Obesity and cancer

Fat can be solubilize and be converted into a lipo toxin (adiponectin) that causes colon cancer. In both male and females being obese can lead to Diabetes Mellitus Type II. This is an increasing problem in children now. It can cause gallstones and gallbladder problems.

This makes me think back to how our parents love us so much they kept feeding and feeding us. But little did they know that this only increases the number of fat cells in our body, which will never go away. They shrink in size, but they don’t go away.  If only we knew that fat can kill us when we’re a bit older …

Did you know that you don’t have to drink alcohol to kill your liver cells? Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is caused by obesity, insulin resistance in Type II Diabetes Mellitus. This can progress to the same alcoholic liver damage and eventually cirrhosis. Just imagine the consequences of being obese + drinking alcohol put together and what kind of damage can be done with these double troubles.

For females. If only we realize being obese can lead to endometrial cancer and breast cancer. How? There’s a lot of estrogen stored in fat cells and it’s one of the reason for escalating proliferation of cells that have estrogen receptors.

This doesn’t mean that I’m endorsing cutting all enjoyments out of our life, it’ s just we need to promote limits on how much we put into our bodies. I don’t endorse government imposing limits to what a parent can do with their child either.  I’d rather they spend more time educating people about why putting bad things in will make us unhealthy. It hurts me a lot that people are afraid to go to the doctors or hospitals because it could cost them so much money.  And there are free clinics that can help you gather the appropriate preventive measures and information you may need.

Life is about choices. But it is difficult to make proper choices when we don’t know the whole truth …. about what obesity can do.

Yo-Yo diet effect and why fat cells refuse to go away

5th semester AICM Miami

It was harder than I expected, but not easy to fail at all as long as you complete all the assignments and study enough for the midterm and the final.  I really enjoyed the two “rotations” or clinic assignments given to us.  Those were definitely opportunities and eye openers if one see it as such and not see it simply as a burden that keeps them from being able to complete SOAP notes and studying for the USMLE.  Anyhow, if anyone complained about having to go to these types of clinics, I just saw it as negative energy and moved along. Cannot waste time having such in your life holding you back from being able to do what truly matters to you. There’s no time to be selfless when opportunities invite to learn much more  by seeing real patients and professional doctors and healthcare staff at work than just memorizing stuff from cases studies or a textbook.  Obviously, we all have different goals.

What does it take to be a strong medical student? Good breakfast, strong back, and being fast on your feet.  Most important of all: no complaints.

Now that the semester has been long over, I really miss the AICM staff. They gave me so much advice when I needed them. It reminds me of high school all over and even when I was in college I didn’t have all these professors and staff in the same department building all at once. It was definitely a very pleasant gift.

In age & death… prayers

Mark 12:33      New International Version (NIV)

“33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

Today, I learned about the death of family acquaintance. What did he pass from? Liver failure. Can I guess he passed from the combined effects of hepatitis and alcoholism? My hope is for those around me to  stop promoting cigarettes and alcohol. Although I know little of the person, I grew up with memories of coming to their home to play with the children.  I can only pray for his wife and children who are living with their memories of him and battling their current difficulties.  I can only imagine what they are going through as we have had our own time of despair. I pray that they all have the strength to carry on.

Second, I pray for a kind man in his old age, a father, and grandfather to the younger generation battling the challenge of cancer. I know you will get through this too. At times I don’t know the world seen through your eyes, but you have given us the wisdom to carry on. I’ve seen the tears you shed for your children and that you love everyone of us albeit each one having our own flaws. You embody perfection even though we don’t know what you have experienced in your lifetime is perfect or not.  Nonetheless, you teach us the meaning of life and teach me values that seem to have been lost in the younger generation I live in today. You teach us to be selfless. Those around you love you and I hope their love will get you through this challenge.

I keep in mind that going to church and giving burnt offerings and sacrifices does not make us God’s children enough.

Divided governments

Daniel 2:40-42

New International Version (NIV). Daniel’s prophecy in the end of times.

“40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron breaks and smashes everything—and as iron breaks things to pieces, so it will crush and break all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly of baked clay and partly of iron, so this will be a divided kingdom; yet it will have some of the strength of iron in it, even as you saw iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. ”

Fear

“Sometimes fear can be a good thing. It keeps you from taking unnecessary chances. Courage doesn’t mean that you don’t have fear. It means that you have overcome it. ” – Paris (Star Trek Voyager, “Faces” episode S1E14)

Being normal

“You’re on your way to being normal — although I’m not sure how normal applies to a species who suppress all their emotions” — The Doctor (“Meld” episode, Star Trek Voyager)