Aspercreme

I've been having some back aches, and as therapy, I've been using Aspercreme (trolamine salicylate) to alleviate the pain.  Got this from Vicky's older brother from New York, and it seems to work well with light muscle and joint pains.  Now, I've been wondering why I haven't seen this in local drugstores?  I understand the creme is made under the umbrella of Chattem, a Sanofi company, but maybe the local Sanofi-Aventis may not have the drug under its wing.  Too bad, as I've grown accustomed to this.




*Legal Disclamier--This is not to be contrued as medical advice.  I'm merely relaying what, in my experience, works for my body.  Go consult your doctor for whatever aches and pains you have.

Cardinal Santos Medical Center

I have a lingering suspicion that it was the oysters that did me in.  Yes, at the height of typhoon Pedring, I managed to sneak in 4 oysters over lunch, and I now know that was a major mistake. I've been a regular visitor to the loo for the past 2 days, and I'm in pain... As I'm not much of a fan of anti-motility drugs (Imodium or Lormide, which is loperamide), I was trying to get hold of absorbents (Rheaban or Poly-Magma, which is attapulgite), only to be told by the lady in Mercury Drug that these are no longer being sold.  As I Googled the matter, it turns out that the USFDA had rejected the notion that attapulgite can effectively bind toxins and bacteria, thus questioning the efficacy of the drug.  Feeling depressed about the loss of a long-relied-upon drug, and upon Vicky's insistence, I gave in to the fact that my body constituency was steadily powering down.  With Kuya Noel's help, we went to the emergency room of the Cardinal Santos Medical Center (located along Wilson St., Greenhills, San Juan, and owned by the Roman Catholic Church) and I'm glad that both my blood work and stool exams turned out negative results.  I was pretty impressed with the staff's efficiency and the quality of patient care.  I was given intravenous hydration, and further prescribed some anti-spasmodic drugs and oral rehydration salts.  We were in at 9 am, and out by 11:30 am.  I understand that the management of this hospital is currently with the Makati Medical Center, and the changes that have been implemented by the new management seem to have made a good impact on the look and feel of the hospital.

Cranberries

I am such a fan of cranberries!  I usually buy dried cranberries packed by Heritage or Sun Maid and munch on the berry for my second round of dessert, a special good-night treat to myself just for the sheer pleasure of that tart flavor!  I used to drink gallons and gallons of cranberry juice but when I learned that the commonly marketed brands were only made of 10% juice, I had to shy away from all that artificial flavoring and sugar.  Well, I still purchase Ocean Spray cranberry juice on occasion, and I love the taste thereof--except for the diet version of their cranberry juice, which tastes horrible (sorry, I dislike the taste of all these sugar substitutes like Equal and Splenda).  I understand that cranberries are very helpful in controlling urinary tract infections (UTI) by lining the kidney with a substance called proanthocyanidins.  This substance makes the urinary tract very slippery so that bacteria cannot cling onto the lining, and as such, the proliferation & accumulation of bacteria to colony proportions is prevented.  Great munch stuff while watching DVDs!

Manila Doctors Hospital

I just picked up our forever baby Andi from her four day stay at the Manila Doctors Hospital along United Nations Avenue in Manila.  Her bout with pneumonia had Vicky & I worried, but in the able hands of Dr. Gatch, she has been able to recover pretty fast and we thank the good Lord for this.  I understand that her oxygen utilization level dipped to 85%, and that this should be kept in the 95% up range.  Pipsy (our nickname for Andi) looked like a robot, with an intravenous needle on the right hand (dextrose and antibiotics) and the oxygen monitor on the left!  And in those few moments that she allowed us to strap her oxygen mask on, she looked like the cutest robot on the planet!  Vicky had been sleeping at the hospital for the past 3 nights, and she came home, looking forward to sleeping in her own bed.  With the phlegm all gone, Pipsy is now smiling again, pinching Tita Becca & her cousins, being magulo in her usual manner.

Manila Doctors Hospital has been our hospital of choice, being so near the house of Vicky's parents and my Manila office.  My sister Mikaela was born there (Gwammy would hear the constant booming sounds coming from the construction site that was to usher in the next-door Manila Hilton Hotel), and both Monique & Andi were born there.  With a well-trained nursing staff, renovated facilities and a deep bench of medical practioners, Vicky and I have been quite happy with the hospital.  I understand that the Metrobank Foundation has expansion plans, and with such a high level of service, I wish them the best.  Thanks, MDH!