If you have arthritis, who you gonna call?

           Call the Rheumtatologist, the "lesser known" bone and joint doctor in the neighborhood.

          And if there is none, it is because the field is quite new, interest in the field is low, training centers are few or non-existent in many areas, and - this is a personal observation- arthritis as a disease is not as dramatic or life-threatening as, say, a heart attack, a stroke and diseases of the lungs, liver and kidney.

          In fact, in a 2nd year medical class, I asked for a show of hands for the question " is the joint an organ or not"? There was a handful, tentative yes answers. This is not surprising, and while the first year course on human anatomy surely carries this fact -  that an organ is a group of tissues serving a function -  it seems more tangible to hold the cadaver heart, lung or kidney and say, "this is an organ".

          In 2004, the Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of the Philippines College of Medicine embarked on an academic program aimed at presenting rheumatology to medical students and training residents in Internal Medicine in a one day symposium consisting of diagnostic and treatment updates of common rheumatic diseases in the ambulatory, as well as, in -hospital settings. We called this now yearly symposium, The Dr. Lourdes Manahan Lectures in Rheumatology (LMLR) in honor of the first rheumatologist of the country. Dr. Lourdes Manahan attended all first 7 symposia  (in her wheelchair), and just after the 7th year, she passed on. 

          The 8th and 9th LMLR featured foreign academic collaborators from the University of Melbourne - Prof. Keith Lim and Dr. Lawrence Clemens, and this year, on the 9th LMLR, we had Prof. Tsutomu Takeuchi of Keio University of Tokyo, Japan.

          The University of the Philippines, as the state university, is mandated to provide health services for the Filipinos, and we have graduated more than 50 rheumatologists, presently serving in hospitals in all the big Philippine islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

           Now, the challenge is to retain trainees who will stay to be faculty of the university, bring new knowledge about rheumatology as it affects the Filipino and pursue honest to goodness research of rheumatic diseases. To date, our own bright graduates have checked out our program as a specialty to take, with 4 of them currently undergoing training with us. I would like to believe that the LMLR has partly achieved its goal. Dr. Manahan's legacy is strong and will sustain the next generations of doctors of the country to expand this field.

           Dr. Lourdes Manahan was a pioneer, a teacher, mentor and researcher. Her life continues on in us who have decided to follow in her footsteps.

Of Vitamin D, sun exposure and falls

      June 27, 2012 was a a tiring day, having arrived in Seoul, Korea after a midnight flight for a 2- day meeting. Sleepy and trying to get a bath and some sleep after, I slipped and fell in the bathroom, hitting the left side of my face against the tub, which opened a 1 cm gash just at the side of the left eyelid. In ten days, July 7, 2012, after celebrating my Mama's birthday, I fell down the stone steps of our boulevard in Dipolog City and landed on my buttocks and right side of the face.

     Series of falls like these, in a post-menopausal 56 year old female should alert one to the possibility of a significant decrease in the bulk of Type 2 skeletal muscles, which are the fast acting, quick response muscle groups - especially those in the thighs. Type 1 muscles are retained and give the bulk of our body, arms and legs as we grow older, but  are slower  in responding to changes in position and balance.

From: Microsoft clip art

      Type 2 muscle fibers are known to be maintained by many factors, among these - Vitamin D. One can have his/her blood Vitamin D levels checked and take a daily dose of Vitamin D per your doctor's prescription.

     Sun exposure activates skin Vitamin D and supplies us with ample levels to maintain our muscles, especially Type 2, and improve calcium absorption from our food - when we are younger. But as we age, this is not as efficient.

      Still for the young and not so young out there, have a 15 minute noontime sun exposure daily (if the sun is out) for your Vitamin D. Sorry, it's not the early morning sun as previously thought.

                                          Careful.....

In celebration of life: Gifts for my 90 year old Mama

I have been away for a long time from my blogger's seat. This long August weekend certainly should be THE time to write some.

July 6, 2012 was the 90th day of my Mama. After some illness last April-May that increased her pain in the back, we were able to strike a good balance of pain relievers safely and so, on July 7, 2012, we honored her with a thanksgiving celebration in Valdia Resort, Sicayab, Dipolog City. My sister Nellie Crawford and her family were there, my family too - Ed, Tin and Grace and the celebration was attended by close relatives and friends who helped make it a success.

Here are some details: a 4- tier cake, banner with her photos and video loops of photos during her work days as an educator, with my deceased Papa, and her travels abroad - all contributed by her nieces and nephews. Many were called by the emcee, a niece - Cheche, to give some messages. One could hear several lines repeated - she cared for us, she taught us to pray, she told outrageous stories, she is a strong woman, intelligent, patient and helped some nephews in their schooling. Tio Vicente, my Papa's youngest brod made a quaint speech on the seasons of life
: ) There were Mama's cousins too, and their children were represented!

Dr. Val and Lydia Tiu, owners of the resort, came and we certainly were honored by their presence.

At the end of the day, Mama had a blast opening her gifts, and sure enough, gifts reveal the child in all of us! Look at her opening her gifts!

She is a most wonderful gift from God, given a long and full life. Praise the Lord!