Close and casual

Last week I received an sms from the government's Covid-19 health portal, saying that I have been classified as a casual contact with a person or persons who are infected with the disease. The message further told me to remain calm and perform home monitoring assessment using the MySejahtera app installed on my phone. My better half received a similar message.

I duly checked the app and saw that my C-19 risk status has now turned yellow - Casual Contact No Symptoms. The system has identified me as such, based on my check-in history to the various places that I've been to. The app also provides me with directives and advice on what to do next. This includes answering three questions relating to my current health status, every day for the next few days or so. Presumably, until the app is satisfied that I'm full okay and can be re-classified.

It is now two years that the MySejahtera app has been in use. Despite various updates in that time, I do still feel that the app has so much room for improvement. This latest information about me being a casual contact is an example. Why can't the developers include the source or location where the close contact happened? When my wife and I received the notification, we spent the whole afternoon wondering where we could have gotten the contact or perhaps we had been slack in practising the required SOPs. If this information had been provided, we could at least know where the contact occurred and be more cautious when we visit the same place in future.

But I guess user convenience and satisfaction is not on top of the list of the app developers.

Current status. Have tried setting up the MySJ Trace but had trouble loading the page

Booster dose

The first month of the new year has zoomed past so quickly that I realise we are on the brink of another new year tomorrow. The Chinese Lunar New Year will happen on 1st February 2022. It will be the year of the Tiger, of which I am one.

So what has happened in the month of January 2022? Nothing much really. I had my third so-called booster vaccine earlier this month. The booster dose was the Astra Zeneca type compared to the two Pfizer shots I had earlier. It was also done at a different vaccination centre but the process was not less efficient.

Some minor side effects were felt in the evening after the shot. The next day my left arm and shoulder felt a bit sore so the whole day was spent resting at home.

I do hope that no further vaccination would be necessary. Getting tired of being pricked.

Booster dose done at Persada International Convention Centre

Completion of vaccination with 2nd dose

This is a delayed post. I had my 2nd dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on 11 August 2021, which was exactly three weeks from the first shot. Apparently, the interval between injections for the Pfizer vaccine is rigidly observed and of shorter duration compared to the other types.

The overall process for this second dose is very much faster than the first. I arrived at the PPV well before the allotted time. There were not that many persons lining up for the 2nd dose and I was given a queue number without the need to wait for the actual time slot. The process was even quicker since I opted to go straight to the jabbing booth without the need for another doctor's interview since I had not encountered any major side effects from the 1st dose.

All said and done, it took just around thirty minutes for the whole process. A testament to the efficient work done by all the frontliners involved. Your hard work and sacrifice are fully appreciated.

Did not have that much time to read the book that I brought

Had a volunteer snap this final pic

1st dose of Covid19 vaccine

Around this time last week, I received a notification on my mobile phone that I have been given an appointment for the 1st dose of the Covid19 vaccine to be administered at a vaccination centre set up at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Skudai. It was a piece of welcome news after a wait of a few months although I was not duly apprehensive because I was pretty sure my turn would come. I believe the authorities have been working very hard to roll out the vaccination programme nationwide.

Yesterday 21 July 2021, I had my first dose. Pfizer.

The vaccination centre was at the Raja Zarith Sofiah Library of UTM, located about half-an-hour's drive from where I stay. Having been to the venue once before, I was not worried about how to get there. Nonetheless, I do feel for the common folk who do not possess their own means of transport. The university has a huge campus and the library is not serviced by a public bus route. This is where assistance from NGOs or community leaders would come in handy.

Reading the experiences of friends who already had gone through the process, I was expecting a smooth and quick process, around 30 to 45 minutes from arrival to exit. However, it took me significantly longer than that. But I am not complaining because I understand the tough situation the doctors, nurses and volunteers have to go through. The initial checks, screening and the actual jab were quite efficient. What took too long, for me at least, was the final waiting period while setting the appointment date for the 2nd dose. A few elderly gentlemen around where I sat were already complaining to the volunteer in charge that they had been waiting for more than an hour. I can understand their restlessness. I had come prepared with a novel to read.

It has now been about 18 hours since the dose was injected into my left arm. So far, things are looking good healthwise. I am feeling a bit of pain in the upper arm but nothing too serious, Alhamdulillah. The rest of the day shall involve taking things easy like continue reading the novel, updating a blog post and other online stuff.

Thank you to the authorities and all frontliners for doing a great job. I look forward to the 2nd dose.

At the first checking station

The 1,938th recipient for the day at 3.30pm

Getting rid of the really bad and tough bacteria

Around three weeks ago, I noticed a small rash on my lower right leg. It was very itchy and I couldn't restrain myself from not scratching. Of course, that made the rash worse, but no worry I thought. I applied some cream medication left over from my last visit to the skin clinic. After a few days, the rash did not heal. In fact, it became much worse. The area of skin affected became reddish and grew to about six inches in diameter. It was horrible to look at. The wound had become infected.

I then went to see my regular dermatologist. He was quite surprised to see me after a lapse of more than one and a half years. I showed him the new ailment. Quite badly infected, he said. I may need to refer you to the hospital, he added. There is a risk that the infection may have gone deeper than just skin. But let's try some oral antibiotics and cream first. Come back in one week and we see if it gets better.

A week passed and the prescribed tablets have been consumed as directed. So I go back to the skin specialist. Tiny improvement, he said, but not quick enough. He asked if I'm willing to be referred to another specialist at a private hospital. Sure, I replied. The terrible itchiness was becoming uncontrollable.

I took his referral letter to an orthopaedic specialist at KPJ Puteri Specialist Hospital (the nearest private hospital to where I live). That's when I learned that orthopaedics is not limited to skeleton and bones but to the related muscles and tissues as well.

The ortho doctor read the referral letter, asked me a few questions and then suggested intravenous antibiotic treatment. This required me to be admitted.

So here I am for my second stay at Puteri after being warded the first time about two years ago for dengue fever. Today is my second day and so far I've had three doses of fluid antibiotics (unasyn) being injected into my bloodstream via an IV needle stuck into my right hand.

I'm trying to kill some of the boredom by using the hospital's wifi to do some mobile blogging. Wish me a speedy recovery..

Enjoying a tasty hospital dinner

World Psoriasis Day 2018

The state-level event for the 2018 World Psoriasis Day in Johor was held yesterday at the AEON Tebrau City shopping mall. Unlike previous years when the event was held at government hospitals, the public venue gave the occasion a joyous and cheery feel. It also allowed the organizers a wider outreach to spread the knowledge of the skin disease.

Apart from the standard booths and displays relating to the disease and its various treatment methods, there was also a blood donation drive, free health checks and a lucky draw. My better half and I were there for short while to offer moral support and renew acquaintances with other patients and medical personnel.

This year's event was jointly organized by Hospital Sultanah Aminah, Hospital Sultan Ismail, Hospital Pakar Sultanah Fatimah, Johor Doctors Association and the Psoriasis Association of Johor.

Thank you to all involved in this wonderful effort to create better awareness of psoriasis to the general public.

On stage, just for the photo. No presentation involved :-)

A clinic for the masses

Tucked in an obscure corner of the UTC Kotaraya complex in central Johor Bahru is the government health clinic known as Klinik 1Malaysia. It offers both medical and dental services at a nominal price.

Earlier this month I made my first visit. At the registration counter for dental services, I handed over my MyKad and was asked to fill up a form. The nurse then keyed in my data into the system. While doing so, she asked me a few questions.

"Have you been here before, sir?"

No. My first visit.

"May I know your occupation?"

Retired.

"Do you have a pensioner card?"

No. I work in the private sector.

She returned my identity card, gave me a queue number and asked me to wait until my number is called. There were not that many people in the waiting lounge, maybe six or seven, I can't recall now. The lounge itself is bright and clean. There is a television on, tuned to the Suria Channel of Singapore. The TV reception is quite good and I assume that is why it's tuned to a neighbouring country's programme. Unless you are subscribed to Astro, the reception of local stations using normal antenna can be quite dismal. Except for the stiff and uncomfortable metal seats, the overall waiting experience was generally bearable.

The duration of the wait, under different circumstances, I would call as exceedingly long. But then you have to remember that this is a government clinic. Waiting for one to two hours is normal. Furthermore, I was a walk-in patient. No appointment needed like most private dentists.

When my number finally flashed on the screen, I walked into Treatment Room 8 where I was greeted by a smiling young male doctor. He asked me a few questions and then told me to sit on the dentist's chair. The chair and other equipment in the room looked as modern as can be.

After performing the descaling process on my teeth, the doctor pronounced that all my white chompers are in good condition. He praised me for taking good care of them. Wow... no other dentists have praised me before.

Of course I walked out of the clinic with a big smile on my face. And I paid only RM3 for the whole treatment (RM1 to register plus RM2 for the scaling work).

Convenient and inexpensive. A very good government initiative.

World Psoriasis Day 2016 : Support from a spouse

Earlier today, my wife and I attended the World Psoriasis Day 2016 at Hospital Sultan Ismail, Johor Bahru. The event was organised by the Psoriasis Association of Johor (PAJ) with the support of hospitals and sponsors.

It is an annual event but the last one we attended was in 2012, which I blogged about here -> An ailment without a cure. We missed the past few years because of my wife's poor health condition. She was hospitalised a few times last year and the year before. This year, she seems to responding well to a new medication regime and is healthy enough to attend. In fact, this time around, the programme included a new addition, a talk by a psoriasis patient to share her experience of the disease plus another talk by a family member of a psoriasis patient on the support given to the sufferer.

My wife and I were approached by Dr Choon Siew Eng (Head of the Dermatological Department at Hospital Sultanah Aminah) to become the speakers and we gladly agreed.

We were each given about 10 minutes of speaking time. My wife's talk was well within that time limit but I spoke for around 19 minutes. Hopefully, some of the audience found the talk useful.

It took me over two days to prepare my speech. I had it written down because I wanted to be sure I do not miss certain important points which I wanted to share. The following is the basis text I used for today's talk. Of course, the actual delivery itself included a few spur of the moment adjustments and additions :

"Supporting Loved Ones Living With Psoriasis

By : Mohamad Fadhil B. Ismaiyatim

1.  Introduction

Terima kasih Sdra/Sdri Pengerusi Majlis. Bismillahirahman nirrahim. Assalamualaikum and good morning to all.

My name is Mohamad Fadhil. I am the husband of Rashidah Md Amin, who as you have all heard, is a long-time sufferer of psoriasis. Thank you to the organising committee for inviting us to this event. I have been asked to share my experience as the spouse of a psoriasis sufferer, how our family has coped with the situation and the support that we gave to my wife from the very start.

I had not thought that what I’ve done as anything special. To me, it was mostly routine and second-nature. Of course, a bit tough at times but generally okay. Perhaps, when viewed from another perspective, I guess there could be something worth sharing and I hope that some of you may find my talk useful.

2.  Background

When I first got to know my better half, she wasn’t inflicted with the disease yet. Before we were married, she had smooth beautiful skin… what Malays would call as kulit hitam manis. (of course now, after being married for 28 years…. Still manis laa J. Our anniversary was just 3 days ago).

A few months after we got married, she complained of having skin problems. Initially it was spots, like rashes. Then her skin became dry and scaly. The skin on her scalp starts to fall off in patches. She had itches and it became quite uncomfortable. From a small area of skin, it then spread to the whole body.

At the time, she was also pregnant. The 1^st assumption that came to mind was that the disease appeared because of the pregnancy, because of the body’s hormonal changes. Her skin would hopefully return to normal after giving birth.

At first, we went to a private Specialist Skin Clinic for treatment. At that time, I had this belief that Private Specialists would be the best course of action. They would have all the answers, all the correct treatments and all the cures. I have since then, not believed it to be entirely true, the reasons of which would be clear towards the end of this talk.

It was at that 1^st consultation that I learned what the ailment is called. Psoriasis, the specialist said. I’ve never heard of it. It was even difficult to pronounce…. the sound does not follow the spelling.

Psoriasis…. Silent `P’. I am uncomfortable with words like this… you know, words like Pseudo or Psycho. Creepy kan?

Anyway, like it or not, I have to get used to it. The specialist then continued to tell us a bit about the disease.

What is the cause? Don’t really know…

Is there a cure? No, not yet…

How do we treat it? There are a few ways, we have to try…

Is it serious? Ummm, depends. It can be mild… it can be serious.

Depressing, isn’t it.

Is it contagious? No…    At last, some positive information. Positive for me, maybe… but still does nothing to improve my wife’s hopes.

The specialist gave me some booklets to read. I later searched for more reading materials to find out as much about psoriasis as I can. Of course, not enough to be an expert like Dr Choon laa… just enough to know what we are facing and what options are available. At that time, there was no Internet… jadi tak boleh simply nak click and tanya Pakcik Google, sebab masa tu dia belum lahir lagi J. So it was old-school style research, at first. Later when Internet became available, I visited medical and health websites. I downloaded articles. But after a while, you reached a stage of having known as much as you need to know. Going any further would mean that you might as well become a medical student.

Among the first treatment methods the specialist did was the ultra-violet light therapy. I don’t know what the UV machine looks like because I did not see it. I guess it looks like those sun-bathing machine that Matsallehs use to get an artificial tan. This went on for a few times, without any noticeable improvement. And it was expensive. We were a young couple at the time, just starting our family.  We made the decision to stop seeing the private specialist.

At that point of time, I had my first thoughts of inadequacy… am I shirking my duty of being a responsible husband? In trying to run away from giving my wife the best possible treatment?

From then on, we went to seek treatment at government hospitals and have not looked backed ever since. My better half is a very regular customer of HSA. You just have to take a look at her appointment booklet. It’s tattered and torn and stapled all over. But I guess it is the same for all skin disease patients J.

3.  Challenges

Ok then… I would not touch on the disease itself. The severity, the various treatment methods. That, I’m sure is common knowledge amongst today’s participants. What I’ll try to do is to talk a bit about the challenges and the expectations.

a)   Level of understanding

Psoriasis is by comparison, relatively not well-known. Compared to other chronic ailments such as diabetes, hypertension or even cancer. Of course, I do not mean to say that it would be better to have the other diseases… far from it; no one would wish to be inflicted with illness of any kind. It’s only that those sorts of diseases take less explaining to family members and friends.

When I attend friend’s or family functions alone, I would surely be asked, where’s the wife? Normally, I would just answer, she’s not so well and can’t make it. This, in the hope that it would suffice and there would not be a follow-up question. But if the next question is, dia sakit apa?... I would tell the truth, she has psoriasis. I would then have to be prepared to answer a series of additional queries. Ten times out of ten, the person asking the question has not heard of psoriasis before.

Of course, people ask us questions because they mean well. They are concerned . They genuinely want to know. .. Kebanyakannya lah. Sometimes you get one or two individuals who are the kay-poh-chee type, tanya soalan mengalahkan Special Branch J.  But it’s okay lah… human nature kan.

Over the years, I have developed a standard set of answers to the expected questions. I have condensed them into 4 or 5 sentences that would satisfy the general curiosity, without leaving the questioner feeling offended and without me needing to go into lengthy explanations. Nowadays, if the enquirer is a bit educated, I can say, google `psoriasis’ if you are interested to know more.

b)   Alternative medication

Next to answering questions about psoriasis, another challenge is getting suggestions or advice from relatives or friends about alternative treatment methods. I am sure many of you know the feeling.

“Have you tried this method? I heard that so and so took this medication and he became well. Don’t eat prawns or crabs… they are not good for you. Try drinking alkali water, this lady had sores and after drinking the water for 2 months, her skin became beautiful again.” Etc. etc. etc…

The suggestions for alternative medication or treatment come in various forms. Herbal or dietary supplements, many types of lotions, homoeopathy, traditional kampung-style methods… these are some examples. We tried a few, but really it was just to `jaga hati’ the person who made the suggestion. No need to appear as arrogant.

Perhaps the most annoying of such suggestions, are those coming from people with certain agendas. Those pushing the sales of certain products (consumable or equipment) and claiming the effectiveness of their items based on testimony of other users.

So how do I deal with such situations? I would politely say that the missus is under a specific medication regime fixed by the hospital and this cannot be interfered with other methods. But thank you anyway.

c)    Daily lifestyle

The toughest of all challenges is probably adapting our lifestyle to suit the situation of my wife being a psoriasis sufferer. We are human beings and by nature, we like to be with or around other people. That’s why we have friends and interact with family members.

Psoriasis is a skin disease. This means that the disease is visible. It is on the outside as much as it is on the inside. It affects physical appearance. It is human nature to want to look good. Having to carry such an ailment is emotionally stressing. My wife has mentioned the feeling of low self-esteem, embarrassment and other difficulties.

How do we handle the situation?

By accepting the fate as it is (takdir) and adopting a positive attitude as best as we can.

Of course, it is easier said than done. But that’s the way it has to be.

a)    Say or acknowledge what the problem is.

b)    Then do something about it.

There are no short cuts. There is no need to hide, or tell untruths, or isolate ourselves. There is no need to measure ourselves against other people’s opinions.

It does not mean we live a carefree life but we do things with thought and care and with minimum reservations. We traveled, we have dinner at restaurants, we attend functions… as and when we feel it is convenient and comfortable to do so. The fact my better half has psoriasis is never thought of as a major hurdle.

We visit friends who truly understand our situation. We stay away from people who do not appreciate our presence.

4.  Conclusion

Without doubt, the most trying time I had was when my wife was hospitalised last year and the year before. It was the severest form of the illness that she had experienced.

Every day she was in hospital, I would leave the office on the dot at 5.30pm to head to HSA. Normally I would be the last one to leave the office. So leaving on the dot, would naturally invite questions from my staff. So I tell them, my wife’s in hospital, which of course would bring the next question… dia sakit apa?

As you have heard earlier, her complications included infection on her skin (pustules) and allergy to antibiotics. Her skin was peeling off in strips like she was molting (bersalin kulit). Each brush of her hair would cause clumps to fall out. I even remarked that her hair loss is similar to what happens to chemo-therapy patients.

But the most despairing moment for me was when I reached the hospital ward one day after work. When I entered the room, she was sitting on the bed, looking outside the window. As she turned, I saw that the skin on her face was peeling all over. Her eyes and cheeks were puffed. She was having an allergic reaction. She was in pain.

Over the years, the areas mostly affected are her body and her scalp. Very seldom, her face. At that moment, I didn’t know what to say. You know, there’s this phrase – crying inside. I guess that was I did… because I could not let her see my tears.

My simplest form of support I presume, is just by being there. There are many a time when we know that there is nothing much we can do. Of course, we pray to the Almighty for help. But it is also important for us to remain calm, cool and patient. If we can’t help to solve the problem, the least we can do is not to add to it.

For the past few months, my better half seems to be responding well to this latest regime of medication, alhamdulillah. I would not want to see her being hospitalised again. I don’t think I can be crying inside the next time. But with psoriasis, we can never know. There is no guarantee. We hope, we pray and we keep our spirits up.

Ending remarks

Before I end my talk, I’d like to express my appreciation to Dr Choon and her team at the Dermatological Department of HSA.

Throughout my wife’s various stints of being in-patient, I observed how dedicated the doctors and nurses of HSA were. I have nothing but praise for them. With the recent mishaps that have occurred, I’m pretty sure the staff there is working under very serious constraints. I have nothing but praise for them. How I wish the government would spend as much money as possible on healthcare in their annual budget.

Thank you for doing such a wonderful job. For my wife and for all those skin patients who have faith in you.

Thank you."

At the auditorium entrance of HSI, before the event

Opening remarks by Puan Marina, Deputy President of PAJ

Long-time psoriasis sufferer, Puan Rashidah Md Amin

Last speaker of the day, the spouse to Puan Rashidah

Down with dengue

In the slightly over half-a-century of my life, I have so far only required in-patient hospital treatment on two occasions. The first time was in 2001 (I think) when my tonsils were so inflamed that they were causing breathing problems and my doctor advised to have them removed. That particular operation was carried out at an old government military hospital in Kinrara, Puchong. How I ended up undergoing tonsillectomy surgery at a military facility, which today is no longer in operation, is perhaps another story on its own.

The other time I had to be warded in hospital was last week. I was suffering from high fever, headache and muscular pain all over. When the illness did not recede after 4 days, I went to see a GP who quickly suspected that I was down with dengue and suggested that I go to a hospital for a blood test. The next morning, I went to the nearby Puteri Specialist Hospital. Upon registering, the doctor's assistant asked me how long I had been ill. Five days including today, I said. She immediately arranged for a blood test even before the doctor had time to examine me.

By the time the doctor checked in to his clinic after doing his morning rounds, the test results were in. Confirmed I had dengue. Based on the blood platelet count, my condition is not considered too serious. The doctor gave me the option of whether I wish for outpatient treatment. If so, I have to ensure I rigorously take in sufficient fluids and come in daily to do the blood tests. Not wanting to take any risks, I chose to be admitted.

There is actually no specific treatment for dengue fever. The standard medical advice is to drink lots of water. The non-standard advice are many... consume crab soup, drink pomegranate juice, take in lots of isotonic drinks and perhaps the most frequent advice of all, as suggested by well-meaning friends and relatives who have suffered the same, drink the juice extracted from papaya leaf shoots. I tried them all... but the papaya leaf juice takes the cake when it comes to comparison of tastes. I managed to down one small glass of the stuff. It was the most bitter liquid concoction I have ever swallowed. All good medicines are bitter, they say. But this one is right up there on the bitterness scale.

The first night I was in hospital, an IV drip was inserted in my left hand. To further aid recovery, I drank copious amounts of plain water. This regime meant that I visited the toilet more often. Dragging the IV stand to the toilet every time I had to pee was somewhat inconvenient, but what to do. At first, I kept count of how many times I got up to relieve myself but when I pass the figure of ten, I stopped counting.

Alhamdulillah, my blood platelet count improved after the third day and I was allowed to go home. I am now resting at home and recovering well. Dengue fever in Malaysia is reaching alarming proportions. According to the Ministry of Health, the number of reported cases for the 6 months of this year has reached more than 56,000, a 34% increase over the same period last year. There have already been 162 deaths.

Very serious indeed. Please take care. Thank you to my dear friends and relatives for the kind thoughts and prayers.

IV needle attached to left hand

Crab soup. Normally delicious but when you have no appetite..

Papaya leaf juice. Top of the bitterness scale..

An ailment without a cure

Psoriasis is a chronic disease that affects the skin. While there are various methods of treatment, a definitive cure for the disease itself has yet to be discovered. Doctors and scientists still do not know what is the cause, although some research point to genetic links.

My wife suffers from this ailment. It occurred soon after we got married. We first went to a private skin specialist who suggested ultraviolet therapy, in addition to topical treatment. We tried it initially but the cost was getting way too expensive for us to afford. We went to other skin doctors and on the advice of well-meaning relatives, we even tried traditional medicine.

A few years ago, a GP suggested to my wife to seek treatment at Hospital Sultanah Aminah because they have a good dermatology unit headed by a very experienced specialist. The GP duly wrote a letter of recommendation and thus began my other half's regular visits to Johor Bahru's oldest government hospital. Since then, she has never sought treatment for her skin condition anywhere else. The level of dedication and service of HSA's skin clinic is excellent.

Last Sunday, the newly formed Psoriasis Association of Johor held an event day at a local hotel. The activities included a chance for the members and their family to show off their skills in colouring using paints and crayons. There was also a talk given by the Senior Consultant Dermatologist at HSA, Dr. Choon Siew Eng. My wife's treatment regime is now under the direct supervision of Dr. Choon.

The association hopes to gather all psoriasis patients in Johor with the objective of providing support and the sharing of knowledge. Hopefully this can help psoriasis sufferers and their family to cope with the challenges that such a disease brings.

The missus and her cousin Kak Atik, writing down their hopes for a cure

A collage of the painted posters

Smaller posters coloured with crayons

In my opinion, this crayon poster was the best

Dr Choon giving her presentation

Group photo of the team that won the colouring contest

I'm mad as a cow because I can't donate

Actually, there is no such idiom `as mad as a cow'... and I'm not really mad (as in angry, not insane). Just disappointed and a bit puzzled. But I'll explain what I mean shortly...

Yesterday and today, there is a nationwide blood donation drive being organised by the alumni association of MRSM, together with the assistance of AEON Jusco and the various hospitals. It is the 6th annual campaign and they hold it a few weeks before the Muslim fasting month of Ramadhan. I was at Jusco Tebrau City yesterday morning, with the intention of giving a pint of my blood. I am not a regular blood donor... the last time I did so was in 2007 during a similar campaign.

For those of you who have never donated blood before, the process of giving up a bit of that precious liquid is not just simply offering your arm to be pricked with a needle, see the red stuff flow down a tube and into a plastic bag. You would have to first fill up a form containing a zillion questions where you tick boxes to indicate `Yes' or `No'. A nurse would do a teenie-weenie jab on the tip of your middle finger to extract a drop of blood, from which she would determine your blood type.

You would take the form to the doctor on duty who then interviews you based on the answers you have given. The questions on the form are of course, to determine your level of health and suitability as a donor. Since lives would be at stake, you'd better answer all questions truthfully, no matter how embarrassing some of the questions might be. There was this question that asks whether you had paid for sex in the last 6 months... and if you had ticked the `Yes' box, then you better forget about donating. I guess the same would apply if you got paid for sex too.

There was also this question about whether you have visited or stayed in the United Kingdom for a least six months from 1979 to 1990. I ticked `Yes'. The young doctor asked me why I was there. I said I was a student for nearly 5 years. I queried back, what's the significance? He couldn't answer me but looked towards another senior doctor for help.


The senior doctor said that it has something to do with the Mad Cow Disease. Goodness me! That was so many years ago. The epidemic in the UK was in 1987... I had left the country a few years before that. Bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE), that's the official medical term. It's a bit strange that the health authorities believe that I may carry the infectious agent after all this time. I told the doctor that I had previously donated blood five years ago with no problems. She replied that the issue was not considered back then. Unfortunately today, they can't take my blood. Yeah, right...

So now I am no longer acceptable as a blood donor. As long as the Health Ministry believes that there is a threat of UK residents of that period carrying a risk of the BSE agent in their blood, until then I won't be able to donate my blood. Bummer.

Anyway, the day was not a total loss. The hospital representatives at the event were also promoting organ transplant pledges. I took the opportunity to pledge the donation of some of my organs in case of my demise. I offer my eyes (cornea) and kidneys to be shared with any person in need at some future time.

Fit for the job

It is standard procedure nowadays for prospective employers to require would-be employees to undergo medical checks, the results of which would determine whether the employee would be offered the job, or if already employed, to be confirmed in his post. I have worked at so many places and the requirement of each employer is different. No doubt, the most basic of such requirements is the standard chest x-ray, urine test and vision check. Many employers today also ask for a blood test.

I remember when I first got a job in 1984, I had to take the medical check-up at the government hospital. Those days, the hospitals aren't as well-equipped as now and we had to wait quite a long time to go through each of the tests. Chest x-ray images required a week or so to be developed. Same goes for urine samples. Forget about blood samples... it would've taken weeks to get a result.

Nowadays, many private hospitals and some private clinics have the full array of diagnostic equipment to carry out whatever tests the employer wish to check, with most results being made available within a single day. The more complicated blood tests may take a day or two longer.

Earlier today, I went to a private clinic to do a medical. I had to pee into a small container, had my body zapped with x-rays and my arm pricked with a needle to draw blood. The clinic could've given me the result by tomorrow except that my employer wants my blood to be HIV-tested. That would take a few more days. I guess they want to be sure that I am not immune-deficient, have not been taking illicit drugs and be as healthy as I can be while in their employment.

How come the tasty stuff are the bad ones too?

In the previous post, I wrote about the passing of my friend's eldest son due to a complication I have never heard of before. Although I'm not a doctor, I thought I have heard or read about most of the life-threatening diseases there are. Just goes to show that when it comes to subject of the human body's health, there are still so many things that we have yet to know.

No doubt, the prophet Muhammad s.a.w. had mentioned that for every ailment, there is a cure. It is just that the present human skills and capability have not discovered most of them yet.

Which now brings me to the subject of my own health. About two years ago, I posted the results of my medical tests in this blog. It showed an improvement in the total cholesterol level in my blood that has fallen below reference level and a slightly high uric acid level. This caused me to seriously re-think the stuff that I eat everyday so that I could maintain the cholesterol level and perhaps reduce the uric acid level.

Apparently, I have not been serious enough...

The results of my latest medical check-up came in a few weeks ago... and they do not look too good. Well actually, I am generally okay... except for the two items above which have been a bane in my medical history. My total cholesterol level jumped from a low of 4.5 mmol/L to a high of 5.7 mmol/L, i.e above the reference level of 5.2. The uric acid level did not improve either, rising from 0.45 mmol/L to 0.49 mmol/L, above the reference level of 0.42.

This is not good at all. The high levels of these two substances are primarily due to diet. Red meat, shellfish, anchovies, tuna, soy beans (plus all its derivatives such as kicap and tempe) and a whole lot of other tasty stuff. Perhaps I should just become a vegetarian...

The human body's filtration system

Around two weeks ago, a friend of mine Zaaba Ahmad, posted on his Facebook status about his son's medical condition. He mentions IgA Nephropathy. I didn't know what it means so I immediately ran a google search. Upon reading a few of the online reference sources, I became a bit depressed. The eldest son of my friend is suffering from a very serious ailment. I copy below, the first two opening lines from one website, and you'll understand what I mean :

IgA nephropathy is a kidney disorder that occurs when IgA—a protein that helps the body fight infections—settles in the kidneys. After many years, the IgA deposits may cause the kidneys to leak blood and sometimes protein in the urine. (source - NIDDK)

Our kidneys functions as the natural filtration system for our body. It removes wastes and excess water from our blood and discharges them as urine. Damaged and diseased kidneys are seldom treatable. More often than not, transplant is the only solution.

Early this week, Zaaba transferred his son from a hospital in Seremban to the HTAA Hospital in Kuantan. The young man was studying for A-levels at a Seremban college and had in fact, sat for his exams while warded. His condition had not improved and Zaaba decided to transfer the son to Kuantan to be nearer his hometown so the family can easily be by his bedside. Zaaba kept us friends updated by posting news on FB.

Yesterday the young man slipped into coma and was warded in ICU. I managed to get a call through to my friend at 11.00 am today. He was at the hospital and told me that the situation did not look good. The son is on a life support machine. I couldn't say much except offer to pray for his son. I almost cried...

At around 5pm, I received a message from another friend who was at the hospital.... they have stopped the respirator. Zaaba has lost his 20-year old son.

My condolonces to Zaaba and his family. May the Almighty place the soul of Afiq Aiman Bin Zaaba among the pious.

Piroxicam and diclofenac

Another obvious sign of ageing is when the medicines your doctor prescribes you increase in variety. Previously you may just be familiar with paracetamol, ponstan and maybe one or two cough syrups. You wouldn't bother with the names of antibiotics because there are just too many of them. More often than not, you never finish the full antibiotic course as what was prescribed because you have this attitude of : Alaa... dah baik dah. Takyah nak makan ubat tu lagi...

Well... time is catching up on you, my friend. If you don't take care of your health, then be prepared to familiarise yourself with a host of new medications whose names would put you in a tongue-twisting exercise. There are hundreds of thousands of drugs and medicines out there. More are being discovered everyday. Pharmaceuticals is a very huge business.

So why am I talking about drugs today?

I had a severe attack of gout last night. The initial build-up to the pain around my left ankle was felt at about noon time yesterday. I chose to tough it out because there were outstanding items at the work site to attend to and that I would be driving back to Johor Bahru later that night. The plan was for me to see my regular doctor in JB the next day (today).

By the time I left Kuala Lumpur at around 9pm, the pain started to feel worse. Good thing it is the left leg... if it had been the right, then driving would've been impossible. I tried to make it a non-stop trip so as to reach home as fast as possible but my bladder wasn’t co-operating. I chose to make a pit stop at the small Yong Peng rest area where the toilets are not far from where we can park our car. It was a struggle to get out of my car to walk the 10 metres or so to reach the toilet. I couldn’t put any weight on my left leg and had to hobble the distance mostly on one leg. Quite embarrassing, really… Good thing the only other people watching this comical scene were the toilet cleaners.

I reached home in JB at around 1 am. My son acted as a crutch to help me from the car into the house. I downed two tablets of paracetamol, hoping to relieve some pain to last through the night.

No effect. The pain became unbearable and I couldn’t sleep. It was 3 am when I asked my better half to take me to see a doctor. Luckily there is a 24-hour clinic not too far away from where we stay. The last time I went to a clinic outside normal hours was ages ago.

The doctor took one look at my swollen ankle and immediately asked if I wanted a pain-killing jab. Yes, yes… please! She prescribed two medicines for me and her parting advice were two simple words : Jaga makan…

Yeah, doc… I hear you. But stubborn old me always give in to temptations when it comes to food.

Pic borrowed from -> Drug3K.com

Feldene (piroxicam) and Voren 50 (diclofenac sodium) are two medications used to relieve pain, tenderness, swelling and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. They are also sometimes used to treat gouty arthritis (attacks of severe joint pain and swelling caused by a build-up of certain substances in the joints). They both fall under a class of medicines known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)… see, I told you they are going to be a mouthful.

So today shall be a total rest-at-home day with limited mobility. Time to catch up on blogging and blog-hopping. And also to reflect on the problem of how to control my makan…

The zipper club

We were up at KL and Shah Alam last weekend to send our second son back for his second semester at UiTM. After sending my son back to his hostel, I took the opportunity to visit a friend who stays at nearby Section 7.

My friend Yos, had just undergone bypass surgery on his heart 3 weeks ago. On Sunday, he held a kenduri doa selamat (thanksgiving lunch reception) at his house and invited close friends to come over.

I have known Yos since we first met at boarding school in Kuantan. He went on to study in Australia while I went to the UK. We met again when both of us started our engineering careers at the same organization in Johor Bahru.

I first received news of his ailment through our email group in Yahoo just before the operation was to take place. I couldn't make it to KL at the time so I just sent him a text message praying for his successful surgery. So when it was time to be sending my son back to college, it became convenient for me to drop by for a visit.

Yos was in cheerful mood, as he has always been. He told me that he went to see a cardiologist at Damansara Specialist Hospital after feeling some chest pains. The cardiologist, Dr. Daud, who happens to be our junior at boarding school, arranged for a full check-up. As my friend commenced the first steps on the treadmill stress test, Dr. Daud immediately stopped the test and called for a senior cardiologist to review the results. Further tests confirmed that Yos had blockages at 4 locations and that bypass surgery is required.

The surgery was successfully carried out three weeks ago and hopefully my friend is on the road to a quick recovery. Yos is the second close friend of mine who has undergone open heart surgery (the story of the other friend can be read here -> The heart of the matter). He is now a member of the exclusive zipper club, whose members carry the distinctive Y-shaped surgical scars on their chest.

That Sunday afternoon, a few other batch-mates from MRSM Kuantan were also there. One of them asked Yos how healthy he felt at the moment... 60%? 70%?. Before Yos could answer, another friend jokingly asked if he has already resumed the husband/wife activity. Yos sportingly replied that this is in fact, one of the FAQs in the post-surgery info the hospital provided to its heart surgery patients. According to doctor's advice, if the patient can walk 1 kilometre with ease, then he should be able to proceed with lovemaking activity.

Yos then pointed to the children's playground opposite his house. `The footpath around that playground is about 300m', he says. `And I have been completing five laps of it everyday...'

`Yeah?', one of us chipped in. `But have you been doing it with ease?' Hehehehe.....

To my friend Yos, I pray for your continued recovery. Be careful of what you eat. Continue with the therapy and exercises. Pretty soon, you'll be walking that 1km with relative ease :-)

Getting better

Thanks to all blogger friends and readers who wished me well. The pain in my left leg is almost gone now and I was already back at work today. Only a hint of the swelling is left and I believe it should disappear by tomorrow.

This incident has added another leaf in the `Pain' chapter of my life experience history. I do hope to avoid another such experience, if at all possible. The lesson has been learnt... I have to watch what I eat.

So consumption of red meats, anchovies, beans, lentils and certain seafood need to be controlled so that the cholesterol and uric acid levels can be kept in check. Hmm... this can be quite a challenging task. And with the Muslim fasting month coming up, how can I not be tempted by all those delicious juadah buka puasa?

Since my leg is better today, we went out for dinner at the BBQ Chicken Restaurant located within the Tesco Hypermarket in Plentong. I guess I'll be eating more chicken now and this place claims to use 100% olive oil in their preparation. My second son Harith, is back home for a one week semester break from UiTM. He invited along a roommate of his from Kota Kinabalu to spend the break with us here in JB. So it's the first time I'm treating them out for dinner since they got here on Saturday.

Again, thanks for all your kind thoughts, tips and suggestions.

Knocked out by a bout of gout

It had to happen. Probably better sooner than later.

On Sunday morning, I woke up with an aching pain in my left leg, around the ankle joint. It is the type of pain that you get when you've sprained the ankle, except that I don't think that my ankle is sprained because there is no tell-tale swelling. The day before, I did some hard trekking at the project site which involved climbing some steep slopes and hacking through undergrowth. But apart from being slightly out of breath, I didn't think I hurt myself.

As Sunday wore on, the pain got worse and it became impossible to walk properly because I couldn't put any weight on my left foot without feeling severe distress. The clinic that I normally go to is not open on Sundays, so I had to tough it out by taking some Panadol Extend.

Waking up this morning, the pain hadn't gone away. With my son to provide temporary crutch support, I hobbled into the clinic to the amusement of my doctor. My ailment is gout-related, he says, although the full symptoms of gout such as swelling toe-joints is not visible. The heavy stress on my legs during work on Saturday may have been the trigger that flared this pain.

He gave me a jab of painkiller and some other tablets to be taken later. I was told to rest and not move around too much.

Apart from the throbbing pain in my leg, starting from the ankle joint and going up to my buttocks, the rest of me is okay. I am not feverish or feeling poorly in any way. It is the lack of mobility that is truly depressing, and at 47 years-old, feeling like an invalid is not cool at all. For the first time in my life, daily solat prayers had to be performed sitting on a stool.

As some of you may have read in an earlier post, my annual blood test results revealed that I have high levels of uric acid and as such, is prone to gout attacks. Subsequently, I have revised my diet to reduce red meat, ikan bilis and tempe while having more fresh salads that include capsicums, cherry tomatoes and carrots. Apparently, the change in diet regime is too late in preventing this first painful encounter. Nevertheless, we shall strive on.

As I type this entry, the pulsating pain in my left leg has reduced significantly but the signs of a slight swelling around the ankle is now visible. Hopefully, the whole thing will go away soon.

Gotta watch what I eat

The test results of my annual medical check-up came in on Saturday. The results are mixed.

The level of total cholesterol in my blood has dropped to 4.5 mmol/L (normal) from a high of 7.4 mmol/L just over a year ago. The level of LDL cholesterol (the so-called bad dudes) is down to 1.5 mmol/L, although triglycerides is still high.

On the other hand, uric acid level has shot up to 7.5 mg/dL, above the reference range of 3.3 to 7.0 mg/dL. High uric acid levels means that I may easily be inflicted with gout, a type of arthritis.

Three years ago, my cholesterol levels were borderline but my uric acid was high. Last year, I managed to bring down the uric acid level to within normal range but cholesterol levels increased. I've managed to control the cholesterol levels this time round due to the daily dose of Covastin 20mg and restricted consumption of my favourite foods (lamb chops and beriani kambing). However, the see-saw game by those uric acid molecules is pissing me off.

According to my doctor, high uric acid levels is predominantly caused by diet. The main sources are red meat, liver, anchovies (ikan bilis), sardines and even soybeans. Heck... all the food that I love.

Seems that I now have to go easy on that sambal tempe dan ikan bilis goreng during lunch... sigh...