Blog
something good
Oath I have taken
Help those who cannot afford
Value human life
I went to volunteer at Remote Area Medical. I heard about this program last year, and I'm excited to be able to participate this year. In this week long event, medical, dental, and vision care is provided to those who really need care.
We saw about 500 patients the day I went. We were really busy, so I wasn't able to take any pictures until the evening. The following pictures I managed to take when most services were finishing up their last patients for the day.
sports arena center from ground level. dental area.
vision area.
Here are a few cases that I want to document for myself...
-During my break, I talked to a man who just had his cavities filled by a dentist. I convinced him to get his eyes checked since he could not recall when he last did. He agreed, and was seen by another clinician. At the end of his exam, he came by to inform me that he was diagnosed with PDR and will be seeking treatment tomorrow. After talking to him some more, I informed him that he needed to control his diabetes. Otherwise, his condition will get worse and he will eventually lose his sight.
-A patient complained of having headaches and blurry vision for the past year. She was wearing thick glasses that were 3+ years old. She was found to have uncorrected refractive error, a significant amount of aniso, and Stage 2 HTN. These diagnoses combined are the reason why she has been having headaches. Ideally, contact lenses (instead of glasses) would help reduce her aniso, but cost is the limiting factor. I also informed her to see her PCP or go to a community clinic to help control her high blood pressure.
-A veteran came by to get his eyes checked. He had cataract surgery 10 years ago, and reported no change in vision since then. What was interesting about this case was that his refraction was +3.25 -6.00 x 180, but he was seeing just as well without glasses. That is because his EDS is 0. Using a slit lamp, we noticed a large (14mm, if I remember correctly) incision on the superior cornea. My staff doctor told me this incision was from an old technique used for cataract surgery. Apparently, this was a rare thing to see.
spring rain
This is the first year that I have really appreciated the beauty of spring. Birds are singing outside my window, and yellow mustard wildflowers are blooming everywhere. Jon and I are spending more time outdoors trying to capture this wonderful spring season on camera. And amidst engagement announcements from close friends, watching my nieces learn to walk, and playing video games with my little cousin, there comes the difficult part of life that I never look forward to - the death of a loved one.
I realize that as I get older, life and death intertwines... and that is how it will be from now on. I'm deeply sad for the loss of someone dear to me that I have known and loved for the past 9 years. But I also feel relieved because this person is no longer in pain and no longer trapped inside a dying body. My heart goes out to the grandchildren who lost their beloved grandmother, to the children who lost their mother, and to the husband who lost his wife of many decades. I was very close to my grandmother, and life just isn't the same without her.
Studies have shown that human relationships are a key to happiness. Quite true. I am happy to have wonderful and supportive friends and family in my life. I am also happy and fortunate to have so many grandparents in my life. And I hope to have children and grandchildren as supportive and loving as these grandparents have.
And after the rain, flowers bloom, even then.
Flaxseed oil vs Fish oil
Omega-3s are beneficial for health because it helps reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, hypertension, depression, ADHD, arthritis, macular degeneration, and other ailments.
There are 3 important Omega-3 components – DHA, EPA, and ALA. While DHA is the most important type found in the brain, the human body cannot produce enough DHA on its own.
Both flaxseed and fish oil contain omega-3s, but only fish oil contains DHA and EPA. Thus fish oil is a good source of DHA for the human body.
Flaxseed oil instead contains ALA. In order to obtain nutritional value, the human body needs to convert ALA to DHA/EPA. When flaxseed is consumed, the human body converts only a small amount of ALA into DHA and EPA. In addition, some early studies have linked high ALA intake with a higher risk of prostate cancer, while high fish consumption will lower the risk of prostate cancer.
There is limited research on flaxseed oil to fully understand its benefits, but much research has been done to prove the benefits of fish oil, including reducing the risk of breast cancer.
In summary, fish oil is more effective because it contains much stronger and easily available omega-3s for the human body. As advised by many sources, men should avoid flaxseed oil until more is known about its potential link with prostate cancer.
Augustsson, K., Michaud, D., Rimm, E., et al. A Prospective Study of Intake of Fish and Marine Fatty Acids and Prostate Cancer. Cancer Epidemiology. 2003;12(64).
Brouwer, I., Katan, M., Zocck, Peter. Dietary a-Linolenic Acid Is Associated with Reduced Risk of Fatal Coronary Heart Disease, but Increased Prostate Cancer Risk: A Meta-Analysis. J. Nutr. 2004;134:919-922.
Burdge, GC., Calder, PC. Conversion of alpha-linolenic acid to longer-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in human adults. Reprod Nutr Dev. 2005;45(5):581-97.
Kim, J., Lim, S., Shin, A., et al. Fatty fish and fish omega-3 fatty acid intakes decrease the breast cancer risk: a case-control study. BMC Cancer. 2009;9:216.
Schacky, C., (2003) The role of omega-3 fatty acids in cardiovascular disease. Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2003 Mar;5(2): 139-45
stressed out
so many things to do, so little time.
so many expectations.
so many things to keep track of.
please let me get by the next 9 weeks...
50% doctor
2 years completed, 2 more years to until graduation!
I am so glad second year is over - that is in my book the most stressful year I've ever had. I'm glad that Jon and I decided to postpone the wedding until after graduation. I can't imagine planning a wedding through all that chaos (though some of my classmates have successfully done so).
Reminder to self:
I may want to have a Chinese Tea Ceremony. A friend of mine did that for her wedding, and I think its a good idea to recognize my chinese heritage too. Besides, I like the idea of wearing a qi pao. =)
Although second year was busy, I enjoyed the many classes I took.
Here are some highlights:
-Systemic & Ocular Pharmacology:
I have a new profound respect for pharmacists. My friend and I created so many mnemonics to help us get by!
Some of my favorites:
"fatty GEM needs NIACIN but takes FEN-fen & Statins"
"Amiodarone is the smurf drug"
"Medrysone (HMS) is one 'Hell of a Mild Steroid'"
"Opioid stupor & no pooper"
-Ocular Disease:
is the most challenging class to date. I never knew there are so many things that can go wrong with the eye. To help us recognize many of these conditions, my professor described these as food! I guess it help me, but it certainly didn't help my appetite. (I won't go into details here).
-Contact Lens:
I am now proficient to prescribe and dispense rigid contact lens and soft contact lens. =) And, I now know how to modify an ocular prosthetic eye (aka artificial eye). I'm excited because I get to see these patients in clinic.
-Clinic:
Many hours of practicing to hone in our clinical skills.
Angela was nice enough to be one of my first patients!
I just got back from my 2 week summer vacation. Well, its more like 2 weeks of sleeping in and doing nothing. =P
Anyway, summer school just started and I'll actually be seeing a handful of patients every week. They say the key is to have confidence...
"No matter what happens, keep your head up and be calm and confident."