Friday 20 May 2016

Visit from clinical psychologist Dr. Gabriel Tan

• One's mental outlook goes a long way toward explaining how well the body responds to stress, especially in the case of tissue damage or depression.
• About 70% of Western medicine's efficacy can be attributed to the placebo effect, whereby the brain of a patient who believes the intervention will do good ends up producing just the right mix of neurotransmitters to accelerate the body's own healing mechanisms.
• In its emphasis on "potentiating effects" rather than immediate relief of symptoms, Chinese medicine acknowledges that the patient's body is doing most of the work, and the role of the doctor is to create the conditions that support these automatic healing responses.

Visit from Papa's former schoolmate Cheong Loong

• A circumstance of fortunate timing made possible the delivery of a used hospital bed direct from the donor to Papa's RC4 apartment, with no need for an intermediate stop at St. Joseph's.
• Ageism is alive and well in Singapore's labor market, with employers unwilling to pay the premium for the additional decades of experience, but---in contrast to their US counterparts---willing to invest in on-the-job training.