(30/4/07-Monday-Sudden walk at Bukit Jalil)

I had just fetched a friend to the airport this morning .Was wearing just slippers and shorts . At 9 am , was coming back and was going to pass the Bukit Jalil Park . Suddenly , I felt the urge to walk at least 1 round at the park .

So , I parked the car and got off , walking at a brisk pace with my slippers . Tried to jog a bit but wasn't possible yet , there was some sort of discomfort when I tried to jog .So continued with the walking under the hot sun .

This reminded me of my earlier days when I used to run at this park !

It took me a total of 30 min walking around this park of about 2 km + .

(27/4/07-Friday-A walk in the park)

This morning went for my first workout . There were a lot of people already walking in the park near my house at about 7 .30 am . Most were walking and only 2 were running . I was one of the walkers .

It felt great to do some exercise again . My pace was at a normal average pace , not too slow or too fast . In fact some faster walkers did overtake me .

Each round was about 400 m and I went for about 5 rounds equivalent to about 2 km . It wasn't really a flat route coz it was hilly on 1 side and flat the other side . Nevertheless , happy to start some exercise and sweat again .

(25/4/07-Wednesday-Synthetic mesh in the body )

After a month plus , I had a follow-up appointment with the doctor . They wanted to know how am I post-op after 1 month plus . Its in other words a follow up check up .

Before this appointment I have been reading about my condition . It is a congenital hernia . Meaning , there was actually a small hole in one of my abdominal walls since birth , on the left side .Somehow , on the 21/3/07 , the other intestine moved thru that small hole that became a bit bigger in the abdominal wall . This resulted in obstruction to that part of the intestine which moved thru that hole .

So , during the operation , the doctors moved the intestine out of the hole to its original position . At the same time , they mended the small hole with a synthetic mesh which will stay there for life .

Other than that , the appointment with the doc was smooth (although long wait of about 2 hours at the UH ) .Doc said everything is OK and don't need to see doc anymore unless have a problem . Doc said dont't lift heavy items but can start doing light exercises including stationary cycling .

Looking forward to the light exercises .

Yunnan Paiyao vs Yunnan Baiyao

Yunnan Baiyao







Yunnan Paiyao



I took both of the medicine for healing . Both is made in China . Both is used for healing especially internal healing and also external healing ( something like Ikan Haruan, which the chinese uses) . Both are in capsule form. During the Vietnam war , when it was in powdered form , soldiers who have a gun shot wound , pour in on their wound to stop the bleeding . In fact , it can really stop bleeding that if anybody has even a small cut , you could apply the powder (or even get the powder from the capsule) on the wound . It is recommended for every First Aid Kit .

I have now just used Yunnan Baiyao ONLY , and no more Yunnan Paiyao because of certain factors :

1.Yunnan Baiyao has approval sticker from Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia , Yunnan Paiyao NO approval sticker.

2. Yunnan Baiyao cost RM 13 for 16 tablets whereas Yunnan Paiyao cost just RM 5.50

3. The picture which most companies in USA sells online is a blue box , which is the Yunnan Baiyao whereas fewer companies sells the Yunnan Paiyao with the brown box .

In my opinion ,based on the factors above , it will be safer to go for Yunnan Baiyao .This case is something like :

Adidas vs the cheaper Adibas.
But for shoe or sandals , if you don't mind the brand , then go for cheaper version which is long lasting .

This is medicine ,after making some research ,I would rather go for something more expensive and approved by the govt !!

Below is some research from the internet of what a famous herbalist says about this remedy . Note that although the word Yunnan Paiyao is used , the physical box that they talk about I assume shows the word Yunnan Baiyao because of the price :

Yunnan Paiyao is a famous Chinese over-the-counter remedy used for cuts and bruises. It reduces the bleeding, pain and swelling of injuries, wounds and surgery. You can also use it for explosions and gunshot wounds. This Chinese herbal remedy heals wounds fast! Use Yunnan Paiyao for any sort of bleeding such as internal bleeding from stomach ulcers or menstrual flooding. It also reduces swelling and redness from bug bites.

Yunnan Paiyao, which means “Yunnan white powder” because it’s made in Yunnan China, combines several forms of tienchi ginseng used to normalize blood flow and repair damaged blood vessels along with astringent herbs such as myrrh and an herb that is called “dragon’s blood” in latin America. Yunnan Paiyao capsules and powder are used by the Chinese Army to speed healing of serious wounds because it stops hemorrhage and normalizes blood flow. It reduces the size, seriousness, and lightens the color of bruises fast. You can pour the powder directly on to open wounds to help resolve puss and stop excess bleeding.

Have you cut yourself? Why use a nasty chemical on shaving cuts? Has a hornet stung you and made your hand swell in size? Swallow a couple capsules of Yunnan Paiyao 2 - 3 times daily and the swelling will resolve in a day or so.

Before surgery, swallow the tiny red pill that is provided with the Yunnan Paiyao capsules or powder. It will not interfere with surgery drugs or painkillers. Yunnan Paiyao is not habit-forming. You can read about it in the chapter devoted to Yunnan Paiyao in Asian Health Secrets: The Complete Guide to Asian Herbal Medicine. I have recommended Yunnan Paiyao for clients and friends who have avoided disfiguring scars and deep wounds because it speeds healing. You can even take it on a regular basis with a sip of wine to treat chronic gastritis and improve general circulation.

It is best to avoid eating salads and fish when taking Yunnan Paiyao. It is ok to separate them by a couple of hours. Cold foods require strong digestion. If Yunnan Paiyao upsets your stomach or makes you dizzy, have it with some warm soup.

My Look-Alike Celebrities

(22/4/07-Sunday-Exactly 1 month after surgery)

Today is exactly 1 month after my surgery . Looking back there are some things which I couldn't do 2 to 3 weeks ago but now can and its divided into 2 categories .

A)Actions that were not so easy to do
B) Food that are not to be eaten.

A) Actions that were not so easy to do :

There were a few actions that have been taken for granted because when things are normal it was so automatic but after going thru surgery , the 1st two weeks , its not easy to do , for example :

1. Standing straight up and the action of bending to the left and right .
2. Stretching to take something reacheble but above the head.
3. Getting up from bed while lying on the left side .
4. Sitting down on a chair comfortably.
5. Bending to pick up something

These are some of the exmpleswhich i can now do all these easier already .


B) Food that are not to be eaten.

Some Chinese rely on traditional chinese medicinal teachings dated 2000-4000 years which suggests that after an operation , certain food are not to be taken so that healing can be better .I followed this and missed very much some of this food .

1.Eggs
2.Pork soup
3.Beef
4.Beans including soya bean and bean sprouts ( taugeh)
5.Yam
6.Prawns
7.Peanuts

Yesterday , 21/4/07 , Saturday , since my wound is dry already , was the day I can start eating anything . The opening ceremony was a lunch of Sarawak Laksa which has prawns .Today for lunch , ate some eggs with noodles . Looking forward to the buffet spread next week during my father's birthday !!

(20/4/07-Friday-Finally its dry ! )

Went to the dressing department of the U H . On Wednesday already went there and the nurse said that I still had to put on the dressing coz there was a small part which still had some liquid .

Today the nurse said that its dry already . In fact there is no need to put anymore gauze and iodine on it anymore .

I told the nurse if I don't put the gauze , there is some pain when i wear the seat belt coz the gauze being thick protects and cushions . The nurse said Ok , she will put the gauze but I have to take out myself on Monday because actually no need to put gauze anymore .

She then covered it with a water proof transparent plaster and said that i can finally bath and sweat !

(19/4/07-Thursday-Back to normal walking speed)

Its been about 28 days after my op . I notice this pass 2 to 3 days that my walking speed is back to normal already . Its no more slow and slow motion .

The working position is still not normal . I'm not walking with the correct posture upright yet but walking with a slight bend forward coz of the little pain .

( See the "Poor Posture" guy on the left , my walking posture is something like that)


Will try to correct it these few days .

(18/4/07-Wednesday-Dressing at hospital)

After taking out the stitches on Monday , I mentioned that they still have to put on the big plaster with iodine in the gauze . Today , the nurse have to looked whether every part of the wound is fully dried and no moistness or liquid coming from even a small part of the wound.

The nurse said there were two very tiny spots that had some liquid and moistness . So , again she filled the gauze with iodine and covered all the wound and followed by a big plaster .

This Friday will look again if all ok , if yes , there won't be any plaster on me anymore !! And... I can then bath already !!!

Stretching and weights

Yesterday , started some very simple stretching and weights .

Stretching :

Just 2 simple stretch :

1. Stretch the hamstring
2. Stretch the thigh

Weights:

Also simple exercise without using any stomach muscles , coz its dumbells

1. Wrist muscles
2. The biceps
3. The deltoids

Look at the picture above if you not sure which muscle I'm refering to.

(16/4/07-Monday-2nd stitching taken out)

After being restitched 2 weeks ago , the stitched consisting of about 22 stitches has been taken out today . It was a long wait at the hospital , U H . I arrived at 1120 am , waited , went for lunch and at last about 1 + , the stitches were taken out . Every part of the wound is dry . No pus .

There was one small area in which the skin area is a bit raw and reddish . This therefore resulted in the nurse pouring iodine into the gauze for the whole wound ,placing the gauze there and plastering the whole area .

This Wednesday , I have to go back to hospital to clean that small wound . Now , I can see a bit of the iodine through the big huge plaster that I'm wearing .

If I show it to anybody , they may think I'm still bleeding !!

Sleepless and lots of sleep

4 am , woke up and took a pee . After that couldn't sleep .

The dog was barking and the bird was making a funny sound .I didn't feel sleepy at all . Don't know why . Face was itchy a bit from mosquito bite so did some scratching . After that decided to wake up and it was 730 am already .

By 830 am , I felt sleepy again and I slept till guess what time , 1230 noon !!

Painkiller not needed anymore

As of Tuesday , I have stopped using the pain killers. It started with just using one and then no more using .

Actually looking back , I could have stopped earlier but it sort of got "addictive" .
I was "addicted" to the feeling where at 10 pm I take the 2 painkillers and then by 12 midnight felt very relaxed and sleepy . So, I was "addicted" to that feeling but after awhile it sort of didn't work anymore coz for about 4 consequtive days , even though I took the painkiller , I didn't go into that relaxed mode . Anyway ,to much painkiller is no good for the body .


There is still some pain , but it is manageble . I'm sure there will still be some pain since its a major op .

Sneezing

I just realised , God had actually protected me from sneezing for the 1st 2 weeks after my surgery . During the 1st 2 weeks , the stomach is more vulnerable , a sneeze can easily open the wounds and I know it will bring a lot of pain .

Now , I have got a few sneezes already . It doesn't matter . I'm not at the vulnerable period .There is not much pain after sneezing although I try to avoid sneezing by controlling .If it can't be controlled , I have a subdued sneeze , which is quite automatic .Its not a loud sneeze like normal and I'm Ok with it .

Feeling like a retiree !

This is what i'm feeling , after more than two weeks of not doing much .Its true ,i'm suppose to rest , although did do a bit of driving . Mainly , not doing much most of the time .

Here's my typical day :

Morning :Wake up , read Bible and pray ,breakfast while watching TV from BBC , comedies called My Hero and My Family , blog a bit ,watch Tv again .

Afternoon : Lunch , watch TV ,read magazine, sleep a bit if sleepy , wake up have tea , watch TV

Evening : Dinner, TV again and then sleep .

With this easy resting life , I guarantee there won't be any high blood pressure !! :)

Back to original weight

Before 2000 , before i was married , my weight was 68 kg for 10 years . This is my ideal weight .After getting married in 2000 , the weight shot up and hovered around 75kg .

After starting to run again , it went to around 70-74 kg .

Last year before S'pore Marathon , it was about 71 kg .

Funny thing is this year , before KLIM ,it was around 74 kg even with much more trainning .

After operation:

About 68 kg ,A sudden loss of about 5 kg !!

This is the weight i'm looking for , the irony is that it takes an operation for me to come down to this weight !!

(6/4/07-Friday-2 weeks after the operation , 3 recovery gauges)

It has been approximately 2 weeks since my operation , the op was on 22/3/07 ( Thursday midnite) . Looking back , I really belief I have improved healthwise and in recovery .

I thought back some gauges and here are 3 :

Lung exercise gadget

The doc asked me to buy this lung exercise gadget which has 3 balls . At hospital I was suppose to breath in hard , the 3 balls suppose to go up . The doctor said this gadget is good coz when we just have operation , we tend not to breath properly because of the pain .

So , at hospital I breath in and only 2 balls when up . Now 3 balls can go up already .


Getting up from bed

At hospital , it was quite a strain to get up from bed because of the pain , it was using a lot of stomach muscles and hand muscles to get up from bed . It took a long time to get up from bed .

Now , I can get up from bed faster than when I was at the hospital , although its still a bit of strain but not like when at hospital .

The voice

I can hardly talk loudly without feeling any pain 2 weeks ago . My voice sounded weak . Now , its stronger already , people didn't have to keep asking me to repeat what I was saying .

So , looking at this , this is some gauge that I analyse back and looking at the improvement .

Thank you Jesus !!

Sitting in a car

Being driven around

Since March 20 , I have not driven the car .My wife was the one who has been driving me .Even after operation , to be driven around is not easy because the belt is around the stomach area , and each time there is a bump , I need to hold on to the belt so that there is no pressure on the stomach .

Sitting at the back seat is worst coz its bumpier at the back and i can feel the bumps even more .


I drove

Yesterday , April 4 , first time driving since March 20 . Since I'mdriving , i couldn't hold on to the belt so much but I'm not so conscious of doing that too coz I'm in control of the speed and the bumps that we go onto . I drove the Kancil yesterday and overall , it was OK although did feel some pressure when turning the car or on some bumps .

(4/4/07-Wednesday-Painkiller)

The doc gave me painkiller ( Tramadol HCI 50 mg) twice , after I was discharged on 25/3 and after restitching on Monday (2/4) . I have not finished the 1st batch yet coz i only take it at night .

i found that it takes two hours before the painkiller takes effect .

So this is my daily painkiller taking routine :

10 pm : Pop in 2 painkillers
12 midnite : Start to feel very relaxed and drowsy , the muscles in every part of the body starts to relax

12 midnite to 5 am :Sleep till 5 am soundly , at about 5 am , the painkiller wears of . There is some pain in the stomach , I'm in a 75% sleep mode , so although I can feel a bit of pain , the sleep mode numbs it .

8.45am : Usually around this time , I can feel more of the pain and I wake up . I think the pain is because of the position i'm sleeping , which is straight on my back all the time . I can't really turn to the side to sleep yet coz there will be more pain .

I then , slowly push myself up from the bed without using any of my stomach muscles . When i stand up , the pain will then slowly be gone and i don't need any painkiller till the the night .


During the day , there is very rarely I feel that clothes peg clipping to my stomach feeling anymore . I think the body is slowly healing by itself .

(3/4/07-Tuesday-The feeling of a clothes peg on your skin)

Immediately after the stitching , there was not much feeling yet . Later towards the day , about 4 pm , the feeling comes . Its like a clothes peg pegging to the skin of the stomach . Can't do anything about it . Can only take pain killer .

After many hours , that feeling is less . Its less today , may be the body got used to it already . May be the skin is in its healing process.

My walking speed is still at a slow motion status . Can't walk fast yet .Can't walk upright properly yet too . There is some pain if I walk fast or walk upright .

It reminds me of being an old man . But , no problem , I can now emphatise with an old man :)

(2/4/07-Monday-Stitch back "hole" , some pain)

The "hole" has been stitch back . Its not a completely painless procedure coz have to use local anesthatic injection and that injection hurts . Doc put a few injections , not only 1 . All at the stomach area where the stitching was to be done .

At last I'm relieved , the procedure is over .My "hole" is stitched together by some thread .Altogether at least 20 over stitches .

Now is the pain that you get after being stitched together . Just have to tahan , at the same time use pain killer .

Walking around with "hole" on stomach

To continue from yesterday's story , theoritically since the doctor will only stitch back the wound on the stomach on Monday , I therefore am walking around with a "hole " .

I write " hole" coz at the same time there is a big bandage covering it to prevent it from getting any infection or getting bigger .

At the same time , there is a small leak so blood can be seen thru this bandage . Its not a BIG leak , coz than will be vey dangerous and I would have bled to death . Meaning , there will be a BIG leak if the second layer of my skin is open exposing the internal organs . Right now , its just the first layer .

At the same time there is some phobias that I'm imagining like :

1. What if the hole gets bigger ?
2. What if I sneeze hard ?
3. What if I vomit ?
4.What if the 2nd layer opens up ?
5. What if there is more blood than usual on the bandage ?
6. What if the hole is getting bigger but I don't feel it ?
7.What if , what if , what if ???


I look forward to the restitching tmw !