Spoofing Battery Charging Status and Forcing Android Device to Sleep (Idle Mode)

• Turn off the device screen using the physical power button.
• Trick Android into thinking the device is running on battery power: adb shell dumpsys battery unplug
• Force the device to step into deep Doze mode: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle force-idle
• Verify the device is successfully spoofed and asleep: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle get deep (This should return IDLE).

Can also do:
adb shell dumpsys battery unplug && adb shell dumpsys deviceidle force-idle && adb shell dumpsys deviceidle get deep

Device Cleanup for Spoofed Battery and Forced Sleep (Crucial!)

1. Once testing is done, you must tell the OS to start reading the actual battery state again, otherwise it won’t charge properly: adb shell dumpsys battery reset
2. Bring the device out of idle: adb shell dumpsys deviceidle unforce

Can also do:
adb shell dumpsys battery reset && adb shell dumpsys deviceidle unforce && adb shell dumpsys deviceidle get deep

The post Spoofing Battery and Forcing Sleep appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

adb -s emulator-5554 ls /sdcard/Android/sub/directory/
adb -s emulator-5556 ls /sdcard/Android/sub/directory/

When I am working on a new feature or a bug-fix ticket, I try to avoid typing long commands and args over and over again, especially args that are as error-prone as emulator-5554.

How to shorten the ADB commands that target emulators (Mac OS):

Open your Zsh config file with an editor. Mine by habit is Vim. Like so:
vim ~/.zshrc

Use your arrow keys to go to the very bottom of the file and copy-paste below exact code:

adbs() {
  port=$1
  shift
  adb -s "emulator-55$port" "$@"
}

What it does is creates a new command adbs. I think the addition of s at the end is appropriate because the flag we are trying to work with is the -s flag which stands for “Serial”, for identifying specific emulators.

The way the new command works is,

• the $1 captures the first argument you type after adbs and saves it — for example, the 54 in adbs 54.
• The shift bit removes the first argument from the front so that the actual command to be run will NOT be adb -s "emulator-5554" 54 logcat (wrong!)
• Finally, the last line adb -s "emulator-55$port" "$@" runs the correct command, inserting the first argument (54 in our example) where $port is, followed by "$@" which grabs the rest of the command after the 54

Save the changes to the config file and then exit the editor. In Vim I press Esc key, then type :wq! and hit Enter. IIRC my partner questions something about my :wq! usage, but what he points out, I can’t remember.

After saving the config file, run the following command to make the new shortcut work immediately:

source ~/.zshrc

Usage Example:

Instead of typing the long version:
adb -s emulator-5554 ls /sdcard/Android/sub/directory/

We can just type:
adb -s 54 ls /sdcard/Android/sub/directory/

Extra: to know what serial numbers of running devices you got, run below command

adb devices

_{Random thoughts: I am grateful to my very first team lead as a software developer (Peng) because he’s the one who inspired me to become comfortable with command line interfaces. Remembering how much I grew as a dev in that team due to high-traffic production databases that we were managing and debugging in realtime. Oh, the source command on the other hand, was something I learned from my current team lead, Maru. I like how much I am growing in this current team, not only as a dev, but also as a person.}

Credit goes to Google Gemini for the above adbs custom command. I had no idea how to write that until today. hehe

The post Shorter ADB commands for Android Studio Emulator Device targeting appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

• If an Android dev wishes to implement a precise “notification ID” that they want to be able to precisely cancel later (imagine that it plays an annoying alarm tone!) they can go about it either by
  • Using a unique ID tied to that notification’s base entity (e.g., an app’s incoming message) so that NOTIFS WILL STACK, or
  • Using a unique, dedicated ID that is defined as a constant and is defined without ties to the notification’s base entity so that ONLY THE LAST NOTIF WILL BE SHOWN
• I gotta update my site’s, something..
• If an Android dev’s soft keyboard covers a text input field when it’s displayed, particularly in Android 15 devices, they may wanna try to add an imePadding modifier to the root element (e.g., Box, Column) because this modifier will take care of spacings whenever the keyboard appears, avoiding issues such as covering the text input field.

The post A random dev brain dump appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

After upgrading Android Studio from “Ladybug” to “Otter” I started getting the following error message when I run my app on my emulated test device:

"Error loading build artifacts from: .../myProjectRootDir/app/build/intermediates/apk_ide_redirect_file/productionDebug/createProductionDebugApkListingFileRedirect/redirect.txt"

Solution:

First, I ran the AGP Upgrade Assistant, which updated 2 files:

• .../myProjectRootDir/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
Distribution URL has been upgraded from distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-8.10.2-bin.zip to distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-8.13-bin.zip
• .../myProjectRootDir/gradle/libs.versions.toml
  AGP version updated from agp = '8.8.1' to agp = '8.13.2'

And then, applied a “Run Configuration” Fix:

1. Click the Edit Configurations dropdown (next to the “Play” button).
2. Select your app configuration on the left.
3. Scroll to the “Before Launch” section at the bottom.
4. Remove “Gradle-aware Make” (select it and click the minus – button).
5. Re-add it: Click +, select Gradle-aware Make, and leave the task field empty. Click OK.
6. Click Apply -> OK.
7. Run the app.

Additional things to try if above suggestions weren’t sufficient to fix the issue:

• Invalidate caches
• Clean the build before re-running
• Sync Gradle files

The post Fix “Error loading build artifacts” error (Android Studio after upgrade) appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

adb -s emulator-5556 shell run-as com.domain.my.app ls -al /data/user/0/com.domain.my.app/subdirectory/media

First try’s command below failed with a Permission Denied error message:

adb -s emulator-5556 shell ls -al /data/user/0/com.domain.my.app/subdirectory/media

Makes sense, right? Because part of Android OS’ security is limiting access to app directories. But if you “run-as” the package owner app itself, it should grant you access.

The post Android emulator shell list fails: Permission Denied in app directory appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

In a native Android app written in Kotlin, I have a LifecycleService class with below code to send a broadcast:

val eventIntent = Intent(CUSTOM_EVENT_ACTION_NAME).apply {
    flags = Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK or Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_CLEAR_TOP
    }
    applicationContext.sendBroadcast(eventIntent)
    Log.d("AppTag", "Broadcast sent!")

Based on the logcat, the broadcast is being sent.

However, below BroadcastReceiver in an Activity doesn’t receive the broadcast, even while it is visible:

private val customEventReceiver = object : BroadcastReceiver() {
    override fun onReceive(context: Context?, intent: Intent?) {
        Log.d("AppTag", "Custom event receiver triggered")
        if (intent?.action == GlobalConstants.CUSTOM_EVENT_ACTION_NAME) {
            Log.d("AppTag", "Confirmed action match, proceeding with task.")
            performSpecificTask()
        }
    }
}

The above BroadcastReceiver is registered from the Activity’s onCreate function, like so:

val filter = IntentFilter(GlobalConstants.CUSTOM_EVENT_ACTION_NAME)
ContextCompat.registerReceiver(
    this,
    customEventReceiver,
    filter,
    ContextCompat.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED 
)

Attempt #1: LocalBroadcastManager – it worked, but…

After browsing the web for potential solutions I came across LocalBroadcastManager. The broadcast was successfully received by the receiver after I changed the sendBroadcast’s applicationContext and the registerBroadcast’s ContextCompat into LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(Context).

That is, LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(applicationContext).sendBroadcast(eventIntent) and LocalBroadcastManager.getInstance(this).registerReceiver(customEventReceiver, filter).

The problem with this approach is that LocalBroadcastManager has been deprecated:

Important changes since 1.0.0

androidx.localbroadcastmanager has been fully deprecated. There will be no further releases of this library. Developers should replace usages of LocalBroadcastManager with other implementations of the observable pattern. Depending on the use case, suitable options may be LiveData or reactive streams.

https://developer.android.com/jetpack/androidx/releases/localbroadcastmanager

Ideally, the solution should not be a deprecated one.

As to why LocalBroadcastManager made my receiver work, I think it’s because it “bridged” 2 components that weren’t really supposed to be able to communicate. Because from the Android docs:

LocalBroadcastManager is an application-wide event bus and embraces layer violations in your app: any component may listen events from any other.

Why it works, and why it’s been deprecated, apparently have the same explanation.

Attempt #2: Use applicationContext on the sender and receiver — Nope!

I reverted my code to the original, and just made sure they all used applicationContext, matching the context used in the service’s broadcast sender applicationContext.sendBroadcast(eventIntent).

So that my registration became:

val filter = IntentFilter(GlobalConstants.CUSTOM_EVENT_ACTION_NAME)
ContextCompat.registerReceiver(
    applicationContext,
    customEventReceiver,
    filter,
    ContextCompat.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED 
)


And the code to unregister became:

applicationContext.unregisterReceiver(customEventReceiver)

Hmm… Nope! that didn’t let my receiver get the broadcast.

Attempt #3: Make it an explicit broadcast — YES, IT WORKS!

I reverted my code again to try another approach, which is to make the broadcast an explicit one.

So, in my service, I simply set the package name as shown in code below:

val eventIntent = Intent(CUSTOM_EVENT_ACTION_NAME).apply {
    setPackage(applicationContext.packageName)
    //...

And with this 1 line changed in code, my BroadcastReceiver now receives the broadcast! Plus, there’s no deprecated class used here so we prevented 1 new technical debt. :3

Yeah, I think I’ll stick to the 3rd attempt’s approach!

Why does this approach work, though? It’s because starting from Android API level 26, there’s been restriction on implicit broadcasts.

As part of the Android 8.0 (API level 26) background execution limits, apps that target the API level 26 or higher can’t register broadcast receivers for implicit broadcasts in their manifest unless the broadcast is sent specifically to them. However, several broadcasts are exempted from these limitations. 

https://developer.android.com/develop/background-work/background-tasks/broadcasts/broadcast-exceptions

My original code’s broadcast Intent was an implicit one, but specifying a package name converted it into an explicit one, consequently lifting the limitation applied to implicit broadcasts!

The post Android: Broadcast sent, receiver registered, but receiver doesn’t receive broadcast appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

But as someone who needs to apply moisturize the hands often due to skin issues, the lotion, cream, or oil on my hand often get in the way of fountain pen inks! The inks would skip or feather on paper, and it can be distracting or frustrating sometimes.

So, in this post I’ll be listing down what inks and papers I found to be least sensitive, or least affected by hand cream or hand oil when writing with fountain pen ink. Just note that what works for me may or may not apply to you because of varying factors, including the type of lotion, cream, or oil we’re dealing with.

Fountain pen ink that hold up well against hand oils:

List of specific inks:

• Platinum Carbon Black
  It doesn’t budge as I write on lotion-smeared MD Paper. Based on experience with this ink in a LAMY Safari EF, there’s no skipping or feathering at all. Currently the most reliable fountain pen ink to me when writing with lotiony hands!
• Sailor Seiboku
  When writing with a Sailor HighAce Neo F or a Sailor Profit Jr. F on a sheet of MD paper, there was barely noticeable skipping of ink, with no observed feathering.
• Pilot Iroshizuku inks:
  I have observed minimal feathering with no skipping on MD paper as I wrote with these specific inks:
  • Tsuki Yo
  • Kon Peki
  • Yama Guri
  • Yama Budo
    

Fountain pen-friendly paper that I find “less sensitive” to hand oils:

• Rhodia
• Traveler’s Notebook refills
  • Dot Grid
  • Lightweight Paper

Comparison notes:

• Rhodia paper vs MD Paper “Cream”
  Rhodia paper seems to be less susceptible to skipping inks and feathering inks, compared to the MD Paper. Rhodia absorbs the ink I wrote with faster, unlike in MD Paper where the ink seems to sit there longer before it dries.
• Traveler’s Notebook refill papers
  • 013 MD Paper Cream – The surface of this paper is smooth to the touch, as if it is finished with a coating. It takes longer for inks to dry here, from my experience, compared to the “Dot Grid” MD Paper and Lightweight Paper.
  • 014 Dot Grid  – They call the paper used in here an “MD Paper”, and from my understanding, the only difference should be the color (this is white) plus the dot grids, of course. But to me, the “Dot Grid” MD Paper is rougher to the touch, and absorbs my fountain pen inks better than the “MD Paper Cream” one.
  • 005 Lightweight Paper – Like the Dot Grid notebook’s paper, this one absorbs ink better than MD Paper Cream. However, I feel that it absorbs a bit too much ink that there’s tendency to feather. I like sticking to extra fine nibs when writing or drawing on this lightweight paper. Although not mentioned in the official website, people say that the paper in “Lightweight Paper” inserts of Traveler’s Notebooks is Tomoe River paper.

My go-to paper is still MD Paper Cream despite not being very tolerant of hand oils. I just really like how easy it is on the eyes to gaze at that cream-colored paper, during moments when I ponder what I should write on my journal. To avoid frustration from skipping or feathering inks caused by my inkzema* hands while using MD Paper Cream notebooks, I simply reach for the inks I listed under “Fountain pen ink that hold up well against hand oils”, or use a pencil board for my hand to rest on while writing. Pencil boards are also known as shitajiki, underlay, or writing mat.

Bonus: Non-fountain pens whose inks don’t seem affected by hand oils

When I don’t want to bother with fountain pens, often when problem-solving at work, I reach out for:

• Zebra Sarasa 0.5 in black

* Ink on hands + eczema on hands = inkzema on hands, so now I use inkzemic instead of eczemic. Makes no sense? That’s fine, pay me no mind.

The post Fountain pen inks & papers least sensitive to hand cream or oil appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

I chose to take the PDC at XCEL Driving School in Makati City because the location is accessible from my place, the branch representative Ms. Alma is easy to communicate with, and I already trust them because I did my TDC (Theoretical Driving Course) with them in the past.

I only took an 8-hour beginner course and thought I’d just add more hours as needed. Automatic car was my choice because I think that my differently-wired brain won’t be able to do its best driving a manual one. I took 2-hour driving sessions with XCEL for 4 days. After that, I chose to practice with my partner instead as he gave me more liberty to sharpen my driving skills in ways I learn best.

XCEL Driving School review

I will be sharing short information on each 2-hour driving session with XCEL. I will probably miss a lot of details, but I’ll try to add more later once I am able to go through my notes (I wrote down what I learn after each session, lest I forget about them).

Day 1 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:

The first day involved familiarization with car parts that you’ll have to be concerned about while driving, such as tire-check, side and rear view mirror check, and also getting the feel of car controls while you’re in the driver’s seat. The most important tip from the instructor was to:

Keep your eyes focused far ahead on the road. This gives you more time to anticipate and react to what’s happening up ahead, improving your ability to respond safely.

Day 2 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:

Based on my experience at XCEL’s 2nd-4th hours of driving lessons, I think the focus at this level was properly aligning one’s vehicle on the road and getting a better feel for controlling the vehicle. For me, the trick to alignment is — again, focus your eyes far ahead on the road, and do quick glances at side mirrors to see if your vehicle’s aligning to the road’s lines/markings.

I liked how “chill” this session’s instructor was. He mostly let me try things my way, although honestly I didn’t learn a lot of new things that day. Maybe that was the intention of XCEL driving school for this session — let the student be more confident behind the steering wheel, and then fine-tune the driving skills with a detail-oriented instructor on the next session!

Day 3 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:

The instructor for XCEL’s 5th-6ths hours was, as I mentioned earlier, detail-oriented, and also kinda strict! It was uncomfortable how he sort of micro-managed my movements, but I’m not really complaining because I learned a lot from this person (and I am the oddball who has difficulty in learning things the “normal” way).

There were soooo many things that this session’s instructor taught me. From adjustment of the seat to make it more comfortable, various driving maneuvers, why going slow is best, etc.

My favorite tip from this session: Before making a turn, focus on where you want to go. Turn your head and direct your gaze toward that part of the road, looking through the side window if necessary. Keep turning the vehicle until the road you’re focused on comes into view through the front windshield.

Day 4 of XCEL Driving School PDC Session:

My 7th to 8th hours of driving lessons with XCEL was mostly fine-tuning of driving skills. The instructor aimed to observe how well I was able to drive, and to correct each mistake that he noticed.

The instructor helped me practice the driving skill I sucked at the most — how much to turn back the steering wheel after making a turn. We drove countless times around blocks in the area until I got a better feel for it.

I was advised to wait for XCEL Driving School Makati’s representative to contact me regarding biometrics capture, and was encouraged to practice as often as I can. I finished and passed my 8-hour beginner driving course!

XCEL Driving School rates (Makati branch)

See below images for prices of PDC at XCEL Makati branch. These were the rates as of May 2024.

What’s next?

I’ve been practicing during my days off work, when I am able to. My partner says that I have improved significantly and that it’s likely that I will pass the LTO driving exam. Although I am not yet sure when I will give it a go, since that will require me to be on leave from work, and from what I hear, many applicants take a whole day to get through the entire process at LTO. The recent work days have been crazy! Well, maybe not “crazy” for other people, but I take it really seriously (maybe *too* seriously) so I have been spending a little more time and exerting extra effort.

Questions and Answers:

• Can student drivers practice in their own personal time without an accredited instructor?
  • To be allowed to drive, the student must:
    • Bring their LTO Student Permit including the Official Receipt as well as
    • Be accompanied by a licensed professional or non-professional driver (XCEL instructors themselves told me that my partner, who has a driver’s license, is allowed to be my companion while I practice as a student driver).

The post XCEL Driving School review & rates appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

The intense pain in my lower back started and ended last month. I could barely walk due to the lower back and hip pains, tightness, and spasms. I managed to avoid the emergency room thanks to some resourcefulness — Yoga by Joelle’s video for “herniated disc pain” provided significant relief every time I used it.

Before you proceed, please note that the following information may have some inaccuracies as I’m relying on my memory. Even though you and I may both have DDD, our treatments could differ depending on our individual needs and conditions.

First Physical Therapy Session for DDD at POI in Makati

Reluctantly, I attended my first session at the Philippine Orthopedic Institute (POI) today. During the initial session, the therapist conducted a quick interview about my lower back pain, asking when it started, whether I had experienced any accidents, and the intensity of the pain.

By this time, the pain had already decreased significantly compared to last month, only flaring up when I neglected my posture during my desk job.

Here’s what was done during the physical therapy session:

Part 1 – Treatments

• I was asked to change into a patient’s gown, remove my footwear, and lay on my belly.
• Application of a heat pack on the painful area, with electrodes
  • This treatment lasted 15 minutes, supported by two pillows.
  • The sensation was more relaxing than painful.
  • I requested to turn on the fan because the room was a little too warm, especially with the heat from this treatment.
• Ultrasound on the painful area
  • Almost fell asleep at this point; it felt like a very gentle back massage (UwU).
• Shockwave therapy
  • The therapist warned me it would be painful, but it was supposed to relax my back muscles. The gun-shaped device did sound like it was going to inflict serious pain! lol.
  • Surprisingly, it wasn’t painful for me. I found it relaxing too, like a massage gun!

Part 2 – Stretches

• Inner thigh stretch, performed three times on each leg
  • The therapist moved my thigh close to my chest, bent my knee, and let the sole of my foot press against their torso, then applied pressure by leaning towards me.
  • It was an awkward stretch and very challenging because it took a lot of effort to keep gas from escaping… (⸝⸝⸝- ᴗ -⸝⸝⸝ ; )
• Hamstring stretch, performed three times on each leg
  • The therapist lifted my leg and straightened it, with the sole of my foot facing the ceiling.
• Glutes stretch (figure four), performed three times on each leg
  • The therapist asked me to assume a figure 4 position, then pressed my thighs close to my chest until I felt my glute muscles stretch.

Part 3 – Warm-up and Strengthening Exercises

• Core muscle warm-up x 10
  • The therapist asked me to place my hands underneath my lower back (palms facing the bed), then activate the abdominal muscles and keep them engaged for 10 seconds — I timed this with my exhales.
  • During my inhales, she had me relax the abdominal muscles.
• Bridges x 10
• Modified sit-ups x 10
  • Lying flat on my back with my knees bent, I performed small sit-ups, lifting only the upper back, with my hands reaching out to my knees.
• Cat-cows, holding each pose for a count of six, repeated 10 times
  • Cat pose: I focused on drawing my navel toward my spine (I had to be careful with this because if not done properly, I felt like the bending motion could worsen my disc issues) — I timed this movement with my exhales, like in yoga.
  • Cow pose: I focused on lowering my belly, lifting my tailbone, and stretching my head upward — I timed this movement with my inhales.
  • From this point onward, my therapist supported my waist/hips area because my scoliosis (mostly lumbar) was getting in the way.
• Bird-dogs, repeated 10 times (my scoliosis made this challenging, but the therapist helped me balance my hips).
• Supermans, repeated 10 times
• Press-ups, holding the stretch upward for a count of 15, repeated 3 times
  • This is similar to Pilates “swan” pose.

My wrists hurt from the exercises done in the all-fours position. I think it would have been a bit more stable and comfortable for my sensitive wrists if I had performed them on a hard surface, like an exercise mat on the floor. POI uses a bed wrapped in a plastic cover (which smelled nice, likely evidence of regular disinfection). I’ll bring up my concern to the therapist next time.

Although I’m familiar with all the exercises the therapist asked me to do, I think it’s much better to do them with a therapist’s guidance because they can correct any incorrect posture or positioning.

The therapist also corrected me when I tried to get out of bed with a swift sit-up movement. (°ー°〃) They taught me that while lying on my back, I should bend my knees and roll sideways to get out of bed.

Second Physical Therapy Session at Philippine Orthopedic Institute (Makati)

During my second lumbar back pain therapy at POI, the same therapist led the session, but most of it was supervised by an intern. I wasn’t asked to change into a patient’s gown this time and was instructed to lay on my belly immediately. They had a hard time applying the hot compress on my lower back because of my outfit, so I asked if I could change into my PT clothes to make it easier.

The intern performed the same treatments as before, and she did well:

• Heat pack: Application of a heat pack on the painful area with electrodes for 15 minutes, supported by one pillow this time.
• Ultrasound
• Shockwave

Then, the main therapist returned to the room and did the same stretches on me while I laid on my back:

• Inner thigh stretch: Performed three times on each leg.
• Hamstring stretch: Performed three times on each leg.
• Glutes stretch (figure four): Performed three times on each leg.

For the warm-up and strength exercises, the intern took over. Unfortunately, she barely checked my posture and positioning as I did the exercises, so I felt it wasn’t a very productive session. We did the following:

• Pelvic tilt (Core muscle warm-up): x 10.
• Bridges: x 10.
• Modified sit-ups: x 10.
• Cat-cows: Count to six per pose, repeated 10 times.
• Supermans: Repeated 10 times.
• Press-ups: Count to 15 while holding the stretch upwards, repeated 3 times.

However, there were no bird-dogs this time. The intern said it wasn’t part of the set exercises for me that day, but I wasn’t sure why.

One thing I did learn from my therapist on this day was that with a meniscal tear in the knee, I should avoid fully bending the knee and try to keep it at a 45-degree angle at most.

Third Physical Therapy Session at POI Makati for Degenerative Disc Disease (L1-L5)

A new therapist was assigned to me this time. Her name is Nam (not sure how it’s spelled) and I really appreciate her. She was very professional in the way she communicated and even in the way she was dressed. I felt that every step of the way during my 3rd DDD therapy session at POI, Ms. Nam ensured that I was performing my exercises correctly by visually examining my posture/position and by palpating (any more accurate word?) my core muscles to check if they’re contracting as expected during my movements.

Part 1 – Treatments

Also not asked to change into patient’s gown on this 3rd session. So I don’t know why it was done during the first. Anyway, I had already changed into my physical therapy attire before I checked in to POI’s reception area.

Same old initial treatments were performed:

• Heat pack: With electrodes for 15 minutes.
• Ultrasound
• Shockwave

Some things I learned from Ms. Nam’s related to heat/cold treatment:

• Cold pack treatment: Best for freshly-injured muscles to lower inflammation, e.g., right after weighted exercises.
• Heat pack: Best after about 24 hours if I did weighted exercises and had DOMS.
• Heat pack usage: Since I only have a small heat pack at home, Ms. Nam suggested using it on my lower back one side at a time so that it remains effective.
• Heating pad: The heating pad that POI uses requires boiling water.

Part 2 – Stretches

Nothing new in this part of the session, except that I observed how precise Ms. Nam was in the way she performed these stretches. She’s amazing!

• Inner thigh stretch: Performed three times on each leg.
• Hamstring stretch: Performed three times on each leg.
• Glutes stretch (figure four): Performed three times on each leg.

Part 3 – Warm-up and Exercises for Strength

I didn’t expect today’s therapist to impress me even further. She was detail-oriented and I was really thankful for that. The exercises felt waaaaay more effective when done correctly.

• Pelvic tilt (Core muscle warm-up): x 10
  • Therapist’s correction(s): Do not lift your butt!
• Bridges: x 10
  • Therapist’s tip: Contract your glutes and core as you lift your body up.
• Modified sit-ups: x 10
  • Therapist’s correction(s): Your shoulders and neck look so tense; Contract your ab muscles and let them do the work for you in this exercise.
• Toe taps: x 10 — Added by Ms. Nam today.
• Dead bug exercise: x 10 — Added by Ms. Nam today
  • Therapist’s correction(s): Straighten the leg that you are lowering, but without touching the bed (my muscles hurt more that way but I felt it was the right kind of pain — the kind that will build muscles!).
• Cat-cows: Count to six per pose, repeated 10 times
  • Therapist’s correction(s): The therapist realigned my hips whenever they moved the wrong way (thanks to scoliosis grrr).
• Bird-dogs: Added back today
  • Therapist’s correction(s): Ms. Nam patiently corrected my hip positions repeatedly; the left side of my core feels weak. So when I raise my right hand and left leg, I always fell off balance. Towards the end I tried my best to contract the weak core muscles further and finally got a “very good” from therapist-sensei.
• Supermans: Repeated 10 times.
• Press-ups: Count to 20 while holding the stretch upwards, repeated 3 times (Yes, it’s 20 instead of 10 counts today)
  • Therapist’s comment: This is just for stretching the core.

Part 4 – Traction Machine

I was surprised to find out that there was a door by the waiting area of POI Makati Therapy area. This room contained two traction machines.

Ms. Nam first measured my weight to determine how much “lower back stretching” the traction machine should perform on me that day. This machine can help decompress the tightness in the lower back.

They strapped my hips, and then my upper torso onto the machine. The traction device was stretched and then released in repeated cycles of about 10 minutes.

Fourth Physical Therapy Session at POI Makati for Degenerative Disc Disease (L1-L5)

I visited Doc Carlo Borbon, my orthopedic doctor, before my 4th session. I told him that I’ve only been able to attend physical therapy sessions once a week. His face expressed disappointment, until he heard me say that I do the exercises almost everyday at home, and that I feel that my significantly strengthened core muscles have been protecting my lower back as I carry out the same daily activities that used to trigger my lower back spasms. He said that it’s a very good progress, and that I may conclude my series of PT sessions by only attending 3 more.

The 4th session was more or less the same, but Ms. Nam added/modified a little bit:

• Added a new exercise: Push both knees to chest, while pushing them away with your hands
  • Create resistance between thighs/knees and hands/arms
  • Feel it activate the core muscles
  • It was inserted before toe-taps, if I remember the sequence correctly
  • Done for 8-10 counts each repetition; Repeat 10 times, if I remember correctly!
• Modified the bird-dog exercise: Do it on one side 10 times, then on the other side again 10 times. Finish it with the classic alternating sides, I think only 5 times for this one.
  • Done because my lumbar scoliosis was making one side more difficult
• Configured the traction machine with a heavier weight.

I learned a few things during that session:

• Of all DDD physical therapy devices used on me, the TENS device is the most recommended for patients to purchase. Ms. Nam said that if I purchase one, I can bring it to my PT session and they can teach me the proper configuration that should be applied to my condition.
• The knee-to-chest stretching at the beginning stretches superficial glute muscles, while the figure-4 glutes stretch is for the deeper glute muscles.
• The superman stretch are mainly for lower back muscle strength, but it also works the glutes

Fifth Physical Therapy Session at POI Makati for Degenerative Disc Disease (L1-L5)

More or less the same as the third physical therapy at POI. But this time I opted out of the traction machine because the total cost exceeds the budget I get from HMO (Intellicare) per physical therapy session, and I cannot justify the extra cost as I don’t feel significant improvement from the traction machine.

Sixth Physical Therapy Session at POI Makati for Degenerative Disc Disease (L1-L5)

The 6th and last PT session at POI Makati was most tiring of them all. There was a seminar being held in the building that day, which the physical therapists attended in AM/PM batches to keep the ops rolling, according to Ms. Nam. Patients were fewer than usual that day. I also noticed that there was a new office at the ground floor — that will be for consults and bone scan procedure.

On this therapy session we skipped the knee-to-chest stretching before the exercises. Ms Nam added 10 flutter kicks, 10 crossed flutter kicks, elbow planks, and several weighted exercises. I didn’t expect this and was really exhausted after the session.

Exercises on the 6th (and last) POI physical therapy session for DDD:

Part 1 – Stretching

• Skipped: knee-to-chest on 10 counts, repeated 3 times before switching legs
• Hamstring stretch
• Figure 4

Part 2 – exercises on your back

• Pelvic tilt (Core muscle warm-up): x 10
  • Therapist’s comment: Do not lift your butt!
• Bridges: x 10
  • Tip: Contract your glutes and core as you lift your body up.
• Modified sit-ups: x 10
  • Tips: You’re doing it wrong if your shoulders and neck are so tense; Contract your ab muscles and let them do the work for you in this exercise.
• Toe taps: x 10
  • Tip: tuck your belly button in a little bit towards your spine, for activating muscles that support in this movement
• Dead bug exercise: x 10
  • Therapist’s correction(s): Straighten the leg that you are lowering, but without touching the bed (my muscles hurt more that way but I felt it was the right kind of pain — the kind that will build muscles!).
  • Tip: tuck belly button in too!
• Flutter kicks x 10 — added in the last session
• Crossed flutter kicks x 10 — added in the last session
  • Tips: Inhale as legs part, exhale as you cross them
• Knee hugs for around 10 counts: x3 — added in the last session

Part 3 – exercises on your belly

• Plank on your elbow: x10 at count of 20 seconds each
  • Tip: Tuck belly button in to support core; don’t let core drop!
• Cat-cows: Count to six per pose, repeated 10 times
  • Tip: pay attention to hips here, if you have lumbar scoliosis
• Bird-dogs: x 10
  • Stabilize core and pay more attention to hips here to maintain balance; the lumbar scoliosis gets in the way.
• Supermans: Repeated 10 times.
• Press-ups: Count to 20 while holding the stretch upwards, repeated 3 times
  • This stretches the core and you should also feel it in your upper/middle back

Part 4 – weighted exercises outside individual therapy rooms at POI

• Carry 2.5KG dumbbell on each hand
  • Engage core; Imagine you’re trying to balance while holding grocery bags
  • From one end of the hallway to the other, do high-knee marches (Tip: Straighten leg whose foot is on the floor for balance)
  • Notes:
    • Nam said I can also use a heavy kettlebell held onto the chest at home but best if they’re two weights held like grocery bags on the side of the body; sadly my dumbbells at home are mcuh lighter
    • Lost my balance as I held back my laughter upon eye contact with my partner lol
• Hold a 6KG kettlebell in one hand with the other arm held across the shoulder
  • Keeping core engaged, walk normally from one end of the hall to the other
  • Repeat with the other hand/arm
  • Notes:
    • It was like an obstacle course too as I had to avoid physical therapist and patients I came across in the hallway xD
    • It seemed to me that the POI Makati therapist were chummy among one another; their work culture must be really nice!
• Hold 6KG kettlebell on one hand like 1 heavy grocery bag, with other arm held across the shoulder again
  • Perform side crunches, leaning the torso sideways towards the arm with a kettlebell
  • Ensure that you feel core muscles contract here (lean sideways starting from above belly button only, but make sure you lean far enough to feel the ab muscles working)

Some advice from my physical therapist Nam:

• Can opt to use heat pad only on sore days
• Aim for 3 times a week physical therapy exercise to maintain my spine health

Aside from maintenance exercises, one rule I set upon myself is to maintain the “C” curve of my lumbar spine as much as possible. So far it’s an easy and effective way of preventing the muscle spasm/sprain that I suffered from for so many times.

After the 6th and last POI Makati physical therapy session, I went to my orthopedic doctor Dr Carlo Borbon for clearance. He did the same checks that he performed before sending me for therapy: Bend forward, bend backward, bend sideways to both sides… He also examined my lower back muscles, and commented that they felt less tense than before!

Physical Therapy Cost/Fees at POI (Phil. Orthopedic Institute) – Dela Rosa St., Makati City:

• My physical therapy session for lower back pain (degenerative disc disease L1-L5) costed 2400 Philippine Pesos, including usage of the traction machine. I found out because the POI Therapy Department texted me about exceeding the 1500-peso limit that HMO (Intellicare) set on my LOA/RCS.
• In initial sessions that didn’t involve a traction machine was probably 1500 pesos or less because we had no problem despite the 1500-pesos limit on the cost covered by Intellicare.

Cost update as of Sept. 15, 2024: They will increase physical therapy service fees on October 1, 2024.

Tags: Physical Therapy, Lumbar Back Pain, POI Makati, Degenerative Disc Disease, Heat Pack, Ultrasound, Shockwave, Inner Thigh Stretch, Hamstring Stretch, Glutes Stretch, Pelvic Tilt, Bridges, Modified Sit-Ups, Cat-Cows, Supermans, Press-Ups, Bird-Dogs, Traction Machine, Core Exercises, Meniscal Tear

The post POI Physical Therapy for Degenerative Disc Disease: Review, Sessions, Costs at Philippine Orthopedic Institute Makati appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.

I was running errands near Alphaland Southgate Mall EDSA, Makati, so I thought that I might as well get my expired and expiring BDO debit cards renewed here.

Today is the 14th and is already payday for some employees, which is why I expected that I might wait for a long while to finish my transaction. But to my surprise, no one was in the counter that handles debit card renewals when I arrived around 10AM. Lucky!!

BDO Debit card renewal requirements

I called the branch before going there. The BDO staff told me I had to bring these to renew my BDO card:

• 2 valid IDs
• The expired/expiring debit card
• 150 pesos, if card is already expired (free if not yet expired on the day of your visit to BDO)

My transaction today was a bit complicated. I wanted to renew two BDO debit cards: one expired and its branch of account is BDO Southgate Mall EDSA itself, while the other one was just about to expire and its account was created in a different branch. Aside from card renewal, I also wanted to have one of the accounts’ information updated because I haven’t done so after getting married.

Actual documents that I brought to BDO Southgate Mall EDSA branch were:

• 1 x SSS UMID card, bearing my maiden name
• My passport
• Original copy of marriage certificate (presented but not surrendered to BDO)
• Original copy of birth certificate (just in case)
• The 2 BDO debit cards I wanted to renew

How much does it cost to renew a BDO debit card?

The renewal of BDO debit card is free if it’s not yet expired, but if it’s already expired then they will charge you 150 pesos.

The process – BDO customer info update and debit card renewal

I was asked to fill out several forms. As I filled them out one by one, the staff started preparing to send a customer info update request to the branch of my other account. Upon finishing the form fill-out, I was asked to get my biometrics taken at a different counter.

One thing I’d like to note is that I updated my employment information but they did not ask me for a certificate of employment. Maybe it’s only required when opening a BDO account!

I asked for a debit card without name for one account, and a debit card with name for the other. Note that if your BDO debit card does not bear your name, you won’t be able to retrieve it should a starving ATM devours your debit card. (Trivia: The staff at BDO calls the card without name an “embossed card”.)

The entire process took me around 50 minutes. I think it wasn’t bad for that relatively complex transaction.

How many days before I can get my renewed BDO ATM card?

For BDO debit cards without the cardholder’s name, they will be able to release it on the same day. The card with the customer’s name on it, on the other hand, will be available 7 days from the day of your visit to the BDO branch.

Questions?

I don’t work at BDO so, if you have questions, please contact BDO directly!!

The post Renew BDO debit card – requirements, cost, and experience at Southgate Mall EDSA Branch appeared first on Catzie.net Blog.