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...
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Lesser of two evils...?
The thing I discovered/realized since my "No-Rice" Lunch regime was that the lauk-pauk served and sold at the Cafeteria were/are giler salty!
It was not obvious before this, I guess, because I had always taken them with rice, and somehow they didn't taste THAT salty as the rice in a way had suppressed the taste.
But, eating the fish/chicken, etc., and the veges on their own REALLY brings out the saltiness of every single dish there was there that I've tried in the last one week or so.
Hmmmm...in my attempt to cut down on sugar and carbo to avoid getting diabetes, I might just end up with hypertension instead...
Adakah ini tandanya I will have to bawak my own bekal from home from now on?
Hmmmm?
It was not obvious before this, I guess, because I had always taken them with rice, and somehow they didn't taste THAT salty as the rice in a way had suppressed the taste.
But, eating the fish/chicken, etc., and the veges on their own REALLY brings out the saltiness of every single dish there was there that I've tried in the last one week or so.
Hmmmm...in my attempt to cut down on sugar and carbo to avoid getting diabetes, I might just end up with hypertension instead...
Adakah ini tandanya I will have to bawak my own bekal from home from now on?
Hmmmm?
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
"Minus-4 Mission"...
Remember last week when I decided to (re)start a healthier lifestyle?
Well, so far, so good. Syukur alhamdulillah.
I have actually worked out a schedule - for both my meals AND exercises, and have been sticking to it quite well. And if TERlanggar, I would somehow compensate it in some ways.
I have set a target for myself. I call it the "Minus-4 Mission" - i.e., I aim to shed 4kgs by 30th June 2010, and I have also called upon my MT gang to join me on this mission. It does not matter how much we weigh now. The target is for all of us to lose 4kgs.
And, I'm writing this down here as an affirmation to myself.
My regime consists of, inter alia -
(1) Rice-free lunch everyday. I've been taking extra proteins and veges instead (and my lunch costs more now!) :(
(2) Rice for dinner on alternate nights - I'm taking smaller portions than before, and will start taking brown rice this week.
(3) On nights that I'm not having rice, I take wholemeal bread - either by making myself sandwiches or dipping into whatever gravy we have at home, and proteins and veges.
(4) I'm taking more fruits now, too. Made some research on which fruits are okay for diabetics and found out that Grapefruits, Apples, Guavas and Cantaloupes are the best. And fruits to avoid include Mangoes and Bananas!
(5) I'm avoiding all sugary stuff (i.e. drinks and desserts) EXCEPT on Sundays - which I declare as my INDULGENCE DAY ;)
(6) And I've started going on the treadmill and the cross-trainer at home every morning before I go to work! YEAY!!! (They no longer serve as tempat gantung baju and place to store boxes! Hehehe!)
(7) AND I've started going to the gym again :) Had to pay RM99 last week to reactivate my Life Membership at Ce*eb*ty Fitness at OU. The last time I actually went for a workout there was 5 years ago! Quite pathetic considering OU tu is like my second home. Tersangatlah selalu melepak di situ, tapi tak terjejak kaki kat CF tu!! So, I'm making a point to go to the gym on nights when Hasya and Hilman are having their Mengaji at their Wan's house and Hanna has her guitar lessons at OU, and also when the kids are having their piano lessons. At least tak rasa guilty going to OU without them :)
And of course - this also gave me a good excuse to shop for new gym attires last week! Hehehe! Sempaaaaat... ;)
Ayah has also joined me on the meals regime, but have yet to join the exercise regime (although I know he gets a lot of exercises running around the hospital from morning till night!)
And after 7 days, I have managed to shed 0.5kg :)
The easiest part is to get rid of the excess water. It's shedding the fat after this which is going to be a major headache.
But, I know I can do this...
By 30th June, I WILL be 4kgs lighter.
Come. Join me! :)
Well, so far, so good. Syukur alhamdulillah.
I have actually worked out a schedule - for both my meals AND exercises, and have been sticking to it quite well. And if TERlanggar, I would somehow compensate it in some ways.
I have set a target for myself. I call it the "Minus-4 Mission" - i.e., I aim to shed 4kgs by 30th June 2010, and I have also called upon my MT gang to join me on this mission. It does not matter how much we weigh now. The target is for all of us to lose 4kgs.
And, I'm writing this down here as an affirmation to myself.
My regime consists of, inter alia -
(1) Rice-free lunch everyday. I've been taking extra proteins and veges instead (and my lunch costs more now!) :(
(2) Rice for dinner on alternate nights - I'm taking smaller portions than before, and will start taking brown rice this week.
(3) On nights that I'm not having rice, I take wholemeal bread - either by making myself sandwiches or dipping into whatever gravy we have at home, and proteins and veges.
(4) I'm taking more fruits now, too. Made some research on which fruits are okay for diabetics and found out that Grapefruits, Apples, Guavas and Cantaloupes are the best. And fruits to avoid include Mangoes and Bananas!
(5) I'm avoiding all sugary stuff (i.e. drinks and desserts) EXCEPT on Sundays - which I declare as my INDULGENCE DAY ;)
(6) And I've started going on the treadmill and the cross-trainer at home every morning before I go to work! YEAY!!! (They no longer serve as tempat gantung baju and place to store boxes! Hehehe!)
(7) AND I've started going to the gym again :) Had to pay RM99 last week to reactivate my Life Membership at Ce*eb*ty Fitness at OU. The last time I actually went for a workout there was 5 years ago! Quite pathetic considering OU tu is like my second home. Tersangatlah selalu melepak di situ, tapi tak terjejak kaki kat CF tu!! So, I'm making a point to go to the gym on nights when Hasya and Hilman are having their Mengaji at their Wan's house and Hanna has her guitar lessons at OU, and also when the kids are having their piano lessons. At least tak rasa guilty going to OU without them :)
And of course - this also gave me a good excuse to shop for new gym attires last week! Hehehe! Sempaaaaat... ;)
Ayah has also joined me on the meals regime, but have yet to join the exercise regime (although I know he gets a lot of exercises running around the hospital from morning till night!)
And after 7 days, I have managed to shed 0.5kg :)
The easiest part is to get rid of the excess water. It's shedding the fat after this which is going to be a major headache.
But, I know I can do this...
By 30th June, I WILL be 4kgs lighter.
Come. Join me! :)
Monday, April 12, 2010
Biggest Losers...Insya Allah :)
Ayah and I were just talking about all the insurance coverage that we have for ourselves and the kids thus far, and we were thinking of getting new policies, especially for the kids, considering how high hospital charges can be sometimes. Of course, kita always do'akan we'll be healthy, and dijauhkan dari masuk hospital,etc., but, of course, we'll never know these things, kan?
The kids being minors, of course their policies would have to be either under Ayah or myself. And of course, at this age, most of the times, we as Payor would have to go through Medical check-ups before our applications would go through and be approved.
The thing is, it has been quite some time since I last went for a thorough Medical Check-up : the whole blood tests, etc., and frankly speaking I'm quite anxious to go through one now, for fear of discovering any illnesses. I know, it's rather strange coming from the wife of a doctor!
The thing is, I have quite a family health history on my Mom's side. Both my arwah maternal grandparents had diabetes, hypertension and heart problems/complications. My Mom is also diabetic (she's on insulin) and she had a stroke in 2004, and also a double angioplasty done on her 3 years back. All three of my brothers are diabetcs, too. So far, syukur alhamdulillah, my sisters and I have been spared.
On my Abah's side - my grandfather was also a diabetic, and he probably also had a heart problem. He passed away when my Abah was 12 years old. We have a photo of him at my parents' house. He was a BIG man, he was. My arwah grandmother pulak passed away 3 months after my grandfather. And we don't really know the cause of death.
As for my Abah, apart from his recurrence of nose cancer, and his hypertension (which came naturally with old age), syukur alhamdulillah, he's quite healthy.
But, I worry of course. Just in case, I might discover that I am diabetic, etc., too, after the Medical!
Ayah had wanted me to just do a self-test first, but, even that - I takut nak buat! So, the next best thing is to UP my efforts in jaga makan and exercising BEFORE (IF, that is) I'm called for a Medical lah kot?
And the efforts officially started yesterday.
Below are excerpts taken from my SMSs with Ayah yesterday after I came up with a regime which BOTH of us should follow religiously from now on -
Me : Treadmill n X-trainer at least 20 mins each everyday. Rice 4 dinner only, plain water from now on, n we indulge in sweets and stuff on Sundays only. Deal?
Ayah : Deal! :) P/S - Everyday? ;p
(See how sceptical he is of my willpower?!)
Me : Yes. Everyday. Hv 2 make time for daily execrcise now. Startg 2day. Don't wanna die b4 all kids get married! Who will uruskan their khenduri? Can't harap u 2 do it :p
Ayah : Whoa...dat's deep! Wokay then...Starting?
Me : Startg now. Jz puttg on my trainers :) Hope it's not too late!
Ayah : Have fun! :)
20 minutes later -
Me : Thx! 2 km done. Cals burned : 155. X-trainer next.
Ayah : Add a few more n u will reach TMC! :)
Half an hour later -
Me : Only went on X-trainer for 7.5 minutes. Giler semput!! Cals burned - 20 only! Huwaaaaa!!! :(
So, I was a bit disheartened yesterday, but, I did try to stick to the regime.
Masalahnya, I cooked Sweet and Sour Ketam, Sup Kepala Ikan Merah, and Lemon Chicken for lunch yesterday! In other words, it was quite a feast lah jugak!
But, to stick to the once a day Rice regime, I cooked Kuey Teow Goreng lah pulak for dinner!
And in between, I managed to squeeze in some Shortbread Cookies and Turkish Delights which Ayah got from one of his patients!
(But, actually I was still sticking to the regime, kan? Coz' in the deal - we are allowed to indulge in sweets on Sundays. And yesterday WAS Sunday, innit? ;) Hehehe!
Adakah ini tanda-tanda awal that the regime will go down the drain soon?! Kita tunggu dan lihat perkembangan Biggest Loser Sri Damansara, okay? ;)
Anyway, I'm off for my treadmill and X-trainer session now.
Wish me luck, and doa'kan that both Ayah and I can maintain and stick to the regime...(and by June, you'll get to see a healthier and slimmer and toner us, insya Allah :)
* And that reminds me - I'd better make full use of my membership at a certain fitness centre at One Utama. Life membership konon...but, the last time I worked out there was 5 years ago!!
The kids being minors, of course their policies would have to be either under Ayah or myself. And of course, at this age, most of the times, we as Payor would have to go through Medical check-ups before our applications would go through and be approved.
The thing is, it has been quite some time since I last went for a thorough Medical Check-up : the whole blood tests, etc., and frankly speaking I'm quite anxious to go through one now, for fear of discovering any illnesses. I know, it's rather strange coming from the wife of a doctor!
The thing is, I have quite a family health history on my Mom's side. Both my arwah maternal grandparents had diabetes, hypertension and heart problems/complications. My Mom is also diabetic (she's on insulin) and she had a stroke in 2004, and also a double angioplasty done on her 3 years back. All three of my brothers are diabetcs, too. So far, syukur alhamdulillah, my sisters and I have been spared.
On my Abah's side - my grandfather was also a diabetic, and he probably also had a heart problem. He passed away when my Abah was 12 years old. We have a photo of him at my parents' house. He was a BIG man, he was. My arwah grandmother pulak passed away 3 months after my grandfather. And we don't really know the cause of death.
As for my Abah, apart from his recurrence of nose cancer, and his hypertension (which came naturally with old age), syukur alhamdulillah, he's quite healthy.
But, I worry of course. Just in case, I might discover that I am diabetic, etc., too, after the Medical!
Ayah had wanted me to just do a self-test first, but, even that - I takut nak buat! So, the next best thing is to UP my efforts in jaga makan and exercising BEFORE (IF, that is) I'm called for a Medical lah kot?
And the efforts officially started yesterday.
Below are excerpts taken from my SMSs with Ayah yesterday after I came up with a regime which BOTH of us should follow religiously from now on -
Me : Treadmill n X-trainer at least 20 mins each everyday. Rice 4 dinner only, plain water from now on, n we indulge in sweets and stuff on Sundays only. Deal?
Ayah : Deal! :) P/S - Everyday? ;p
(See how sceptical he is of my willpower?!)
Me : Yes. Everyday. Hv 2 make time for daily execrcise now. Startg 2day. Don't wanna die b4 all kids get married! Who will uruskan their khenduri? Can't harap u 2 do it :p
Ayah : Whoa...dat's deep! Wokay then...Starting?
Me : Startg now. Jz puttg on my trainers :) Hope it's not too late!
Ayah : Have fun! :)
20 minutes later -
Me : Thx! 2 km done. Cals burned : 155. X-trainer next.
Ayah : Add a few more n u will reach TMC! :)
Half an hour later -
Me : Only went on X-trainer for 7.5 minutes. Giler semput!! Cals burned - 20 only! Huwaaaaa!!! :(
So, I was a bit disheartened yesterday, but, I did try to stick to the regime.
Masalahnya, I cooked Sweet and Sour Ketam, Sup Kepala Ikan Merah, and Lemon Chicken for lunch yesterday! In other words, it was quite a feast lah jugak!
But, to stick to the once a day Rice regime, I cooked Kuey Teow Goreng lah pulak for dinner!
And in between, I managed to squeeze in some Shortbread Cookies and Turkish Delights which Ayah got from one of his patients!
(But, actually I was still sticking to the regime, kan? Coz' in the deal - we are allowed to indulge in sweets on Sundays. And yesterday WAS Sunday, innit? ;) Hehehe!
Adakah ini tanda-tanda awal that the regime will go down the drain soon?! Kita tunggu dan lihat perkembangan Biggest Loser Sri Damansara, okay? ;)
Anyway, I'm off for my treadmill and X-trainer session now.
Wish me luck, and doa'kan that both Ayah and I can maintain and stick to the regime...(and by June, you'll get to see a healthier and slimmer and toner us, insya Allah :)
* And that reminds me - I'd better make full use of my membership at a certain fitness centre at One Utama. Life membership konon...but, the last time I worked out there was 5 years ago!!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Rejector? Rejectee?
Hmmmm...I can't remember the last time Ayah didn't go to the hospital during weekends or public holidays. The only times he didn't go to review his patients, I think, were either when we were on vacation outside of KL or the country. Even then, he would be calling the wards to check on his patients. Either that, OR his MOs or lecturers or his nurses would be calling him for advice.
So, when he told me that he was not going to review his patients today, I was thinking, "Joy, joy...Happy, happy! Maybe we can spend more time as a family today? Maybe go for an outing somewhere?" But alas, the only reason why he's not going to the hospital today is because he's not feeling well. He has a temperature and an upset tummy. He even threw up early this morning. Poor thing. So, today, it's my job to review him instead. Hehehe! He must be feeling VERY sick, because as far as I could remember, even when he was sick before, he would still go to work!
Not only that, Hasya is also not feeling well. It's probably the same bug. But, so far, only her body is dedar, and she just feels generally unwell. No vomitting, no upset tummy, etc. I pray that both Ayah and daughter will be okay by the end of the day, insya Allah.
Hmmmm, talking about the sick duo of Ayah and Hasya, this was relayed to me by Ayah yesterday.
Ayah was driving both Hasya and Hilman back from their traditional dance class yesterday when Hasya suddenly said -
Hasya : I want to study at Oxford University after my SPM (Mind you, she's only going to be 10y.o. next month, okay?)
Ayah : Hmmmm, that's really good Hasya. What do you want to read there?
Hasya : Medicine. I want to be a Cardiologist, just like you.
Ayah : But, why Oxford? (Ayah was just trying to test her)
Hasya : Because it's one of the best universities. And I want to study in the UK. Not in the US. Errr, Ayah, why didn't you go to Oxford, Ayah? Was it because you were not good enough for Oxford? (HAHAHAHA! Trust our choleric Hasya to say that!)
Ayah : Hahaha! No, Hasya...I chose not to go to Oxford. But, I did apply to do medicine there, though.
Hasya : And?
Ayah : And I didn't get in.
Hasya : Why is that? You were not good enough la kan?!
Ayah : Hmmmm, maybe. Or maybe because I listed them as my FIFTH choice in my UCCA Form?
Those who are familiar with the tips on how to fill in the UCCA Form to get into British Universities years ago, would know the Golden Rules of -
(1) NOT listing BOTH Oxford AND Cambridge in your choices of Universities, as the one listed below the other would definitely give you a straight rejection, hence you would be wasting one precious offer for a placing at a university.
(2) And if you were to list down Oxford OR Cambridge, you MUST list them as your FIRST choice, nothing less, if not, you would again be wasting one precious offer for a placing at a university.
(3) Only then could you go on and list the other 4 Universities of your choice.
And Ayah broke Golden Rules #2 and #3.
He listed Oxford University as his fifth choice, below Newcastle, below Nottingham, below Liverpool and below Wales in his UCCA Form.
But, what happened was, Ayah was called for an interview by all 5 universities - which was quite rare for those applying to do Medicine back then.
And he got offers from 4 of the 5 - which was even rarer for Medical School applicants. Most applicants would probably get, at the most, 2 offers.
Who knows? MAYBE, just MAYBE - the only reason why he didn't get any offers from Oxford University was because they could not accept the fact that Ayah listed them as his fifth choice?
He was called and went for the interview at Oxford, but they never asked him why they were listed as his fifth choice. But, I'm sure they must be going crazy inside to ask him!
But, the interviewees from Wales U did ask him why, and Ayah told them -
"If they know they are the best university, it doesn't matter where I place them in my UCCA form, they would still be the best university..."
He's got a point there.
And I hope Hasya (and her Kak Long and Hilman, too) will not see their Ayah as an "Oxford reject" (Oooops! No offence meant, okay, Ayah!), but rather, Oxford University was in a way, "their Ayah's reject". Hehehe! (Chewaaah!! Buleh?!)
And I know, Ayah would never change a thing even if he could turn back time and have another chance to fill in his UCCA form again.
Because he always knew what he wanted, and his first choice - Newcastle Medical School, had given him just that, and has made him what he is today :)
Get Well Soon, my "Oxford Rejector" hubby, and my potential "Oxford Scholar" daughter (whom I hope would neither be an Oxford rejector nor rejectee...) Hehehe!
So, when he told me that he was not going to review his patients today, I was thinking, "Joy, joy...Happy, happy! Maybe we can spend more time as a family today? Maybe go for an outing somewhere?" But alas, the only reason why he's not going to the hospital today is because he's not feeling well. He has a temperature and an upset tummy. He even threw up early this morning. Poor thing. So, today, it's my job to review him instead. Hehehe! He must be feeling VERY sick, because as far as I could remember, even when he was sick before, he would still go to work!
Not only that, Hasya is also not feeling well. It's probably the same bug. But, so far, only her body is dedar, and she just feels generally unwell. No vomitting, no upset tummy, etc. I pray that both Ayah and daughter will be okay by the end of the day, insya Allah.
Hmmmm, talking about the sick duo of Ayah and Hasya, this was relayed to me by Ayah yesterday.
Ayah was driving both Hasya and Hilman back from their traditional dance class yesterday when Hasya suddenly said -
Hasya : I want to study at Oxford University after my SPM (Mind you, she's only going to be 10y.o. next month, okay?)
Ayah : Hmmmm, that's really good Hasya. What do you want to read there?
Hasya : Medicine. I want to be a Cardiologist, just like you.
Ayah : But, why Oxford? (Ayah was just trying to test her)
Hasya : Because it's one of the best universities. And I want to study in the UK. Not in the US. Errr, Ayah, why didn't you go to Oxford, Ayah? Was it because you were not good enough for Oxford? (HAHAHAHA! Trust our choleric Hasya to say that!)
Ayah : Hahaha! No, Hasya...I chose not to go to Oxford. But, I did apply to do medicine there, though.
Hasya : And?
Ayah : And I didn't get in.
Hasya : Why is that? You were not good enough la kan?!
Ayah : Hmmmm, maybe. Or maybe because I listed them as my FIFTH choice in my UCCA Form?
Those who are familiar with the tips on how to fill in the UCCA Form to get into British Universities years ago, would know the Golden Rules of -
(1) NOT listing BOTH Oxford AND Cambridge in your choices of Universities, as the one listed below the other would definitely give you a straight rejection, hence you would be wasting one precious offer for a placing at a university.
(2) And if you were to list down Oxford OR Cambridge, you MUST list them as your FIRST choice, nothing less, if not, you would again be wasting one precious offer for a placing at a university.
(3) Only then could you go on and list the other 4 Universities of your choice.
And Ayah broke Golden Rules #2 and #3.
He listed Oxford University as his fifth choice, below Newcastle, below Nottingham, below Liverpool and below Wales in his UCCA Form.
But, what happened was, Ayah was called for an interview by all 5 universities - which was quite rare for those applying to do Medicine back then.
And he got offers from 4 of the 5 - which was even rarer for Medical School applicants. Most applicants would probably get, at the most, 2 offers.
Who knows? MAYBE, just MAYBE - the only reason why he didn't get any offers from Oxford University was because they could not accept the fact that Ayah listed them as his fifth choice?
He was called and went for the interview at Oxford, but they never asked him why they were listed as his fifth choice. But, I'm sure they must be going crazy inside to ask him!
But, the interviewees from Wales U did ask him why, and Ayah told them -
"If they know they are the best university, it doesn't matter where I place them in my UCCA form, they would still be the best university..."
He's got a point there.
And I hope Hasya (and her Kak Long and Hilman, too) will not see their Ayah as an "Oxford reject" (Oooops! No offence meant, okay, Ayah!), but rather, Oxford University was in a way, "their Ayah's reject". Hehehe! (Chewaaah!! Buleh?!)
And I know, Ayah would never change a thing even if he could turn back time and have another chance to fill in his UCCA form again.
Because he always knew what he wanted, and his first choice - Newcastle Medical School, had given him just that, and has made him what he is today :)
Get Well Soon, my "Oxford Rejector" hubby, and my potential "Oxford Scholar" daughter (whom I hope would neither be an Oxford rejector nor rejectee...) Hehehe!
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Thank you...
Thank you for all the do'a and well wishes for my Abah and our family. Insya Allah dimakbulkan Allah SWT, and insya Allah we'll be alright through this dugaan.
Abah fell down at home on Friday afternoon. My mommy was inside the house at the time, and Abah was watering the plants and washing away some dirts off the front terrace. Apparently he was squatting down to rub off some stubborn stain and he got up too fast, felt dizzy and fell on his back. Luckily my mom saw him through the glass door and quickly went to help him up, but, of course being quite frail herself, she just couldn't lift Abah up. She called up my sister Yong at the office, and tried calling me, and of all the days, I left my HP at home that morning! Having failed to reach me, she then called up my Brother Eddie. Tengah panic tu, she forgot that she could have called my office number instead! And it didn't cross her mind to even call Ayah!
Both Yong and Eddie took half an hour to reach the house, and Abah was just sitting down on the floor throughout that time, as he was still feeling dizzy, and was probably still shocked by the fall. Both of their next door neighbours were at work, and my Mom who was also quite shaken with what happened just could not bring herself to get help from the other neighbours. She was hoping there would be passers-by from whom she could ask for assistance, but, there was none at all. I can just imagine how scared my Mom was at that time, tending to Abah...
Abah had some cuts and lesions on his elbow, but apart from that, he's okay now. As for his NPC, Ayah and I will be bringing him to see Prof Go*al* this Tuesday morning at PPUM to discuss the next course of action and all options open to Abah. And we're hoping that he could undergo his treatment at PPUM instead of GHKL.
We all bersyukur that the Big C is still at its early stage, and the tumor is quite localized, and insya Allah, with the right treatment, Abah will be fine.
But, whatever it is the treatment that he will be getting, I think we have come to terms that the next few months will be like a roller-coaster ride for Abah and the family, and we have to make sure that we're prepared physically and mentally for the ups and downs coming our way.
We need to make some adjustments to our daily rituals, but life has to go on.
And we're trying to make sure the kids are not too affected by all these, insya Allah.
Again, thank you for all the do'as and well-wishes. We are indeed touched...
God bless.
Abah fell down at home on Friday afternoon. My mommy was inside the house at the time, and Abah was watering the plants and washing away some dirts off the front terrace. Apparently he was squatting down to rub off some stubborn stain and he got up too fast, felt dizzy and fell on his back. Luckily my mom saw him through the glass door and quickly went to help him up, but, of course being quite frail herself, she just couldn't lift Abah up. She called up my sister Yong at the office, and tried calling me, and of all the days, I left my HP at home that morning! Having failed to reach me, she then called up my Brother Eddie. Tengah panic tu, she forgot that she could have called my office number instead! And it didn't cross her mind to even call Ayah!
Both Yong and Eddie took half an hour to reach the house, and Abah was just sitting down on the floor throughout that time, as he was still feeling dizzy, and was probably still shocked by the fall. Both of their next door neighbours were at work, and my Mom who was also quite shaken with what happened just could not bring herself to get help from the other neighbours. She was hoping there would be passers-by from whom she could ask for assistance, but, there was none at all. I can just imagine how scared my Mom was at that time, tending to Abah...
Abah had some cuts and lesions on his elbow, but apart from that, he's okay now. As for his NPC, Ayah and I will be bringing him to see Prof Go*al* this Tuesday morning at PPUM to discuss the next course of action and all options open to Abah. And we're hoping that he could undergo his treatment at PPUM instead of GHKL.
We all bersyukur that the Big C is still at its early stage, and the tumor is quite localized, and insya Allah, with the right treatment, Abah will be fine.
But, whatever it is the treatment that he will be getting, I think we have come to terms that the next few months will be like a roller-coaster ride for Abah and the family, and we have to make sure that we're prepared physically and mentally for the ups and downs coming our way.
We need to make some adjustments to our daily rituals, but life has to go on.
And we're trying to make sure the kids are not too affected by all these, insya Allah.
Again, thank you for all the do'as and well-wishes. We are indeed touched...
God bless.
Friday, March 6, 2009
NPC...
Have you ever felt that by not talking or writing about something, it would just go away?
Have you ever felt sometimes, that you just didn't want to talk or write about certain things because you just didn't want to think too much about them? Or you just didn't want to think about them at all? Because when you start talking or writing about them, you would not be able to think straight? Because you would be worried sick?
I went through that for the past two weeks.
I didn't want to talk or write about it, but, as much as I had prayed for it to go away, it is still there. It is not going away. And I have to deal with it. And one way of dealing with it, I realized - is to talk about it, and write about it.
My Abah is having a recurrence of nasopharyngeal cancer or NPC (you can read more about it here and here).
His biopsy results came back positive, and he did a CT Scan soon after that to find out the extent of the cancer. And he was straight away referred to the NPC specialist team at PPUM.
All was done within one week - his ENT appointment, his biopsy test, his CT Scan, and his appointment with the NPC specialist.
The news that the Big C was back shocked us, and we were praying that it was still at an early stage. Syukur alhamdulillah, the scan images showed that the tumor is quite localized, and has not spread to any other parts of his body.
But Abah still needs to undergo treatment, and because he was under the care of KLGH when he had NPC the first time around in 1995-96, he has been advised to go back to KLGH. Apparently he would have to go through BOTH the External Beam Radiotheraphy Treatment (EBRT) AND the Internal Beam Radiotherapy Treatment (also known as "brachytherapy") for his recurred NPC.
However, we have been told by an oncologist friend that the chances of NPC to recur after 10 years are actually very, very rare, and as such, we're getting a second opinion as to the diagnosis.
Although we are preparing Abah (and ourselves) for the impending barrage of radiotherapy that he may have to go through, we are also praying very hard that it's not NPC.
At his age, we are trying to spare him from having to go through radiotherapy unnecessarily, if possible.
And we are praying...hard.
Have you ever felt sometimes, that you just didn't want to talk or write about certain things because you just didn't want to think too much about them? Or you just didn't want to think about them at all? Because when you start talking or writing about them, you would not be able to think straight? Because you would be worried sick?
I went through that for the past two weeks.
I didn't want to talk or write about it, but, as much as I had prayed for it to go away, it is still there. It is not going away. And I have to deal with it. And one way of dealing with it, I realized - is to talk about it, and write about it.
My Abah is having a recurrence of nasopharyngeal cancer or NPC (you can read more about it here and here).
His biopsy results came back positive, and he did a CT Scan soon after that to find out the extent of the cancer. And he was straight away referred to the NPC specialist team at PPUM.
All was done within one week - his ENT appointment, his biopsy test, his CT Scan, and his appointment with the NPC specialist.
The news that the Big C was back shocked us, and we were praying that it was still at an early stage. Syukur alhamdulillah, the scan images showed that the tumor is quite localized, and has not spread to any other parts of his body.
But Abah still needs to undergo treatment, and because he was under the care of KLGH when he had NPC the first time around in 1995-96, he has been advised to go back to KLGH. Apparently he would have to go through BOTH the External Beam Radiotheraphy Treatment (EBRT) AND the Internal Beam Radiotherapy Treatment (also known as "brachytherapy") for his recurred NPC.
However, we have been told by an oncologist friend that the chances of NPC to recur after 10 years are actually very, very rare, and as such, we're getting a second opinion as to the diagnosis.
Although we are preparing Abah (and ourselves) for the impending barrage of radiotherapy that he may have to go through, we are also praying very hard that it's not NPC.
At his age, we are trying to spare him from having to go through radiotherapy unnecessarily, if possible.
And we are praying...hard.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Apologies, and thanks...
Dearest friends,
First of all, please accept my apologies for not counter-commenting on any of your comments on my previous post. I wish I could. Hati ni rasa`membuak-buak' nak give each and every one of your comments a personal note, but, I'm still feeling slightly under the weather even until today.
I truly appreciate all your warm and kind words, and well-wishes. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for all the concerns shown, and do'a and the 'speedy recovery' wishes for my Abah and moi. Insya Allah our do'a akan dimakbulkanNya. Amin. Thank you so, so, much...again. Hanya Allah SWT yang dapat membalasnya.
I'm slightly depressed as apart from the ear infection and the pain on my neck which are STILL there, both my feet and fingers are now puffed up and swollen. They're not painful, syukur alhamdulillah, but I'm quite concerned because this had never happened to me before, not even when I was pregnant with the kids. Apparently, it looks like some kind of water-retention thingy. But, from what I had read in the past, swelling of the feet, or any limbs etc are normally associated with a weak heart, or some kidney problems, or if there are tumours obstructing the functions of our internal organs. So, I was worried...and it doesn't help when Doctor Hubby doesn't seem to think it was anything serious, but, at the same time didn't even look at my feet, and didn't do much to explain the possible causes of the sweeling, etc :( So, yeah... I was depressed to say the least.
Being someone who seldom fell sick before this, I just felt so frustrated, and helpless the last one week or so. Why wasn't I getting better? In fact, I think it has gotten worse the last couple of days ni!
So, off I went to see yet another doctor this morning - pecah record, you all...FOURTH doctor within one week! (And I think this frequent visits to the doctors is also one of the factors making me depressed...)
Dr. Mo*az*i spent a good forty minutes taking down my history and also examining me. The ear infection has not cleared totally, and he is of the opinion that my back-pain and stiff neck are related to the infection. It's a natural body reaction to counter the pain in the ear, and this causes spasm at the back of my neck. And the only explanation he could give with regard to my swollen feet and fingers was that it most probably has to do with the painkiller I was taking the last one week, i.e Ar*ox*a. Apparently, some of its known side effects are - water-retention in the body, fluctuating weight (that explains why I've gained 2 kilos in the last one week despite being sick!), and also headaches (which I've been having since last night!). Strange...because this was not the first time I've taken Ar*ox*a...But, Dr. Mo*az*i said that my body must have gone through certain changes in the last few mionths or so, and now it is not tolerant to the drug anymore.
So, I've been given another course of (a different) antibiotics for the next one week, and I've been taken off Ar*ox*a. I've been adviced to just take the normal PCM for my stiff neck, and headache and pain in the ear from now on. I hope they'll work for me. The shooting and throbbing pains are giving me restless nights...and I badly need a good night sleep.
I pray to Allah SWT that that is REALLY all to it, and I'll be back to my normal self in no time, insya Allah...
And oh yeah...Watching Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical last night with Ayah and the rest of the MTs and hubbies REALLY lifted my spirit last night. It was just SUPERB! It was just so mesmerizing. And I was blown away. Will definitely blog on it once I'm much better. I promise.
Again, thank you so much for all the do'as and well-wishes.
God bless :)
First of all, please accept my apologies for not counter-commenting on any of your comments on my previous post. I wish I could. Hati ni rasa`membuak-buak' nak give each and every one of your comments a personal note, but, I'm still feeling slightly under the weather even until today.
I truly appreciate all your warm and kind words, and well-wishes. And from the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for all the concerns shown, and do'a and the 'speedy recovery' wishes for my Abah and moi. Insya Allah our do'a akan dimakbulkanNya. Amin. Thank you so, so, much...again. Hanya Allah SWT yang dapat membalasnya.
I'm slightly depressed as apart from the ear infection and the pain on my neck which are STILL there, both my feet and fingers are now puffed up and swollen. They're not painful, syukur alhamdulillah, but I'm quite concerned because this had never happened to me before, not even when I was pregnant with the kids. Apparently, it looks like some kind of water-retention thingy. But, from what I had read in the past, swelling of the feet, or any limbs etc are normally associated with a weak heart, or some kidney problems, or if there are tumours obstructing the functions of our internal organs. So, I was worried...and it doesn't help when Doctor Hubby doesn't seem to think it was anything serious, but, at the same time didn't even look at my feet, and didn't do much to explain the possible causes of the sweeling, etc :( So, yeah... I was depressed to say the least.
Being someone who seldom fell sick before this, I just felt so frustrated, and helpless the last one week or so. Why wasn't I getting better? In fact, I think it has gotten worse the last couple of days ni!
So, off I went to see yet another doctor this morning - pecah record, you all...FOURTH doctor within one week! (And I think this frequent visits to the doctors is also one of the factors making me depressed...)
Dr. Mo*az*i spent a good forty minutes taking down my history and also examining me. The ear infection has not cleared totally, and he is of the opinion that my back-pain and stiff neck are related to the infection. It's a natural body reaction to counter the pain in the ear, and this causes spasm at the back of my neck. And the only explanation he could give with regard to my swollen feet and fingers was that it most probably has to do with the painkiller I was taking the last one week, i.e Ar*ox*a. Apparently, some of its known side effects are - water-retention in the body, fluctuating weight (that explains why I've gained 2 kilos in the last one week despite being sick!), and also headaches (which I've been having since last night!). Strange...because this was not the first time I've taken Ar*ox*a...But, Dr. Mo*az*i said that my body must have gone through certain changes in the last few mionths or so, and now it is not tolerant to the drug anymore.
So, I've been given another course of (a different) antibiotics for the next one week, and I've been taken off Ar*ox*a. I've been adviced to just take the normal PCM for my stiff neck, and headache and pain in the ear from now on. I hope they'll work for me. The shooting and throbbing pains are giving me restless nights...and I badly need a good night sleep.
I pray to Allah SWT that that is REALLY all to it, and I'll be back to my normal self in no time, insya Allah...
And oh yeah...Watching Puteri Gunung Ledang The Musical last night with Ayah and the rest of the MTs and hubbies REALLY lifted my spirit last night. It was just SUPERB! It was just so mesmerizing. And I was blown away. Will definitely blog on it once I'm much better. I promise.
Again, thank you so much for all the do'as and well-wishes.
God bless :)
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Health issues...
To those of you who are my FB friends, would know by now that I'm on a 2 day sick leave - yesterday and today.
Both Ayah and I were not well about a week ago with flu. I think I got it from him as I had a one day delayed symptoms of whatever it was that he had. Anyway, by Friday last week, both of us were over it. Or so we thought.
I still had some intermittent pain on my right ear, and I guess it's quite normal for that to happen after a bout of flu. And at the same time, I started having some back pain, or rather neck-pain (something like what we'd have if "salah tidur", only worse!)
Not really bothered, and thinking that the pain would go away eventually, Ayah and I brought the kids out for dinner on Sunday evening (case of feeling guilty leaving them at home when we went out for our Valentine's dinner lah ni...Hehehe!). On the way home, I was starting to feel pretty lousy, and my whole body was aching. Very much like having flu-symptoms. Joints aching and rasa seram sejuk. Hasya and Hilman became my tukang urut in the car throughout the whole journey home.
Later that night, I was having trouble sleeping as the pain (both ear and neck) were getting worse, and I could not find a comfortable position to sleep in. I kept on waking up several times during the night, and finally Ayah asked me to take some Ar*ox*a for the pain. For those who are familiar with this drug, would know that it's one of the stronger painkillers around. Even that did not really work on me.
The next day, as I was bringing my Abah to see Ayah's ENT specialist friend at UM*C, Ayah suggested that I had my ear checked, too. My Abah has been having nose-bleeds everytime he blows his nose for the past 2 weeks, and we only got to know about it last weekend because he was keeping it to himself all this while. Only when the nose-bleeds became more frequent that he decided to tell my Mom. It is a cause for grave concern because Abah has a history of cancer of the nose way back in 1995-96. It was detected quite early, but he had to go through radiotherapy treatment over a period of 2-3 months, and syukur alhamdulillah, he was given an all-clear after that.
I was in Newcastle then - a fulltime housewife and mom, following Ayah who was an SHO in Wansbeck General. I only got to know the progress on Abah's treatment, etc thorugh my sister Yong. After he got the all-clear, Abah, my Mommy and Yong came to visit us in Newcastle. This was about 1 1/2 years after I left KL to join Ayah.
I was so shocked to see Abah when we went to fetch them at the airport. Abah had lost so much weight! From a sturdy and tall gentleman of 5'10" weighing at 75kg, he went down to a frail man of about 55kg! And I remember crying my eyes out seeing the new him at the airport. Apparently, the radiotherapy treatment had caused his tongue to burn and his tastebuds just lost the ability to taste any food for nearly 6 months after that. That had put him off food totally, as everything tasted like sawdust, according to him. But, syukur alhamdulillah, he was given the all-clear. But, at his age, it was quite difficult for him to regain all the weight he had lost.
My Abah is 79 years old. He'll be 80 on 30th March this year. Apart from the old cancer, generally he has been quite a healthy old man. He has hypertension, which comes with old age generally. He's not diabetic, and he doesn't have any heart problems, syukur alhamdulillah. He never had any serious complains about anything, until his nose started bleeding again two weeks ago...
I brought Abah to see Prof Pr*pa who suggested Abah to do a biopsy as there was a small lump behind his right nostril. And my sister Yong brought Abah to see Prof Ra*ma* yesterday for the biopsy, and we will only know the results next Tuesday. We pray that it's just an old scar, and it's nothing serious...
As for myself, according to Prof Pr*pa I had quite a bad ear canal infection on my right ear, which apparently is quite common among those who frequently clean their ears with cotton-buds. Strange, because I am so not guilty of that. He couldn't explain why or how I got it if I had not been using cotton-buds to clean my ears in the last one month or so.
Anyway, I've been put on a course of antibiotics, clarinase and just as I'm typing this, there's a 4 inch gauze soaked in some ointment (which I swear smells like kerosene!) stuffed inside my right ear canal. It has been there since Monday afternoon, and it's only coming out on Friday. But, I can't stand it anymore. I think I'll ask Ayah to pull it out tomorrow afternoon. It doesn't only muffle my hearing, but, it's also so da*n itchy in there!
I had to see another doctor for my stiff-neck, and was given 2 types of painkillers and some deep-heat ointment to apply to the back of my neck and shoulders. And I was given a 2-day sick leave. But, at the moment I'm writing this, the pain in my ear is still there, and my neck is still stiff, in fact I think it has gotten worse.
But, somehow they don't seem to bother me that much anymore. They're just normal pains. Normal ailments. And insya Allah I'll be alright in the next couple of days...
It's waiting for Abah's biopsy results that is making me having sleepless nights now...
Please pray for him.
Thank you...
Both Ayah and I were not well about a week ago with flu. I think I got it from him as I had a one day delayed symptoms of whatever it was that he had. Anyway, by Friday last week, both of us were over it. Or so we thought.
I still had some intermittent pain on my right ear, and I guess it's quite normal for that to happen after a bout of flu. And at the same time, I started having some back pain, or rather neck-pain (something like what we'd have if "salah tidur", only worse!)
Not really bothered, and thinking that the pain would go away eventually, Ayah and I brought the kids out for dinner on Sunday evening (case of feeling guilty leaving them at home when we went out for our Valentine's dinner lah ni...Hehehe!). On the way home, I was starting to feel pretty lousy, and my whole body was aching. Very much like having flu-symptoms. Joints aching and rasa seram sejuk. Hasya and Hilman became my tukang urut in the car throughout the whole journey home.
Later that night, I was having trouble sleeping as the pain (both ear and neck) were getting worse, and I could not find a comfortable position to sleep in. I kept on waking up several times during the night, and finally Ayah asked me to take some Ar*ox*a for the pain. For those who are familiar with this drug, would know that it's one of the stronger painkillers around. Even that did not really work on me.
The next day, as I was bringing my Abah to see Ayah's ENT specialist friend at UM*C, Ayah suggested that I had my ear checked, too. My Abah has been having nose-bleeds everytime he blows his nose for the past 2 weeks, and we only got to know about it last weekend because he was keeping it to himself all this while. Only when the nose-bleeds became more frequent that he decided to tell my Mom. It is a cause for grave concern because Abah has a history of cancer of the nose way back in 1995-96. It was detected quite early, but he had to go through radiotherapy treatment over a period of 2-3 months, and syukur alhamdulillah, he was given an all-clear after that.
I was in Newcastle then - a fulltime housewife and mom, following Ayah who was an SHO in Wansbeck General. I only got to know the progress on Abah's treatment, etc thorugh my sister Yong. After he got the all-clear, Abah, my Mommy and Yong came to visit us in Newcastle. This was about 1 1/2 years after I left KL to join Ayah.
I was so shocked to see Abah when we went to fetch them at the airport. Abah had lost so much weight! From a sturdy and tall gentleman of 5'10" weighing at 75kg, he went down to a frail man of about 55kg! And I remember crying my eyes out seeing the new him at the airport. Apparently, the radiotherapy treatment had caused his tongue to burn and his tastebuds just lost the ability to taste any food for nearly 6 months after that. That had put him off food totally, as everything tasted like sawdust, according to him. But, syukur alhamdulillah, he was given the all-clear. But, at his age, it was quite difficult for him to regain all the weight he had lost.
My Abah is 79 years old. He'll be 80 on 30th March this year. Apart from the old cancer, generally he has been quite a healthy old man. He has hypertension, which comes with old age generally. He's not diabetic, and he doesn't have any heart problems, syukur alhamdulillah. He never had any serious complains about anything, until his nose started bleeding again two weeks ago...
I brought Abah to see Prof Pr*pa who suggested Abah to do a biopsy as there was a small lump behind his right nostril. And my sister Yong brought Abah to see Prof Ra*ma* yesterday for the biopsy, and we will only know the results next Tuesday. We pray that it's just an old scar, and it's nothing serious...
As for myself, according to Prof Pr*pa I had quite a bad ear canal infection on my right ear, which apparently is quite common among those who frequently clean their ears with cotton-buds. Strange, because I am so not guilty of that. He couldn't explain why or how I got it if I had not been using cotton-buds to clean my ears in the last one month or so.
Anyway, I've been put on a course of antibiotics, clarinase and just as I'm typing this, there's a 4 inch gauze soaked in some ointment (which I swear smells like kerosene!) stuffed inside my right ear canal. It has been there since Monday afternoon, and it's only coming out on Friday. But, I can't stand it anymore. I think I'll ask Ayah to pull it out tomorrow afternoon. It doesn't only muffle my hearing, but, it's also so da*n itchy in there!
I had to see another doctor for my stiff-neck, and was given 2 types of painkillers and some deep-heat ointment to apply to the back of my neck and shoulders. And I was given a 2-day sick leave. But, at the moment I'm writing this, the pain in my ear is still there, and my neck is still stiff, in fact I think it has gotten worse.
But, somehow they don't seem to bother me that much anymore. They're just normal pains. Normal ailments. And insya Allah I'll be alright in the next couple of days...
It's waiting for Abah's biopsy results that is making me having sleepless nights now...
Please pray for him.
Thank you...
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