Dumaguing: Have a healthy 2019

THERE is a popular joke going around that during the holidays- Christmas and New Year and even up to the Three Kings- there are two kinds of folks with temporary amnesia or the much appropriate term is “selective amnesia”.

First are the godparents who all of the sudden, even if their brain cells are still functioning perfectly, forget that once in their past- not only once, in fact many times- they have held a baby in their arms and in front of God and to all and sundry, make a solemn promise to be “second parents” to the lucky infant.

Or if they do remember, they hurriedly hide in their favorite vacation spot where they hope and pray, their enterprising godchildren would not find them. Sounds familiar?

The second type of persons with selective amnesia are much closer to the heart and mind of your columnist, patients who willfully and deliberately forget that there is a person called doctor or family physician, in their lives, so that in every occasion during the holidays, they gorge themselves-sorry for the term- with food and drinks with gusto to almost Bacchanalian proportions, as if there is no more tomorrow.

Truth to tell, the previous statement is an understatement because on many situations, these persons are caught red-handed forming a queue to the buffet table with a huge plate, loaded with an almost mountain –like pile of goodies and yummy foodies. With the sweetest smile they could muster, they would sheepishly tell their doctor who saw them, with the so-called “smoking gun evidence”, with their excuse, “Doc, minsan lang naman ito, at dala ko naman mga gamot ko.“

In fairness, during the holidays - and to think the Philippines is known to have the longest celebration of Christmas – we Filipinos, your columnist included - are guilty of commission of indulgence- excesses in eating and drinking – so that if these acts were a crime, we will all see each other in jail. Even the morally-upright, God fearing citizens, would admit that it’s totally impossible to put the word “discipline and Christmas season together in one sentence.”

Again, in fairness, in the past two articles during the holidays, your columnist bit his tongue, so to speak, so that there were no stern or scary warnings about the do’s and more about the don’ts about having fun and enjoying the festive atmosphere of Christmas which obviously involves eating and drinking.

But now, at the risk of being called “killjoy or spoilsports”, please heed the advice of medical experts and remember the glaring fact that most cardiovascular (heart attack) and cerebrovascular (brain attack or stroke) events occur on the eve of Christmas and the days that follow and may peak some more New Year’s eve.

Thus, if the man or the woman in the mirror in front of you tells you and reminds you in no uncertain terms, what you have been doing in excess during the Holidays, please find time to see your family physician, just to make sure that indeed, 2019 would be a Happy HEALTHY New Year.

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