Health & Home (November - December 2022)

DEVOTIONS

About the Cover

Fierce LoyaLty. Tyler, a 1-year-old German shepherd, undergoes training to be a part of the police K-9 unit. Dogs like Tyler easily remind us of devotion service, dedication, and, when necessary, self-sacrifice. Special thanks to Search and Secure Canine Training and Services International, Inc.

Unless otherwise credited, all photos and graphics are from canva.com and pexels.com, respectively.

Life Musings

By Health & Home Staff

The Price o f Devotion

“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”

—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry,  The Little Prince.

As a nurse assistant here in America, the amount of time I spend away from my family is difficult to bear. Given the time difference between the Philippines and the US, I stay late at night to talk on the phone with my loved ones and strive to communicate daily to have a healthy, long-distance relationship with them.

The challenge of sending money to them while ensuring I survive every day motivates me to take everything head-on and stay true to my goal, which is to give my family back home a better life.

Judith M. Cline Certified Nursing Assistant Washington DC, USA

Some people remain bound in their own comfort, but some venture into the difficult and even painful—for a cause bigger than themselves. Here are some self-sacrificing people who have given much—if not all—for happiness, for meaning, and for others.

In a career as consuming and fastpaced as mine, personal time is the one thing I think I have sacrificed. Personal time often takes a back seat for people in the news industry. One can only pray that it is time well spent—time spent for truth-telling and for good; time spent to serve the public.

Marissa L. Flores Consultant/Former TV Executive Quezon City

photos courtesy of interviewees

models not subjects of article

Through Crisis and COVID-19 Courage in the Frontlines

By JADE Y. SOREÑO

How much courage do you have? Imagine being in these scenarios.

SCENE 1

The sun barely breaks through dark clouds, the remnants of a sleepy night, and you are driving on a long, winding road lined by thick patches of trees and majestic mountains.

You rehearse your work plans for the day when suddenly, you hear gunshots ringing through the air. Right before your eyes, men fall wounded (or dead!) in the middle of the road.

It’s an encounter between the Philippine army and rebels.

You grasp the steering wheel and turn from your seat, only to realize that the road behind you is blocked. You can’t turn back!

SCENE 2

You are walking through rows and rows of beds with sick patients. Each one pale and blue, fighting for each breath even with oxygen masks. Nurses, doctors, and paramedics rush everywhere to bring care and relief.

Just thinking about the same horror happening worldwide right now makes you draw a sharp breath, and you almost choke. You are wearing a double mask over your nose and mouth, plus a plastic face shield, and you are peering through all this under a plastic coverall called PPE—personal protective equipment.

Many of your fellow medical personnel in this country have died after contracting the virus. Now you have to take the lead in testing and creating the guidelines to handle and prevent the spread of the virus. You face a higher risk of getting exposed to the virus yourself.

You wonder, Will I ever see my daughters again?

Which scenario would you rather face?

Let me introduce you to a lady who had to go through both

Dr. Loreche shares her expertise in Capiz. Once the protocols and responses she helped create were found effective in managing COVID­19 cases in Cebu, the IATF­Visayas brought Dr. Loreche to other regions to help assess and give guidance on case control and management.

Perimenopause

By DR. PERCIDA S. COCOS

A45-year-old female came to my clinic complaining of hot flashes and sweating episodes even in an air-conditioned room. She said these lasted for a few minutes. When her husband complained of her low sex drive, she told me it was because she now found sex very painful. Her children also observed that she had recently become more irritable and forgetful.

When I asked about her menses, she noted that she had them at irregular periods, sometimes with 2–3 month intervals, lesser in amount, and fewer days.

From her signs and symptoms, I knew she was experiencing perimenopause.

What is perimenopause?

Perimenopause means “around menopause,” referring to the natural transition of the female body to menopause. It is a process—a gradual transition—marking the end of the reproductive years. Another term for it is menopausal transition

No single test or sign is enough to determine if a female has entered perimenopause. Doctors consider the age, menstrual history, and symptoms. Hormone testing is usually not necessary to diagnose it.

Women start perimenopause at different ages. Symptoms may begin in women from their mid to late 40s, but some may even notice changes as early as their mid-30s. Symptoms may last for 2–8 years, with an average of five years.

By Laarni L. Apat

The Pygmalion Effect

In Greek mythology, Pygmalion was a sculptor who hated women but fell in love with a female ivory statue he made. He was so obsessed with his creation that Aphrodite, the goddess of love, brought it to life.

Robert Rosenthal and Lenore Jacobson proposed the Pygmalion effect in education in 1968. They observed that when teachers set high expectations on their students, the educators exert such a strong influence on them that they perform better in class.1 In other words, when a teacher sees her students as capable of doing great things and communicates this positive perception, the learners can do wonders. The students become responsible for their learning2 and eventually perceive themselves positively, too. The final result is improved performance. 3

It is crucial, though, for teachers to be sensitive first to their students’ capabilities, attitudes, and moods. This requires careful profiling at the start of the school year. Conducting multiple intelligence and temperament/personality tests can help as well as IQ and aptitude pretests.

Benefits of struggling

Several of my students years ago struggled with using the English language. They found it challenging to share their ideas whenever a group activity required them to speak. The same scenario repeatedly played: Their group would not get a good score, and I would correct them after their performance.

I realized I needed to do something if I were to help them improve in this area. Around that time, I learned from a training session that language teachers must know the difference between fluency and accuracy and when to use them.

photo from quizlet.com

models not subjects of article

Being in theMoment

Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez on Cultivating Connections

By HEALTH & HOME STAFF

From afar, she is an actress, model, dancer, designer, entrepreneur, and politician. Up close, however, she is more than meets the eye.

She is a daughter to Manuel and Julie; sister to Caren, Matt, and Jules; wife to Richard; mother to Juliana; former colleague to members of the 15th–17th Congresses of the Philippines; and leader of a double-ISO-certified local government unit in Eastern Visayas.

Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez granted Health & Home a tête-à-tête and freely shared her views and experiences about celebrating, cherishing, and cultivating connections.

H&H: How do you view human relationships?

I think human relationships give purpose. They are a comfort and a shield.

If you look at the standards for what makes people healthy and happy, it’s not enough that they have the best healthcare, eat well, or exercise moderately. Always factored in is the sense of community—the social relationships.

We are not meant to live a life of loneliness. In the happiest of times, we look for friends and family. In the saddest of times, it’s the same.

I don’t know how anyone of us would have survived if we did not have each other during the pandemic.

How do you feel about meeting new people?

I came into this job with eyes wide open. I’m open to meeting anyone and learning new ideas during office hours. I’m just very careful about scheduling because I don’t like to fill my plate with too much that when I’m in a meeting, I’m trying to juggle 10 different things.

p hotos courtesy of Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez

photos by Harold Bryan Namoca

A Day in the Life of . . . a K-9 Unit Trainer

By Royce Bellaire G. de Luna

Canine Heroes

Dogs have always been an inseparable companion to humans. Ancient kingdoms and empires had them as scouts and sentries on the battlefield. During World War I, they found wounded soldiers and carried supplies and messages. World War II led to the creation of the first K-9 corps in the US.*

Nowadays, these trusty four-legged legends are recognized as valuable and dignified assets of the military and police force.

What does it take to train a dog for combat?

Boby D. Sales, a K-9 unit supervisor, shares his expertise and experience.

Since he was a young child, Sales has always been interested in taking care of dogs. After serving in the military for a couple of years, he went overseas to train as a K-9 unit trainer. Upon returning to the Philippines, he entered the Search and Secure Canine Training and Services International, Inc. (SAS) in Alfonso, Cavite, to become a supervisor.

Contrary to popular belief, the K-9 unit is not only comprised of dogs but includes their handlers.

“Both the handler and dogs go into rigid training,” Sales shared. “Every handler is temporarily assigned with different dogs so that they are able to relate to each dog in various situations.”

Training begins at precisely 5:00 a.m. The handlers, who are commonly from the police force, are trained separately on how to oversee their dogs. The canines, on the other hand, train during specific hours of the day, according to their activity level.

“There are dogs who are only active for three to four hours, so some of them are drilled only three times a week,” remarked Sales. “It really depends on the attitudes of the dogs, but they are military-trained. We prepare them to become agile, alert, and obedient. We develop them as young as one month old, and when they are ready, they begin training.”

He further shared that he closely observes dogs once they get under his supervision. “I prefer active, energetic, and playful ones. They are easy to teach.”

Once ready, the handlers and the dogs are drilled for different scenarios such as searching and retrieving illegal drugs, detecting explosives, searching and rescuing missing people, and locating cadavers.

This goes round the clock, only stopping for meal breaks at 12:00 noon, and resumes at around 1:00 p.m. or 2:00 p.m. Dogs usually retire at 10:00 p.m., but training for handlers continues until 1:00 a.m. or 2:00 a.m.

“We train German shepherds, Jack Russell terriers, Belgian Malinoises, and Labradors,” Sales said. “There are certain breeds that are easier to train, but on average it takes about six months for a dog to fully master a skill. When trained well, these dogs are so protective that they will fight to the death with a criminal.

“The challenging part is when our dogs get sick,” he added. “Therefore, we make sure that they are fully vaccinated, given proper vitamins, and generally well taken care of. Underweight dogs need to be fed with boiled corn and rice three times a day. They are also regularly groomed by their handlers. All in all, there are 76 of them in our training center, the oldest being Troy who is 10.”

The dogs at SAS have served all over the country, sent to important events such as papal visits, Asian summits, and local and national elections.

One snappy salute for our canine heroes!

*Ranny Green, “What Do Military Working Dogs Do?” American Kennel Club, September 1, 2021, accessed July 28, 2022 from https://www. akc.org/expert-advice/news/what-are-militaryworking-dogs/.

Royce Bellaire Gonzales de Luna is an editorial assistant of Health & Home.