Super Dok
“Trustworthy, Credible, and Timely Health Information”
Every one of the 175 posts first published on Super Dok, April 2006 to November 2008.
Super Dok was the first blog: plain-language health writing for Filipino families, published on Blogger. Health was the founding subject — what an ECG is, twice over — but the posts range wider than the clinic: family, everyday life, travels, food. Each carried the byline Amelyn R. Rafael, MD.
The last Super Dok post went up in November 2008, a day after Heartbit, the second blog, published its first. The old address, superdok.randyamy.com, no longer exists anywhere on the internet; the complete Super Dok lives here instead — every piece of writing it published, together with the comments readers left at the time. The health writing is dated to those years — a record of them, not medical advice for today.
- Super Dok
Pistachios
My husband received a box of pistachio nuts from one of his patients, Mrs. Lydia Bondoc. Since my kids are really fond of pistachios they feasted on it while we are still in the clinic looking at our patients.
- Super Dok
Chocolates, are they bad? II
From what I read in the medical tribune, chocolates aren't good after all. Researchers found out that eating them may actually prolong a bad mood.
- Super Dok
Christmas 2006
Christmas is just around the corner and parties are here, there, and everywhere. Buying gifts, wrapping them, and attending Christmas parties are things that keep me busy these days.
- Super Dok
Green Tea
I had a patient one day who is a palm reader. She offered to read my palm for me to know something about my future.
- Super Dok
Birthday Dinner
My first son turned nine this month on November 10, 2006. He used to celebrate his birthday either in the school or he invites his friends, teachers, and classmates at home for a party.
- Super Dok
Wave Pool
This is the wave pool of Leisure Coast Resort located at Bonuan Boquig, Dagupan City, Philippines. I already mentioned this resort in one of my previous blog but I failed to take a picture of the wave pool.
- Super Dok
All Saints' Day Today
Today, November 1,is All Saints' Day here in the Philippines. The day fell in the middle of the week which is a Wednesday.
- Super Dok
PAFP Postgraduate Course
Last Friday and Saturday (October 20 and 21), the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians, Inc. (PAFP), Pangasinan chapter had its 9th Postgraduate Course at Leisure Coast Resort, Bonuan Boquig, Dagupan City.
- Super Dok
Chocolates, are they bad?
Health conscious individuals often abstain from eating chocolates because they have high cholesterol content. But are chocolates really bad for the health?
- Super Dok
Sweet Tasting Pineapples!
You may think that a pineapple is an ordinary fruit. It is found in the market, in the grocery, in sidewalks, and it is even sold by peddlers.
- Super Dok
Oral Rehydration Salts
Whenever a person has diarrhea, water together with some minerals are lost in the stools. This will lead to dehydration and if not treated may lead to death.
- Super Dok
Lemongrass (citronella grass or fever grass)
This is lemongrass in the photo. We grow them in our backyard so that it is very easy to harvest whenever we need it for cooking.
- Super Dok
Anemia?
Most people misunderstand the word Anemia. They come to our clinic, have their blood pressure taken in order for them "to know if they have anemia".
- Super Dok
Virgin Coconut Oil
In the photo is a bottle of Virgin Coconut Oil (VCO) given to me by a friend. She told me to try it by taking about 1 tablespoon everyday in order to attain its benefits.
- Super Dok
It's Dengue Season Again!
Every year during the months of June to August, its rainy season here in the Philippines. Cases of dengue increase so that most parents panic whenever a child in the family becomes febrile.
- Super Dok
Medical Informatics Lecture
Just the other night my husband gave a lecture on the Importance of Medical Informatics in Clinical Practice to a group of practicing physicians.
- Super Dok
Baguio, the Pines City of the Philippines
This is Baguio City before typhoon Florita arrived here and caused so many landslides last week. I took this photo at the upper ground level of Shoemart ( the biggest mall in Baguio City).
- Super Dok
Fasting Blood Sugar Determination
Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) screening is done to determine the level of sugar particularly glucose in the blood. The person who wish to undergo FBS screening is advised to abstain from taking in food for at least 8 hours prior to screening.
- Super Dok
Rice, Is It Really Bad?
Rice is the staple food in most Asian countries. Here in the Philippines, people eat rice at least 3 times a day.
- Super Dok
Parkinson's Patient
Are you familiar with Parkinson's Disease? It is a motor system disorder common in people more than 50 years of age.
- Super Dok
Medical Students
I teach Physiology in the first year Medical course at Lyceum Northwestern University, here in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, Philippines. For this school year classes started just recently and my first meeting with the students is in the laboratory.
- Super Dok
Are they good for the health?
What does a 12-ounce can of soda contain? From what I've read, it contains 150 calories, 50 gms sugar, 30 mg phosphoric acid, 35-38 mg caffeine, carbonated water, artificial color and flavors.
- Super Dok
Depressed? or Just Dreaming?
This is Mrs. T, a 40 years old housewife with 2 children. She had miscarriage 4 months ago after which Dilatation and Curettage was done.
- Super Dok
Ripe Papaya, Is It Healthful?
Every breakfast I make it a point that fruits are served to my family. And ripe papaya is really great for breakfast.
- Super Dok
New Drug for Children
The other night was the launching of another new drug for children with tuberculosis. It is called Rimcure Paed for the tablet containing Rifampicin, Isoniazid, and Pyrazinamide; and Rimactazid Paed for the tablets containing Rifampicin and Isoniazid for the maintainance phase of treatment.
- Super Dok
What is ECG?
ECG or Electrocardiogram is a test done to record the electrical activity of the heart. It gives us information on how fast or how slow our heart is beating and whether it is beating regularly or not.
- Super Dok
Asthma or Heart Failure?
In the photo is Mr. R., 80 years old, who came in with difficulty of breathing. At first look you will think that he is suffering from asthma.
- Super Dok
Abdominal Obesity
One patient of mine, Mr. Y, in his 4o's, an executive, living a sedentary lifestyle, has high waist circumference. Is this okey or is it dangerous?
- Super Dok
Jam Sweet Jam
Just the other day, one of our doctor friends got sick and was confined in the hospital. Me and my husband visited her and stayed for several hours in the hospital.
- Super Dok
Diabetes
In the photo is Mr. Z., our diabetic patient for 6 years. Recently he has been on 4-drug theraphy for his diabetes but his blood sugar remained high at 200mg/dl.
- Super Dok
Hypertension
This is Mrs. X. She came to our clinic just the other day complaining of dizziness. Her blood pressure reading is 160/100.
- Super Dok
Peanuts
Peanut is actually a legume seed related to peas and other beans. It is a ground plant with the pod originating from the stem.
- Super Dok
Covelandia du Labrador
My kids just love swimming very much so that before the summer vacation ends and before the rainy season begins we decided to go swimming again.
- Super Dok
Medical Mission: Operation Tuli
Outside the Philippines, circumcision is done during infancy. They say it has the benefit of preventing urinary tract infection as the child grows older.
- Super Dok
Coffee, anyone?
There isn't a day that my husband does not drink coffee. He is really a coffee drinker averaging around 3 mugs per day.
- Super Dok
"Family Physicians: On the Road to Information Technology"
The title was the theme for yesterday's event: the 24th anniversary celebration and induction ceremony of the Philippine Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) Pangasinan chapter to which my husband, Dr Rodolto T.
- Super Dok
The Physiology Society of the Philippines
The Physiology Society of the Philippines (PSP) recently conducted its 25th Annual convention last April 28-29, 2006 at the College of Medicine, UP Manila.
- Super Dok
Mango shake
Mangoes abound here in the Philippines every summer-time. They are rich in Vitamins A, B, C, potassium, calcium, and iron.
- Super Dok
Osteoarthritis
In the photo are the fingers of my patient, R.B., 52 years old complaining of joint pain, stiffness, limitation of motion, which are the symptoms seen in osteoarthritis.
- Super Dok
Boneless Bangus
Bangus or milkfish, our national fish here in the Philippines, is classically very Filipino. It is widely available because it can be cultivated in brackishwater, freshwater, pens, and fishponds.
- Super Dok
Corn on the Cob
Zea mays is the scientific name of corn. Although we can buy the locally grown variety in the market any time of the year, it is in summer months that they taste the sweetest.
- Super Dok
Butterfly Kingdom
While we were at Leisure Coast Resort last Easter Sunday, we visited their butterfly kingdom. The picture on the left is what you will see upon entering the garden.
- Super Dok
Leisure Coast Resort
My family's routine beginning from Holy Wednesday up to Black Saturday consisted only of going to churches and staying at home.
- Super Dok
Pneumonia
In the picture is J.A., a 5 years old boy complaining of on and off fever for 3 days accompanied by productive cough.
- Super Dok
Medicine Samples
These medicine samples are the only ones I have for today. There used to be plenty of medical representatives in our clinic from mondays to wednesdays on regular days.
