By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas

The recent killing of kids or teenagers in Metro Manila and in Baguio City got me quite morose the past days
And now it is Friday again. I often said, Friday is stressful for me. I have to mind putting this paper together along with the usual legal problems of clients whose number I am trying to reduce if not totally do away with—if only I had a choice considering our financial needs.
A lady client of advanced age dropped by this morning as I had some questions to ask for our upcoming hearing in a few day. I am of course not at liberty to discuss here her case at length. I am however at liberty to talk a few things about her.
Her eyesight was obviously deteriorating so I asked her why. She said it was because of her diabetes. I remember her a few months back when she was still a lot stronger saying that she had no problems at all and she felt good when she drank Coke. Really?, I said. How about your blood sugar? She said, “OK met. Mayat latta met riknak.” Then, as if I were a doctor, I said, “Don’t you know that, from what I have read, a small bottle (8 oz.) of soft drink contains about eight tea spoons of sugar?” She answered, “OK ak latta met.”
But now she can not see properly, and from her looks and the way she moved at 70+ years old she is not anymore a spring chicken. As if she deteriorated by half a century from the way she was about three months ago. The reason, she said, was her blood sugar shot up to 400 mg/dl (whatever mg/dl means) after two days of taking in a lot of honey and sweet glutinous rice. She volunteered that the normal sugar level should be 120 mg/dl. She actually just said 400 and 120 so I googled and found out that blood sugar levels are in mg/dl so I presumed this is what should come after the numerical figures when people mention their sugar levels.
Her physical deterioration was quite sudden. But her diabetes must have been going on for a long time already but it was only three months ago she sought medical help when she was not anymore “OK latta met”. Her blood pressure shot up to dangerous levels and they found out about her diabetes. She now has to take seven pills every time as prescribed.
But her eyes are still bad and her blood sugar is still very high according to her. So she started playing doctor herself by asking around what should she take to solve her blood sugar problems. Somebody told her to try the fruit macopa and she didn’t like the taste so she was boiling the fruit and drinking the boiled water as tea. The effect was good according to her but the problem is the fruit is seasonal. So she sought other opinions and somebody told her to eat the soft young shoots of the runo or stick. Though she looked like a cow or carabao seeking that kind of grass, it was working. The problem is sometimes she was lazy searching for these in the thicket. So basically she is now relying on the pills which are not working on her blood sugar.
She was also advised by her doctor not to eat meat but she just could not give it up. She even said that she eats more meat than rice, otherwise, she would be weak. When I told her that I had not been eating meat the past 41 years, she was awe struck but said she cannot not do it.
I remember what happened the other month when the move by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Baguio Correspondents and Broadcasters Club (BCBC) for the government to provide free dialysis was still hot in the news. As I went down the stairs from our office, a 30ish good looking lady with a young kid in tow met and requested me to sign the petition for free dialysis. I told her, “Sure. Pero magvegetarian kayo kasi para walang problema.” She replied, “Ang hirap lang kasi.” Well.. . .
But back to my elderly lady client. The good thing about her seven pills is that her blood pressure is OK at 120/80. This might mean her kidneys are not yet too far gone. But I am not a doctor so that opinion is like it came from the comic character Dr. Sponklong. I am hoping though that I am right.**