"When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man, that Thou visitest him? for Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor; Thou madest him to have dominion over the work of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet; all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas; O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!"--Psalm 8:3-9.

            The following is a feature from the Harvard Magazine. It was written by Craig Lambert. I find it informative and enlightening. Now I know that apart from the usual psychosocial factors contributing to the development of mental illness, there could also be this condition, that is, having low latent inhibition which could either lead to psychoses or genius. I haven't heard of it during college days, back when we were having our psychiatric nursing subject.

The DaVinci Mode: Ideas Rain In

 In 1675 Isaac Newton suffered a mental breakdown—some modern psychiatrists diagnose him as a manic-depressive—and he was still recovering in 1679. But long before that, Newton had already invented calculus and formulated his law of gravitational attraction. Throughout history, genius and madness have often dwelled together: think of Vincent Van Gogh, William James, M.D. 1869, and, more recently, mathematician John Forbes Nash (portrayed in the book and film A Beautiful Mind). Delusional psychosis and inspired creativity, ostensible antipodes of human experience, ironically also seem to be next-door neighbors. Over the centuries, thinkers have wrestled with this enigma, usually on a purely speculative basis. Now, a new empirical study suggests a specific style of cognition shared by those who hear the Muse and those who merely hear voices. The research also suggests variables that distinguish the two groups.
]]> http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=60 http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=60#comments Fri, 29 May 2009 00:35:00 +0000 alongangelene http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=60                    Yesterday, May 28, my co-staff nurses and I attended a seminar entitled, "The ABCD of Adult and Pediatric Resuscitation: Our Response to Save Lives". It had been a very fruitful seminar, I was reviewed and updated on Basic Life Support. Though I haven't attended an ACLS course yet, it sort of gave us some ideas and background of how to efficiently carry out our roles, functions and responsibilities as members of the code team. Though in my experience, I have attended several code situations already, I could say that the seminar still shed some light and gave me some insights specifically on the ideal practice/nursing interventions and areas of improvement that must be done when attending life-threatening situations. Also, most of the time we deal with adult patients in our area, we tend to forget the must-know of pediatric resuscitation. The seminar indeed became very helpful to us for that matter.

                  The said seminar was graced by 2 known consultants in PGH, Dr. Jubert Benedicto, head of CENICU  and Dr. Herbie Uy, head of PICU, who talked about Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support, respectively.The latter part of the seminar was a talk delivered by a UPCN alumna, class valedicatorian of Batch 2004, Ms. Vicky Serdan, who discussed about the Nursing Responsibilities in Pedicatric BLS/ACLS.

                  I hope to be updated again on topics like this, a year or two from now. In the meantime, my next objective is to update my IV therapy license.

Have You Had a Miracle Patient?

Posted By: beka serdans, Critical Care/Intensive Care, 10:43PM Mar 5

" Little is Better than Nothing"

Well, this weekend seemed to be Code City in our ICU. Some died, some lived, and some were in a vegetative state surrounded by their families. I had the opportunity to admit a 64-year-old lady who had been found slumped over the steering wheel of her car in a unconscious state. When EMS arrived they found her in VT ----> Vfib ----> pulseless state. They quickly began their ACLS EMS process, intubating her right away, shocking her along the way.

She arrived in the ER where they performed a bit more CPR, got her vitals back, placed her on high dose inotropic support, and brought her up to the ICU with a systolic blood pressure near 68/?, along with a strange rhythm by EKG - undecipherable by our Fellow. Our hypothermic protocol was initiated as her pupils were fixed and dilated right away. She had been down and out for at least 20 minutes. We packed her in ice and dropped her temp below 98.6 F. None of us were quite sure if she would survive, but hoped that brain function would be preserved by the hypothermia.

Four days later she was sitting up, extubated, and smiling at her family, yapping away about the food left in the back of the car. She had survived, but could not recall all the events except slumping over her steering wheel. Now, this was a definite MIRACLE patient. A nice save. Sometimes it's best not to give up on patients clinically when all things look dire. Seems that often we do that more than we should...

Critical care nurse blogger Cassandra Leese on her generous benefits package

It is widely acknowledged that you don't go into nursing for the money. Certainly not for the wildly unsociable hours, the tyranny of night shifts or the benefits package.

Free gym membership and private healthcare? Not a chance. A friend recently expressed horror on hearing about the length of the breaks, and almost fell off his chair when I mentioned we don't get free tea and coffee.

Despite this, there are small and seemingly inconsequential perks to the job that I imagine people working in the more sedate professions rarely relish in quite the same way. 

Yes, I'm talking about finally getting to go to the toilet after hours of putting it off to accomplish just one more task; lying down after a 13-hour shift and discovering a whole new appreciation of your bed; the taste of fresh air and the breeze on your face when you leave the hospital - particularly first thing on a frosty winter's morning, and last thing at night when the stars are out and a glass of your favourite tipple is beckoning. 

Driving to work in the wee hours when everyone is safely tucked up and the roads are clear can be especially pleasant. As can a drink of water when you've been frothing at the mouth for hours.

Coming home after every single working day knowing, without doubt, that the work you do is valuable can keep you going after a particularly bad day. As can the high after a crazy shift and the utter, utter, bliss of knowing you have a few days off in a row.

Heel Prick Method for the newborn screening 

What is Republic Act No. 9288?

It is the Philippine law promulgating a comprehensive policy and a national system for ensuring newborn screening. RA 9288 is known as the "Newborn Screening Act of 2004." It was approved on April 07, 2004.
]]> http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=56 http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=56#comments Mon, 29 Dec 2008 11:21:00 +0000 alongangelene http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=56 Champion boxer Manny Pacquiao has always had a business plan: Fight my way out of poverty

by Jim Plouffe

The first thing you notice when entering the dressing room of Manny Pacquiao is just how crowded it is. The room, right across the hall from where the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world has just finished taping his Filipino television show ''Pinoy Records'' is spartan, basically furnished with people. The next thing you notice is that the current World Boxing Council Lightweight Champion seems to get lost in this sea of people. His agents, family, handlers and just hangers-on, are all better dressed, louder and more domineering. It takes a few seconds to even pick him out.

It's not until Manny tells one of them to ''take the journalist to the other room'' and then saunters in a few minutes later, laying his hands – complete with several diamondd adorned fingers – on the grimy table that his presence is felt.Here are the knuckles that have knocked out 35 opponents, including American David Diaz last June to win the Lightweight title. Here is the fearless dynamo, the Mexicutioner, the Destroyer, Pacman, the People's Champ, a man so wild in the ring that he's constantly had to move up weight classes just to find boxers who can endure his lightning-fast punches. This 169-centimetre-tall man is a weapon, and the sparkle in his eye reveals that he knows it.

But it's not until he tells one of his handlers to ''be quiet, I can speak for myself,'' that it becomes truly obvious that Manny Pacquiao really means business.

It seems the only time you've taken a real beating is when you went for public office.
It was not the right time to run for office because I was in my prime in boxing. [The Filipino people] are looking at me as a role model in boxing. The time has come now. I think they will want me because I have a big heart.
]]> http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=55 http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=55#comments Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:39:00 +0000 alongangelene http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=55           In celebration of this day, Christmas 2008, my family and I went to see a movie  of the MMFF. We were  actually divided on the choice of film. Only 3 of us chose Dayo against the majority, 5 of them, who went for Iskul Bukol. Still, my sisters and I made up our minds and we didn't regret it. 

          I have my two thumbs up for Dayo. I highly recommend it especially to children who are still on the value-formation stage of their lives. It teaches a lot of values from giving due respect to the elderly to protecting nature, valuing one's family, etc. At the same time, it is uniquely Filipino in the sense that much of the concepts in the story are based on Philippine folklore.

          It's a great movie with great animation, sound effects, dubbing and OST.  No wonder it got an A rating from the Cinema Evaluation Board.

          Below is the movie's trailer and another video clip shows Lea singing Lipad, the official theme song.

 [video align='align-center']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ09ItcIDMc&feature=related[/video]

 [video align='align-center']http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp3yEg19x_o[/video]

ATLANTA – Cancer will overtake heart disease as the world's top killer by 2010, part of a trend that should more than double global cancer cases and deaths by 2030, international health experts said in a report released Tuesday. Rising tobacco use in developing countries is believed to be a huge reason for the shift, particularly in China and India, where 40 percent of the world's smokers now live.

So is better diagnosing of cancer, along with the downward trend in infectious diseases that used to be the world's leading killers.

Cancer diagnoses around the world have steadily been rising and are expected to hit 12 million this year. Global cancer deaths are expected to reach 7 million, according to the new report by the World Health Organization.
]]> http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=53 http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=53#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 00:59:00 +0000 alongangelene http://alongangelene.i.ph/blogs/alongangelene/?p=53 Don't date because you are desperate. Don't marry because you are miserable.
Don't have kids because you think your genes are superior.
Don't philander because you think you are irresistible.

Don't associate with people you can't trust.
Don't cheat. Don't lie. Don't pretend.
Don't dictate because you are smarter.
Don't demand because you are stronger.

Don't sleep around because you think you are old enough and know better.
Don't hurt your kids because loving them is harder.
Don't sell yourself,your family, or your ideals.
Don't stagnate.!

Don't regress.
Don't live in the past. Time can't bring anything or anyone back.
Don't put your life on hold for possibly Mr/Mrs Right.
Don't throw your life away on absolutely Mr Wrong because your biological clock
is ticking.

Learn a new skill.
Find a new friend.
Start a new career.
Sometimes, there is no race to be won.
Only a price to be paid for some of life's more hasty decisions.

To terminate your loneliness, reach out to the homeless.
To feed your nurturing instincts, care for the needy.
To fulfill your parenting fantasies, get a puppy.
Don't bring another life into this world for all the wrong reasons.

To make yourself happy, pursue your passions and be the best of what you can
be.
Simplify your life. Take away the clutter.
Get rid of destructive elements: abusive friends, nasty habits, and dangerous
liaisons.
Don't abandon your responsibilities but don't overdose on duty.

Don't live life recklessly without thought and feeling for your family.
Be true to yourself.
Don't commit when you are not ready.
Don't keep others waiting needlessly.

Go on that trip. Don't postpone it.
Say those words. Don't let the moment pass.
Do what you have to, even at society's scorn.

Write poetry.
Love Deeply.
Walk barefoot.
Dance with wild abandon.
Cry at the movies.

Take care of yourself. Don't wait for someone to take care of you.
You light up your life.
You drive yourself to your destination.
No one completes you - except YOU.

It is true that life does not get easier with age.
It only gets more challenging.
Don't be afraid. Don't lose your capacity to love.
Pursue your passions.

Live your dreams.
Don't lose faith in your God.
Don't grow old. Just grow YOU!

When you give someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your life
that you'll never get back.
Your time is your life. That is why the greatest gift you can give someone is
your time.
Relationships take time and effort, and the best way to spell love is T-I-M-E
because the essence of love is not what we think or do or provide for others,
but how much we give of ourselves.

--Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Life ]]>