Detoxification is the process by which toxins are removed from an individual. To me, detox can come in 2 flavors: detox of the human body & detox of the human soul. It may sound like a very deep &/or absurd ideology, but it is that very ideology that I am forcing myself to undergo. One thing I can say I'm truly & sincerely proud of is the fact that I'm motivating & pushing myself to accomplish both "forms" of detox in order to become the person I ultimately dream of becoming.
The first flavor of detox is detox of the human body. Now there's not much in me that needs to be detoxed EXCEPT for food, which I am proud to say I've been on top of for the past year. I've cleansed my system of all the crappy toxins I used to indulge without shame by forcing myself to have daily or almost daily exercise consisting of both cardio & weights. I can't lie...I do have my occasional moments of food comas (e.g. this past holiday season lol), but in the end I still force the detox process in. As a result, I've lost & continue to lose weight (believe it or not), firmed up, & have a healthier internal system. Check #1.
The second flavor of detox is detox of the soul, which for me, is much more difficult to accomplish. Detox of the soul in my opinion is to rid oneself of their inner negativities, faults, flaws, imperfections. This is very difficult as I've had many. I tend to be very moody. I tend to feel emotions of envy or jealousy. I put myself down at times & can be very judgemental. Yes I admit it. I'm not perfect & I acknowledge that. But this is a process that will be the true test for me. This is one of my biggest resolutions not just for this new year, but for years to come. I want to rid myself of my "toxins" & inner "demons" that hold me back from being that ideal person I want to become & to be known for...not as the negative, judgemental, dramatic guy. This is definitely a work in progress. I pray that God helps me on this journey & to open my eyes to what I need to improve on & get rid of & to give me that strength I often times lack. Semi-check #2.
As a result, the detoxification process I'm undergoing is very insightful & beneficial medically, emotionally, mentally, & spiritually. I feel very proud to be such an advocate of detox & working my you know what off to achieve it & to finally be free from my toxins. It make take a while to achieve, but knowing that my determination is stronger than ever gives me the encouragement to fight on. "Toxins" in this sense defined as both a poisonous substance that can harm you anatomically (literally) & an inner imperfection negatively impacting aspects of your life that keep you at rock bottom(metaphorically).
What inner toxins are holding YOU back from fulfilling your goals?
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Kidney Conscious For Hippocrates & Nightingale
Ahh once again, that time has returned when my adrenal cortex just love to secrete in large amounts those lovely dosages of epinephrine, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, & glucocorticoids to physiologically piss me the hell off. Actually, the ephinephrine is also released in the brain as a neurotransmitter, which causes this whole process to occur starting with the ACTH. But enough of that gibberish...in English: the stupid stress is back >__<
Yes that time has come. The financial difficulties, the search for a stable job, the registration for school & loans, the studying. All this crap is here once again. And all for what: that chance for me to be closer to Hippocrates & to take the Nightingale Pledge already. I realize that this is just all in good time...that I'm still young, I'm going at a good pace, all that jazz. But as of late, the thoughts have been rolling back of my future & the stability that I dream of having in order for a consequentially quiet & happy life as a set member in the field of medicine. CSNP is calling my name & damn it I'm so ready to just grab that scalpel & cut. As it was stated in "Grey's Anatomy", all surgeons love to do is cut, cut, cut. Cliche, yes. True, hell yes.
After testing myself with many medical school & nursing examination practice exams, and doing so well on them, I'm ready. Financial difficulties aside, I just want to be working in my scrubs in the hospital in my OR.
On a positive note...I've had some great heart & muscle healthy workouts lately. Woot woot. Now to just care for my kidneys. Go away stress...please.
Yes that time has come. The financial difficulties, the search for a stable job, the registration for school & loans, the studying. All this crap is here once again. And all for what: that chance for me to be closer to Hippocrates & to take the Nightingale Pledge already. I realize that this is just all in good time...that I'm still young, I'm going at a good pace, all that jazz. But as of late, the thoughts have been rolling back of my future & the stability that I dream of having in order for a consequentially quiet & happy life as a set member in the field of medicine. CSNP is calling my name & damn it I'm so ready to just grab that scalpel & cut. As it was stated in "Grey's Anatomy", all surgeons love to do is cut, cut, cut. Cliche, yes. True, hell yes.
After testing myself with many medical school & nursing examination practice exams, and doing so well on them, I'm ready. Financial difficulties aside, I just want to be working in my scrubs in the hospital in my OR.
On a positive note...I've had some great heart & muscle healthy workouts lately. Woot woot. Now to just care for my kidneys. Go away stress...please.
Monday, January 4, 2010
As The Saying Goes...Laughter Truly IS The Best Medicine...
One thing that I believe people often take for granted nowadays is the gift of laughter...that simple physiological reaction we express as a result of things that we consider humorous. Sure, everyone experiences it throughout their lifetime & it's pretty much as normal as breathing for some. For those people, it has grown to be an unnoticable, very regular reaction that is of little significance. Then why make such a fuss & an entire blog over laughter? Because my friends, for those that have felt out of touch with what pure laughter really feels like, it is like a huge sigh of relief or a burst of fresh air when that bond is reunited once again, & the need for pseudo-laughter is non-existent. In these tough times, it's understandable that our bond with laughter has grown to be very miniscule. Stress, pressure, worry, bullshit...all these are, unfortunately, what we go through all the time. Yet when we take the time to be with those that make us truly happy & we experience that first moment of pure laughter, all that crap temporarily disappears & you feel alive once more.
Now when I speak of "pseudo-laughter", I speak of the times where one has to force laughter out of them in situations that they don't honestly find funny, or in situations to satisfy who they are speaking with, to the point of it appearing fake & not feeling that legit, raw emotion of humor. Hence the "pseudo". We've all experienced that. It's not a good feeling. Who enjoys being fake? I don't. How insulting would that be if someone realizes that they're not, in any way, funny? Very insulting.
This weekend was the first in a long time where I had genuine fun & experienced something I haven't in a really really long time: pure laughter. I've been down with this terrible Rhinovirus for a week & now it's getting alot better, minus the annoying cough. I spent Saturday evening with my cousins & sister, spontaneously driving around the OC, looking for theaters to watch "Avater" in 3D where it was NOT sold out, then enjoying each others' company @ Downtown Disney & The Block. That time with them brought about old memories & stories that just made me laugh so hard that it brought tears to my eyes. It literally made my head hurt, & I loved it. I haven't felt that free from the stress, pressures, & annoyances that I often experience in the longest time. Those endorphins were definitely running amok in my brain. It was, as I said, a burst of fresh air that made me feel alive once again.
Despite my cold, I felt alot better after that day. An entire night just to me, my sister, & my cousins. And now, thank God, I'm feeling the best I've felt all week & in a long time, both physically & emotionally. Going to church & thanking God for this weekend & for my family & friends & being alive was the icing on the cake. So to you all that are going through rough & tough times, do the best that you can to set that aside for a bit & just be with those who make you LAUGH. Try to experience that once again. It'll be a rewarding, satisfying moment.
Laughter really is the best medicine everyone. It's something that, once re-experienced, takes away all the burdens, pain, & stresses & heals you from them. Laughter, along with the power of prayer & those moments with God, is the strongest medicine that can be prescribed & the strongest medicine that anyone can take...& it's healing power is nothing more than uplifting.
LIVE...LAUGH...LOVE.
Now when I speak of "pseudo-laughter", I speak of the times where one has to force laughter out of them in situations that they don't honestly find funny, or in situations to satisfy who they are speaking with, to the point of it appearing fake & not feeling that legit, raw emotion of humor. Hence the "pseudo". We've all experienced that. It's not a good feeling. Who enjoys being fake? I don't. How insulting would that be if someone realizes that they're not, in any way, funny? Very insulting.
This weekend was the first in a long time where I had genuine fun & experienced something I haven't in a really really long time: pure laughter. I've been down with this terrible Rhinovirus for a week & now it's getting alot better, minus the annoying cough. I spent Saturday evening with my cousins & sister, spontaneously driving around the OC, looking for theaters to watch "Avater" in 3D where it was NOT sold out, then enjoying each others' company @ Downtown Disney & The Block. That time with them brought about old memories & stories that just made me laugh so hard that it brought tears to my eyes. It literally made my head hurt, & I loved it. I haven't felt that free from the stress, pressures, & annoyances that I often experience in the longest time. Those endorphins were definitely running amok in my brain. It was, as I said, a burst of fresh air that made me feel alive once again.
Despite my cold, I felt alot better after that day. An entire night just to me, my sister, & my cousins. And now, thank God, I'm feeling the best I've felt all week & in a long time, both physically & emotionally. Going to church & thanking God for this weekend & for my family & friends & being alive was the icing on the cake. So to you all that are going through rough & tough times, do the best that you can to set that aside for a bit & just be with those who make you LAUGH. Try to experience that once again. It'll be a rewarding, satisfying moment.
Laughter really is the best medicine everyone. It's something that, once re-experienced, takes away all the burdens, pain, & stresses & heals you from them. Laughter, along with the power of prayer & those moments with God, is the strongest medicine that can be prescribed & the strongest medicine that anyone can take...& it's healing power is nothing more than uplifting.
LIVE...LAUGH...LOVE.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
On The Human Heart & It's Lubs-Dubs
The human heart. A mere fist shaped, 300 or so gram vital organ that sits smack dab in the middle of our mediastinum. Yes yes everyone knows that it is that pump that helps transport blood throughout our entire anatomical system. However, speaking in a more deeper & philosophical level, the heart has been popularly named the "seat of emotions", symbolizing love & happiness. It could feel the highest possible levels of happiness, joy, & love...& on the darker side, it could exhibit emotions of anger, hate, envy, & jealousy. Could it get to the point where the heart loves TOO much & cares TOO much, giving it a false hope & dooming it to heartbreak & pain, leaving the person filled with anger, insecurity, & jealousy? oh yes. Most definitely. For those that have experienced it, sometimes their loving heart gives them the most pain. And I'm not talking about heartburn.
I'm currently reading the novel "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" by Mary Roach. It's an amazing read exploring the world of the dead & how the use & experimentation on cadavers has revolutionized medicine & science. It's a bit morbid, but great. Thinking about death, I don't want to leave this earth being known as the person that loved TOO much or the guy that cared TOO much to the point of falling for false hope, ultimately resulting in pain & turning into this heartless, bitter person that lost hope. How can that happen to me? I've always been known as the "nice guy" or the "caring friend", the "sweet talker" or the so-called "romantic". Trust me, I love my heart for what it is & for what it has taught me (I AM concentrating in Cardiothoracic Surgery after all)...how to love, how to care, & how to be happy. But I wish it wasn't crushed so many times. It beats so much for so many, yet sometimes, it doesn't do what it should do: feel. Emotions of anger, bitterness, insecurity, & jealousy tend to take over & blind my heart of what it really & truly is. I don't want to leave my cadaver one day with an empty, bitter, angry, non-emotional rock in the mediastinum, metaphorically speaking. I want to leave this earth one day with a heart full of happiness & love & joy & the feeling of being whole & complete with people to love me just as much back. And of course, that special someone that loves ME for ME, & takes my heart for what it is.
Our hearts are truly a gift from God & are a living thing all on its own. I take care of my heart as much as possible, both medically & emotionally. It has gone through so much, yet it still beats.
They say the brain is more important than the heart...which is arguable. But what happens if the brain has no blood flow? Medically, it'll have an infarction, become necrotic & die, eventually swelling from the lack of oxygen & seep through the foramen magnum. And what of the heart without the brain? yes the vagus nerve has ceased to exist, but it still beats on. It's autorhythmicity & independence is miraculous. That's why I love medicine. That's why I love Cardiology. Take care of the heart. Live with the pain & heartache it will endure. It's an unbearable pain, but soon enough, hopefully, that pain will ease & the heart will experience true & complete love & happiness & feel whole.
The most beautiful sound in the world is a heartbeat. Those lub-dubs are the sounds of a miracle...life.
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." ~ Hellen Keller
I'm currently reading the novel "Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers" by Mary Roach. It's an amazing read exploring the world of the dead & how the use & experimentation on cadavers has revolutionized medicine & science. It's a bit morbid, but great. Thinking about death, I don't want to leave this earth being known as the person that loved TOO much or the guy that cared TOO much to the point of falling for false hope, ultimately resulting in pain & turning into this heartless, bitter person that lost hope. How can that happen to me? I've always been known as the "nice guy" or the "caring friend", the "sweet talker" or the so-called "romantic". Trust me, I love my heart for what it is & for what it has taught me (I AM concentrating in Cardiothoracic Surgery after all)...how to love, how to care, & how to be happy. But I wish it wasn't crushed so many times. It beats so much for so many, yet sometimes, it doesn't do what it should do: feel. Emotions of anger, bitterness, insecurity, & jealousy tend to take over & blind my heart of what it really & truly is. I don't want to leave my cadaver one day with an empty, bitter, angry, non-emotional rock in the mediastinum, metaphorically speaking. I want to leave this earth one day with a heart full of happiness & love & joy & the feeling of being whole & complete with people to love me just as much back. And of course, that special someone that loves ME for ME, & takes my heart for what it is.
Our hearts are truly a gift from God & are a living thing all on its own. I take care of my heart as much as possible, both medically & emotionally. It has gone through so much, yet it still beats.
They say the brain is more important than the heart...which is arguable. But what happens if the brain has no blood flow? Medically, it'll have an infarction, become necrotic & die, eventually swelling from the lack of oxygen & seep through the foramen magnum. And what of the heart without the brain? yes the vagus nerve has ceased to exist, but it still beats on. It's autorhythmicity & independence is miraculous. That's why I love medicine. That's why I love Cardiology. Take care of the heart. Live with the pain & heartache it will endure. It's an unbearable pain, but soon enough, hopefully, that pain will ease & the heart will experience true & complete love & happiness & feel whole.
The most beautiful sound in the world is a heartbeat. Those lub-dubs are the sounds of a miracle...life.
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." ~ Hellen Keller
Friday, January 1, 2010
Rx: Friendship
I know this may sound just the slightest bit corny & expected from the self-proclaimed medical geek, but having good friends in your life is definitely good medicine. Sorry some of it is in tagalog for those who don't speak/understand it. Here's the breakdown for understanding:
Amphetamine (Psychostimulant)..."Wag kang susuko" means "Don't give up"
Benzodiazepine (Anti-anxiety)..."Wag kang mag-alala" means "Don't worry"
Antipsychotic..."Wag kang sira" means "Don't breakdown"
TCA/MAOI/SSRI (Anti-depressant)..."Wag ka ng malungkot" means "Don't be sad"
Lithium Carbonate (Anti-mania)..."Hinay-hinay lang" means "Take it easy/slow"
Anti-Convulsant..."Relax ka lang" means "Just relax"
Anti-Biotic..."Ipaglalaban kita" means "I'll fight for you"
Analgesic (Painkiller)..."Ok lang yan, i'm here to relieve the pain"
Multivitamins..."Ingat ka palagi" means "Take care always"
Thank you to my friends for being my medications when I needed them. Viva, Mabuhay & Aloha.
Who Wants To Be A Surgeon? Anyone Up For Some Virtual Surgery?
I'm sure no one cares. Lol. BUT. In case someone out there (especially entering or are in the medical field) would like some generalized insight on different forms of surgery & actually PERFORM them...then go to these sites & be the surgeon yourself :) learn a few surgical procedures & the tools involved with them. Learn & enjoy @ the same time my friends.
For Deep Brain Stimulation, Virtual Hip Resurfacing, Virtual Hip Replacement, & Virtual Knee Surgery, visit:
http://edheads.org/
For Virtual Open Heart Surgery, visit:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/lcs/heart.htm
Learn something. Save lives in the OR. I prefer the Cardiothoracic Surgery :) Enjoy everyone. You know this medical geek did.
For Deep Brain Stimulation, Virtual Hip Resurfacing, Virtual Hip Replacement, & Virtual Knee Surgery, visit:
http://edheads.org/
For Virtual Open Heart Surgery, visit:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/lcs/heart.htm
Learn something. Save lives in the OR. I prefer the Cardiothoracic Surgery :) Enjoy everyone. You know this medical geek did.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
