Ladies Wellness

This is for the ladies. You never see me share such info but I believe this is something worth sharing.

I'm not a fan of Chinese herbs as I do not like the bitterness (no surprise) and I'm always a little skeptical towards the unknown side effects. But something my colleague recommended me recently has actually helps improve my well being. 

Many of my colleagues start telling me that I look radiant and has this healthy glow.  They said I've always looked pale in the past. They even ask if I use blusher as my cheeks look rosy pink these days. Honestly, I do not use blusher as my skin is always sensitive towards make ups.

Hence, I would like to give credits to this Chinese herbs I've consumed past 2 months and thought it's nice to share with you ladies.

It is very economical and you can get it from any Chinese medicine shop. I got mine from a shop in PJ and it cost RM0.70 per packet.

Although the recipe mentioned egg but I am just that lazy so I pass. I only boil the herb/leaves/grass (call it what you like) with the brown sugar.

Hope this will do good to you as it is to me.

What About Migraine?

I was hit by a very severe migraine few days ago and the pain was excruciating. It brought back so many painful memories in the past. I was a frequent migraine sufferer in the past and it often last for days to weeks. I was almost migraine free... yup I said almost because I only had mild migraine 2-3 times a year which only lasted for 1-2 days in the past say 3-4 years before I was pregnant.

People often see committing suicide is an act of cowardliness. I can assured you that to kill oneself you need even greater courage to do so. Well, I am not speaking from a 'been there done that" standpoint. Obviously I have not 'done that' or else I wouldn't be writing this post. But I have certainly 'been there', as I had numerous suicidal thoughts before.

Now please do not get all surprised and alarmed that I will attempt such act, ever. If I had the courage I would have done it years ago, but no, I didn't have the gut then and I don't have it now either, so I'm just gonna manage it as it comes. For people who never experience migraine, I must say you are really lucky and for those who do you know how painful it can be. Many a time in the past I really felt like hitting my head against the wall and wished the pain and the suffering would end just like that. Oh well, like I said, I didn't have the gut to do it.

I was telling Keith the other day and it was the very first time I ever confessed to him that I am very afraid each time I get hit by the severe migraine attack. I am afraid that my vain would just pop and I would just gone within seconds without saying goodbye to my loved ones. There were many times when I was having the severe migraine attack, while laying on my bed I was so afraid to shut my eyes fearing that I may not ever wake up.

There were many things could trigger the migraine. For me it could be smell, weather, food, stress or maybe hormone change. I don't know what caused the migraine to lessen tremendously in the past and what trigger it to happen again now. Since 1st Jan 2015 to date, I already have about 4-5 migraine attacks. The strange thing was as often as I used to get migraine, I never bother to goggle it up and find out more about it. I had a CT scan done before at one point because Keith was so worried that I may have a tumor growing in my brain that was causing all the pain. And of course the result was clean. Hope this migraine attack will not be a regular occurrence again though. :(

These time I decided to study a little more about this illness that have haunted me for more than two decades. Doctors usually prescribe painkiller or muscle relaxant for this disease but both meds only help to relieve the pain and the effect for me is usually short lived, hence I don't bother to take any med unless I can no longer stand the pain or if it prolonged. Ultimately, the best way to treat a migraine or severe headache is just, sleep.

Following are some links if you are interested to find out more about this disorder/disease.

About Migraine
http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/headache/migraine1.htm
http://www.migrainetrust.org/understanding-and-managing-migraine
http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/natural-remedies/migraine-causes-and-cures
http://www.prevention.com/health/brain-games/breaking-migraines-change-your-brain-44

Treating Migraine
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1275419/Best-cure-migraine-headaches-cup-coffee-two.html
http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-a-Migraine

Have I Failed Them?!

Ever since Cassandra left us, not a day we don't think of her or not miss her. No matter how many days have passed my love for her only continue to grow with time and I miss her even more than before. :(

As fast as I tried to move on and as much as I tried to be happy again, I just can't help thinking, 'Have I failed them?!', Today not sure why suddenly I feel that perhaps I have failed baby Cassandra and Keith. I know people who had premies born around the same gestation or earlier than Cassandra and yet they made it. And one of the factor because their babies were not underweight when they were born and they didn't really have any other complication. For Cassandra, overall her vital signs were good but she was slightly underweight. And perhaps because of that she was subjected to more invasive procedures which led to underlying infections that no one detected.

Perhaps I shouldn't have listened to the lady. Perhaps I should have continue to take maternal milk during my whole pregnancy. Then maybe she wouldn't be underweight and things would be different.

Maybe.

I know it's pointless to think about all these because I can never rewind and redo anything.

Sigh....

Emotional Trip

Due to my previous pregnancy complication, I was transferred from a private hospital to a government hospital. Hence, my normal gynae that I was seeing didn't know about Cassandra passing. I decided to make a trip to see my gynae as to update him about Cassandra and to check how my internal wound is healing.

So Keith and I went to the hospital yesterday and as usual the nurse would take my weight and blood pressure. Right after the nurse strapped on the blood pressure monitor on me, she asked where was my baby as she saw on the record my EDD was on 29th Aug 2014. I simply replied:"My baby is with God". She was shock and silent for a few seconds then she offered her sympathy and continued to ask me more questions as she needs to record it in my file. Needless to say, I got emotional and my eyes got teary while answering a few direct and straight forward questions about Cassandra. And then the blood pressure reading came out, my blood pressure was elevated and that was the first time I witnessed how our emotional condition could affect our BP. And I had an acid re-flux too due to the distress.

Saw my gynae and Keith did most of the talking as I was rather emotional after talking to the nurse. My internal wound was checked and it has healed well according to my doctor. We also checked with him when is it safe for us to try conceiving again and what are the preventive measures needed for the next pregnancy.

Honestly, I have been braving myself to talk about Cassandra when people ask about her 'death' and I must say no matter how many times I talk about it, I still feel sad and the pain has not gotten any lesser. But then again, I like to have someone ask and talk about our little angel coz I feel happy and proud whenever I talk about her. :)

Just A Little Updates

Hmmm...have not been feeling really well these past few weeks and things got worst after I went for the charity run on Sunday morning. I am basically dehydrated after exposed under the sun and lost of loads of water thru sweat.

I'm hit with sore throat. fever. migraine. nose congestion and not to mention dehydration. Went to work yesterday with a very bad sore throat that hurts so bad. I made it thru the whole day and leave work on time to get home for some rest. Towards the evening the fever started.

Woke up this morning found myself in a pool of sweat and migraine. Sore throat still there and I felt really bad. Went and see doctor, bought some buns for breakfast and lunch then came home to rest.

Hopefully I'll be all recovered tomorrow.

I have an album to make. I can't keep falling sick or unwell. I must stay strong and healthy!!

On Treatment for H. Pylori Bacteria

Keith & I went for a blood test last month and a bacteria called, Helicobacter Pylori or H. Pylori in short were detected in my blood. I was advise to do a further check up for confirmation if that bacteria is found in my stomach as well. Hence, I made an appointment and went to a hospital this morning and did an Endoscopy.

The test came back positive and according to the doctor my stomach lining was very red, which might due to some inflammation. So now I have to take 1 week medication to treat it and to see the doctor again in 2 weeks time.

It is not really serious as many people have these bacteria in them nowadays. However, it is good to detect it and treat it early as this is the type of bacteria which might cause stomach ulcer/cancer in the long run if not treated.

So for those who always have gastric pain, heartburn or feel bloated even though you have a proper diet practice, do go and do a blood test on this H.Pylori bacteria to fins out if your problem is causes by that. Do not take it lightly as it might turn to something bad if not treated properly.

The procedure was pretty simple as I don't remember when I was knock out and when it ended as they put me on general anesthesia. As the dosage was low hence the grogginess didn't lasted very long after I regained consciousness.

The only down side is, when they stuffed the tube down my throat to my stomach to extract the cells for the test, it must have scratched my throat as it is a bit painful and swollen even until now. Hope the swell and pain will go away soon.

About Keeping In Shape

Anyone who knows me from my schooling days can testify that I've always been more or less the same size as I am now and then. It is funny for people from different race, age group and even gender to ask me this question, "How do you stay so slim?".

Seriously, I have no answer and I have no secret or any special diet regime to share. I'm serious. Very often, people always think that there must be something I'm doing secretly to stay slim and not willing to share coz when I replied that I don't do anything particular to stay slim, sometimes I get offended looks and I can see from their expressions that they don't believe me.

Alright, if there's really anything I'm doing to make sure I stay slim and not put on weight, just only one thing, it is not a secret, in fact it is what I usually share with people whenever they complain that they can't fit into their existing clothes due to the extra pounds they have gained and having to buy new wardrobes that they can fit into.

I think this is the biggest mistake everyone makes. When you put on a little weight and the pants seems a little tight, you quickly go and buy a new pair of pants in bigger size so that you can wear more comfortably. And after a while, you find that the new pants no longer fit as you have put on some more weight and once again you rush to the department store and get a bigger size that you can fit in nicely. Need I say more? If you keep doing that, before you realise it, you will be out of control!!!! Even though some might say they would keep their old pants/blouses and wait till they lose weight and to use its again. Believe me, it will never happen if you do not discipline yourself.

It's not that I am so Lucky that I can never put on weight. This is not true. I do gain extra pounds on my thighs if I consume too much RICE. Yes, it is my biggest enemy. So I try to avoid it as much as I can. But staying away from rice doesn't help much coz I love to eat, so too much of eating other stuff would also eventually make me gain weight, so what do I do to stay slim all these years while I still get to enjoy all my favourite food?

Mmmmmm.. the trick is...never give in to the extra bulge or tightness. Whenever I feel that my pants are a little tight, I take it as a warning sign and I'll try to cut down all my favourite fatty food. I would never allow myself to make any purchase of new clothes when I know that I have put on some weight coz by doing so, you are giving yourself away. And each time you allow that to happen, one fine day, you will find that you are too far gone and even harder to put off the weight and most people would end up give in and give up.

So you see, there really isn't any secret that I'm keeping from you guys. Just do as I do and you should be able to keep your figure. :)

Flu Flu...

It all started yesterday afternoon....

Keith has fallen sick with flu & fever since Sunday and actually he has not fully recovered till date. As he falls sick more often than I do, I like to tease him for being weaker than me and stuff sometimes.

On Wednesday night, he warned me not to drink from the same bottle as he coz he worried he might spread the virus to me. Oh well, I've been drinking from the same cup/bottle with him since Sunday, so I thought if I would have get it, it wouldn't take so long to infect me. So I berlagak (action) lah.... I told him I'm much stronger & healthier than him and while telling him that I showed of my biceps (to further prove my point).

And I spoke too soon....

I woke up with a slight sore throat the next morning. In the afternoon about 5pm I suddenly realised my left nostril is blocked and my right nostril is feeling rather dry & painful. I didn't know why but I suppose it was due to the air-cond and since I can't leave office just yet, I took a piece of tissue to cover my nose and continue working.

Came home after work and felt miserable coz it hurts so much to breathe. Every breath I take is hurting me so bad, but I can’t stop breathing either. I have to choose between enduring the pain or stop breathing and die!!! Of course I don’t want to die. Not now!!!

I had to sleep without air-cond so end up Keith had to sleep in the living hall coz he wouldn’t be able to sleep without the air-cond. It was very warm for me too but at least my nose wouldn’t hurt so much as compare to sleeping with the air-cond on.

Woke up this morning, luck was not at my side. I woke up with a slight runny nose but damn… the pain just wouldn’t go away. My right nostril is still feeling dry & painful each time I breathe even with my nose fluid flowing down (running nose mah). As I have loads of things to do in office so I was very reluctant to take sick leave but then I know I wouldn’t be able to take the cold air in the office without any protection for my nose, so I had to wear mask at work.

Everyone was asking me why was I wearing mask and they laughed at me. They laughed!!! How sympathetic they are. :P Hahahaha…. They said I look cute and wanted to take picture. *&@*?#*!$*”^)%.....

One of my colleagues saw me, laughing non stop then he showed all kind of funny actions & shouted at me: “Hikkk! POWER RANGER!!!”, I shouted back: “No!!! I’m NINJA TURTLE!!!”. He kept calling me Power Ranger but I insisted I’m TMNT (Teenage Mutant Ninja turtle), then he gave up and called me ‘Turtle’.

Then late in the afternoon another colleague came in to office, saw me wearing the mask, he frowned and asked me: “Why are you wearing mask? SARS happen again?”, so I played along, “Yes, yes, SARS! SARS!”. All these jokers! :D

Oh I forgot to mention, I went to see doctor after lunch wanting to get the nasal spray & some medication. So I walked to the clinic (nearby my office). I registered myself and was called in to the consultation room shortly. While walking towards the room I saw a young Chinese girl sitting in the room and I was wondering why the doctor calls me in while he/she has another patient in the room. When I reach the door, I realized she is the doctor on duty (name, Michelle). I was very surprise as I’ve never seen a young Chinese female doctor before. Ok I lied, I’ve seen young Chinese female doctor before but the reason I was so overreacted is because this young doctor is quite pretty looking. So I was very excited and happy (ok I must stress that I’m not Bi nor Les, ok?) coz I like to see pretty girls.

Anyway, many people said want to see my TMNT look in my FB today so I purposely took a shot of myself.

So this is for you bunch of ‘Kepochi’!!! (Busybody) :P

Hope I recover soon coz as I'm typing this blog, my flu got worse but the dryness & pain is still there. How can that be?? I'm having running nose and yet my airway is dryand it still hurts at every breath I take. Really don't understand.... :(

Combating Water-Retention....

Do you have water retention problem?

Well, I'm one of the victims of this disaster. I've been having a pair of big thighs from young and have tried many ways to slim down the extra fat stored in that problem area for many years, but no matter what I did both my legs still look swell and puffy.

Keith & I have been into fruits juice frenzy lately and we have tried different combination of fruits. So far, his favourite is Banana-Orange and myself prefer to have variety so I will have different combination every now and then.

Somehow, I stumbled across a formula that helps to combat my water retention problem (I can only speak for myself coz I don’t know if it will give the same effect to others).

The combination is 2 apples and 1 carrot. I wasn’t very sure at first but I’ve tried and then I stop and then I try again, and seems like it really works.

So, for those of you out there who may have the same problem as me, do try it and let me know if it works for you. J

You never know, all the ‘fat’ you‘ve been trying to shed might actually be ‘water’.

What Makes You FAT?

Some people are simply blessed with good genes. No matter how much they eat, what they eat, or even after a few kids, they still look as slim as ever, of course, I’m referring to those who use no aid of any diet/slimming pills or excessive exercise. They just can’t or don’t put on weight as easily as most people do.

I’m certainly positively accurately definitely NOT one of the lucky sorts. People always have the perception that I don’t put on weight even if I stow myself with lots of junk. Well, they are so W-R-O-N-G.

There was a time (during my teenage years and 20’s); I really can eat LOADS and can hardly put on weight. As a girl, what I can eat per meals is like two big bowls of noodles or a plate of chicken rice with additional (big bowl) rice or 4 slices of pizza (large) with 2 chicken wings and garlic bread and soup or eat a full meal like Steak and 15 scopes of ice cream right after, etc. I don’t kid you; I was a big eater for a girl standard or perhaps for some guys too.

My male friends used to tease me saying that I’ll have to marry a very rich guy in order to feed my BIG appetite for food, if not the poor guy will not be able to survive himself.

I don’t like the look some people gave me after I replied them that I never go on diet and I eat a lot of junk and fattening food like chocolate, cheese, full cream milk, chips when they asked me how I keep fit. They reacted like as though I was lying, as though I was being selfish and just didn’t want to share my ‘Slimming’ secret. Give me a break! No one believes me when I told them that I didn’t take diet pills.

But as I age (I’m already 31 yrs old), my metabolism rate has slow down gradually and I noticed I do put on weight more easily compare to 2 years ago.

Everyone who knows me well also knows that I don’t like to eat rice. More precisely, I don’t like to eat plain rice, although I love fried rice, coconut rice (nasi lemak) chicken rice & tomato rice. Then again, plain rice is serving on most of the days so I hardly eat rice unless my mom in law cooks some special rice dishes occasionally, or I order it myself whenever I eat out.

Well, I think perhaps due to the fact that I rarely consume rice, hence my body really not accustomed to rice. I realized whenever I continuously take rice for couple of days, my tummy will start bulging and my thighs would also grow bigger & flaunting all the cellulites shamelessly (no one ever seems to notice any changes coz I hid it well under my clothes),

However, no visible sign of fat or weight elevation, does that means you are slim & fit? At least that’s what I thought, but, I was so wrong.

There is a new term called ‘Slim ‘Fat’ People’. Now, what exactly is that? Well, studies show that many thin people have the same heart disease risk and type 2 diabetes risk as obese people. In fact, some thin people are at higher risk than sumo wrestlers! The reason? Intra-abdominal fat. (Refer to http://ezinearticles.com/?Slim-People-at-Risk-for-Fat-Related-Health-Problems?&id=588568 for more info).

Well, there are more than about eating right and doing right amount of exercise. Sometimes, it is about knowing what you shouldn’t eat by finding out what makes your body gains fat easily. Because, I have friends eating the same amount as me, go to gym and work out faithfully every other day and yet, they still failed to shed the unwanted fat.

The matter of fact is apart from having a balance diet and regular exercise, you must know what makes you fat, then try to cut down tremendously or stay away from it if you can help it. (I know it is easier said than done, but if there’s a will, there’s a way, man!)

As every individuals comprise different chromosomes in their body, thus each body system is also varies, hence, we can never apply general diet plan to everyone. Rice makes me fat but not any form of meat, but for another person, the culprit could be the poultry or the bread.

So, start making some observation over your daily diet and single out the suspicious food then try to stop eating it(s) for a while and see if it makes a difference. If you notice your weight seems to drop after quitting a particular food, then try eating it again to confirm if it causes your weight gain again. If it does, then you know what you should do.

One more thing, try to substitute water consumption with green tea or Oo Long tea after your lunch before dinner time, it helps.