Fighting Diabetes (The Sanofi Way)

I was given the opportunity to be part of a training program that had changed my life forever. I'm a high risk patient with a family history of Diabetes Mellitus on both sides of the family. I'm Asian, Filipino, BMI is Obese 2 with Central Adiposity. I have Mitral Valve Regurgitation, which results to occasional palpitations. Need I say more. That's just a few of my risk factors. 

We meet people for reasons beyond our comprehension but the reasons will unfold eventually. Case in point, my Diabetes Training. I had the pleasure of being recommended by my dear friend, my igsu, Dr. Billy Langreo, to be part of the LEADPH training. I then met Ms. Irene Yap who made it all possible. From then on it was history. It was not easy but with friends around, learning together, it was an experience of a lifetime.

Oh did I mention the cool people I had the pleasure of meeting during the training? Here's the beautiful people I was with during those times. 

This photo was taken during the early days of our training. We decided to call our group the "Rock On" group, hence the hand gestures. We were LeadPh batch 22.

The training has about 40% lectures, 30% Case Reporting and 30% OPD Consultations. It may sound daunting but that's what made the training more educational. The OPD Consultations helped by putting what we learned into action and it made the lectures more unforgettable. The Case Reporting and Case Discussions helped us understood the cases we saw and made a different perspective at how we used to view and understood the disease.

What LeadPh means.

Part of the training was OPD consultations. This was taken at Amang Rodriguez Hospital. With me are my classmates in medical school, Dr. Emily Doliente and Dr. Au Narisma (on my right side), and my room mate, Dr. Eva Pantino (on my left side), while waiting for our potential patients.

From left, Dr. Emily Doliente, Dr. Au Narisma, Me and Dr. Eva Pantino

Falling in line for the review of our mentor

This was at the ISDFI outpatient area. 

My very kind and very compliant patient.

ROCK ON

With one of our mentor in the middle Dr. Danilo Baldemor (with grey shirt). The one on his right is our amazing self-dsignated President, Dr. Aron.

At the Heart of Jesus Hospital, beside the Diabetes Care Clinic.

With one of our mentor, Dr. Rino Sobrepena at Nueva Ecija Diabetes Care Clinic.

At the Closing Ceremony. With Dr. Pasaporte (grey shirt), Dr. Lim (violet shirt) and Dr. Catinding (white blouse)  with the staff of ISDFI (beside Dr. Catindig) and the staff of Sanofi (beside me, blue shirt)

Of course, the most important, my Certificate of Completion

The training wouldn't have been as educational, fun and memorable if it not for our mentors and our dear president, Dr. Aron, who, even in his gloomy days, have never failed to entertain us, forget our problems and just concentrate on our training. It was also him that encouraged me and pushed me to drink more water. I now drink 2 glasses of water before meals (yehey!). Plus the amazing people whom I have the pleasure of being around with for more than 12 days (24 days and more). Needless to say, we had separation anxieties right after the training. Although, my colleagues wouldn't admit it, but we did. We maintained our FB chatroom for our batch. I'm pretty sure our bantay, Ma'am Mai, missed us more. 

Let me have this opportunity to thank Sanofi, Ma'am Irene. Daghang Salamat. You gave me the opportunity to reflect on myself (literally) and examine the things that I thought I knew. You have also given me the biggest responsibility to spread the word on Diabetes.

Let me also thank my dear family, for the support. I usually fly back early in the morning, and they'b be concerned of how tired I looked and cheered me all the time. My dear children for always understanding my work, and for my dear husband, my great support, my influencer, my-cheer-me-up pill and my cry-me-a-river-pill, my other hand in everything, you rock Pi. I wouldn't have been the person I am now without your support and your words-of-wisdom.

Here's to fighting Diabetes!!!