THERE must be something in the current alignment of planets that is causing various eye maladies.
Allow me to explain briefly that based on my rather superficial study of astrology years ago, I learned that at certain times of the month, which is one lunar cycle, corresponding parts of the body become especially vulnerable to subtle influences.
That’s why an astrologer—or a doctor who believes in astrology—will never schedule an operation at a period when the body part involved is especially vulnerable.
A common belief is that the body is more prone to hemorrhage if surgery is done during a full moon when the body tides are on the upswing just like a body of water. According to scientific research, a human body is composed largely of water.
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Last Thursday , the daughter of veteran scribe Barry Pascua called SolarWeb’s Kali Quinones to advise him that his father would not be able to cover the NCAA games that afternoon.
Barry had awaken that morning unable to see anything except silhouettes and shadows, she reported. He could not read the largest fonts or even watch television because he could not see the images onscreen.
As Barry would explain to me later, the tiny veins in both his eyes burst, a complication of his longstanding diabetic condition which he left untreated for a longtime.
Barry will also not be able to attend the Philippine Super Liga launch hosted by Solar at the Seventh High Disco Bar that night, she told Kali.
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I was deeply mulling the repercussions of Barry’s sightless condition when I got a phone call from former PBA governor Elmer Yanga, one of the nominees for this year’s PBA Hall of Fame.
Elmer said he had called just to say hello, since we had not touched base for a long time. He said he had just been out of the hospital where he was confined for a day.
“I had an accident inside the tennis court. I was running after the ball when my left foot tripped on my right. I fell to the ground face first and had to be rushed to the Cardinal Santos Hospital where I underwent a battery of tests, including a CT scan,” Elmer narrated.
The CT scan showed multiple fractures on the bones under and on the side of Elmer’s left eye.
“As we speak, my eye is still black and swollen just like Antonio Margarito’s when his eye was battered by the Pacman (Manny Pacquiao),” Elmer still managed to be funny. Elmer added he might have his chipped bones replaced by a tin plate.
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On Friday morning, Rhea Navarro of the Qatar Basketball Federation called oversees from Doha where she is based. She wanted to know the latest on the preparations for the 27th Fiba Asia Men’s Championship which will be held here in Manila on Aug. 1 to 11.
A hypochondriac, Rhea said she has not been sleeping too well lately because she was feeling something funny inside her eyes.
“I often feel the black of both my eyeballs being pulled toward the bridge of my nose. Ano kaya ito? (I wonder what this is.)” she said.
I told her the scientific name for it is strabismus. And I haven’t even told her about Barry and Elmer.
But I told her that I personally witnessed several eyes pop out last Thursday night as the Super Liga volleybelles showed off their team jerseys and obliged the media with never-ending interviews and photo ops.