Do not do this at home

Dear insansapinas,


A person related to me by affinity died two weeks ago. She had just retired and planned to stay in the Philippines for good where she had bought  properties out of her earnings from a housekeeping job in the US. She was also diabetic and hypertensive. In fact she had already a by-pass years ago.


She went home to the Philippines for a vacation before she packed all her belongings and say good-bye yo her relatives in the US. Unknowingly, that was her last good-bye.


Upon coming home, her relatives in the province convinced her to discard her maintenance prescription pills for her diabetes and high blood pressure and used the herbal supplements that are popular in the Philippines. Outside the US, she is not entitled to Medicare or other State funded health insurance that subsidizes cost of meds, hospitalizaton and out-patient doctor consultation. Whatever meager pension that she is receiving would be spent on her health care needs.


After nine months, she must have felt good...what with the testimonials of the people who are into this kind of business and the endorsements of some celebrities about the effectiveness of the supplements.


There is one popular celebrity who is endorsing supplements for his diabetes. Was this the same celebrity who had a contraption attached to his body that automatically shoots insulin when his blood sugar level is abnormally high or low?


The relative died. The doctor identified her untreated diseases as the cause of death.


I remember when I moved to the East Coast and was in-between doctors and pharmacists. Upon learning that I had been scrimping on my meds aka taking half only so I can stretch the prescriptions until I get a new one, my new doctor panicked. He did not waste time giving me prescriptions and urged me to get them PRONTO and come back for more evaluation of my blood and other lab tests.


I conclude therefore that once you got maintenance meds, you're hooked, otherwise, you are facing the risk of health deterioration.


Pinaysaamerika