White Hair Chronicles XIV - Itay, matanda ka na ba?

Itay, matanda ka na ba?

My son Popoy, 6,  asked me this last night (are you old already?) Of course, I'm not yet old, I told him. Why are you suddenly asking that, I asked him back. Wala lang, po - it's nothing, he said.

Something must be troubling him after we visited the cemetery where his Lolo Vic (my father) and his grandparents (my in-laws) were buried. We usually go visit them ahead of the throng, but typhoon Santi made us go along with the multitude that were there November 1.

When my father died two years ago, Popoy asked "why did Lolo Vic die?". The quick answer we gave him was "because he was old". Actually my father was only 68 when he suddenly died from heart attack. He was ok despite the operation that drained cerebrospinal fluid from his skull six months before and despite the difficulty in walking due to arthritis. Popoy and his lolo bonded well during the short time they knew each other. Popoy did not meet my wife's parents ever. But he knows from the pictures shown him that they got to be very old. My father was on the fat side and had his hair dyed black regularly. To Popoy, he must not have looked old at all.

So when my wife teases me about looking like a grandfather, and me being so old that cataracts affect my eyesight, plus the visit to the cemetery 'where old dead people' are buried, Popoy must have worried that his father is going to die soon.

It is kind of sweet to think that my young son is worried sick about me.

White hair chronicles XII - Cataracts in your 40s?

In my new office, there is a policy that requires a doctor's certificate for reimbursing incurred costs for your first eyeglass prescription. So I hied off to an ophthalmologist near the office for a quick refraction. I figured I don't need my regular ophthalmologist on the other side of town for the bureaucratic requirement. I last visited him 4 years ago and he said that at my age my eyesight will start to get better. And it did.

The new doctor immediately noticed my white hair and mentioned its correlation with a medical/eye condition. I did not pay attention. I just wanted the certificate for the reimbursement. So, on with the refraction. She noticed that I needed stronger lenses. She said that my eyesight should have stabilized.

She then examined my eyes. She asked if I am on steroids. No! Did you have recent surgery? No! Recent trauma? No! Are you diabetic? No! Did your parents have cataracts? Yes? At what age? In their late 60s! Have you been exposed to ultraviolet rays for a long time? No! Do you have skin pigmentation? You mean, birthmarks? No. No!.

Why these questions, I asked? She said there is cloudiness on my right eye which could indicate early onset of cataracts. Are you serious? She wrote on the doctor's certificate - myopia, astigmatism, presbyopia. I know myopia and astigmatism. Presbyopia is new to me. Wikipedia says it is "similar to grey hair and wrinkles, presbyopia is a symptom caused by the natural course of aging; the direct translation of the condition's name is "elder eye". She prescribed Quinax eyedrops 2x a day and told me to come back after a vial is consumed. Googling Quinax returned:

Therapeutic actions:

Quinax protects sulfo-groups of the crystalline lens from oxidation and promote resorption of opaque proteins of the lens. Possesses properties that tend to activate the proteolitic enzymes, that are located in the aqueous humor of the front eye section.

Indications:

Cataract of different origin starting from age related problems to traumatic disorders.

Contraindications and cautions:

If used in a long term therapy it is not recommended to stop the treatment suddenly because possible withdrawal syndrome occurrence that is manifested in vision impairment. It is also not recommended to stop the treatment suddenly before all the prescribed dosages were administered. Be sure to tell your doctor if you have ever experienced allergy to eye drops.

Adverse effects:

There are possible side-effects associated with this medicine that can affect individuals in different ways. If a side effect is stated here, that does not necessarily mean the fact that all people using azapentacene will experience it or any other.

Side effects for azapantacene are mainly local and include symptoms of allergic reactions like:

itching

burning

redness of the eye area

swelling. (http://www.pharmacy1010.com/product_page.asp?id=195)

Now that she told me about the cloudiness, I think I am now having cloudy vision from my right eye. Shucks.

I am getting a second opinion.

Noynoy na!

A new blog featuring an open letter to former president Fidel V. Ramos from his niece made a buzz at the political scene this week. In it, she asks FVR to endorse Noynoy. She sums up the argument for Noynoy/Mar - "...he (Noynoy) is now the one candidate with the potential to unite the opposition against the ruling party. For his part, Mar is no slouch, moreover, and the Liberal Party appears to have some progressive elements."

Philippine politics is characterized by a weak party system. Political butterflies abound. That is why many different configurations or tandems for president/vice president are floated around. The situation is very fluid. You can hear possibilities of a Villar/Loren, Villar/Chiz, Chiz/Loren, Chiz/Ping, Gibo/Loren, Chiz/Dick, etc. Any of which is a real possibility. Now that Chiz decided to bolt from the NPC, the possibility of a Gibo/Chiz may not be far-fetched despite the previous anti-GMA stand of Chiz. The administration says it is open to a Gibo/Chiz team.

Consider this: Chiz's tweet last night indicated that he might be supporting the gerrymandering bill that gives Dato Arroyo a congressional district. With that tweet, Chiz hints of an alliance with an Arroyo son and at the same time takes a potshot at Noynoy. Noynoy is opposing the bill.

Chiz portrays himself as a follower of the Quezonian "my loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins". It is not immediately clear what party stand he is against. Why Chiz would shun party politics this time after doing so in all his political life gives credence to rumors that the NPC boss, Danding Cojuangco, would finance only a fraction of his campaign.

By now, it is clear that only the Noynoy/Mar tandem stands squarely against the current administration. All the rest can be seen to offer to or gain some accommodation from the administration. All the others do not consider the interests of the country. They all belong to the parte-parte party. With them, patronage politics will still be in place.

Man got paid for 5 years without working a single day

An Illinois man got US$469,000 in paychecks without working for a single day. Anthony Armatys of Palatine, Illinois, pleaded guilty Monday on one count of theft. He accepted a job with Avaya Inc. in September 2002, but later changed his mind. The company's computer system did not remove his name from the payroll. Paychecks were deposited into his bank account until February 2007, when Avaya auditors discovered the mistake.

Could this ever happen in the Philippine government sector? With contractualization of labor, employees are forced to take 6-months contracts, subject to renewal. But there are indeed 15-30 employees, those who show up only on paydays. There are many of these employees especially in the local government sector. In general the government workforce cannot deny that many get paid without working. All they have to do is show up. That is called management.

Typhoon Santi to hit RP in 3 days - pray for Bro to spare us again

Exactly one month after the great flood and just two days after declaring that the country would be free from any low pressure area at least in the next two to three days, PAG-ASA announced another weather disturbance is threatening to hit the country within the next three days. The new storm would be named Santi.

Once again, we should pray to Bro for Santi(no) to spare us. As in the telenovela "May Bukas Pa", we should be reminded that miracles don’t just fall from heaven but comes to those who keep their faith.