Archive for September, 2010

Get Physical to a Flat Tummy (Part 1)

September 28th, 2010

Let’s do it:

My previous post dwelt on the common interest of both sexes, to have a flatter tummy, and the causes of accumulating excess fat around the belly. That being settled, let’s start shedding off those unwanted fat away. It is always done two ways, exercise and diet. There’s no getting around that. We shall touch on the “exercise” part first to avoid information overload.

Warming up:

The stomach is the most obstinate part of the body from which excess fat can be removed. Other than drastic measures, i.e., liposuction and tummy tucks, losing fat in that area takes a long process.  Expect a long struggle before seeing some results. Expect, too, of numerous roadblocks along the way that can make this struggle even longer. Keep focused on the desire. It must be kept strong enough to hurdle any difficulty that lies up ahead. Don’t give up. Keep a mental picture of a leaner and more beautiful you, not a human blob.

You must have a very strong desire to have a flatter tummy. If you cannot whip yourself up to a frenzy, proceed no further because you are not going to make it.

Aspects of having a flat tummy:

The desire for a flat tummy generally consists of these aspects:

1.   Cardiovascular exercises:

Inarguably the most important aspect getting rid of fat around the waist, this is not simply taking casual walks at a convenient time. Depending on one’s age, this is working out five days a week at peak heart rate (see Note). Peak heart rate is normally reached sometime after a good 15-mins warm up. Faster if simultaneously warming up more than one muscle group, i.e., arms and legs.

Aerobic dancing, jogging, fast walking, jazzercise, swimming, using the stair steppers, bicycling and skiing are examples of multiple muscle mass exercises.

Note:

Heart rate is a measurement of how fast the heart is beating, typically expressed in beats per minute (BPM). In lay language, this is the rate by which oxygen is consumed by the heart to sustain life. Too low or too high BPM can result to heart problems, even death. It is best to consult your doctor to know your peak heart rate to avoid unwholesome consequences.

2.   Exercise the stomach muscles:

Cardio exercises, if not coupled with stomach muscle exercise, can do little to flatten the tummy. Building stomach muscle mass helps the body burn calories more efficiently. These can be abdominal crunches, weight machines or other abdominal exercises, done either in the gym under the supervision of a coach, or at home, which I do.

3 .   Stress management:

Most people manage stress by unbridled eating. Stress often causes fat to accumulate around the stomach. Fortunately, people who exercise regularly are already way ahead with managing stress.

If exercise does little to reduce stress, there are other ways to lose tummy fat. These include, among others, relaxation exercises such as deep breathing and meditation. I do the latter more often than the former. It lightens me up tremendously.

4.   Eating the right kinds of food:

Dieting for a flat tummy can cover a very wide spectrum to warrant another post. Do come around regularly to get valuable information on this subject.

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What She Wants…What He Wants

September 25th, 2010

An interesting mix:

One of the social networking sites I subscribe to is about health issues. And it is interesting to know what men and women are most concerned with, health-wise. Among men, penis enhancement, weak erection, improvement in sex performance, etc are issues often raised.  Women, on the other hand, have vaginal health, menstrual cycle problems, contraceptive effects on health and other esoteric things like hormonal imbalance, endometrioses, lipid fat and so on. They do, however, share one interest – to have flatter tummies.

A problem defined is a problem solved:

Most people will, at some time in their lives, experience an excess amount of fat around the belly Though older people sometimes look regal with a bulge, younger people are a disaster, appearance-wise. I never had a fat-tummy problem simply because of self-talk. I talk to myself that I shall never be seen in public if my tummy grows to obscene proportions. Somehow it has worked for the last 62 years.

But people with fat tummy problems, though they desire otherwise, find it not such a big deal to tote that extra weight around. So why do a lot of people have this problem? It is because of one or all of the following:

1.  Over-eating:

“I eat out of need, not out of greed,” I tell my friends each time they commend me of having kept a steady weight all these years.

At church one day, I saw an excessively overweight young girl who gorged on a piece of donut given her by an aunt. She just didn’t bite on it, she thrust a good portion of it into her mouth.  That’s eating from greed, not of need. She will definitely grow up overweight, constantly nagged by her apparent hopelessness in having a sexier figure. Well, I would say, “her weight is entirely in her mouth.”

2.  Metabolic rates:

Metabolism is the process of converting the food we eat into energy. Some have high metabolism while others have low. I can hardly handle a good-sized drum stick but a friend can singlehandedly pick a roasted chicken to the bone. Yet he never gained a disproportionate weight. He had a high metabolic rate. Unknown to him though, he also built up arterial plaque faster than me. In his early 50s, he had a “multiple bypass.”

Food not sufficiently burned until the next meal will somehow find its way around the middle. The good news is that low metabolic rates can be upped through exercise.

3.  Lack of exercise:

At dinner the other night, I consumed a large amount of rice on top of the noodles that went with the fare. I was so full that I can hardly move. My daughter cautioned me on it. I told her not to worry because I will just burn them off at tennis the following day. And I did.

Nothing riles me so much than hear a blob ruefully talking about his excess weight, yet never lifting a finger in exercise.

4.  Stress:

I find this ludicrous but some people do turn to food to relieve stress. I have seen it often enough among people working in stressful hours. Overeating can result to huge amounts of hormones and chemicals in the body throwing off its fat-burning capabilities.

Feel stressed out? Do bio-feedback or take up yoga. This will have better long-terms effects than eating.

5.  Intolerance to certain food types:

Some food types, i.e., dairy products, yeast, gluten or sugar can make the stomach swell to unusual size. A person with bloated stomach will experience tightness in the abdomen, sometimes accompanied with pain. I have this sometimes, not worried the least because a good burp will normally ease things up.

People constantly having this problem must keep away from food types causing it, no matter how hungry they may be at the moment.

6.  Improper digestion:

People who “swallow” their food rather than chew on it have the tendency to grow extra weight around the waist. Food chewed improperly will not be improperly digested. This will ultimately be stored improperly in the body where they should not be. Drinking sufficient amount of water each day and loading up on digestive enzymes from outside, i.e., papaya, pineapple, etc, will help the body digest food more efficiently.

7.  Keep away from junk food:

When we went out to buy groceries, no junk food ever went into the cart. Now that my children are grown-ups they can sometimes lavish on little pleasures. But my house never was and is a storage place for junk food. These are devoid of energy-giving calories, yet loaded with things that can make one feel “full” but never really is, nutrition wise.

Still want to have flatter tummy?

You owe it to yourself. But before going into an expensive exercise routine or diet plan, take stock of what you are doing. Get rid of the things that you do which qualify, even remotely, to the things listed above. And if you are going to do it consistently enough, your dreams are as good as realities.

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Mental Fatigue, Coping with It

September 23rd, 2010

Have you….?

Ever had problems in concentration, felt lethargic, had lapses in memory or understanding new concepts? Have you ever had slowness in reasoning or irritable for no reason at all? If you had, then you probably had bouts of mental fatigue.

Not that the above symptoms are rare among the elderly. In fact, in most occasions, they are natural consequences of aging. But when I find it so difficult to wake up from my regular 45 min to 1 hour siesta, when my eyes feel so heavy I can hardly open them, when getting up from my favorite sofa takes a gargantuan effort, then I know that I had to take a break to avoid a system breakdown.

Mental Fatigue, what is it?

It is a normal consequence of coping with the mental workload. High-intensity job demands can result to unwholesome consequences of fatigue (overload) which, if not given relief can result to stress and work-related diseases.

Mental fatigue, a result of brain over-activity, can affect people for both short and long periods of time. It is caused by continual mental effort and attention on a particular task as well as high levels of stress or emotions. With the wear and tear through the ages, senior citizens are particular susceptible to it.

What causes mental fatigue?

I take to my mental fatigue as due to long stays in front of the computer and my off/on bouts of melancholia. Generally, however, it is caused by some of the following stress factors:

1.  Sleep problems:

I sleep, on the average, seven hours each night. Some people can get by with lesser. So I would venture that this is a matter of less-than-average sleeping time than a specific number of hours sleep each night that causes mental fatigue.

2.  Stress and anxiety:

Rather a more serious thing for people of all ages, living with stress and anxiety is like driving on the fast lane to the grave. Long periods of anxiety is a sure lead-in to mental fatigue which can result to adrenal fatigue if sustained for long periods of time. The elderly is better off with excessive calories than excessive stress. Calories can be sweated off. Stress, the mental type, is more difficult to cope with.

3.  Lack of or no exercise:

Mental fatigue can induce lethargy which, in the first place, caused it. So it will take a huge amount of “will” to get off from that sofa and get “physical” to drive away the blues.

My problem is not for lack but of too much of it that I have to give my body time to heal the aches and plains that plague it.

4.  Nutritional problems:

Too much sugar and wheat, less or no fresh fruits, fiber and vegetables can lead to feelings of chronic fatigue. Take much liquid but keep away from caffeine to make your day. Get enough iron. Inadequate iron or problems with iron absorption can contribute to fatigue.

5.  Drugs reaction:

Be careful with over-the-counter drugs, i.e., antihistamines, some cold and flu medications and beta-blockers can all cause fatigue. Some anti-depressants can cause insomnia which can be very fatiguing.

6.  Work environment:

I retired when work ceased to be fun and became stressful. Burn-out is a common work-related malady that plagues a lot of working people. Difficulty in coping with changing work-shifts can lead to fatigue and people engaged in long hours of repetitive, monotonous tasks are common victims to mental fatigue.

Coping with mental fatigue:

When waking up from my siesta is a problem I just go on sleeping until my conscience gnaws at me for being so lazy. It works all the time. Then I go out to see a movie. It would be a bonus if a female friend can perk me up again. Otherwise, getting away from the routine is all there is to it. Others, though, can try the following:

1.  Change the work structure:

If work related, a simple change in the structure of the job, making it more meaningful, interesting, efficient and self-fulfilling can do wonders. There’s always a “countless ways to skin a cat,” so they say.

2.  Put in short breaks:

I take a walk around the living room, massaging my butt, after an hour in front of the computer. If lethargy is more than just a painful butt and numbness in the legs, I go out and have coffee in my favorite coffee house. But taking short breaks have been proven to improve efficiency.

3.  Get enough rest:

Enough evening sleep cannot be over-emphasized. Sleep is the best way to relieve physical and mental stress.

There is really no sure-fire cure for mental fatigue other than removing those factors that cause it. Some people, though, seek refuge in elixirs and herbal remedies. They may give very temporary relief, but its long-term use may prove more risky than the ailment they are intended for.

Or, you can do what I do when my mind is on the verge of crashing. Get out see and movie, have a nice conversation with a friend; get back on a hobby relegated to the backburner. In effect, get away from those which are making you mentally tired before you become a mental case. .

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What are We Here For?

September 20th, 2010

“Looking back to the future:”

No, this is not a twist to the movie series, “Back to the Future.” Several posts back, in “Blast from the Past,” I wrote about my father not to bring into the open some aspects of my past which were troubling, but as a yardstick to know where and what I am now, vis-à-vis my being a child once and being a father to two children now.

I attended a birthday dinner for a close friend last Saturday and, typical with gatherings like that, the conversation was about family, work, health and general issues. The guy to my left  quipped that “it is always a parent’s pride and joy to see their children grow up, never giving them problems at all.”

If being proud and happy with my children is all there is to the question, then I have achieved my purpose. But is it, only?

A parent is like a parachute:

My daughter is 33 years old and my son is 31. Both are working and have fiancées. My daughter has a surgeon while my son has a lawyer. But each time I bring up the subject of marriage they are one in answering “It will just come so please don’t rush us.”

Typical of parents, my entire life has been a constant process of teaching, in words and in deeds. I may have erred more than I can count (who doesn’t?), but falling down is of lesser consequence than the getting back on track. Figuratively, I have taught my children how to sky-dive. What gives them the courage to free-fall is the knowledge that they have a parachute to break their fall. But what happens after they’ve made a safe landing? Will I just be folded up and stowed until the next dive?

A difficult paradigm shift:

Though parenting is a womb-to-tomb task (which some of my friends disagree), but at a certain inescapable point, parents must diminish for their children to progress. And this paradigm shift is sometimes difficult to live with especially for a single elderly.

Doing things alone can be very depressing. Being alone is half the problem. The other half is full of memories that haunt me. It can be very debilitating that despair often is a thought worth embracing.

Coping with the question:

I had to struggle with melancholia the greater part of last week. Memories of my wife’s dying moments came like unwanted commercials in an otherwise entertaining movie. Praying for strength somehow gave momentary relief. But help only comes to those who help themselves so I gave myself a full serving by setting up my new blog “Home Business Talk” in WordPress 3.0. I was able to make my first post but not to my full liking.

Anyway, back to the question at hand. Several years back, when my wife was alive, I spent a great deal of time asking the questions, “Why am I here for? What is my purpose in life?” No answer came because these are not answerable by an essay or a choice from multiple alternatives. Rather these are answered by the things that give us the utmost satisfaction in life. When, at the end of the day and we about to put our weary bodies to sleep, we can smile with deep satisfaction and contentment that we have done the best that we can on the task life has thrust before us, a task that can better our lives and those we love, without destroying our stature in the community that we live, then we have done well.

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The Women in My Life

September 17th, 2010

“Gotcha”

I got your attention there, didn’t I? Sorry to let you down. This isn’t about my bedroom escapades but of my, sometimes funny, sometimes embarrassing, relationships with women I met along the electronic hi-way.

Surfing for advertising credits for my online businesses (see below) is no fun.

ClickBank

PayDotCom.com.

It can get so dreary I can hardly keep my eyes open. In times like these I switch to my favorite social networking site to rev things up a little bit. And what a revving I can get. A lot of the women in there are very interesting, story-wise, at least.

What are they like?

I have currently 45 names in my friends list ranging in age from 19 to 50+. Those in the lower age range normally sell porn sites while those in the upper range have had better days and do not titillate the imagination. So I loiter around those in the 30s to 40s. They are safer and more interesting to exchange emails with. Should a coffee date become possible, ungainly wrinkles do not spoil a good conversation.

I’ve had coffee with a 49-yr old woman who looked just off her teens. But she’s an exception. Though she’s been “married” twice, there was no child in either one of them and she’s got one hell of a life. She works hard, gambles harder. In most situations, however, make-up and push-up bras do not improve their visuals a wee bit.

At any rate, my women belong to one of three categories: single, “complicated,” or married. The singles never married or had their marriages already annulled; the “complicated” do not know whether they are still married or the whereabouts of their husbands and the “married” are those sailing in stormy waters of their married lives.

Having had traumatic experiences with their local hubbies, they are trying their luck with foreign men which, of course, sit well with these guys. They also surf the “net,” ever watchful for locals for their sex partners, housekeepers and caregivers rolled into one.

They have dreams, too, but:

One time I wrote one of my “women” that she’s looking for the impossible. For a guy of my age, their quests border on the impossibility. Common among these are:

o   Dating and serious relationships;

o    A guy who would love them forever;

o    A soul mate;

o   Someone who can help them through life.

Dating is no problem but serious relationships are questionable. For one, if one reaches mid 30s without a meaningful relationship, a deeper problem at holding on to relationships is evident. Eternal love is good for the movies and soul mates are, almost always, already married to somebody else; and nothing turns me off in a woman than for her to expect a guy to support her needs. A 40-something woman, annulled with two kids, would only go out with me if I buy her groceries which would cost more than a younger first class hooker. Tsk, tsk! Wrong cost-benefit relationship.

May I know your name, please?

She’s 42 years old. Two years ago, her husband sprained his right knee making it necessary for him to walk with a cane.  For reasons he only knows, his entire body atrophied making him an invalid. So we had coffee together and later smooched in my car until she had to go to attend to something else. To my own incredulity, I realized a couple of hours later that I did not even know her name.

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SMS, FB, SNS and I

September 14th, 2010

“Handy abbreviations”

Those familiar with military parlance are definitely in the know how cluttered their language is with abbreviations. The Internet is no less. We have the SEO, the RSS, the HTML and the non-HTML, PHP, etc. For an oldie, like me, I relish in SMS (short messaging system), FB (Facebook) and SNS (social networking sites). They make the difference between a good or bad day, rosy or gloomy, exciting or dull, promising or static.

Of course, in this category of human interaction, I am probably unique among my age group. Two years ago, I received a text requesting for friendship. She said that she’s a girl, 15 years old, a student and then asked for my “asl.” ASL? What’s that? I guess I may have betrayed my age by asking but she, just the same, replied, “Age, Sex, Location.”

Most of the guys I know, who are at or about my age, shun the computer like a virus. They would rather play with grandchildren, drink or be glued in front of their TV sets than be connected with the world. You know what that young girl said when she knew of my age? She texted, “Wow, at 60 and you are still texting?”

Some things are not of my preference:

No doubt these communications media brought people closer together, made interaction faster, and facilitated the sharing and acquisition of information. Some are bold enough to share their deepest thoughts, inclinations and desires believing that that their secrets will remain secrets in the ethereal world. If impregnation is possible through the Internet, I would have impregnated quite a few already.

Anyway, one day I received a text from an unlisted number. When I asked who it was, the messenger claimed that we are Facebook friends. Opening my FB, true enough, my number was in my profile and she was in my list of friends. Well she is at an age where “anything goes” is a risk worth taking than “nothing” but her stature is more appropriate for a UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) tournament than a fashion show. So I made no big deal about the episode.

Some are more persistent than others:

I though that was the end of it. But a couple of days ago, I received another “Hi! How are you?” text. When I inquired who it was, it was her again (I only save numbers of people who are really close to me and those who seem interesting). Again I curtly replied, “Hi! Take care and bye.” To my horror, she sent another one saying,

“I hope you won’t mind my texting you every now and then. I am sure you are still single.”

Now, I do mind. And what is it to her if I am single? The nuance was so irritating but I was hearing mass then so I just let it pass.

Patience is virtue, that’s why not many people have it:

Driving home after the mass, and having forgotten her, I was looking forward to nice dinner and surfing when she sent me another one. This one more petrifying than the previous. She said,

“Don’t ever ignore the people who care about you. Someday you will find out that you would be caring only for yourself.”

Well, not only was her message disjointed, it was presumptuous, pushy and downright improper. But I am trying to be virtuous these days. My BP won’t allow me to be otherwise. So I turned off my cell phone and hummed the rest of the drive home.

Bottomline?

As weird that texter may be, I still have had more fun with my sms, FB and sns from interesting women than from those who don’t know that silence could be a  “no.”  And yes, I would never forget my “ASL” again.

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Love Life of an Elderly

September 13th, 2010

“A matter or perspective”

I am single, healthy and, at 62 years of age, still sexy. Love (read the story of Bob and Dorothy) is still in my heart and in my soul. Admittedly though, “love” has now a different perspective than when I was younger, with much libido. When friends ask me if I am going to marry again or not, my typical response is a curt, “why should I?”

Yes, “why should I?” Gone are the days when “love” invariably leads to marriage, have kids, build a home, settle down, etc. I’ve been through all that. Now, “love” is either a “fling” or a relationship, with marriage more unreachable than the moon.

My wife was no trophy:

In one episode of “Everybody Loves Raymond,” one of my favorite sitcoms, Raymond’s parents had a heated argument. Finally, his mother said, “I can make up my mind and make my own decisions. I am not going to be a trophy wife.” Raymond’s father was stumped and, after what seemed an eternity, said, “I could never recall joining a contest wherein I won you as a trophy.”

Well, no wife is and practically all husbands make fun with their wives until they are gone forever and realize what a big vacuum their loss has created in their lives. The vacuum left by my wife of 36 years cannot just be filled by someone I meet in the Internet, have coffee with and, if the chemistry is right, take to bed – all in one episode.

A difficult choice:

When the kids are out and I am alone at home and the need to have someone to talk to is unmet, life can be very, very tough. I can either pray or go out. Prayers, however, are good temporary fixes. Going out brings give more possibilities. I can just sit in a coffee shop, to talk with friends or watch the lovely legs go by. Or I can fix a date with a “fling” or with someone for a relationship. Both have their pros and cons.

1.  Flings:

Are easy, fast and cheap, very much like having fast food. Typical of fast food, they are unhealthy. Passions without emotions differ not much as a rooster’s need to shag a hen. They just shake off the dust from their feathers right after. And I do scrub myself hard to remove the feelings of guilt for having done such a thing. But to keep away from it for good is another thing.

2.  Relationships:

This nourishes the imagination more than the inclination. Very much like fine dining, and costs just as much.  Takes too long to prepare and, oftentimes, the menu says more than what we ultimately get. And the worse part is still to come – loss of freedom

One was 47 years old when I met her though one of the social networking sites. She was a chairperson of the science department in one of the large colleges in her hometown. Has a master’s degree and is working on her PhD.  I ultimately found the time to visit her. We had dinner, followed by lunch the following day and the rest is up to one’s imagination. On my way back home, I started getting text messages about my smoking. Yuk!

Then lately, there is there 42 year old woman. She works with an export/import company. We met, had coffee, necked in the car, agreeing to meet a few days after that for more serious business. Suddenly she started asking me who I am with each time I go for a movie or to have coffee. Jesus Christ, I have never had a third degree with my wife. I am not inclined to have one now.

The fix?

I and my wife had six years of knowing each other before we finally married. Yet, our knowing each other never really stopped even until her death. Nevertheless, my love stayed and died with her. In this age of stem cell research, I would settle for a fling/relationship clone. I am not inclined to have someone else in my bed at night, nor would I give up my freedom to anyone lesser. Besides, there is always a certain degree of suspense in the unknown.

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Blast from the Past

September 12th, 2010

“My father, my first teacher”

My father was my first teacher. He taught me how to read, color my coloring book, values, and all. But then, they all are, aren’t they? At least for kids lucky enough to have fathers. However, my father was probably more brilliant than some. After being frustrated in his ambition to be a doctor (he was a 4th year medical student when war broke out), he found his “niche” by translating anti-communist propaganda for the USIS (United States Information Service). From there he went to the broadcast media, ultimately becoming radio station manager of one network to the other.

But my father couldn’t make lemonade:

But life, oftentimes, throw us some lemons. He had more lemons thrown at him than most and the older he got, the harder it was for him to turn them into lemonade. This came to a heed one Sunday of many years ago, right after lunch. I cannot recall, exactly, what happened except that he slammed the kitchen door, hitting my sister, who was doing the dishes then, throwing her to the floor. Rushing to her side to comfort her, what I saw devastated me to the point of anger. She was pale and her face was an image of pain, surprise and anguish. A finger was pointed at my father and she was muttering something. But no voice came out of her lips. Then from the corner of my right eye, I saw my brother going after my father. Instinctively, I glanced towards my father and saw him pull out a 24-in bolo from its sheath, preparing for the rush of my brother. It took me a split-second to leave my sister and stand between them, thus preventing what could have been a shameful bloodbath in the family.

My father’s downhill ride:

After cooling off my brother, I turned to my father and berated him like I never knew I could do. After that, it was all downhill for him. My Mom, like a thin but sturdy thread, kept the family together. My father kept to himself, not saying much, burying himself in his vice. He was a drinker. Before that incident, he had a glass of rum after dinner. After that, rum, instead of breakfast, started his day until liver damage caught up with him. He died a broken man.

When nothing in life matters:

A study conducted by MetLife looked into what is important among the 45 to 75 year-old group and found out that they find family and friends the primary components of living. Aside from financial freedom, good physical and mental health, this group of people find, just as important, “sense of purpose” and a “feel of belonging.”  My father lost them all when he took his frustrations on his children. Nothing worse can ever happen to any father but to lose the love and respect of his children.

Lessons are like beacons:

The lessons I got from the story of my father, by no means unique, are like beacons in my own life. They keep me away from things I should keep away from and near to things I should be near to.

He was 54 years old when he died. I am now 62 and, according to my daughter, must live long enough if I want to go on a tour with her to Europe.

Early this week, a cousin invited me over to his house for his 54th birthday. Typical of us, I took my children along. During dinner, his sister looked at my well-behaved children and said, “You must be very proud of them.” I said, “Of course!” Then, more of joke, she asked, “Do they bad-mouth you?” Sensing a trap, I hesitated for a second and said, “They wouldn’t dare,” but quickly added, “I never give them a reason to bad-mouth me so I see no reason why they should.”

I guess, now that the sunset of my life is upon me, I can breath easy knowing that I’ve lived my life with much care not to give any reason for my children to bad-mouth me. By that, I think I have lived meaningfully enough.

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A Day in the Life of an Elderly

September 10th, 2010

“The hospital was full”

Today I had to fetch my daughter from the same hospital where I met George last week (see “My Friend George”). The lobby was full giving me a hard time squeezing in between two people who, obviously, had more serious reasons to be there. To my right was an overweight young girl and to my left was a weather-beaten guy. And was I glad to give my legs a rest after a 20-minute drive from the tennis court.

Today I woke up at 5 am, had a shower after a short stretching exercise. Then I had a glass of orange juice to prep me up for a light breakfast, which was ushered in by a slice of papaya and punctuated by a banana. I munched on a quarter of an apply along the short drive to the tennis court where I had a vigorous 30-min rally with a hard-hitting young kid – free from the nagging lower back pains I have been suffering for the good part of last month.

Not bad for an elderly, I would say.

Killing boredom:

Punctuality runs in the family so I began to fidget when my daughter was nowhere, 5 mins after  8 a.m. Uncharacteristically, I opted to kill boredom rather than be killed by it. I did this by trying to figure out what those people around me are in the hospital for. It was a great exercise and a valuable learning experience.

Story lines in a hospital lobby:

The entire country is currently on dengue fever alert. Not that this is something new. This is an annual event. Needless to say, the hospital was full of children, suspected or sick with it, together with their parents, grandparents, relatives, neighbors, etc. Family extensions are deeply etched in our culture. More often than not, however, these are stretched to absurd limits. They not only clutter hospital corridors and lobbies with people, food intended for the patient is, oftentimes, consumed by the entourage, not the patient.

My daughter calls this “no-job syndrome.” The entourage size is a reflection of the jobless rate of the patient’s financial circle. The more people in the group, the higher the unemployment rate.

Anyway, a very frail-looking mom came to sit two seats away from me. She was clutching plastic hoses used in nebulizing asthma cases, which her child obviously had. Very soon came her husband, very detached in demeanor, carrying their child. Mom was visibly distraught over her child’s plight as well as the need to look for a place to eat breakfast.

From out the elevator, a guy came ambling along the lobby. He had an IV feed on his left arm as his daughter was dutifully walking behind him, with her arm stretched as high as she can to keep the solution flowing. Unlucky girl. Her father could have slung the bag on his shoulder and the poor girl would not have missed school.

Farther down the bench was a middle-aged lady with cotton balls taped on both arms. She must have had an enormous amount of blood taken for a battery of tests. Whatever they are, worry was etched all over her face. I must have looked exactly like her while waiting for the results of my executive panel two weeks ago.

Suddenly, from the ER emerged a dainty-looking lass, resplendent in her white scrub suit, stethoscope slung around her beautiful neck. My, oh, my. And where the doctors are, there the nurses will be also.

Far from being morbid, a hospital environment can be made lively by the non-medical staff. And yes, from behind the front desk, are their happy faces. Who wouldn’t be? They have every reason to be happy with their high occupancy rate.

My joys and regrets:

My joy is in having stayed in a hospital, overnight, only four times in my entire life. And those were all for non-serious reasons. As an elderly, I still want to go and see places. A hospital room is definitely not one of those.

My regrets? Well, I have never had the chance of dating a nurse and, though I have a doctor in my car almost every day, but this doctor is my daughter.

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My Friend George

September 7th, 2010

“Going back a long way”

I and George know each other a long ways. We worked together in the same company. Though I retired earlier than he, our reasons for doing so had similarities. I bummed around for a while, while he, from friends, went part-time with his IT expertise and religious ministry on the side. I recently met him in a hospital – I, to fetch my daughter who was doing OB-Gyne duty as a junior consultant, while he was tending to his wife who was admitted almost a week earlier.

George is a very nice guy; the kind of guy whose friendship and good will are things to be cherished like diamonds. It is, therefore, kind of spooky to see him hit some bumps in life.

Diabetes management gone out of control:

George told me that his wife is suffering from diabetes. After 12 years, she apparently became despondent of her condition. Taking a cue from friends, they changed her  diabetic diet to “what-their-friends say” diet of strictly vegetables/no carbohydrate until she became so weak making hospitalization the only option.

The face of diabetes is all ugly;

My younger sister and her husband have diabetes. Otherwise, there aren’t many in the family who are diabetics. At 62 years, my blood sugar is still within limits. I play tennis with no less than three guys who are diabetics. But I have a friend who had to have eye surgery due to diabetes damage and, lately, a close family friend lost a 36-yr old son from the disease. This depressed him so much that the family missed some far-graver symptoms. He was suffering from liver cancer.  Father and son died months apart.

The only reason to smile about is that it can be controlled. But its management should be left to the experts, not friends.

Improving the odds against runaway diabetes:

Judging from our ages, George’s wife must have Type 2 diabetes. That kind which sets in when we are getting up in years, when the children are through college and we think we deserve some breathing spell, to rest, to take things easy. To become couch potatoes. Then wham!

While increased consumption of fruits and vegetables has been proven to reduce the disk of Type 2 diabetes, it cannot cure one of it. And neither is it prudent to just load up on vegetables of any kind. Some are better than the others. The same thing with a “no carbohydrate” diet. The body needs sugar and carbohydrates are a good source for it. But one has to be choosy which  carbohydrate source to take in.

No matter which road to take, never lonely for Type 2 diabetes cases are increasing, close monitoring is a must. Not by friends or acquaintances, not by self-proclaimed experts, but to highly-qualified professionals.

Hypoglycemia, the other bad half of hyperglycemia:

Failure to monitor and control one’s blood glucose levels is like being strapped to the opposite sides of a swinging bladed pendulum. Too high, hyperglycemia, or too low, hypoglycemia, can kill. Which is what George’s wife had. The drastic change in her diet depleted her glucose levels to the point near death. They were too focused on the high point not knowing that the low point is as harmful.

In his book, “How to Successfully Control Hypoglycemia,” Dr. David Castle offers a step-by-step, easy-to-follow format in successfully dealing with the condition. My friend George can make good use of this book. So can you!


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