(30/5/07-Wednesday-I have no more appendix ! )

I went for another check up at the U H today . This time I saw the doc who operated on me , a prof . Earlier last month , my 1st follow up check up wasn't with the doc who operated on me .

This time I found out 5 things from the doc which I didn't know :

1. My appendix has also been operated during the operation , even though I didn't have appedicitis.

2. There is no synthetic mesh covering any hole in the stomach lining , which I initially thought there is , coz the doc who didn't operated on me told me so during my follow up check up .

3. The hole in the stomach lining which I had since young actually been widen to easily facilitate the bowels and intestine to easily go thru it and easily come out of it at anytime .

4. I don't have a hernia , which initially I thought I have , I just have twisted intestines .

5. My internal organs which has been operated on now have adhesions or in other words , permanent internal scars , therefore , whatever part that was used to be smooth , some of it is now not so smooth anymore .

Interesting discoveries which now only I discover .



Jogging


Sun :54 min and approx 8 km

Tues : 50 min and approx 7 km

(24/5/07-Thursday-Ran 6 km)

Ran , that's the word . I looked at myself and I believe it is a bit faster then jogging . Not too fast or too slow . Calculated at almost 7 min pace .

Still , won't be pushing myself yet . Slow and steady .

(23/5/07-Mon to Wedesday)

Monday to Tues

In the morning had a short jog . Afternoon went to Genting . Room 38.88 and breakfast included . Had Pizza Hut then watched Spider Man 3 .

Tues , morning breakfast then afternoon Mc D's .

Looks like fast food day this 2 days .

Wednesday

Lunch , Ipoh Kopitiam and then evening , another slow jog of about 5 km .

no more leg ache at the moment .

Can't go fast yet .

(16/5/07-Wednesday-Little ache)

After jogging with Yaziz on Tues , I had a little ache in the late afternoon . I suppose the leg wasn't used to jogging 8km after a long time . In fact my mileage increase was very gradual and minimal .

It is back to normal today ( Thursday , 17/5/07) already .

Some non-hilly jog today .

(15/5/07-Tuesday-Longest jog in 1 and a half months)

As I was going to begin my jog from the Lake Garden playground , suddenly i saw Yaziz coming . I joined him at his jogging pace . We chatted but it wasn't easy to chat and jog like last time because I have less fitness now . Last time I can easily run and chat at the same time . This time I was panting and talking .We went thru that 5.7 km loop that we usually go , the one which passes the mosque on the right .

After that , he went another round while i completed another round at the lake .

At the finish line at the playground , Ronnie and Adam was there and I chatted with them .




Distance :8 km
Duration of work out : Approx 1 hour
Location :Lake Garden
# of times used Asthmatic inhaler and remarks : 0 times used inhaler , breathing OK

(13/5/07-World Asthma Day run and wife's 1st jogathon)

Me and my wife in her first jogathon .





Me , Alden and Adam enjoying a slow jog .

I entered my first race 1 and a half month after my operation . Its not much of a race . Its more of a jogathon since its called the World Asthma Day Jogathon . Its just 5 km and I have jogged 5 km before . In fact there were a few good reasons to join this jogathon (Thanks to Ron who entered my name ) :

Entrace fee , FREE !

T-Shirt , FREE !

Food , FREE !

Being an asthma patient , I have supported this race for the past 2 years.

My wife , first time join jogathon !

There was no competitiveness or pia spirit in me when the race started . In fact I started from the back with Ah Loong . After 5 minutes running with him , he went faster while I continued my constant jogging pace . After awhile I saw Adam and Alden and chatted awhile with them .

I was at first worried that I will get last but then , the worries disappeared when I noticed there were a number of people who were just walking or just jogging and walking whereas I maintained my constant pace .

In the end ,I didn’t get last and happy to complete the run in the middle pack .

My wife got 6^th place ! –Temporary

My wife being a first timer , submitted the receipt at the same counter as me (A counter ) when I submitted mine to collect our bibs and T-shirt . In fact the official accepted it until I notified that she is supposed to submit at B counter . The official then realised that she should do that and gave her back her receipt to submit at B counter .

She then went with Rachel further in the middle pack at the starting line . After completing the lake part of the race for about 1.5 km , she then saw the hill leading to the deer park and bird park . Suddenly she felt hungry as she saw some officials and other people already having their food at the starting /finish line , thinking that this is also like a water/food station , she asked someone where to get the food and drinks and they told her to go to the finishing line . As she approaced the finishing line , the official gave her a card , and asked her to write her name on the sheet of paper . She promptly did that and went to get her food . She then was too lazy to continue the next 3.5 km and didn’t continue .

When I came back , she told me she has eaten her food and was given a card with the wording C6 and she asked me what was that card for . I told her that it meant she got 6^th position !!

She was surprised and promptly went to inform the official that she did not complete the run at all and shouldn’t be in 6^th position . The official shooked her hand and said to her , “ I haven’t never seen anyone so honest in my life before ! “

So , that was the story of my wife who in her 1^st run got a 6^th position , temporary !!

Distance :5 km
Duration of work out : 33 min 33 sec
Location :Lake garden# of times used Asthmatic inhaler and remarks : 0 times used inhaler , breathing normal .

(Thursday-10/5/07-Jogging distance get further and further)

I have increased the jogging distance . First it was about 800 m the other day . Yesterday , at Lake Garden it was 2.3 km . In fact I started with Ronnie , Lai and Justin , just like the good old days . The good old days just lasted for 10 seconds because after that they went at normal speed and I at turtle speed .

Today at the park near my house , jogged without stopping for 4.5 km approx . It was good to go further and further .

(8/5/07-Tuesday-Walk and jog)

I exercised at the park near my house today morning. Each round is about 450 m . When I walked fast , it will take about 5 min 45 sec to complete each round . What I did today was to walk 1 round and alternate to jog 1 round . Jogging each round took me about 5 min .

Altogether totalled 10 rounds . The last 2 rounds was just jogging .

Have achieved some sort of come back in terms of jogging a longer time , approximate 10 min compared to just 40 m the other day !!

(5/5/07-Saturday-Walk a bit , jog just 40 m)

I tried to jog half way during my walk .Manage to put in about 40 m . There is a tight feeling at stomach area as I jog .I won't want to aggravate it so I'll just be walking at the moment .

(3/5/07-Thursday-A longer walk then usual)

My intention today was just to walk starting from the playground at Lake Garden , up Carcosa and back to the playground via the lake and for 2 rounds . This would had totaled around 5 km .

As I finished the 1st round , suddenly i saw Yaziz coming . He then joined me . He was going at a slow jog pace while I went at a brisk walk pace . He was going thru that 5.7 km loop that we usually go , the one which passes the mosque on the right .

I followed him and that resulted in me walking more than usual . Anyhow , it was a good workout for me .



Distance :Approx 8 km
Duration of work out : 1 hour 24 min 13 sec
Location :Lake Garden
# of times used Asthmatic inhaler and remarks : 0 times used inhaler , breathing OK

Ability to sleep on the side

After 1 month plus of sleeping on the back , it was a relieve to finally be able to easily sleep on my sides .

It seems before this ,it was not very easy to sleep on the side coz each time I try to sleep on the side , there was some sort of discomfort .

I'm very happy that now I can easily shift positions when I sleep . It's back to normal comfortable sleep .

(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 !!!