There are so many reasons for having halitosis or bad breath. It may be acute or chronic and most of the causes are poor dental hygiene, tooth or gum disease, or intestinal disorders.
Either cause, I think it is hard for someone to know that his or her breath stinks especially if the disease is chronic. For the reason that he or she is already used to his smell, which is like a body odor.
While it is curable, the dilemma lies on how to break the news to the person concerned especially if that person is our friend. Simply because we do not want to hurt his or her feelings.
I have a groupmate whose breath would really make your stomach turn and this observation I chose to keep to myself because it is a sensitive personal issue. I was just surprised to hear from my other groupmates while we were having our late lunch that they’ve been thinking of a tactful way in telling our groupmate that he has breath issue.
So while we save someone else’s life, how could we save our groupmate from further humiliation without making him feel humiliated?

After my duty at the LCP, I went straight to UST for the perimetry and IOP exams.
I arrived before 9:00 a.m.
Maybe I was really grumpy due to the lack of sleep and because I have waited for more than one hour already. I was no longer in the conversation mood. I barely answered the questions of the guard, the receptionist, the optometrist/ophthalmologist (who I think was just an intern so for the lack of a better word I will just call her the doctor) and the technicians in the exam room.
I was taken aback when the doctor called my name in shouting manner. There’s a difference between calling out loud and howling. I thought to myself, am I in a public hospital? The last time I checked, UST is a private hospital and I was there as a paying patient through company insurance. I knew, the experience will not be nice.
I showed her who the boss is. I threw my bag on the floor, then she began speaking softly and acting politely. I never intended to get a red carpet treatment; I just wanted to be treated nicely.
After the refractory exam, I was then again asked to wait in the hallway in eternity.
Alas, my name was called again. I was asked to go inside a darkroom along with an elderly woman who I guess will be having the same exam like mine.
I feel awkward as the examiners referred to us on first name basis and we were being instructed as if we were idiots. The lady examiner even pointed out to the elderly that it was her eighth time already and by that time she should have mastered the exam.
I was thinking, if she has mastered it, then she should have not reached the eighth trial. The lady is a dud!
While having my perimetry exam an employee went in and talked to the examiner about his personal issues. Then the other man concerned went in and they had an altercation. I think they have noticed that they are already drawing attention to themselves and causing distraction among those having perimetry exam so they have decided to take it outside. Which I hoped had happened.
The exam took about 20 minutes for each eye but I had to redo the exam on my left eye because according to the lady, I was missing flashes or I had clicked on occasions when there were no flashes. On the third attempt, I simply told her, maybe because I am not actually seeing those lights or maybe I am seeing lights when I am not supposed to see them. Arrogantly, she told me that it does not go that way.
If I was in my fighting mood, I would have snapped so I just took the exam again and decided to get it over with.
After the tedious and sleep inducing exam, I was again asked to wait outside.
After about fifteen minutes, the doctor called me again in the same manner. I let her shout at the top of her lungs and make her look like an idiot before I stood up.
She asked me to sit down in the exam room and dropped some fluid in my eyes. She took my intraocular pressure. It only took a few seconds. Then she asked me that we’re done. I asked if I could have some tissue, she just pointed the same gauze that she used wiping my eyes after she instilled the solution in my eyes.
Finally, I got the result.
Seriously, I will not ever go back to this hospital.

Handling patients most of the time would require one to frequently wash his hands. This is to prevent from contracting a disease and transferring it to another person in the process. I just wish that the hospital that I am currently connected with will consider Price Pfister so that opening and closing the faucet would be easier and will not require one to touch the faucet handle again.

First, it was avian flu that hit Asia, now it is swine flu that is hitting North America, the US and maybe New Zealand.

The alarming outbreak that is said to have started in Mexico and is now suspected to have reached Queens, New York as about 100 students went on a spring vacation a couple of weeks ago in Cancun, Mexico.

Currently, there are 11 cases confirmed in California and Kansas while there have been 11 reported fatalities in Mexico about 1,324 since April 13, according to figures updated late Saturday by Mexico’s health secretary.

The swine flu affects the pigs and can be transferred to human. It is a highly contagious disease and unlike regular flu, humans don’t have natural immunity to a virus that includes animal genes.

There is a vaccine that can be given to pigs for prevention but there is none for humans.

Symptoms include fever, sore throat, nausea coughing, muscle aches and extreme tiredness. Swine flu appears to cause more diarrhea and vomiting than normal flu. If you have these symptoms, go to the nearest hospital.

WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the outbreak of the never-before-seen virus has “pandemic potential.” But she said it is still too early to tell if it would become a pandemic.

Early detection and treatment are key to stopping any outbreak. WHO guidance calls for isolating the sick and blanketing everyone around them with anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza.

What else to do to avoid catching this potentially dangerous flu?

1. Wash your hand frequently with antibacterial soap or always carry with you an antibacterial hand gel. (I always do)

2. Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing (Br sensitive of others)

3. If you have colds or sneezing or coughing, stay at home

People in the affected places are now wearing masks. Join the club!

Well, I wish I was there so I would not have the constant stare whenever I go out with my mask on.

Info and photo source: www.foxnews.com

I got my flu shot this afternoon.
Being one, I know that there are nurses that have “heavy” hands in terms of administering medications via injection.
The one who administered my flu shot gave me a searing pain and my arm feels heavy. It was not painful last year and as far as I can remember all the kids on which I performed the injection did not cry. This means the pain, if there was, was tolerable. I just hope I did not loose the technique when I give them their shots tomorrow.
I feel also relieved reading from the shot’s literature that people on immunosuppressant are really advised to get the vaccinated although the efficacy might be affected.
So why do we really need to get vaccinated?

Anyone may avail of the vaccine especially:

People who are 50 years old and above.
Children 6 to 23 months old (Please consult your pediatrician first before you have your children vaccinated)
Adults and children with a chronic health condition
People who can give the flu to those at high risk
Anyone who wants to prevent the flu.

But it’s better to get the shot before the flu season starts.

Five years ago, I have decided to take up a second course. BS Nursing. The requirement for nurses abroad espcially in the US was really huge.
While I keep my callcenter job, I managed to be a regular student for three years. I would travel to a nearby province (Bulacan) everyday in the morning and go straight to work in the afternoon.

I abused myself so to speak and I think its taking its toll on my health. I have been tryingto shake off this illness since September. I guess it’s the only thing that loves me. I am having remissions and excacerbations.

I passed the local board exam, the US stateboard exam, the IELTS (International English Language Testing Service) and I got my VisaScreen Certificate already.
The only problem now is I need to get a hospital experience to be deployed in the US.
Reality bites. Here in the Philippines, the proportion of registered nurses versus the hospital demand is not equal. In other words, there are too many nurses and hospitals cannot accomodate the high influx.

What really bites is that, you even have to pay for the “training program” (read: volunteer work) in order to get a slot not to mention that you have to fall in an unending line to be accomodated on the registration date. Lucky, if you fall in line the night before the registration.

The “training program” seems to be an income generating scheme for both public and private hospitals. Here are some facts about the hospitals and their training fees:

1. National Kidney and Transplant Institute – P7000 for the 4-month training program
2. Lung Center of the Philippines – P5000 for the 3-month training program
3. World Citi Colleges Hospital – P10000 for the 4-month training program
4. Makati Medical Center – P10000 for the 3-month training program
5. V. Luna Gen. Hospital – FREE 6-month training but nepotism is highly practiced. Unless you are referred by your relatives working there or a soldier, you would not stand a chance

I got into the “training program” of one private hospital. I have no better options. I was supposed to start in February but I deferred as the notice that I was accepted into the program was too short that I did not have time to arrange for my vacation leaves. I was planning to resign in May but due to my present health condition, I had to take a raincheck. The company is paying for my treatment incuding check ups, lab work ups and medications.

Right now, I am in no hurry.

I am buying myself some time as I need to stay “employed” for a while.

Still, I have this great American Dream in my mind.