus
Philippines.
128

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Honey for Good Health

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Eat honey, my son, for it is good...

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

wild locusts and honey. Milk (rich source

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

nothing but mate and reproduce. There

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lemon and warm water. For cough and

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

their digestive system is not yet fully

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

Tai Chi for Everyone

I remember my eldest daughter when

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

recently by the sugar buddies at the

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

teach how to practice tai chi safely,

What is Tai Chi

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

style, and Wu Jianquan style. Videos of

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Ward Off (Peng)

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

Health Benefits from Tai Chi

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

Tai chi can help reduce stress. During tai

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

A Whole New World

Coach Pilar, our teacher at Asian really

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

mornings, the pain went away again. So,

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

Taking Care of our Feet

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He poured water into a basin

Many of us go to great extremes in

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

going out to work we wear sun block or

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

important as the eyes, nose, ears, heart,

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

act of perfect love and servitude by the

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

signs of infection are present, consult

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

Stop smoking because nicotine can

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

participants not to use hydrogen

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

Healing and Freedom

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin

Artwork from Philippine Panorama

To this date, the punishment for Eves

True Healing by Cymbeline Villamin