Will and Grace: A Testimony (Part II)

You see, it was God’s WILL that I pursue a career in dentistry even if I never dreamt of becoming a tooth specialist, only for me to come to know and accept Him as my personal Lord and Savior on the difficult penultimate year in college. It was His WILL that I forego taking the Dental Licensure Examinations right after graduation so that I can join the Philippine Healthcare Ministries in their medical/dental mission in Romblon, growing spiritually and being baptized in His name in the process. It was His WILL that I witness the plight of my countrymen, as well as a miracle that happened in one of the medical missions we had in Bicol, so that I will see my limitations as a dentist and be interested in pursuing further a career in medicine. It was His WILL to ‘exile’ me in Baguio so that I’ll learn to stand on my own, dependent only on His provisions, and for Him to test my faith in the company of unbelievers. It was His WILL that I take my post-graduate internship in Manila so that I can catch up with the lost time with Him and my family. It was His WILL that I finish my training on schedule so that I’ll have plenty of time to prepare for the board examinations.

Thankfully, by His GRACE, I was able to finish Dentistry and pass the licensure examinations despite my lack of interest. By His GRACE, I was able to go to different places in the Philippines and even as far as Cambodia, and be exposed to the needs of our brethren, even if I didn’t have the resources. By His GRACE, I was given the opportunity to witness first hand His giving life to a dead baby in Bicol, despite my doubts and being new in the faith. By His GRACE, I was able to finish Medicine, with all the comforts of living in an apartment, a dormitory, and a big house in Baguio, a more than sufficient monetary allowance, even the advantage of having a personal computer, without having to burden anybody for finances. By His GRACE, I was chosen as one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines (Cordillera Administrative Region) for medicine, despite my unremarkable academic performance. By His GRACE, I was one of the AFP Medical Center’s Outstanding Medical Interns of Year 1999-2000, despite being one month late in starting with their training program. And by His GRACE, I was able to pass the Physician’s licensure examination with all confidence and peace, despite my inconsistent self-review and lacking materials...

Abdominal Epilepsy?

The other day, I encountered an uncommon medical diagnosis, abdominal epilepsy. Maybe I was absent when this was taught in med school or maybe it was mentioned but it just didn't register in my memory bank. Anyway, for those colleagues who haven't heard of this as well, here's what I found out about it, so that next time you are faced with a weird abdominal pain, you will think of abdominal epilepsy as a differential. There are many medical causes of abdominal pain; abdominal epilepsy is one of the rare causes. From a medical perspective, the term epilepsy refers not to a single disease, but to a group of symptoms with numerous causes. The common factor in all forms of epilepsy is an excessive electrical excitability of the brain. The increased excitation is called a seizure and may manifest as a partial or total loss of consciousness and muscle spasms or other involuntary movements. Many conditions can produce epilepsy. For example, a genetic predisposition is...

"Ganacity"

If there's one word that I will never forget from my AGSB experience, it's "ganacity"! A word frequently mentioned by our FinMan professor. What does it mean? It's a combination of the tagalog word "gana" (appetite, zest) and the english suffix "city" which converts an adjective word into a noun. 'Ganacity' therefore refers to one's state of desire or interest in something. I am sharing this because I feel that my 'ganacity' for what I am doing now is spiralling down, and it is so difficult to reverse it back up or just to keep it at a maintained level. It is becoming a struggle on a day to day basis. I am hoping that night and day will alternate fast so that this battle will end soon.

The Beauty of Giving

It is heartwarming to read how people are coming together to help and support all those involved in this war against the corona virus 19. Indeed, the blessing in this crisis is the transparency of people and the willingness to help those in need without a second thought. We have proven once again that we can care beyond ourselves. Hopefully though, this selflessness goes beyond the end of this pandemic. Giving sincerely is powerful not only for the heart but also for the mind and soul. It provides an intrinsic reward that’s far more valuable than the gift. It’s ‘finding one’s self by losing it in the service of others. As we nest in the comforts of our home, let us continuously find ways to help others in even small and meaningful ways.

Tooth and ENT Doctor

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