Laurel Cup 2011

The Laurel Cup is a one day football festival organized by the Lyceum of the Philippines College of Law.

The event was held at the ASCOM Football fields in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Proceeds of the event will be for the Lyceum Law bar operations.

Despite the downpour that day there were a lot of teams who participated. Teams come from as far as Ilocos Sur and the Visayas.

Team Utopia. Law school frat brods team composed of lawyers, bar candidates and law students.

Studs and mud. I can’t even put these socks in the washing machine! The field was like a rice paddy. It not only made ball control very difficult, it also made running extremely hard! The mud maybe added at least five pounds on every leg.

Every Breath You Take

Spirometry – the measuring of breath. One of the most common Pulmonary Function Tests (PFTs) measuring the lung function specifically the measurement of the amount (volume) and/or speed (flow) of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. (Wikipedia)

Basically, I just want to find out what is the cause of the irritating “ahems” and constant post-nasal drip. I’m hoping that there’s something that I can take to improve my breathing so I can also start swim training. I have no problem with running or biking but when it comes to swimming, I admit I am not that proficient. I think that my water confidence is affected by my weak breathing or lung power.

I remember taking some asthma meds when I was young but I outgrew that problem. I have a hunch that because of all the running in the polluted Metro Manila environment the asthma came back.

Inside the “chamber”.

The mouthpiece is actually missing.

I was asked to perform several breathing exercises like deep breathing, inspiration and expiration, combinations of rapid inhaling and exhaling, etc. while my mouth was on the spirometer’s mouthpiece.

Spirogram

Oxygen level, Heart Rate is normal.

In two days I will get the results of the test and have it interpreted by the doctor. For now let’s just keep our fingers crossed there’s nothing wrong. And if there is, it has a simple remedy/treatment. May this help improve my athletic performance

Spur Of The Moment

X-ray results claimed.

Images of both feet AP/Lateral/Oblique and Calcaneus views were taken.

Now it’s certain that my Achilles Tendon on my right foot are working too hard.

Findings: There are minimal hypertrophic spurs in the plantar and dorsal aspect of both calcaneus. Joint spaces are maintained. The rest of the visualized osseous structures are intact.

Translation: The tendons pull so hard on the bones that the adaptive reaction of the feet is to calcify. There are to horn-like spikes forming at the back of my heel and under the heel. The surrounding muscle is also forming a hard shell around them. Hence when I run or play football, they tend to hurt.

Initial treatment: SURGERY! Doctor suggested I undergo an excision of the spur. But he clarified that the spur would not really be “excised” (or cut out surgically). The more accurate term as he said was that he would “chisel” the bone formation. He said in Tagalog that “titibagin” natin yung matigas.

WTF?!?

I will definitely ask for a second, third and fourth opinion. I will probably take a more non-aggressive, non-invasive treatment. Spare me from the scalpel!