44 - when you feel you're still young, but...

I meant to post something on my 44th birthday which fell on 14th May, 2012 that day, but, somehow I didn't get the chance to do so.

44. Somehow, I feel that this is the age where you can safely say that you are neither young nor old. I don't know. It just feels that way.

One thing for sure, the last one year running to my 44th birthday, I certainly could feel that I was becoming older.

Riddled with a few health issues, I realized that all this while, the mind was saying, "Ok", but, the body was saying, "Hold on!" And because of that, I had been on MC for nearly 6 months (in the last 10 months!) and have become a regular at Dr. Soong's (my Orto surgeon) clinic at TMC.

In a nutshell -

An MRI scan done in July last year showed a tear on my right knee meniscus, after I injured myself while playing badminton. Sangka terror, kan? Didn't do proper stretching, kan? Anyway, for that I was given 2-months MC, and was on crutches for 8 weeks.

As if that wasn't bad enough, I then managed to slip in the shower in November (did a semi-split in the shower I did!) and had to go for another MRI which showed a tear on the ligament on my right hip, and was given a 3-month MC pulak. The MRI also showed that I also had a mild slipped disc between my C5-C6. I was off work since 26 December 2011 until 31 March 2012, and was advised to minimize my movement during those 3 months. Now, tell me, how laaarr to minimize your movement?!

I reported back for duty early April, but, was given a Certificate for Light Duties for 6 weeks, whereby I was told not to carry, push or pull heavy loads, and not to go up and down the stairs. Again, how laaaarrr?!

And because of the "How laaaarrr?!" I started having the EXACT same symptoms I had on my right hip on my left hip pulak beginning the month of May, and I had to go for a third MRI last week, and lo and behold, Dr Soong found that I had another tear on my left hip ligament lah pulak.

Olympics gymnast pun tak suffer injuries macam ni, kan? LOL!! :)

I REALLY don't know what actually happened which may have caused this latest injury as I had been extra cautious in the last 6 months.

The only explanation is that I may have had the injury at the same time when I slipped in the shower in November, but, as I didn't have any pain there then, no MRI was done on that side. And somehow, when I reported for duty in April, the injury might have exacerbated.

And Dr. Soong has given me another 2 weeks of MC, and I am to see him again end of next week.

He has ruled out Avascular necrosis (AVN), syukur alhamdulillah. But, he will be running some tests next week to rule out any autoimmune disease. And I pray hard that it's not that, insya Allah.

And what I'm scared to tell him next week is that, in the last few days, I've started having quite severe referred pain down my spine to the back of my right knee. An indication that my mild slipped disc may have been aggravated in the last 3 months, too...

I pray to Allah SWT semoga dipermudahkan segala urusan, and semoga disembuhkan segala kesakitan dan penyakit, and to give me strength to go through this small dugaan in life.

I see my injuries and pain as being very mild compared to others who suffer bigger health challenges than me, and I panjatkan kesyukuran to HIM. Alhamdulillah.

And I make do'a for better health from now on, insya Allah...

Chacha Marba...

It has been more than two months since I last posted an entry. And today, when I opened my Blogspot, I was greeted with this new format, etc., and I'm still grappling to familiarize myself with the new features, etc. I hope my draft will not suddenly disappear before it's saved nanti.

Hmmmm...I'm not too sure of what to write actually. This posting was actually prompted by a student of mine who asked me yesterday why I had not been updating my blog. The truth is, there are so many things to share, as there have been so many happenings in the last few months which have kept me pretty busy. But, those same things were the ones which had distracted me from my blog.

I guess one of the major things which I could blog about would be how age has caught up with me and how I was given a couple of long sick leaves in the past 8 months.

The first MC was given to me due to my right knee meniscus tear which required me to go on crutches for 8 weeks, and I was ordered to rest for two months over July till September 2011.

The second MC given, on the other hand was due to my right hip ligament tear whereby I was given more than 3 months MC, i.e. from Christmas until the end of March. I've reported for duty, but has been certified to be fit only for light duties for six weeks, i.e. until my next follow-up with my Orthopaedic Surgeon which is scheduled for this Saturday. I'm hoping Dr Soong will give me the all-clear this Saturday, but, frankly speaking, I can feel that both my injuries (including my knee meniscus tear which I had in August last year) have yet to heal completely as I can still feel the pain when I walk or sit or change my sitting positions at certain angles.

And what is stressing me more now is that I am now having the SAME symptoms which I had on my right hip, but on my LEFT hip now, and I just can't explain what could be the cause of the pain. As for my knee injury, I knew that it was due to me not stretching and warming up properly during one of our family badminton sessions then. Sangka terror...Hehehe :) And as for my right hip injury, it was due to me doing a semi-split when I slipped in the bathroom in November last year. However, due to my busy schedule, etc., I only went to see Dr Soong at the end of December, and the MRI scan he ordered showed the ligament tear. I guess if I had seen Dr Soong earlier, and if he had given me leave to rest properly earlier, the healing process would have taken a shorter time? But, benda dah jadi, kan? No point to dwell on it, kan?

But, yang menjadi issuenya sekarang is that my left hip is also acting up with the EXACT same symptoms I had with my right hip, and I can't recall having twisted it, or fallen, or slipped, or yang sewaktu dengannya at all!

I asked Ayah, if there is a medical condition for it whereby one is prone to have injuries to one's joints, ligaments, meniscus, tendons, etc.? And he said none that he knew of. And he asked me to ask Dr. Soong about it this Saturday.

The truth is, I dah naik segan with Dr. Soong coz' tak habis-habis dengan all kinds of injuries ni. What is the chance of one having three different injuries to three different parts of one's body over the span of 8 months?! Macam boleh masuk Guinness Books of Records, kan?!

But, If I don't tell Dr. Soong about my latest symptoms ni, and without proper medical advice, it might get worse pulak nanti, kan? So, tanpa segan silu and dengan muka tebal nanti I will have to tell him jugak. I just hope it's not as bad as the earlier two injuries I had, insya Allah.

So, that's the first thing to blog about. The second thing is - suffice to say that due to the nature of the injuries, I have not been doing any proper exercises. And the fact that I was given about 5 and a half months of MC over the period of 8 months also meant that I was cooped at home (for most of the time). And what does one tend to do when one is cooped at home? YUP! I became a regular visitor to the refrigerator! Hahaha! So, no prize for guessing how much I've ballooned up in the last 8 months! Rasa sungguh macam Mommy Walrus now. LOL!:))

I guess I really have to start doing some light exercises from now on, and cut down on my meals...Huwaaaaa!!! How la?! I love my Nasi, and my Masak Lemak Chilli Api, and Assam Pedas, segala, y'all... :(

Anyway, that's that. What else is there, eh?

Oh, despite my condition ni, sempat jugak we went for a family holiday in London and Liverpool (and Bicester Designer Outlet, of course! Haha...) in November last year (which was in between my knee and my ligament injuries).

And I just came back from a short getaway in Medan with Ayah about a week ago.

And despite masih belum heal properly, I still tak serik-serik and masih semangat in trying to organize our year-end family vacation for 2012. Boleh? Hahaha! It has to be at the end of December, as Hanna's sitting for her SPM this year. And, I will only be free to lari sekejap for a vacation in the last week of December, i.e. during UM's Study Week (before the Second Semester Exam starts in the first week of January 2013).

Hanna wants to go to Europe (which has been vetoed by both Ayah and I coz' it'll be too cold then).

Hasya votes for Italy (which is in Europe - so, it's no-no), OR Korea coz' she's so into K-Pop. (Actuallynya her Mommy pun opts for Korea coz' her Mommy is so into K-Dramas now! Oh ya...That's another thing I've managed to get hooked on selama I dok MC kat rumah tu. Hehehe!) But, I don't think Ayah is keen on Korea.

Hilman will just go with whatever destination we finally decide. So, if any of you have any suggestions, do share, please. Thank you :)

Oh ya...Ayah and I celebrated our 28the Anniversary of the day we first knew each other on 26th April, 2012 that day. Fancy that, eh? :) Seems like it was just yesterday when I first received his letter back in 1986. Time really flies...

Okay, I guess that's all for now. I really can't say when my next posting will be. But, I hope to start blogging regularly again (mengikut kemampuan I), insya Allah...(Errr...This sounds so familiar. Didn't I promise the same thing before this?! LOL!!!)

Anyway, take care, guys! See you when I see you ;)