Of PED’s and Manny’s alleged Parkinson’s

A number of hot issues competed for media attention as we ushered in 2013. In sports, as 2012 came to a close, there was talk (and may we emphasize the word “talk”) of the use of Performing Enhancing Drugs or PED’s especially in boxing. Earlier in the year, cyclist Lance Armstrong, 41, was stripped of his Tour titles and banned for life from competition by the United States’ anti-doping organization.

As we write this column, Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times writes that “Armstrong is reportedly weighing confessing to using banned performance-enhancing drugs and blood transfusions during his run of seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong, who had successfully battled cancer, denied the use of PED’s arguing that after he had battled cancer, why would he put his life at risk by taking PED’s?

As we started the year, controversy surrounding Manny Pacquiao’s health surfaced as Dr Rustico Jimenez expressed concern with the boxing icon’s welfare as “he noticed twitching movements during Pacquiao’s recent TV appearances which he said are indications of Parkinson’s disease although he has never examined the former himself.” Predictably, Pacquiao denies the onset of Parkinson’s disease adding that he’s in perfect health. His promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank wants Pacquiao to undergo more extensive tests announcing at the same time that Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez 5 is possible and even desirable around September 2013.

As 2012 ended and we slid over to 2013, not only deaths and injuries resulting from firecrackers but also gun-related deaths and injuries in the streets and neighborhoods were reported as part of the New Year revelry. The most prominent casualty was a seven-year old, grade one student, Stephanie Nicole Ella (no relation to your writer) who was hit by a stray bullet while celebrating the New Year on San Lorenzo street in Barangay Malaria in Caloocan City. The spot in the street where Stephanie Nicole collapsed after being hit by the stray bullet is just a few meters from her family’s front door. Stephanie Nicole was then rushed to the hospital where she died after waging a battle to survive the next day, January 2.

According to “Drug Free Sport”, PED’s are any substance taken to perform better athletically. This term is referenced often aid typically refers to anabolic steroid use in sports by professional and amateur athletes. Other substances may also be taken to improve performance, including Human Growth Hormone (HGH). EPO or Erythropoletin is the illegal substance favored by cyclists and endurance runners to boost the body’s red blood cell count, according to “Teach PE”.

While SI (Sports Illustrated).com featured an article entitled, “How we got here: A timeline of performance enhancing drugs in sports”, “Drug Free Sport” says that the use of enhancement “substances” for sporting events dates back to the ancient Greeks and ancient Maya. Performance potions were utilized by the Greeks to increase their abilities, and cocoa leaves were thought to be used by the ancient Maya to enhance their abilities. Today, athletes will go to many lengths to increase athletic ability, including: steroids, HGH, amphetamines and even animal or human organs just as the Greeks did in their time.

The same article emphasizes that most young athletes will “tell you that the competitive drive to win can be very intense. Besides the satisfaction of personal gain, young athletes often pursue dreams of making it to the Olympics, a college scholarship or a place on a professional team.

We are told that drugs are designed to suit the needs and the budget of an athlete. Some struggling athletes will take their risks with low-cost designer drugs in the hope they will not be subjected to random drug tests.

The SI.com timeline, compiled by Rebecca Shore, says that in 1886, 24-year old Welsh cyclist Arthur Linton died during a race from Bordeaux to Paris. Though the cause of death was reported as typhoid fever, Linton is believed to have taken trimethyl, a stimulant.

Medical News Today describes Parkinson’s disease as a progressive nervous system disorder that affects how the person moves, including how they speak and write. Symptoms develop gradually and may start off with ever-so-slight tremors in one hand. People with Parkinson’s disease also experience stiffness and find they cannot carry out movements as rapidly as before.

We visited the parents of Stephanie Nicole, Aquilino Jr. (Jay) and Arlene Ella; uncle, Marvin and grandfather, Aquilino Sr. in their home near San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. Weird things seem to be happening: they (the aggrieved party), with the dead child they still have to bury, are the objects of threats. It was correct to bring in the National Bureau of Investigation, through Sec. Leila de Lima, to ensure an objective and impartial probe which may be impossible to achieve given the political dynamics in the Ellas neighborhood.