36 soalan untuk suami isteri?
1 week ago
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health. Show all posts
I was at a wedding some time ago when someone said this to me: 'You don't look like someone who has 5 kids. You must have managed your stress well.' I just smiled and said, 'Ye ke...?'
Well, I am not sure about that. I don't deny that at times I do feel stressed out. But a good stress manager? I don't know. But I do know that I have several mechanisms of releasing or venting out the stress. One of it is my whatsapp groups. Particularly the group of my high school friends.
Once, when I was stuck in a heavy traffic jam while driving back from work, these conversation took place:
Nak stress sebab jalan jem pun tak jadi bila baca the conversation. Ha ha... In fact, I still laughed when I read the chat history just now. I supposed this can be one of my stress management kit. What's yours? :D
One of the good (or bad) things when you are in the FB network, you may got tagged or you may see people who were tagged in numerous advertisements and online business and whatnots. One of them is this protein drink SDII. Looking at the marvelous testimonials plus the convincing before and after pictures made me wonder, does this product really works?
Eventually, to cut the story short, I bought 1 tin. Friends asked me, kau nak slim apa lagi, kan dah slim... Erkks... slim ke?? Well, I still have hidden (not so hidden) fat (yang tegar) that I need to shed. So my journey with SDII begins. RM150 terbang. Tu pun mujur ada kawan yang boleh dapatkan member's price.
First dose of SDII: Two scoops plus 250ml of plain water. Shake...minum sikit... yuckks.... Rasa mcm nak termuntah. I was reminded of the glucose drink when I had to do the glucose tolerance test during my previous pregnancy. But I managed to finished the drink and retain it in the stomach. And subsequent drinks, I thought it would be easier but no... I still cringe and made faces every time I chugged the drink down my throat. Well, holding your breath while drinking helps a little.
After 1 tin, what's the results? Ha ha... Macam tak de perubahan pun. I lost more weight when I did my puasa 6 marathon during Syawal recently. Well, maybe for some people it works but if you are like me, better forget it. Because:
1. I was supposed to drink 3-4 times a day. But I have a very bad compliance issues. Sometimes I only drank once, often only twice a day, rarely 3 times, never 4 times. One tin was supposed to lasts for only 1 week. It took me longer than that.
2. I was supposed to restrict to protein diet and stay away from carbohydrates and sugared drinks. There was many a time I broke this rule. Especially at home. Siapa yang nak abiskan nasi or lauk pauk anak bila anak tak abis makan? Plus I often had lunch/tea/ice-cream with friends. Takkan nak tengok je kawan-kawan tu makan. Harus kena temankan.
3. Finally, of course la, exercise very the malas.
So, conclusion (for me, not for anyone else), cukup la 1 tin. Better do it naturally. But first, lunch date with the Kiahs (Hemy and Mas) in approximately 1 hr time.:P
Today is supposed to be my expected delivery date. Well, it is just an estimate and you never know when the baby decides to say hello to the world. In my case, it was decided for the baby, 2 weeks ago. I was 38 weeks into my pregnancy and my obstetrician advised me to came in and go for labour induction. The main reason is that I had placenta abruptio in my previous pregnancy and since the recurrent rate is high so it is best for me to deliver earlier.
The best thing of having a pre-determined delivery date is that I can be prepared and not having to go through the panic of rushing to the hospital and had my water broke in the car (that's what happened in my 3rd pregnancy).
Anyhow, I was admitted to UKM specialist center on the 2nd of June, 12 days earlier than the expected date.
One of the first things that I did when I was admitted: selecting the menu.
One tablet of Prostin was administered intravaginally at 10 am and uterine contractions followed soon after that. I started to have quite strong contractions at noon. From 5-7 minutes apart, they came faster until I barely had a rest in between. The pain jangan cakap la. Almost unbearable (but still managed some FB activities during that time...:P).
The cardiotocograph (CTG) reading during contraction-free period.
The cardiotocograph (CTG) reading during contraction-free period.
During one of the contractions. See the difference?
Being the 5th pregnancy with 3 normal deliveries, I should have been tolerant to the pain, shouldn't I? But this time the pain was phenomenal. People did say that the pain due to induction is greater. And I was lucky to be the living proof of that.
I was in and out of pain throughout the whole afternoon. I finally asked for analgesic and they gave me a pethidine jab which did not help at all. The pain was still there, worse if not the same. The jab only made me sleepy, and on top of that it left a nasty bruise on my right arm. Why not epidural eh? Well, I'm not the expert here but I supposed the risk of uterine rupture during induction, esp with previous Ceasar scar may have something to do with it. Having epidural may mask any pain along the scar that can be one of the signs of uterine rupture. Again, I'm no expert.
Earlier my obstetrician informed me that if the induction failed to soften and dilate my cervix, she would call it a day and insert another Prostin tablet the next day. She won't take any risk and continue for fear of uterine rupture due to my previous Ceasar scar. Oh no!! The thought of going through another agonizing day was too much for me to handle.
My water finally broke at 7 pm. I was 6 cm dilated then. Dari pukul 12, baru 6 cm. Biar betul... I was wheeled to the labour room at 8 pm. Sempat jugak la abis tengok cerita Nora Elena kat TV :D.
Almost another hour of agony in the labour room (and I'm greatly thankful for Mr Hubby's presence throughout the whole thing), I finally delivered a perfect baby girl at 8.56 pm. Her angelic face is definitely worth the pain. Alhamdulillah. Welcome to the world Syamila Nor Akma. *kiss*kiss*
At 36 weeks of pregnancy, this was something unexpected. But, it happened. And boy...., I wouldn't want to experience this ever again.
1. Fever
It started with fever and headache. Which was temporarily relieved by acetaminophen. And I was wary of taking drugs during pregnancy even though acetaminophen is considered safe. But I had to take or else I could not function. And high fever is not good for the pregnancy even though the effects will be more detrimental during the early months. Anyhow, I experienced frequent uterine contractions during the feverish period and that was scary. In case I go into premature labour.
2. Lethargy
This was pretty bad. Towards the end of pregnancy, fatigue often overwhelmed me. And being down with fever, the fatigue came in double dose. Really drain the energy.
3. Muscle and joint pains
This was another intolerable symptom. My pregnancy is also associated with muscle pain and back pain. Thus, the fever-induced muscle and joint pains drove me crazy with pain and discomfort.
4. Loss of appetite
One express way to reduce weight. But with the baby inside, I sure don't want to jeopardize the baby's growth.
5. Low platelet count
The count declined from 227 to 224 to 108. Then thank God, it increased to 119, 141 and the last check was 260. Pheww.... Because of the multiple blood tests, my arm still bear the black and blue bruise due to phlebotomy. Friends gave lots of tips in order to increase the platelet count such as crab soup, guava juice and 100 plus. And of course, lots of plain water.
6. Dengue antibody
The low platelet count was suggestive of dengue. However, virological test further confirmed the diagnosis and I was found to be positive for dengue IgG and IgM. Nyamuk kat area Batu Caves/Gombak memang ganas...
7. Dehydration
I was thirsty, BIG TIME. Which was good, cause I need to fill myself up with lots of fluid. But the setback was, the frequent trips to the toilet. The trips are already annoyingly frequent during pregnancy but with the extra fluid filling the bladder, the trips were unbearable. With the muscle pain and lethargy, getting up to go to the loo was torturous.
Anyhow, thank God the dengue fever did not deteriorate into a haemorrhagic one. And I don't have any rashes nor do I experience nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Alhamdulillah, I am fully recovered and back to my normal self. Well... as normal as I can be as a pregnant woman :). May the remaining of my pregnancy weeks and the delivery itself go well and uneventful. Amiinn...
Received a sad news the other day about the death of a younger brother of a colleague. He died of a heart attack at the age of 36. Oh dear... that's young. I've heard similar stories and news for the past few years now. It seemed that the people who suffered from these attacks are getting younger and younger, especially the males.
And being a female, should I breathe a sigh of relief? I know females are somewhat protected from these cardiovascular diseases (for a period of time). I know, having the female hormone estrogen is the main factor why the females can avoid these diseases (again for a period of time). But this protection has its expiry. Once the menopause knock on the door, the risk of getting the diseases is comparable to the males. And menopause is such a misleading term. It is not a pause at all. It's permanent. Should call it menonomore
.
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And this morning, while I was drinking SoyRich drink, I thought to myself, ughh... this drink may be rich in soy, but so not rich in taste. Of course, with no added sugar, low in fat, no cholesterol... that equals to bland in taste. So, how to change this way of thinking (and attitude towards food)? 
Yang berlemak, yang bergaram, yang bergula tu la yang sedap. But those are the ones which are hazardous to the health. Tepuk dada tanya jantung?
Yang berlemak, yang bergaram, yang bergula tu la yang sedap. But those are the ones which are hazardous to the health. Tepuk dada tanya jantung?Al-fatihah untuk arwah.
Life is pretty unexpected. One second, you're high up. The next second, you're way down. One day, you're happy. The next day, you're depressed. This month, you feel fit and healthy. The next month, you're not anymore.
That's what happened to me. I noticed a swelling on my left neck about 2-3 months ago. I delayed in consulting a doctor, hoping it was just my imagination. But it's not. It kept staring at me whenever I look in the mirror. And I also considered, what organ may be affected to cause the sweling. And I can only think of the thyroid gland. I reflected a bit: have I ever had any symptoms of hyperthyroidism? Uhh uhh...nope. Hypothyroidism? I don't think so.
The worry was building up so I got a referral to HUKM and went for check-up. Well, one thing led to another. I underwent an FNAC aka fine needle aspiration cytology, where a needle was inserted into the enlarged area and the cells from the area was aspirated out for further analysis. Well, the name FNAC is quite deceiving because the needle is not fine at all. And during my time, the pathologist had to do it twice. Once was painful enough, ni buat dua kali pulak... Pheww...
I also had an ultrasound and thyroid function test done.
I also had an ultrasound and thyroid function test done.Well, upon having the FNAC results and interpretations as well as the ultrasound findings (I won't bore you with the technical details), it was decided that I need to go for an operation. The left lobe of my thyroid gland need to be removed, something that is called hemi-thyroidectomy medically.
So, a date was set and I had to make some adjustments to my teaching commitments. A few days before the operation, a colleague asked 'Having palpitation yet?' Strange, but I was quite calm. Well, maybe because I busied myself with work and try not to think what lay ahead. Another colleague called and she commented, you sound cheerful je..' Hmm... Am I that strong? Well, what she didn't know was that beneath the so-called stoic, calm face and cheerful voice, I crumbled a few times 
and had to sought comfort from the Al-Mighty and of course dearest hubby. I'm so blessed to have a very supporting and understanding man as a husband 
.
and had to sought comfort from the Al-Mighty and of course dearest hubby. I'm so blessed to have a very supporting and understanding man as a husband .On the specified date, I was warded. I requested for Wad Warga of HUKM, a ward that is specially reserved for the staffs of UKM and their family members. Thank God there was a vacancy. Since there are limited rooms in the ward, it may be full house at times. They put me in a 2-bedded room initially since no single room is available (well, fortunately I'm entitled to have the single room) and was then transferred to the single room few hours later. I was also informed that there are four-bedded rooms as well. But yeah, I really think that HUKM should open up another Wad Warga.
Having lunch in the hospital. Sometimes the food can lead to more depression .
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The single room, thus more privacy.
And I was supplied with this. Cool...
To prepare for the op, I went for vocal cord assessment. Thyroidectomy may be very tricky because of the location of the gland and the nerves surrounding it, specifically the recurrent laryngeal nerve. The nerve that innervate the vocal cord and is responsible for voice. The operation can cause damage to the nerve and will lead to hoarseness of voice. And that is a no-no
in my line of work. So the vocal cord assessment was done to ensure that the vocal cord is actually functioning well before the operation. Then, if anything goes wrong after the op, boleh la nak saman ke apa ke...
The assessment is something what a vocal teacher would do in Akademi Fantasia for instance. I need to say Aeeeeeee...... But with one exception, a scope is inserted down my throat and the image of the vocal cords can be seen on a monitor. Despite the local anesthetic spray, the procedure still cause some discomfort. Ughh... 
I was also seen by an anesthesiologist who asked a lot of history. And he happened to be one of my students years ago. His face does look familiar. Mesti salah sorang student yang bising dalam kelas, sebab tu boleh ingat. Having one of my ex-students as my anesthesiologist, shouldn't I feel safe? After all, my colleagues and I were the ones who taught them about drugs which include anesthetic agents.
My operation was scheduled the next day. The first case of the day. So I was given midazolam, a sedative, and donned the OT gown quite early in the morning. My husband managed to arrived before I was wheeled to the OR. He had to mind the kids, wake them up, make sure they are dressed for school and send them to school and then rushed to the hospital. I was quite calm during the journey 5 floors down to the OR. The midazolam's effects must have kicked in.
In the OR, eventually I was put on the gas mask and the scent reminded me of my car's air freshener. At the same time I was injected with another anesthetic agent via the branula on my left hand. And ouchh... That hurts. So, there I was, lying on the narrow OT table/bed, thinking of the pain on my left hand and wondering why the hell was I still conscious 
. The next thing I know, I was trying to open my heavy eyes, and hey... the operation was over.
. The next thing I know, I was trying to open my heavy eyes, and hey... the operation was over.The surgeon who did the procedure is one of the deputy deans and a great specialist. So I was in good hands, Alhamdulillah. I was told later that he did a small incision on the neck to save me from a large scar. About 3 cm incision and he and his assistants had to put extra effort in removing the left lobe of the gland which measures about 5 cm. He faced some difficulties initially in finding my recurrent laryngeal nerve which became very naughty that day and placed itself so close to one of the large veins. But everything turned out well in the end, praise to Allah 
. But I was told to expect some bruises around the wound due to the retraction of the skin during the procedure.
. But I was told to expect some bruises around the wound due to the retraction of the skin during the procedure.This is the dissected tissue. Look pretty nasty, isn't it?
And I had to have this drain attached to my neck to drain the blood out. It was a bloody affair during the operation, I was told.
It was difficult and quite painful to swallow after the operation. So I had to eat this.
I was able to talk immediately after the operation even though I needed to clear my throat frequently. That was a relief.
Some colleagues came for a visit and brought this. (oh yess.... I was bored in the hospital, sampai benda ni pun nak ambik gambar ).
).
I was retained in the hospital for 3 days. And I thought I would rest my voice so that it is fully recovered. But no... not long after I got back home, I have started yelling at my kids... Sheesh.. Even though I think I have regained my original voice, I couldn't help but ask my hubby, 'Makin merdu tak suara ni?' He laughed and said, 'sama je la...' Cheh... I won't mind if he lied. 
Anyhow, I used to have a thyroid gland. But now, half of it is gone. It is one of the things that we claimed as ours but actually it is only loaned to us. For how long? Not for us to know. Today, it's the thyroid gland. Next? Who knows? Maybe the liver, the kidneys, the limbs or maybe even the ability to breathe. Like all other loans, the things that Allah loaned to us are not without terms and conditions. The question is: have I abide by the T and C? Err.... that's a very difficult question 
.
. Electronic-cigarette anyone? It is targeted to those who wanted to wean off from their smoking habit.
Features:
The whole starter set costs RM310. It consists of the cigarette with detachable cartridge. The starter pack contains 3 packs of refillable cartridges. Each pack has 5 cartridges.
The whole starter set costs RM310. It consists of the cigarette with detachable cartridge. The starter pack contains 3 packs of refillable cartridges. Each pack has 5 cartridges.
Cartridges - refillable and contain flavors. Can be the flavor of cigarette brands such as Dunhill or Marlboro. (Hmm... 
Got flavor meh?) Also available in fruity flavors such as vanilla or caramel. A cartridge is said to be equal to 14 cigarettes. Individual refillable cartridge pack (5 cartridges) costs RM15.
Got flavor meh?) Also available in fruity flavors such as vanilla or caramel. A cartridge is said to be equal to 14 cigarettes. Individual refillable cartridge pack (5 cartridges) costs RM15.When inhaled, the tip lights up, just like a real cigarette. But no ashes la kan...
Smoke is also produced. Upon exhaling, the smoker actually blow out smoke, well... more like vapor actually. But it is odorless and it is said to be harmless to people surrounding. So, boleh la smoke indoor and in air-conditioned places eh?
It does not contain tar and few other harmful ingredients. Hmm... but from my reading these e-cigarettes still contain nicotine. But I also found out that the nicotine concentration varies, can choose from as low as 0 mg of nicotine. Tepuk paru-paru, tanya selera kot? .
but from my reading these e-cigarettes still contain nicotine. But I also found out that the nicotine concentration varies, can choose from as low as 0 mg of nicotine. Tepuk paru-paru, tanya selera kot? .A trusted informer conveyed to me the flavor is so thick, rasa pahit jadinya.
Hmm...conclusionnya, effective ke tak ni?
Lecture for today 
:
:Tocotrienol is a type of vitamin E which is shown to have antioxidant properties. (The other type of vitamin E is tocopherol).
Antioxidants - a molecule that is capable of slowing or preventing oxidation process and fight against free radicals
Oxidants - also called oxidizing agent, is a substance that receives an electron from a substance during oxidation process
Oxidation - a chemical reaction that transfer an electron from a substance to an oxidizing agent and produces free radicals
Free radicals - molecules or atoms or ions which are highly chemically reactive because they have unpaired electrons and will further cause tissue damage
Can you connect the dots? If you can't, free radicals must be raging in your body right now.
I heard a talk recently regarding free radicals and antioxidants. The speaker gave an interesting analogy. She said, free radicals are like bachelors. Free, unstable and go from one girl to another girl and create disturbance.s Remember that free radicals have unpaired electrons? They steal electrons from other tissue or cells and cause tissue or cells damage. So analogically, these bachelors, being young and free with raging (hormones), stole girls' heart. And in the process, the girls became broken-hearted 
. And the process continues until the bachelors meet the antioxidants. Hmm... Antioxidant jadi apa dalam ini cerita? Whatever la...
. And the process continues until the bachelors meet the antioxidants. Hmm... Antioxidant jadi apa dalam ini cerita? Whatever la...So, stay healthy people. Get enough antioxidants and live well.
Hey... someone should start 'I hate free radicals' or 'I like antioxidants' fan pages in Facebook. Ke dah ada?
Wednesday has been regarded as the no-cooking day for myself. Because on that day, there's a night market, very close to the house and on top of that, Wednesday is my washing day. Got to wash the kids' school uniforms. So, once I got back from the office, I would embark in the mission and once finished, will be too exhausted and have limited time to cook. So, beli je la... The kids, jangan cakap la... they look forward to the weekly night market. And sometimes make me wonder, they actually prefer night market food to my cooking??? Isyh... 
Anyhow, one Wednesday, I went to the night market with 2 of my kids, Syahirah and Syahidah. They wanted chicken rice. As the seller was packing the order, Syahirah said, 'Angah tak nak sayur.' I said, 'Tak pe la, nanti mak makan.' Then the seller pulak menyampuk, 'Ha'ah, nanti kalau tak abis, mak jugak makan..' Cisss... but really a spot-on... My behavior can be analogically compared to DBKL or Alam Flora. Segala yang tak abis (almost all), will often goes to me. That's how 'healthy' my diet is...
My behavior can be analogically compared to DBKL or Alam Flora. Segala yang tak abis (almost all), will often goes to me. That's how 'healthy' my diet is...Another example:
One weekend, hubby bought breakfast from the stall near our house. I don't want anything, I said. But 3 of my children, who have very HUGE appetite these days, wanted nasi lemak, 5 packs of nasi lemak... Sarapan ke hape diorang ni... Well, they did eat from all 5 packs, but they left the anchovies, the cucumber and the nasi part which got a lot of sambal. Kan ke orang selalu kata, kalau tak abiskan nasi, even sebutir, nasi tu akan nangis..? So I felt pity seeing all the leftovers and I ended up eating them even tho I did not intend to have any breakfast that morning . Hmm... Datuk Fadzilah Kamsah tak berkenan la ni kalau mak makan sisa anak... tapi daripada membazir... Anyway, all in all, I think the amount that I ate was more than 1 pack... How la jadi macam ni...
Well, they did eat from all 5 packs, but they left the anchovies, the cucumber and the nasi part which got a lot of sambal. Kan ke orang selalu kata, kalau tak abiskan nasi, even sebutir, nasi tu akan nangis..? So I felt pity seeing all the leftovers and I ended up eating them even tho I did not intend to have any breakfast that morning . Hmm... Datuk Fadzilah Kamsah tak berkenan la ni kalau mak makan sisa anak... tapi daripada membazir... Anyway, all in all, I think the amount that I ate was more than 1 pack... How la jadi macam ni...The same day, I cooked tomato rice. The kids ate 'bersungguh-sungguh'. I ate 'separa sungguh' coz overate that morning. However, that night, I ate 'sungguh-sungguh terpaksa' coz somehow even tho the kids ate 'bersungguh-sungguh', they ate very little and there was a lot more rice... Pity hit me again...
The next day, a Sunday, breakfast time kinda repeated the previous day. And supermom act again. Makan lagi. Then I cooked chicken rice. My kids' favorite. I managed to eat some before I rushed to Titiwangsa Lake Garden to attend the clinical booth organized by my students in a 2-day programme of 1Malaysia Festival. They set a booth to measure BMI, body fat, BP, glucose level, cholesterol level and blood group.
Alang-alang dah kat situ, I had some tests done. I had my glucose and cholesterol levels measured. I can't remember when was the last time I checked my cholesterol level. And considering the overdose of food I had so far, I feared that I would kantoi the results. But Alhamdulillah, both were within normal range. So, does this mean I can continue with the eating marathon??
However, I skipped the other measurement especially the BMI and body fat. That's me in the denial mode or better known as 'tak sedar diri'. Well, I'm applying the concept of, what I don't know, won't hurt me... Yeah... right...
And I'm going to attend a 2-day workshop at a hotel next week. I sure need a strong willpower so that I won't overeat. If only putting a stop to this unhealthy diet is as easy as putting a full-stop at the end of a sentence...
And I'm going to attend a 2-day workshop at a hotel next week. I sure need a strong willpower so that I won't overeat. If only putting a stop to this unhealthy diet is as easy as putting a full-stop at the end of a sentence...
A visitor using the device that measure body fat percentage in the clinical booth.
