The whats and whats-not post surgery

As u all know, I've just done a Laparotomy 2 weeks ago and is currently on the road to recovery. Things are looking pretty good post surgery, ESP now is like 17 days post op. My wound is dry up and is getting tightened, which made walking upright not very possible. I walk like an old grandmother with a slight hunch. But I know, it's temporary.

For the first visit after my discharge, I had to go back to have my staples removed.

Staples: something similar to what we use as stationery, but it's surgical and it's thicker and uses a better material. Best part, it didn't hurt as much.

I shall spare showing my tattoo of victory, as it's really quite gross. Staples are more used during such long cuts, keep the wound together better than stitches.

In total, I have 34 staples and 3 stitches, which the latter was taken out at my next visit.

At that time, my appetite was still lost, like prodigal son and dunno when it was coming back. Have asked my doctor what could be done.
My Dr says its ok for me to eat what I like and want, as I need to eat more flavourful stuff to better my appetite.
Nothing wrong, except this is the Western medicine point of view.

As a Chinese with a Chinese type of body, I am not able to fully adapt to what was ok, such as:
- cold drinks. I was liberated when Dr said I could.... I paid the price, the following day, with horrible stomach cramps and discomfort.
- egg. I hasn't ate a single one since 03 Apr. Bro's mother in law says that egg is 'poisonous'. Not just her, my other frens who went through surgery also said that. And I'm not gonna oppose that. Rather be more cautious than be challenging.
- nuts. So no peanut butter for me, not peanut soup for me.... Anything with nuts is a no-no.
- seafood. I hear its not recommended, and I didn't challenge it, though at times I was tempted at the cereal prawn yesterday. Usually, it causes the wound to be itchy, so better not lor.

But I do relish at the revelation that I can eat fish and chips, or even MacDonald's (though I'm not a fan). In fact, I had fish and chips twice this week! Haha.

So, if u are like me, with a Chinese body, this are the what's-not to avoid. It will make ur recovery more comfy.

For the whats to do, these are the following:
- eat your meds and don't miss a dose. I learnt it the hard way when I missed a dose of panadol, and nearly died of pain. Even if u have to crush your pills (like I had to), just do it.
- pee and poo when u have to, even if it's in the middle of the night. For the first week, my mum and I were tortured out of sleep cos I had to pee and/or poo, which is a habit picked up during the hospital stay. It gets better as the days go by. In fact, I can don't need to wake up my mum and myself to go to the toilet.
- contact your surgeon when u are in doubt. I am so thankful that my Dr is contactable via email, he managed to answer my queries when I needed to contact him. So that I know whatever issue that I am going through, he is aware and he can advise me accordingly. I'm totally impressed that he replied my emails on a Sunday. :)

Remember, you are what you eat. Your incision will look how u eat too, no matter if u ever need to bare your mid-drift or not.

My journey to a healthier lifestyle

You might have known that i'm quite health-conscious, especially after i started gymming at Fitness First. I think that is the best investment that i've made in the year of 2012 and am continuing to enjoy the gym.

Of course, there is a price to pay which is a 3 digit figure every month that is deducted from my bank account. But as i hear from someone who also joins a gym, telling a non-gym goer this, that you should not look at how much you are losing (the monthly payments) and look at what you are gaining.

Me? The moment of truth starts here.

I started running in 2010, where i think i have reached the stage of obesity. I was at 1.57m? at *GULP* 75kg. But i guess, i was very into running and it all started out with the PAssion Run, where i went on to complete the Nike City 10k run and then the Standchart 10km run. Despite all the running, i didn't lose any weight, even though i started feeling healthier.

Over the 2 years, i only lost a grand total of 3kg, even though i was running a few more races... and longer distances (like Sundown 21km and Adidas KOTR 16.8km). And i got one fren who commits to run with me... and then we feasted after that. Like that, how to lose weight hur?? 3kg was the max that i've lost up till April 2012.

When my running buddy decided to join back Fitness First, i had to run on my own. And it was kinda more difficult because i gave myself all sorts of excuses to not run. See people, when you have people doing things of the same cause, it gave u lesser reasons to give excuses. And there are a lot more people around me who are losing weight because they joined a gym (not necessarily Fitness First).

And you know, at all gyms, members are encouraged to bring friends into the gym... all sales stuff and they eventually join the gym or not... it's another story. So my running buddy brought me into the gym to attend a Yoga class... and i saw that facilities are really good, as compared to the gym i was previously with. Not to mention this is the biggest gym in the world. And there's one near my office (5 bus stops away), and one near my house (3 MRT stops away) and one near Suntec (10 mins walk) and one near to Expo (Tampines) and many near to the MRT and some even has swimming pools! I swiped the card and took up the membership!

Anyway, i started out in May, and now is December already. Let's review my results.

1) As of 26 December 2012, my weight has gone down to 66.5kg, thanks to all the Bodypump and Bodycombat classes i attended, and some 指点from a PT at Cathay. Though i didn't sign any PT package with me, he gave me some tips like ... no carbs after 6pm (er i didn't follow that religiously, but i realized i can survive on yogurt drinks after an evening workout), and to tone up using either weights or Bodypump classes. Oh, and i totally enjoy Sh'bam and BodyJam... esp the holiday classes :) Looking to attend classes on New Year's Eve and New year. With proper nutrition and exercise, Output lesser than Input, that is the correct way to lose the weight, and tone up my muscles.

Many people has also commended that i looked better and it's very obvious i lost weight! Haha. I was totally swooned when i realized i can wear my mother's skirts (so yea! Save more money!) and i need to alter some skirts cos they were too big for me.

2) I've managed to achieve Personal Best twice this year for my Half-Marathon Category. During the Army Half Marathon i've improved my timing to 3h 33 mins from 3h 40 mins (from RUN350), and in the recent Standchart Half Marathon, i further improved to 3h 25 mins, considering it to be a never tried before route, starting from Sentosa through to Marina Bay. I've been doing quite a bit of Yoga (helps in running, apparently)..... like Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa, Hot Flow... and my favorite class is Bodybalance.

I continue to aim towards a 3-4 times per week to the gym, where i aim to run about 5-6km every week with some mixes of classes such as Bodypump, Yoga/Balance, Combat, and spice it up with some Sh'Bam or BodyJam. (think the younger but more fun version of 土风舞, haha).

And yes, i need to eat healthier. Have discovered a new soup joint which surprised me from my usual favorite Soup Spoon and her Asian Tofu Salad.

What i like about them:
a) Their soup is awesome.... Super Duper Gao! And they lived to what their belief is in, that their soup will taste according to the flavor of the soup... So nutritious! Totally no tinge of Cambell (who???). That's their main selling point, to start with! :)
b) Their set menu comes with either a selection of Crepe or Bread, and drink/fruit, at a good value.
c) The corner looked really cosy, and i like the bright decor of the place, even though it's a bit small.

What i didn't like about them:
a) Do we need 4 pieces of bread????? I didn't even finish the bread, actually. it is a bit oily, i think. But it's great to use Focaccia. :)
b) The banana looked a lil.... hmm
c) I can only find them at PS or J8?? Or GV at Vivo? But then, good things doesn't come in large quantities. :)

But i will definitely go for it when i passby it again! Loves their soup! :)

Till then! (It should probably be in 2013)

Cherry Angiomas – What is this???

I remembered as a kid, that my dad has quite a fair bit of reddish lumps on his body. He had quite a fair bit of it.

But as he grew older, it seemed that these lumps were either gone or that it has flattened and turned black. I couldn’t really remember.

I didn’t remember much of it until last year, that i felt a weird little bump on the right side of my neck. And it was kinda disturbing actually. Cos i have the habit of feeling around my neck and this little bump was quite a distraction to me.

Anyway, over the course of the few months, i felt disturbed about it, but at the same time, i tried to deal with it like how i would deal with a pimple – squeeze it! And well, of course, it didn’t work.

Initially this little bump was skin color, and i think these few days i ‘played’ too hard with it, and it kinda ‘graduated’ to be a reddish slightly bigger bump.

(If i have known, i would left it on its own!)

And it was until 30 mins ago, that i decided that this bump is disturbing enough for me to find out whatever it is, whether if it calls for any concerns to see a doctor or to raise any siren. Whatever it is!

I tried the following:
- Lump on the neck – which brings lotsa weird answers from the Lymnodes and some other stuff. Freaky!!
- Bump on the neck – which shows the same thing.

And i realized that i wasn’t searching in the correct direction. Technically it didn’t appear under the skin. But on the skin.

So once again, i tried bump on the skin, and it yielded some results, which i think it is.


(i’ve inserted the link from where i’ve got it from)

It’s proof enough that this disturbing thing is this thingy called the Cherry Angioma. Man, Cherry sounds kinda sweet and cute, but not such things!

Well….. At least it’s a COMMON thing, so, Phew!!

They are common after age 30, which i am post-30. Hurhur.

And they tend to be genetic. So my dad has/had it….. so i guess i have it. This seem to conclude what this disturbing thing is!

Now, the cause of it is unknown. However, upon further Googling…. i found a website which may well tell of what caused it.

It’s kinda scary to say that it is caused by Bromine poisoning… which is… a form of poisoning. The article talked about a lack of iodine. Hmmm.

But u have to recognize that not everything is credible online. So, before i proceed further to explain what i think about this article, i need to read more to see if there are more articles about the causes of this Cherry Angiomas.

At least one thing i know, it’s a common condition. But yea, i should want to deal with it some day. Just that i should not be over-conscious of it for now. Just let it remain as a dome-shape mini little lump until i decide on how to deal with it.

This bump-on-the-skin disturbed me for a while, and thank God, i kinda self-diagnosed what it is. Sharing it will bring knowledge to people who may be having this thing and wonder what it is. Fyi, this is a common thing, which means that quite a lot of people might have this; it’s just where it occurs.

Nope, I didn’t prepare myself for Halloween

Darn! Another Halloween Episode.

And the ironic part? When i started at AML, i had Halloween-ey eyes too….. And just when i’m preparing to move on to ***H, i also kena this thing.

This time, it’s caused by color-ed (my favorite purple color) contacts.

Anyway, this was the state of my eyes on Monday. Am not gonna wear any lens for the next 1 week, and am gonna switch to Dailies. Oh, JB, how i missed u…




 

Asics Gel-Nimbus 12 Running shoes

I bought my new running shoes, with the intention of retiring my old Reeboks (after i lost 3 toe nails after my HM, and realizing that i’ve been wearing the wrong running shoes for like the longest time)

So i’ve realized the kind of arch that i have…

I am a overpronator.

Knowing what kind of pronation you are, is vital, as it will affect your way of not just walking, but also running. I should have known, argh.

Well, since i know already, i need wide shoes, with maximum stability.

Before i purchased any shoes, i’ve already asked around on the various brands, and i tell u, i do make careful research to determine the shoes i wanna buy.

New Balance



This is New Balance W1260. This is the first recommendation from one of the shops. Maximum stability and wide. And it’s a *gulp* not very price friendly.

Nike

I went to West Coast Plaza’s Nike Factory outlet to take a look. I saw something which i thought i would have decided on.

Anyway, i forgot what it’s called…. Only remembered that it’s Lunarlon something-something.

I think i do prefer it cos it has a place for my Nike+ tab thingy….

Until i decided to just buy my shoes at Queensway Shopping Centre yesterday.

It’s all about talking more to shop owners who knows the best for your kind of legs, since they see legs the whole time.

Nike, NewBalance, Nike…. It’s all there! 

Now, most runners i know, uses Asics. And i did think about Asics, which most shop owners recommend for my feet.

And this is what i bought.



To be very frank, this shoe is not exactly what i thought it was to be – it’s not exactly a correct running shoe for overpronators.

To be politically correct, it’s for Under to Moderate to Slight Overpronators.

And it was about 2 hours ago (from writing the blog) that i realized it. And there was a mad frenzy going on in my head, deciding if i should change my shoes to Gel Kayano. See! I even researched on what i will wanna change to! Hahaha.

I’ve even called up the shop keeper to check on this shoes and whether if can change or not…. i think i already pissed him off with my new found knowledge?? Haha… But since it’s for slight overpronators, i think i should try it first. 

Look out for my review of this running shoes in the next few days, after i’ve tested it! 

Close to 1 year and loving it!

It has been about 1 year since i’ve embarked on my exercising regime.

Seriously, it hasn’t been easy, trying to motivate myself to go to the gym very regularly. Not forgetting the laziness and the food that will lure you away from the gym

Hasn’t it been Diana, who encourages me to start going out to the running track to run, i think i’ll still be stuck inside the gym, aimlessly. Now, i’m enjoying my runs. In fact, without running a minimum of 4km in 1 seating, i will feel Shiok-not!

What started out to exercise this year, has changed me from needing the air-con to exercise, to loving the running track. And to date, i’ve finished 2 x 10km runs, namely the PAssion Run and the Nike City 10k Race. And i am looking forward to Standchart Marathon in about 4 weeks.

Even though i do run a lot on the track, but most of the time, while running, i’ll lost track of how far i’ve run. And on the track, it’s not like in the gym where i can see how far and how fast i’ve ran.

I got an IPOD Touch, where the Nike + Application has been there for the longest time. I’ve been quite an apple-idiot, thinking that with the app, i’ll be able to track my run. I am only half correct.

Without a sensor, this application is rendered useless.

And i know that Nike does sell the shoes where u can put in the sensor. And i didn’t even know that i can get a clip holder for the sensor to use the app, until after the Nike Run. Really Slow sia!!!

Anyway, it’s a good thing that i’ve learnt, and so i’ve gotten my sensor from Nike Shop (it’s retailing at SGD29.90). And the Clip Holder, i’ve bought from Challenger (retailing at SGD16) or RunningLab.

With this sensor and my very clever IPOD Touch, i can catch my run.



It’s quite in me to track my runs. And so far it’s great. I’m just hoping i won’t drop my sensor somewhere…. (i have 998 times to go before i need to change it!) 

About being sick

I went through these past 2 weeks of seeing the doctors, and went through a "度日如年" time, contending with a giddy head, nausea, stomach cramps, and diarrhea.

It's an experience, a bad experience, i must say.

I never knew what gastric flu was, and never knew how torturous it was to go through it.

I first started with a few days of diarrhea, but with normal bowelling-removing functions. Which escalated to a toilet visit every 30 mins, giving out nothing but liquid. All at the wrong places. Which is abnormal, but i was slow to react.

The next mistake is to go to a Chinese Sinseh even while i'm still having cough, and thought that the Chinese medicine works wonders. It's not an injection leh. Usually Chinese medicine takes time slowly, slowly healing and restoring.

So ended up, i didn't get to 调, but my diarrhea got worse. That's when the alarm came and decided to go see a GP. He who diagnosed me with Gastric Flu, gave me a lot of medicines for the diarrhea, which tasted of bananas and lotsa salt since i lost water. And the symptoms took like 3 days to clear....

Anyway, if u have such symptoms such as:
- Diarrhea with much frequency
- Weak and no strength
- Stomach cramp

Go to the doctor immediately. Don't delay.

Only go and 调once u are cleared from the sickness, to build immunity. Which i'm still waiting for my cough to clear, and will do that once it's clear.

Love yourself, be aware, and take care of yourself.

Yours for good health.

Eat fruits and drink more water

Even on the morning of the blardy stool incident yesterday, i told myself that I MUST drink at least 1.5 litres of water. I have a Nalgene Pink 1 Litre water bottle in the office (which was with me since i started work officially after graduating with my degree) that i didn't exactly use. It was just sitting on my office table, taking up a diameter of 8cm space.

There was a time i thought of bringing it back... bringing it when i served at FOP and didn't.

So yesterday, i filled the bottle up to the 1 litre mark, and started to drink water from there.

*gulp...gulp...gulp*

And then that's where i found the blardy stools. !#$%^

But today, i'm happy. Still feel constipated, but no blardy stools. I guess drinking water has a good benefit.

For those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome or suspect that u have that, read on what i'm gonna share on the benefits of fruits and water.

According to my search, eating fruits helps in

a) potential for weight control - Woohoo... I want!!
b) more energy for exercising - Yeah, baby!
c) reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases -
d) reduced risk of developing cancers -
e) lower blood pressure
f) potential to lower cholesterol -
g) reduced change of developing type 2 diabetes
h) potential to slow down age process - Yes... Oh vanity vanity..

Drinking water has the following benefits:

a) regulate appetite
b) increase metabolism
c) boost energy levels
d) less water retention - it must come together with sufficient sleep.
e) alleviate some headaches
f) help reduce blood pressure
g) help reduce high cholesterol
h) ease joint pain - i need that.
i) decrease in risk of some cancers
j) less chance developing kidney stones
k) release toxic waste products - help your liver
l) improves skin

See!! So many benefits of eating fruits and drinking water!! I want to lose weight! I want super-duper good skin.

One thing to note: don't overdrink water . As always, have a balance!

Drinking too much water can lead to a condition known as water intoxication and to a related problem resulting from the dilution of sodium in the body, hyponatremia. Water intoxication is most commonly seen in infants under six months of age and sometimes in athletes. A baby can get water intoxication as a result of drinking several bottles of water a day or from drinking infant formula that has been diluted too much. Athletes can also suffer from water intoxication. Athletes sweat heavily, losing both water and electrolytes. Water intoxication and hyponatremia result when a dehydrated person drinks too much water without the accompanying electrolytes

Cheers to good health!

It seems 99.99% like IBS

Before i go on, i have to emphasize that this is only a suggested analysis of what i'm currently going through. I'm sharing this so that if u are experiencing this too, hopefully it can also help u in some way or another.

This hasn't been verified by any doctors/physicians... yet. (in as much as writing about this is malu enough, seeing the doctor for this is malu times infinity to the power of infinity)

_____________________________________________________________


Ever since my university days, i've been having this very irritable habit. And it happens especially right after lunch.

It's a common thing to move your bowels. And if u don't move it (if u don't know what's moving your bowels, it means shitting in the toilet la), then it means that you are constipated.

All along, i thought that it's a norm for working people to have such a habit, since all working adults in the office will sit down and work (which explains that the protruding tummy starts coming out), and probably that's the course of it.

While i was working as a Recruitment Consultant, this symptom seem to be really obvious. And my then-colleagues commented that it's really weird for me to visit the toilet for 'big business' right after lunch, every single day.

And for the past 2 years working at my current workplace, the cycle continues. Though my eating habits are kinda different, since i will pack food from home, eat some other stuff and now with my mother's home-cooked lunch, the situation is still the same. I'll still go for 'big business' relatively fast after my meal.

Today, my Finance, Sarah, mentioned about her friends' friend died of colon cancer... and her dunno-whose friend contracted colon. And it's so out of the blue!!

And today happened to be a day where my situation is really kinda bad, where i literally moved my bowels so much that i felt weak in the stomach. And i thought of what she said about Colon. Hmmm...

I wasn't even intending to post this entry about it. I was about to log off when i thought i should google it.

So, usually, Google will search out words that u type. So i typed:

Moving my bowels right after a meal

The answer generally stated Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Hmmm... doesn't really seem to explain much. So i typed again:

Pooping right after a meal

I got a more detailed answer here. So seems that the possibility of Irritable Bowel Syndrome is kinda high.

So i googled Irritable Bowel Syndrome. And this is my result. (From Mayoclinic.com)
1) What is IBS - Hmmm... i seem to experience a bit of everything (-__-)"
2) Symptoms of IBS - My question is, Do u really see ur own poop??? I don't, so i won't know if i have mucus in .... *sigh, anyway, it seems i experience everything here.
3) Causes of IBS - Argh. Milk makes me more bloated. Too much chocolates makes me burp umcomfortably for eons. Hmmmm... Lactose intolerant???
4) Ladies are more prone to IBS - So ladies, take note.
5) When should u visit your doctor for IBS - Well, don't wait until something really happens before u go.

i'm skipping part 6 - 9 (that's together with the package from point 5).
10) What u can do now to help yourself - Points are highlighted below:

• Experiment with fibre - eat more fruits and vegetables. Fibre helps with constipation. So it should be good. The only problem with many people, including myself is, Laziness.


• Avoid problem foods - how to cut coffee from my life??? I need my daily fix and my starbucks!


• Eat at regular times


• Take care with dairy products


• Drink a lot of water - 8 glasses per day is the way to go.


• Exercise regularly - Needa gym more.


• Use anti-diarrhea medication with caution - bottomline is, don't any how self medicated la.

So, i shall try to be more mindful of what i'm putting into my mouth during meals for now, so i'm gonna work around with IBS in perspective. Will see if there's improvement in bowel movement. Will give an update on it in a few weeks time.

Nodules in the voice box

Mummy was diagnosed to have Nodules in her voice box.

As a 土风舞 dance instructor, she needs to teach not just with actions and also using her voice. She started teaching around 2 years ago, and when she taught at the badminton court downstairs, she would use a voice amplifier to protrude her voice to teach. She will do that twice a week.

Then as she start to get more invitations to teach, she will teach elsewhere. She teaches on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. So imagine how much she need to talk.

In her day job as a Customer Service Manager, she liaises with her counterparts over the phone - which means using her voice. Can u imagine doing customer service without using your voice? Can't imagine the scenario. It will be 鸡同鸭讲, and things will get nowhere.

From since last year, she had been having quite a bit of cough, and occasional hoarseness. But since this year, her hoarseness has never ceased, though she doesn't have phlegm-sy cough. Did scoping about 2 times. Then last week she went to China for holiday, dining with all the super-duper oily stuff. And when she came back, her hoarseness went up to another level where her voice cracks.

She saw the doctor on Monday, who automatically called the hospital and 'demand' them to shorten her wait for the ENT checkup (which i don't see the point for her to wait for her supposedly check up in May 08), which she went yesterday. Thank you Healthway for expediting the process for my mummy. :)

The specialist took scoping through the nose and then spotted the growths which block the entrance of her voicebox, which causes the hoarseness.

This is the closest to what i can find on the internet to explain.

The 2 circles are added by me to indicate the growth. This is the voice box. As u can see, in the middle is actually an opening. When we speak, the 'opening' will close. But when there are nodules, it jams the closing of it which cause hoarseness.

Mummy's going for surgery tomorrow and will be out-of-action for the next 2 days at the hospital. I think this is a rather minor surgery, as the surgery will last one hour, which the nodules are removed using the scoping method. It's an uncomfortable method but at least there isn't any major incisions. However, she won't be able to talk for about 2 weeks (MC from next week onwards).

As i was writing this, mummy walked in and said that she will wait until her birthday in October to do one of her favorite pastimes: Karaoke-ing. She couldn't last a song since last year, because her voice will become hoarse. Sigh. It's a technical issue as well as a vocal box issue. I have been suaning her since January about not karaoke-ing. So hope she can sing happily when she turns 51 in october.

Before i end off, if you are experiencing any throat issues, such as hoarseness for a long while, go see ur doctor and eventually specialist. It could be a nodule as what it happened to my mummy.

Or if u have been coughing non-stop for many months, and no medicine seems to be a remedy, go take a chest x-ray. It happened to a friend of mine, who was diagnosed with Tuberculosis (TB).

In this cranky weather, take care of yourself and beware of symptoms. Stock up on vitamins when u need to. Sleep early, eat well.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Remember this topic where i talked about buying DKNY (it's a synonym for Lingerie), and how i learnt to be not bothered.

But this entry i want people, especially MEN, to sit up, clean your eyes and read this entry, which is about this ground-breaking topic of PMS.

Sometimes, guys find their girlfriends to be weird at certain days of the month, where the sista starts to have a blackened face, got moodswings and always feel very uncomfortable. And yah, being unreasonable and easily agitated which led to a lot of screaming and crying. And many a times, guys (esp without younger/older sisters) won't understand, and wonder if she's the correct person to be with.

But that's no excuse! U would have known what it was when u studied Secondary 2 (or was it Secondary 1?) where u learn all about it, be it the male or the female.

To all you out there, who doesn't understand why girls behave this way during a certain week, i'm here to educate and to tell u what's wrong with us during these times.

According to my search, this website defines what Premenstrual Syndrome is about.

What is premenstrual syndrome (PMS)?
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a group of symptoms linked to the menstrual cycle. PMS symptoms occur in the week or two weeks before your period (menstruation or monthly bleeding). The symptoms usually go away after your period starts. PMS can affect menstruating women of any age. It is also different for each woman. PMS may be just a monthly bother or it may be so severe that it makes it hard to even get through the day. Monthly periods stop during menopause, bringing an end to PMS.

What causes PMS?
The causes of PMS are not clear. It is linked to the changing hormones during the menstrual cycle. Some women may be affected more than others by changing hormone levels during the menstrual cycle. Stress and emotional problems do not seem to cause PMS, but they may make it worse.

Diagnosis of PMS is usually based on your symptoms, when they occur, and how much they affect your life.

What are the symptoms of PMS?
PMS often includes both physical and emotional symptoms. Common symptoms are:

1. acne - Common case of pimple outbreak (a girl's nightmare!)


2. breast swelling and tenderness - not for u to know unless if u are a husband to your wife


3. feeling tired - U can physically see it, so don't irritate her


4. having trouble sleeping - see point 3


5. upset stomach, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea - Tendence to visit the washroom a bit more, which is a common sight when it's past the pre-MS.


6. headache or backache - see point 3


7. appetite changes or food cravings - DO NOT mistake it as gluttony. It varies from person to person. To add on, there can be instances where the person loses appetite.


8. joint or muscle pain - don't rant at her for being slow.


9. trouble concentrating or remembering - Be understanding


10. tension, irritability, mood swings, or crying spells - Don't get irritated/embarassed when she suddenly wails out loud in public


11. anxiety or depression

I have to say this, that when women are having PMS, it is not a season for them to be unreasonable. You guys would never understand the pain, nor will i expect you to fully understand.

But i need you to be aware. You may not have ladies friends who have this symptom, but it varies from person to person. But, if u have, just be understanding and not irritate the person too much.

What i can say is, going through PMS is a painful thing, and it's not just about having a pale face throughout the whole time, feeling nausea and stuff like that. It doesn't feel good at all. So guys, can you all just show a bit more understanding than usual?

I'm not telling the gals to tell the rest of the world they are PMS-ING (though i do at times, which can be obviously seen from my face -_-"' ), but just be nicer and be more tolerable, alright?

Professional Opinion

As a member of California Fitness, there are some perks that come along with it where there are Fitness Professionals (loosely known as FitPros) that comes by and teach u to use the machines, occasionally teaching u certain exercising techniques.

I had joined California since July 2006, and there is usually a yearly fitness assessment, that i did that day....

The good
I have successfully lost about 2.5 kg since joining the gym, has got my fat % reduced slightly.

The bad =(
I'm still kinda high in certain areas (okok, weight is still an impending issue!). Blood pressure is reducing slightly, and was told to get a doctor's opinion. I mean, totally demoralized already after doing all of that, and was told that my blood pressure reading is in the zone called Prehypertension. Haiz... made my workout totally feel so sian, though i lingered in the gym for more than 3 hours yesterday.

Just to give some information on the usual blood pressure reading. Usually it reads like this:

xx/yy

The first number (left side) is called the systolic pressure, it measures the pressure in your arteries when your heart beats.

The 2nd number (right side) is called the diastolic pressure, it measures the pressure in your arteries between beats.

Ok, this is a bit technical, even when i'm typing this, i'm also having some difficulty understanding totally what it is.

For your information, normal blood pressure is measured at 120/80. So this prehypertension is at approximately 120/80 to 139/89

So it's apparently that i fall under this category. I mean, i was 'cheated' by my family doctor (grrrrlll), i remembered the last time i went to visit him, it was like May 2006 (i didnt' visit any other doctor since), and he said that my BP is still quite ok, though i was concerned about it being on the high side.

So, i'm thinking of doing a body check soon. I don't wanna get what high BP or heart disease.

So frens, i'm sharing this, so that if u are on the high side of BP, get a professional opinion. Even if u have the most money in the world, but no health, is it worth it?

I'll.... do my best to get my opinion really soon.

Cheers to good health. Live your life to the fullest, in His glory!

Knowing a bit more about Ades and fighting Dengue

As u all know, Singapore is currently plagued by the attack of the Ades Mosquito. And it has been made worse with the recent crazy weather. Suddenly hot, and suddenly rain liao crazy and then humid like crazy.

Ok, have just read this from today's newspaper on the various hotspots, they will be in order:

1. Kim Keat area: 31 cases
2. West Coast Link: 28 cases
3. Pasir Ris Ave 6: 24 cases
4. West Coast Road: 23 cases
5. Rivervale area: 17 cases
6. Geylang 12, 14, 16,17, 19 and 21: 14 cases
7. Tampines street 22:16 cases
8. Lorong Ah Soo: 14 cases
9. Geylang 20, 22, 23, Sim Avenue, Guillemard Road area: 13 cases
10. Clementi West street 2 (argh!!!): 11 cases
11. Senga, Jelapang Road: 10 cases
12. East Coast Road, Telok Kurau M street and N street: 10 cases

Aiyo!! Clementi West is facing a serious case of Dengue attack!!! In case u are wondering. Yes, i stay in Clementi West. And my area is ranked 10th among the list on top *sigh*

I really shudder at the fact of being in the danger of kena-ing Dengue. I mean, i've never kena that, but i've experienced similar symptoms. It happened when i was around 21 or 22 years old. And my mom was away in Copehagen on a 3 week work trip. When i started experiencing fever symptoms, she was just going away. And when it came and went a few times, and even after seeing the doctor like 3 times, i was kinda freaked out (Man, i missed my mom at that time). And finally was asked to do a blood test.

Blood test is scary enough to think of how serious it could get. And 2ndly, findly my vein is another issue. Too thin! Argh! (that's why i'm not encouraged to donate blood - high risk of infection) So i had blood drawn from the vein seen near my knuckles. Think that's much more painful from take near the elbow? It was a terrible terrible experience. Thankfully, it wasn't dengue, but a near-serious bout of bacterial infection. Was on 2 week medication.... So sad, and my momma wasn't with me... Anyway, it's over :) But, if u ask me if i still remember the experience, yes i do. I won't forget it. It's very hard to bear with discomfort. It displays similar symptoms to dengue.

That's why i'm kinda freaked-out slightly when i typed out the Hotspot list where Clementi-west Coast area is so high as compared to others. I dont' want to go through that trauma again, ever!

I guess West Coast-Ayer Rajah Town Council has been hard at work, keeping on taping the posters to encourage residents to prevent mozzie from reproducing. To whoever: seems that the TV ads are not working huh?! 10-min Mozzie Wipe-out exercise doesn't seem to be practiced in the West Part of Singapore (namely Clementi West area). Maybe should go through e9 to promote it :P (hahahahahahahahaha)

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I have a member in the CG, Samuel. He's a researcher with ***, and his experiments actually deal with mice. Yes, laboratory white mice. All the time, we are all very amazed with how he could deal with the mice. He shared that after the experiments, all the mice has to be exterminated - killed off. Reason being is that with the experiments of having the viruses, it will not do good to the rest of living things if they are left rampant.

Was talking to him on the way out of Expo, and i kinda asked him if he knew anything on the prevalent dengue virus. And he has some knowledge of it. And he shared so stuff on the Ades that quite interesting:

1. There are actually 2 kinds of Ades Mosquito - he shared really technical names that i can't register at all
2. The Ades is the catalyst for the virus mutation, not the orginator - Sam shared that when an Ades bit someone with the Dengue Virus, it actually goes into the mozzie's bloodstream. For this virus to spread, it will need to take around 10 days for the mozzie to take in the virus totally. So what does this entail? This mean that when a person is bitten by a Ades Mozzie, (a) The mozzie bit someone with Dengue Virus 2 days ago: Good news, u won't kena Dengue, because the virus hasn't spread 100% into the mozzie's bloodstream. (b) The mozzie bit someone with virus 11 days ago: Bad news, u will kena the Dengue, because the virus has incorporated into the mozzie, and whoever it bites will kena
3. There's no tell-tale sign on the mozzie to say that (1) i (the mozzie) bit someone with Dengue today (2) i (the mozzie) has bitten someone with Dengue 11 days ago

All mozzies look black to me. Unless u start at the mozzie long enough, then 'Oh' u can see the black and white Ades.

Interesting huh?! So. If ever, a Mozzie decide to land on u, first response is usually to smack it dead yah. But usually people brush it off and get on with what they are doing. But i guess, after reading the above, maybe u can.

1. Rejoice, because u are positive (dunno how) that the mozzie doesn't contain the virus [yet?]
2. Get all freaked-out out because when u are negative to think that the mozzie contains dengue virus [even without checking whether if it's ades?]

Anyway, this issue has gone to quite a serious case, so i'll want to recommend some information (very important ah, if u stay in any hotspot)

Please check out the 10-Min Mozzie Wipe out Exercise and for goodness sake, do them!!! You are protecting your environment, your family and ultimately yourself.

In case u are not convinced, i need to inform you that Dengue Kills. Ok, maybe this one is not convincing, because u will say "That's Cambodia, But our conditions in Singapore are much better".

Read THIS.

Just realized this news shows more seriousness of the Dengue : 3,200 cases has been reported this year!

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Symptoms of Dengue Fever

1. Sudden high fever
2. rash
3. Severe headache
4. Pain behind the eyes
5. Muscle and joint pain
6. Nausea
7. Vomitting
8. Loss of appetite
9. After the fever started, the rash will appear 3-4 days later

To get more information, check out your favorite search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and others such as Wikipedia

Till my next entry!! Argh! When's my anniversary special coming?!

Bloody stool

Before i go on, i must emphasize that i'm not talking about a stool (that's a chair without a back) that i'm scolding the chair.

Well.... if u guys know, stool can mean other things, which syncs with the word that links to crap....From the toilet.

Ok it's going to get a bit gross around here, so u can stop here if u want to. But just to make it informational.

I dunno whether if anyone of you have ever experienced this: Going to the toilet to settle your business, and found that there's blood in your stool.

I did.

I was initially in denial, but well..... i can't say that i'm 'cock-eye' to visualize another color. But, it's obvious.

Now i hate going to the loo to do the big business, because i don't want to find blood on my stools, unnecessarily. But i've failed miserably the last 3 times today. =S

I really tried very hard to siam going to the toilet today, and nearly black-out because of that.

This is scary!!!! Argh.... i feel so freaked out.

Anyway, i did a google-search on bloody stool, and there are too much information..... INFO OVERLOAD!!!!

Ok, i guess there's a few websites that are helpful.

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/16/213.cfm
This one is quite ok, pretty general. Tells u what a bloody stool can mean.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/symptom-checker/DS00671
This one is a symptom checker. Well... i guess it helps generally.

As for my current problem, i'll sit on it first, and start to stuff myself with more water. Will see how it goes, if it doesn't go away in another 2 days, i'll get a professional opinion.

I'm too young to get piles lah!!!

Cross fingers!!!