Tooth and ENT Doctor

A letter of Paul Flanagan to his 2 children before he died from complications of skin cancer. I would like to tell these to my daughters too. Be courteous, be punctual, always say please and thank you, and be sure to hold your knife and fork properly. Others take their cue on how to treat you from your manners. Be kind, considerate and compassionate when others are in trouble, even if you have problems of your own. Others will admire your selflessness and will help you in due course. Show moral courage. Do what is right, even if that makes you unpopular. I always thought it important to be able to look at myself in the shaving mirror every morning and not feel guilt or remorse. I depart this world with a pretty clear conscience. Show humility. Stand your ground but pause to reflect on what the other side are saying, and back off when you know you are wrong. Never worry about losing face. That only happens when you are pig-headed. Learn from your mistakes. You will...

There's an ongoing debate regarding the low salaries being given to physicians in the country. Some believe that it's an insult to the profession and it should not be tolerated. Others think that we really can't do much about it and it alll depends on anyone's circumstance whether to accept it or not. As I've always believed from the beginning, medicine is a calling and if anyone thinks he'll get wealthy by becoming a doctor, it is possible but often, it is not the case. More and more physicians realize this and the trend now is to find other ways to realize the dream of being financially satisfied. Some put up their own business like hospitals, clinics, diagnostic centers, etc., while others dive into the corporate world and take advantage of the hefty pay that companies give to executives, just like the other professions. Only a few however would be blessed to get in or even put up with the stresses of business, but those who do end up achieving their fin...

It's been three months since I joined the company I am presently connected with. The workload started slow at first but it has since peaked up and I am now spending lesser time counting how many people pass by my work station daily. There have been wonderful opportunities also that came which I gladly and gratefully grabbed. I have met few good men and some 'not so good' ones. So far, I can say that the whole experience has been worth the risk of transferring from my previous employment. Talking about opportunities, my idol Francis Kong gave this wonderful illustration of seizing every opportunity that comes one's way. It is a good reminder of motivational living. A young man wished to marry the farmer's beautiful daughter. He went to the farmer to ask his permission. The farmer looked him over and said, "Son, go stand out in that field. I'm going to release three bulls, one at a time. If you can catch the tail of any one of the three bulls, y...

The consequences of the unfortunate incident involving our house extended beyond the manageable hassle. We feel that my father in law felt so sad and depressed that he lost his appetite. This in turn led to electrolyte imbalance that triggered a kidney failure. We probably almost lost him, had it not for the prompt emergency management of the TMC nephrologists. He is out of the intensive care unit now although he might continue to undergo more hemodialysis. What happened to him may be a proof of the powerful effect of the brain centers on other organs of the body. It is a testimony that psychological disorders can trigger organ malfunctions as well. Dr Willem Kop, a nephrologist, said this about depression and kidney failure: "People with depressive symptoms have a higher risk of subsequent adverse kidney disease outcomes. The association with depression is stronger in patients who are otherwise healthy compared to those who had co-existing medical disorders such as diabetes ...

It has been almost 2 weeks since that life halting incident involving our house happened. I am glad that everything is settling down a bit now. We are slowly getting back on our life's journeys individually, and as a family. There are so much to learn about what happened but if there's one thing that is 20/20 clear, it is the old known fact not to store your wealth on this earth because it can be gone in a wink of an eye! It is better to invest on what matters after life because you can be sure that it will be there forever. The car accident I figured out in a month ago taught me that my life is not mine. The literal crumbling of our house 15 days after taught me that my possessions are not mine as well. Both are God's! Lessons well learned. Life challenges may be really so stressful and frustrating but they are God's way of teaching us the essence of living. We are thankful too that through it all, we have relatives and friends who were there to support a...

It is holy week! A good time to reflect on a lot of things, especially the recent events in my life. It has been a month since the last day with my previous company and I am still adjusting. I realized though that I made the right decision of leaving because I don't seem to miss a bit of the work there. I have grown so tired of the work-related stresses that it was no longer something that I enjoyed doing, rather, just a routine task and source of income. I miss the people I work with though and if there is one thing that pinches my heart a bit, it is the pain of leaving a bunch of great and wonderful people. It has been two weeks since the first day with my new job and I am still adjusting too. I was so eager to become part of a seemingly exciting industry and so far, I have yet to sink my teeth into something really new and delicious. I am still hopeful. It has been a week since the first time I experienced a car accident as a driver. Though unharmed, the incident m...

I finally received the last 'stamp' to my 'inevitable move" yesterday. It was a big relief and was truly liberating. It's like a rainbow to my eyes, an icing to my cake. Now that it's all set, the difficult process of transition begins. Letting go will be painful and adjusting to the change will be as challenging. Tears will definitely fall, a lot of questions will surely be tossed, and apprehensions will rise. But I am positive that all these will pass and sooner or later, the rough waters will be calm again. I have always said and I say it again, everything in life has a purpose. We who believe in God are on a wonderful journey with Him and we'll just have to expect the unexpected. Stop-overs may be short and sweet but that's just how it is planned out to be. We'll just have to enjoy and make the most of our stay! No doubt that I will miss the people and the place of my last sojourn, but I have peace that they too have life journe...