Placebo Effect

A lady from my home country is here for a contract project. She is part of a project as a programmer and she goes home almost every two weeks. The set-up is quite unique and difficult.It is tedious. Then she told us that she has a sick child. As a single parent, the kid will need all the attention she can give during the medical treatment. The topic was centered on her child, whom she can not leave for a long time. Given the offer she has been getting from different companies here. She always go back home every two weeks. She has to let go of the other opportunities that come her way.

Her only child is sick with leukemia. As explained by the doctors to her. It is hereditary to have cancer. Almost every other week they would rush the child to the hospital. But at this time, she is grateful for her child has remained stable.

Just a few months ago, I remember my brother who died of cancer. At the age of 15, he was taken from us. Though it has been years, I still remember how he suffered from the pain of the illness. The pain was so much that morphine was used at the last stage. Sometimes the pain was terrible that the even with Nubain or morphine would not suffice. Sometimes early in the morning my brother would ask for the pain killer but the pain killer can only be administered when it is really necessary. My mother will pretend that she administered the pain reliever just to make my brother feel comfortable. Pretend- as in act out that she was injecting something in to the I.V. tube. It made him sleep well. That was placebo effect and very effective at that moment.

Placebo effect is important in cases like cancer. There are many instances that placebo makes the difference, sometimes even the cure of cancer is a result of placebo. A miracle is close to a placebo effect.

Placebo is a Latin word which means” to walk with the Lord" which was mistakenly translated in to English as “to please". In modern medical practice it has come to refer to medicines without any curative value or medicines "more to please than benefit the patients".

Contemporary medicine practitioner uses the placebo. Just like when a person has a flu or viral colds, an antibiotic is administered when it has really little or no effect at all as a cure.

Placebo is moving towards the new medical science with respect. For example, it has been known now as a self healing process of the body. New doctors are making use of this phenomenon to help in curing the patient. An emphatic interaction helps in advancing the cure of the patients. This is evident in most cancer patients. Remember, the television advertisement on the touch of a mother makes the baby feel comfortable. That again is placebo in action.

There is a thin line to differentiate a miracle or a placebo effect. Both thrive on faith. A little faith and a little hope will make you heal yourself. Also gives you -an outlook brighter than the morning sunshine. That alone makes the patient and the people around the patient smile. To think about tomorrow and to think that everything will be fine. That is so important to someone who is sick and the people who love the patient. Placebo is not just a term that medical professionals need to deal with but part of a human spirit of never giving up.It is the natural instinct that all creatures on earth has to hold.In order to preserve life and to boldly survive and triumph in the troubled world of human existence....

(WAIT FOR THE PART 2 ON PLACEBO)

The 2007 Election

The Election
The New Year is crucial to Philippine politics it will pave way for a new political landscape or just insurance for the Gloria Macapagal Arroyo leadership to stay in the seat of power.

This election will make a difference if most of her allies will be elected in the parliament and the senate. Then she is assured of another round of leadership without the problem of another impeachment. However, if her party or allies can not make the majority in the legislative body. It may mean her leadership is in a very fragile state again.

Gloria has been known to be at the helm of making the election an affair similar to David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear. You will see magic in broad daylight yet you just can not explain how it happened.

New alliances will happen and new enemies will be created. This will be a time for an expensive election. Every inch of every municipality will not be left to chance. Every municipality will be guarded by the administration for any weakness in their politically strategy. The daily changes in the political positioning will be dealt with an immediate remedy.

Remedy as in bringing the magician's gallon hat. To make the rabbit appear out of nowhere or as an alternative to the rabbit is the pigeon. For sure, flying voters will be flown in just like the pigeon.

The magician’s wand is not limited to administration pets. Some opposition in the Philippine politics is so weak that despite their commitment to serve will be unnoticed to the masses. It lacks the appeal and funding. If ever the candidate may resort to vote buying. Some notorious politician regardless of political affiliations only has one goal and that is to win. Certain cheating will have to be done to assure that goal is completed.

This is crucial to the administration. This election will not be left to chance. The opposition will find a tough fight. In terms of funding, what was usually a tradition of business men supporting both the administration and the opposition will provide a limited funding to opposition. Since, this administration have been seen to be useful in bending the laws to support those who helped them in times of crisis and further bend the law to incarcerate the enemies. It is wise to support the administration. The administration may not ask for funding from the private sector but a message was sent in the tradition of Bush war strategy; Shock and all - either you are with us or you are an enemy.

Since businessmen have been getting this message since last year and during the impeachment proceeding. That if this administration is shaken,it retaliates with a more shock and shake the investor's business life attitude.

An election as crucial as this year. Goons or guns are not necessary in this modern time. Somewhere and somehow it will manage to make the necessary action to rectify loose ends to determine victory for the administration. Along the trail, it will manage to cheat.

To picture out this election as an Erap and Gloria election is wrong. This is no longer just a matter of Erap being put back to power but more of sending Gloria out of the Malacanang Palace. Erap is just an incidental character here. It is circumstantial that he is the only leader in the opposition who is identified with masses. At this time, they need the support of the masses. Some of the opposition lacks the charm to win the general electorate.

This election is really to bring down the Arroyo leadership. This is the key message of this election. This election is an imprimatur of people whether they still want Arroyo. This will break or make this cute administration of Gloria Arroyo. The more votes for the opposition, the more it becomes apparent that the public wants the present leadership to leave Malacanang.

Other than that is a twist to build the story to complete the climax. The May election will determine so much about the administration of Arroyo.