By Tedler D. Depaynos, MD
We were sipping our non-Starbucks unsugared coffee with my lawyer friend when an elder MD colleague suddenly joined us. It was nice to be once again with him who appears to be relaxed and non-ageing. He was all smiles as he started talking about his apparently professional middle aged lady patient who had been complaining of on and off mild but recurring and disturbing headache. She had consulted their company physician, who gave analgesics which gave transient relief but after sometime, she was given the diagnosis of “migraine” after repeated consultations. She went to a hospital looking for a friend MD for a second opinion but unfortunately he was not around. It was incidental then that she consulted our coffee mate for his clinic was the one only open during that time being a Sunday.
Because her headache which she described as originating from her forehead radiating to the nape and sometimes vice-versa was never severe, my coffee mate immediately sidelined “migraine” as the etiology of her problem. “Migraine” is characterized mainly as a recurring headache which is usually severe, continuous and may last for hours. In a scale of 10, it may even reach 11 and may cause vomiting and even unconsciousness just like one of his previous patients, so that the possibility of a “stroke” is sometimes entertained. The lady patient obviously was not suffering severely or else she would not be wearing her high heels.
When he asked her about her shaded eye glasses which appeared to be expensive she said that her office mates advised her to have her vision tested for the possibility of an “eye defect” causing her headache. Although she personally felt that her vision was still ok, she still went to a well known optometric clinic and she was prescribed the glasses she was wearing. He then lectured his lady patient that doctors of optometry are not doctors of medicine and doctors of medicine who specialized on the eye are called opthalmologists. Optometrists can prescribe eyeglasses but not medicines. Some could probably diagnose other “eye defects” but since they are not doctors of medicine they are obligated to refer their patients to ophthalmologists. My coffee mate then referred her to a young eye specialist who concurred with the “error of refraction” but opined that it was not the cause of her headache, because the error was “very minor”.
Although the patient had no history of colds or “running nose,” he also requested for a routine x-ray of her “paranasal sinuses” to rule out “sinusitis”. Of course this turned out to be normal.
In a follow-up interview, the patient is an executive and supervises a number of people under her. She appeared relaxed however and with no apparent stress. Her blood pressure was normal as well as her pulse rate. She however is always in front of a computer which makes her bend her neck constantly because it is below her eyelevel. When he examined her nape, there was a little rigidity so that he was tempted to do a soft massage. She appeared grateful and relieved that she even requested him to continue for a few minutes more. The muscles in her nape were strained because of constant contraction causing her headache. With some muscle relaxant prescription and “hot compress” advice she left his clinic with smiles knowing that her headache problem is not serious..
The following week my colleague was surprised that she went back just to express her thanks with a heavy package labeled “Double Black”. She then mentioned that she also elevated her computer screen so that it would be at her eyelevel.
Before parting, my lawyer friend murmured that he was intrigued how the lady executive patient learned the weakness of our elderly MD coffee mate.
INCOMING GOLDEN JUBILARIANS
Graduates of Baguio City High School have their yearly general reunion every first Friday and Saturday of May. With the General Alumni Association, the main sponsors are the Silver Jubilarians who graduated 25 years ago assisted by the Golden Jubilarians who graduated 50 years ago. The reunion is joyous and very significant because everyone meet classmates they have not seen for years or even decades. The main activities are held at the school ground but the gala night which ends the general get-together is held where the sponsors would like it to be. Both the Silver and Goldern Jubilarians are appealing therefore to their classmates to join them especially those who were away for quite some time.
As early as now, the sponsors especially those who graduated 50 years ago have a tentative list of activities and programs. The gala night seems to be booked already at Baguio Country Club. Their excitement is obvious and their leadership is full time in their dedication to make the event very significant and memorable. Those who would miss it would be regretting permanently.
Our support and encouragement is with Class ’95 and Class’70. The Golden’s president, Madam Sonia Daoas, is incidentally one of the Outstanding Citizens of Baguio, a “Lioness” and an Alpha Phi Omega sis. Actually, she is active in other various organizations so that organizing the event may be a simple matter to her but still the support of her co-alumni is needed.**
