Archive for the 'Health' Category

We got ourselves a new digital weighing scales to replace our old worn out and tattered dunno how many years old one. But I think something is wrong with my new scales. You see, it won’t come down. It just keeps going up! Heck! I think there was something wrong with my old tattered and torn old bathroom scales. It keeps going up too!

I remember sometime before Chinese New Year, I was telling myself that I want to lose 5 pounds but then I ended up with an extra 5 pounds instead! Now I’ve got to lose 10 pounds instead of the original 5 I had intended but those horrible scales just won’t budge!

I exercise daily or almost daily (for health’s sake first and beauty second). I cut down my intake of rice. But the scales won’t come down! It just won’t! Although I must admit that during weekends my exercise regime and diet goes flying out the window. Whooooooo! Bye! Bye! And thats when I laze around like a potato on a couch and pig out on everything else that I’ve missed out all week. Hehe.

But can you imagine that. Just 2 days of pigging out versus 5 days of exercise and diet regime and thats enough to tip the scares higher and higher. Its unbelievable. My only conclusion is …… there is something wrong with my new digital bathroom scales. What do you think?

The other day, hubby bought a packet (of 5) healthier type of Maggie Mee (Curry Flavour) to try. It costs RM1 more. It is supposed to be “healthier” because the noodles are air dried and not fried so it is supposed to be less oily. (I think the term used was air dried if I am not mistaken. Sorry hor, the maggie mee all in my stomach adi and the wrapper in the dustbin a few days ago liao so I can’t remember. Oh, I make such a lousy food blogger. No photos because lazy and food enter mouth and stomach faster than camera can flash. And my memory is bad, I can’t remember and get the facts right. Hehe.)

Well, anyway, the maggie mee is supposed to have “No MSG added”. I studied the ingredients and I think there is still some flavour enhancers in there so probably thats why they used the term “No MSG added” and not “MSG free”. Hmm……

So, whats the verdict? Well, the noodles are less oily and drier but the gravy is still salty and tasty and spicy. Whoooaaa! Like eating pepper like that. Makes my mouth and tongue feel so hot. I had to wash it down with some chocolate sweets after that. Very healthy indeed. Hahaha.

Aiyoh. Talk about maggie mee, feel like eating adi. It really is very addictive, this maggie mee.

Are you a fan of instant noodles? Can you share some nice brands you have tried? I am old school, so don’t ask me as my tried and tested brands are limited to maggie mee (curry and laksa) and indomie for mee goreng only.

Have you ever met someone who is passionate in something? Whether its their work or a project of whatever. These people are truly inspiring. I’ve met a paeditrician who is passionate in breastfeeding, a gynae who is passionate in her work and a neurologist who is passionate in his work (Hey. How come they’re all doctors?) It is a joy to watch them at work. No matter how busy they are (and these are very busy people), they always still manage to have a smile, and time for you because they truly believe in their work or project. They believe in what they do and they love what they do and what they do often helps other people.

Speaking about passion for something,  I also had the chance to meet this lovely lady who is passionate in her work to create epilepsy awareness. She used to have a booth at Wisma Atria for almost 4 years promoting epilepsy awareness. She gave me her time and some answers when I was searching for one. One of the best gifts you can give to a person is the gift of time. Time to really listen, understand and help them. This is what she has done for many people in the 4 years that she had her booth.

She has to close her booth now but I believe that she will continue to do valuable work in creating Epilepsy Awareness on her blog and in other ways. Wellsphere.com (a renown health website in USA) had nominated her epilepsy blog to be part of its 1st Annual Health Blogger Awards competition.  The competition had started on 15th December 2008 and will end on 31st January 2009. 

Will you help someone who is compassionate and passionate about creating Epilepsy Awareness to further spread Epilepsy Awareness by voting for her blog? I hope that you will.

You can help to promote epilepsy awareness by voting for epilepsy awareness.  Please visit http://www.epilepsylegacy.blogspot.com/.  You will see on the top right hand corner of the blog a voting badge with her photo in it.  Click on the VOTE NOW below the photo.  You will be asked to fill in a small form to register yourself to be a member of Wellsphere.com.  Fill in your particulars.  Click SUBMIT VOTE.  Your vote has been cast for epilepsy awareness.

Dad had one of his what we refer to as “Awakening” moments on Sunday so we took full advantage of it and took dad everywhere to enjoy old dad.

When dad has his awakening moments he would be very alert and want to do everything, like making up for lost time. I think dad started coming out of his fog on Saturday afternoon. He began talking more and on Saturday evening he sat through the whole “Fearless” show we had put on for him. He loves kungfu movies. After that he even commented on the show.

On Saturday morning, he followed us to the mall to do some grocery shopping. I think he was impressed with the Christmas decorations at the mall too. Dad was tired so we found places for dad to sit and rest while we took turns to run around doing our errands.

We eventually decided to buy a belt for dad because I noticed that the one he was wearing was so old and long. Dad has lost a lot of weight so much so that his clothing no longer fits him. Brother in law has given him some hand me down trousers and we had all bought him lots of shirts but I think we forgot about the belt.

On Sunday morning we took him to the park with the kids. He even sat on the swing for a while. 

After that dad and I walked to the nearby coffee shop for breakfast while hubby stayed on at the park with the kids for a while. Dad had fish slices congee. We bought Yau Char Kuay to go with the Congee because the porridge stall did not have any. Dad really enjoyed it. Then we packed some breakfast home and bought the newspapers for dad to read.

We painted the gate today, something we had wanted to do for a while. Meanwhile, dad sat on the bench and read the papers from cover to cover. He was alert and talked about everything that he read from politics to crime. He even spoke about his 4 digit numbers which he used to buy often.

I had forgotten that it was Donzhi or Tang Yuen Festival or Winter Solstice Festival. Sister had made some and Dad called her to ask her to bring some over. He was really mad because she was late and asked her not to come over anymore. Sis was stalled because she had workers at her house doing renovations.

So we brought dad there to have some tang yuen. It was the kids first time trying. Last year I made some store bought ones but they didn’t like it. Anyway, we thought its a better idea to wait till they are older before getting them to make and consume them since it is a choking risk. In short, the kids didn’t like it, so I ate their portions. 1 bowl plus 2 more bowls makes 3 bowls in all!

We skipped lunch because we were full from the breakfast and the tang yuen so we ended up having tea at a Mamak shop. Dad loves lembu susu and tosai so he enjoyed those.

In the evening after dinner, dad was still very alert, so we took him out to get some last minute Christmas gifts as well as to buy some new shoes for the maid. The kids had accidentally stepped on her shoes and tore it!

This morning the fog returned. Dad left a trail of urine all the way from his bed to the bathroom. After that he didn’t know what to do, because he couldn’t sit down. I finally managed to persuade dad to change his clothes, have breakfast and take his medication but he is sleeping now, like a baby. He will usually sleep all day after his awakening moments.

Sometimes with the awakening moments comes imsomnia where he will not be able to sleep for more than 24 hours and after that he will sleep for 24 hours. Its strange how the brain works.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, dad kept on talking about his diapers. Should he wear it? If he wears it he become lazy and won’t make an effort to go to the toilet to pee, he said so himself. He’s worried about not wearing it because he is too full etc but he managed to go through the entire days without it even though he was worried. He even managed to ask for the toilet at the mamak shop and go there on his own accord. And on Sunday he was delighted when he managed to poo first thing in the morning.

Someone said that alzeimers is almost a blessing in disguise, that losing all one’s memory is perhaps better than awareness but what about this half awareness, this awareness that you are beggining to lose your memory. It must be very frightening indeed. Sigh.

Despite wanting to remain positive and the numerous articles about growing old gracefully, I do not think that growing old is a graceful process, not when you have dementia and a bit of alzheimer’s.

Not when you begin to lose your dignity and confidence because you cannot handle simple daily tasks any longer. Not when bathing becomes scary to you and you no longer know how to button up your shirts and unzip your trousers. Not when you start having urinary and fecal incontinence and you have to start wearing diapers like a baby. Not when you have to allow your daughters to help you wear your diapers because you are embarrased you keep on wetting the bed.

Dad’s condition has deteriorated to this now. Sister will be away on holiday again for two weeks so dad will be coming to stay with us for a week till Christmas before going to stay with brother for another week till the New Year.

We’ve got ourselves some Christmas presents, books and toys and CDs and a wallet to replace my broken one. We wrapped them all up even though we already know what they are. Silly, but fun anyway for the kids. Even the maid has got two story books all wrapped up but what shall we get dad?

Hubby said that a digital photo frame would be a good idea. We could store pictures of the kids in there for him. I wonder if those digital photo frames comes with batteries. Will have to check it out. Its very sweet of dear hubby to have thought of this. I am touched. He is the caring “sai sum” (thoughtful) one between us two. I am the airy head one who doesn’t give much thought about things, well, not as much as him anyway.

I have discussed with big sis and I think I will get my maid to sew velcro straps onto his trousers to help make things easier for him. I feel sad because we can’t take him out to jalan-jalan and makan-makan as much as we would like to now because of the fecal incontinence.

I hope that when he is with us, he will have at least one good day when he reverts back to his old self and we have old dad back for a few hours instead of the quiet dad we now have. Dad used to be so chatty and clean but now he is quiet and he won’t bathe and change anymore and now he has incontinence. Poor poor dad.

My lips are swollen. No, not from kissing! But from a visit to the dentist.

We had taken the kids to the dentist and since I was there, I might as well have a check up right? So, I braced myself up and pretended that I loved going to the dentist in front of the kids. Well, I don’t love to go to the dentist but …… you know, the things we mother’s have to do. One of them is to be a fine actress.

My daughter had her first scaling experience at the dentist. I’ll update that on my Mothering Times blog where I write about her dental stuff for record purposes. Then it was my turn.

My dentist hates my gums. She says I have very bad gums and am headed towards peridontis (Is that what they call gum decease?). Anyway, she says that my gums are so bad and I am having bone loss and soon I will lose my teeth!

Previously she had encouraged me to brush in between my teeth with a special brush but I had refrained because I was afraid that the friction would cause my numerous crowns to give way. Even flossing makes them shake and feel loose. She laughed at me and said that there was no such thing and that if I feel them move when I brush it means that the bones are going and the teeth will soon follow.

However, I still can’t brush off that image when my crown did fall off once…… at a corporate cocktail party some more! I almosts choked… not  on my teeth which I had to carefully remove without being watched and wrap nicely in a tissue but at the thought of it even as I sailed around the room through the crowd smiling with my mouth shut.

Anyway, during the last visit, the dentist had persuaded me to allow her to cut my gums above one of my teeth and I had complied. This time she said that ideally I have to cut the gums or have gum surgery again, not just in one area but at the back of the whole row of front teeth. *Shivers* but this visit she was just going to do deep cleaning or deep scaling.

“I’m going to give you a jab” she said and I nodded with my mouth full. Then I felt not just one but 3 jabs! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!

Then she started the drills which was ok with me. I was even glad because I couldn’t feel it. And then she started digging and scrapping and scrapping and digging. And then the gums bled and bled and it couldn’t stop bleeding. So she had to press on it with all her might. It still didn’t stop bleeding. Eventually, she decided she had no choice but to sew it back. So she took this long black thread and did a cross stitch on my gums. Waaaaaaaa!

Now my gums still hurt and my lips are cracked and peeling. The next time I visit the dentist with the kids again, I’ll have to be an even finer actress as I pretend to love the visit.

I stare at my open refrigerator door twice a day to crack my head on what to cook for lunch and dinner. “Why don’t you have a  fixed menu. Cook the same thing every Mon, Tue, etc?” suggested hubby.

Yeee. Boring. I like to try new things. But then I find that I end up cooking the same old things. Haha. So today, instead of cracking my head daily, I shall post up the menu for my entire week! Heheh!

Day 1
Lunch - Fish Porridge
Dinner - Steamed Taufoo, Stir Fried Siew Pak Choy, Braised Potato with Minced Meat

Day 2
Lunch - Fish Ball Tong Hor Soup with  Braised Wantan Mee Noodle
Dinner - Sweet & Sour Fillet Fish, Stir Fried Choy Sum, Hot Dog Omellete, Old Cucumber Soup

Day 3
Lunch - Meat Ball Porridge
Dinner - Chicken Kurma, Grey Oyster Mushroom fried in Cucur Udang Flour, Stir Fried Baby French Beans

Day 4
Lunch - Pineapple Fried Rice
Dinner - Kunyit Fried Fish, Homemade Steamed Siew Mai, Stir Fried White Cabbage, Tomato Soup

Day 5
Lunch - Steamed Brocolli & Carrot, Readymade Deep Fried Fish Fingers
Dinner - Pan Fried Egg Taufoo, Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables, Braised Chicken with Ginger

Day 6
Lunch - Eat out (Yahoo!)
Dinner - Steamed Chicken Rice, Eggs Sunny Side Up, Stir Fried Long Beans with dried prawns

Day 7
Lunch - Egg Sandwiches
Dinner- Sweet & Sour Fish, Joo Hu Char (Stir Fried Carrot with Sengkuang, Steamed Egg with minced meat

Now, I just have to reproduce this and paste it on my refrigerator door. Hahaha.

Seriously, planning a menu is no easy affair. You have to think of the likes and dislikes of every person in the house and try to include a dish that everyone likes. If someone is sick, you must make sure your menu has simple foods for that person too. For example, my girl is sick so instead of making fried wantons for the kids, I’ll make steamed siew mai instead using the same ingredients.

You have to think of how to make use of the leftovers too. For example, if I make soup, I will make a lot and use the leftovers as stock for my porridge or soup the next day. I must also make sure that I have the items or ingredients at home so that I don’t have to rush out to buy them last minute as I shop just once a week. I have to think of the kids too. For example, they will gobble up the cauliflower if I make cauliflower fritters and leave it untouched if I stir fry it as a vegetable. So really must crack head.

After meals, our “dessert” usually consist of fruits, either apple, oranges, papayas, watermelon or mangoes etc. 

I am happy that so far, with the maid, my dream of providing healthy wholesome, nutritious, clean food for the family is coming true. The maid does not cook. She just helps me prepare and wash up but that is a tremendous help.

Previously, I could not cook like this due to lack of time and also due to my condition which makes cooking in front of the open fire with no other adult present a bit more challenging. So, lunch and dinner usually consist of porridge, sandwiches, or my one pot foods, ie steamed rice with everything thrown inside the rice cooker pot or microwaved baked beans, and reheated store bought ready made foods or tapau rice and dishes from nearby shops.

This is a very pleasant change. I am happy. Now, you know why I’ve put on 5 pounds? ;) 

Does anyone know of a good home remedy for cough and phelgm?

I’m having this nasty cough that just won’t go away for 3-4 weeks now. Its disturbing my sleep.

I’m always confused about the Chinese believe of heaty vs cooling. There is supposed to be two types of coughs, the heaty type or the “cold” type. So when do you know what type you have and whether you should drink “leong cha” (cooling herbal drinks) to cool down your heaty body or when should you apply it the other way to balance your cold body?

I never know when to do what. Some doctors will tell me to stay off cooling drinks and fruits, some ask me to drink more “leong cha” whereas some brush this off as utter nonsense.

Some say you should take a course of antibiotics whereas some say you should avoid antibiotics if you can since antibiotics will not help a viral infection. Some prescribe antibiotics anyway, just in case it is a bacterial infection because they can’t tell what it is. The last doc I went to see told me this. “It will take too much time to take samples to the lab to decide if yours is a viral infection by which time you would have healed if you take this antibiotics just in case its a bacterial infection.”

So what am I to do? Its all very confusing. So if mine is a “cold” cough and I take “leong cha” I would actually be making it worse, not better. Hmm…. so how?

What do you know about coughs, phelgm and sputum? Do you know of any good  and simple home remedies? What foods should we avoid and what foods should we take that’ll help? Do you understand the cooling and heaty concept? Do you even believe in it? Care to share?

Over the weekend, my sisters and I attended a health talk about nutrition for people with Alzheimer’s. Since the speaker was talking about the brain, one of the participants went up to him with a question about epilepsy or how to handle someone in a seizure because she had seen her neighbour having one.

Sad to say, many people still have misconceptions about it or do not know much about epilepsy. She was talking rather excitedly.

“Its Gila Babi.” ; “We put a spoon in his mouth.” ; “He’s an electrician, I think it must have affected his brains.”

I wanted to tell her what to do and what not to do when you see someone in a seizure but although she was asking that very question “What to do when you see someone in a seizure.” I felt that her mind was closed to the replies.  She was talking agigatedly rather than listening.

I guess that this misconception about epilepsy compared to other disorders is because of the nature of it. A seizure is very frightening to watch. The person loses conciousness and loses bodily functions and controls, eyes may be jerked upwards, face may turn blue, person may lose bladder control, hands and legs jerking uncontrollably, teeth biting down very very hard on the tongue, frothing around the mouth. Horrible isn’t it? Perhaps that is why people who don’t know much about it call it gila babi! Literally translated that means mad pig. Or they might think that the person has gone into a trance or is possessed by some devil. For it may appear that way.

When I was young, I was told by classmates and teachers (yes, teachers too, teachers who tried to pry a spoon into a poor epileptic girl’s mouth each time she had a fit. I think the teachers shouldn’t have been this disinformed. If you have a child who has epilepsy you should make sure his/her teachers know what to do and what not to do), I was told that if you get bitten by a mad dog thats what will happen to you because when you have a seizure you sometimes foam at the mouth. Have you ever heard that one before? Of course the one about being possessed by spirits is a common one too leading to many drinking “fu” drinks instead of getting the proper medication for it.

So am I a mad pig? Well, I may be a bit mad at times and I am a pig when I see food but I don’t have gila babi. I have epilepsy. It was diagnosed when I was 41 (yeah yeah, I’m that old). I have only had about 5 seizures in all. 3 of them occured on the same day. I am taking medications and my seizures are under control. Besides medication, I try to eat well, sleep well, exercise and not get stressed up over little things. The stress part is harder to control because I have poor emotional intelligence. Emotional Intelligence is a very nice word for someone who likes to scream and shout over small small things.

So tell me, what do you know about epilepsy? Have you ever witnessed anyone having a seizure? How did you feel? Helpless, scared or afraid? If you don’t know much,  you can read my previous post Epilepsy as explained by MG or this one What is Epilepsy from eHealthMD or this interesting one Many “believe myths” on Epilepsy. By knowing what to do to help someone in a seizure, you may be helping someone tremendously so do read up if you have the time.

Ever since the maid arrived, I’ve lost 3 pounds. No, no, not from worries.

The reason is because we eat out less. When eating out, I just can’t help pigging out. Somehow food always tastes nicer when you’re not the one cooking it. Food presentation also matters to me. Food thats nicely presented like in a restaurant, appeals more to me causing me to wallop up the food. Yum! Gulp! *guilty afterwards*

However since the maid arrived, we’ve started eating out less. Its more economical and healthier that way. Thats one of the reasons we have a maid anyway. So we can eat more healthy home cooked food.

At home, I cook and the maid cleans up. Like I said, food always tastes better when someone else cooks it. Thats one step towards my diet plan. Second, when I do the cooking, I usually choose to cook my family and my favourite foods. In addition, I’ll cook up a big wok of vegetables so that I can do my Double It Half It Diet.

Thats my own diet regime by the way. What I do is I Double the servings of vegetables and Half the serving of rice. It works everytime. Thats how I lost 20 pounds last time but then I stagnated after a while. Also, I’m trying to make sure that the maid gets enough food so I put more food on her plate than mine. lol!

I’m happy that I have managed to lose 3 pounds so far. Thanks to homecooking! And thanks to my very own Double It Half It Diet plan. Yeah! (Perhaps I should patent this diet plan!)