A blissful morning

What a wonderful morning. I am seated by the pool side in RSGC, and is now 800 am. It is such a cooling morning and only with a couple of regular swimmers in sight (Don’t worry Hammy 3 and LB, I am not here to swim!). Just decided to get out of the house after being locked-down since my operation last week.

Watching the swimmers suddenly made me realize something I have always taken for granted. I have always loved to swim and hence my participation in trialthlons. However, I am not allowed to swim nor run until 6 weeks after my surgery *well well, damn it!!!!*.

My point being – the very thing I have always thought was the safest to do ie swimming (low impact, total body workout etc etc etc), is now the very thing I CANNOT DO till early March! Who would have thought a keyhole laparoscopy could do this to an ever so hyper woman! Hey but look at the bright side, this has taught me to appreciate the very thing that I take for granted though.

At least, I am still well and alive to come back stronger after 6 weeks….till then I shall continue to bask in the sun, by the pool….without having to work up a maximum heart rate!

Mid life crisis part 2...not again!

I am somewhere between 40 – 50 years old, given my recent health drama, I asked myself, “Am I prepared to try anything at least ONCE?” (as long as it does not kill me!)

After all, when I hit Part One of my mid life crisis 3 years back, I literally walked out of my high-paying executive job, with no thought whatsoever of what I wanted to do, cut my hair short (and had almost everyone thinking I was going lesbo…I DIDN’T AND STILL AM STRAIGHT AS HELL), took up triathlon, ran 4x21km although I was told 10 years ago I will NEVER run again, teaching RPM …and I have never been happier!

Is this then Part Two of my mid life crisis (wait a minute…is there even such thing??)…oh well, who cares if there is or isn’t!

The recent scare with my health is making me re-consider my options in life…”Am I prepared to try anything at least ONCE?” After all, life still has so much to offer me (OOOHH…I can so hear Hammy 3 and LB screaming at me….”slow down woman!”)

So, excuse me while I go figure out my list of “Things to try at least ONCE?”

Hey, it could have been worse!

I had just got back from my post surgery check-up. The verdict?

Well, the surgery thingy is good, just that I am one organ short now *bye bye gall bladder*; hey but otherwise I still have the rest of the important organs!

The only other disturbing matter would be the result of my liver biopsy. The verdict – exhibits mild peri-portal hepatitis/inflammation. *WTF does that jargon mean??*…Well, first of all, it supports what the ultrasound scanning had picked up plus what my surgeon saw during the keyhole surgery. And according to my doctor, this is a sign or the beginning of something worse that MAY come later part in my life *okkkaayyy, I don’t even want to think what THAT maybe*. The GOOD news, at the least, is that the blood test had ruled out all the OTHER major liver diseases. PHEW!

Scary huh? Yeah, this is probably a result of too much drinking in my early years and not having better taken care of my health. Like my mom had always said “You had better take good care else you won’t know what will hit you as you age!”

Suddenly I realized that as healthy as we all may look, or try our utmost best to take good care of ourselves, exercise till the cow come home (AHEM! EA….are u reading this?), it is never a guarantee that we will always be healthy or think that nothing will happen to us. Hey after all, I am at my peak…who would have guessed that I will lose ONE organ now!

This experience, once again, is making me re-think about my life. What EXACTLY do I really wanna do?

One thing for sure, this has just CONFIRMED that I will not want to be doing Advertising & Strategic Planning anymore…I wanna go out there and REALLY LIVE MY LIFE…maybe run the 42km marathon that I have been putting off for 2 whole years, complete ONE Ironman perhaps, take my parents for a holiday (WOW! The last time I went on a holiday with them was like 20 donkey years ago!), save the world maybe and so what if we all gain some pounds….I dunno…suddenly Life seems abundant and is up to me how I really want to live it this time.

After all, this was probably another wake-up call or second chance from God to make it better….perhaps…after all, if you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain first….

Wat's up doc?

Hey peeps! Welcome back… to me! Yay! feels great to be home after having spent couple of days at the hospital. Well, as you all can see I AM ALIVE! (those of you who may not have been aware, I was in a surgery last week and I just got checked out over the weekend).

The surgery itself (and most part of the pre-surgery went ‘handsomely’ well too…AHEM! Note the key word ‘handsome’). OK, you know how nervous I was with this whole damn surgery thing.

As I marched into the hospital on Jan 19, 2011, staring down the hospital admission lobby, looking at all the sick people around me, and not to mention the old and unattractive (but rich) doctors scurrying around in their white robes, I was thinking “why none of these doctors look like bloody McSteamy!!!!”

Then I was being prep for the surgery – the whole sterilized bath, changed into the horrible looking hospital gown, BP check and all….then I got pushed into the ‘waiting bay’ at the OT…then I was told that my Anaesthetist will attend to me shortly. So, I laid there watching the rest of the anaesthetist (whom were old, not good looking…uuurrrgghhh!) attend to the other patients.

After a good 15 minutes, this particular anaesthetist (who still had his mask on), came by to me and I was thinking (Good gawd, you must be that ugly to keep the mask on! Ok whatever you look like, just bring it on and give me your best jab!)…then he spoke….LOL! BEHOLD! THAT VOICE!!!!OMG and the MASK CAME OFF….All of a sudden, the surgery didn’t look that bad after all!! He was the cutest doc I had seen around the hospital so far! OMG…AND HE’S BEEN HIDING IN THE OT ALL THIS WHILE…WTF!!!! Ooohhhh! Can I play nurse and doctor?

But before I could savour the doc any further (nor even count pass 2), I was back in my room! The surgery was over!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Where is my cute anaesthetist?????BRING HIM BACK! And I never saw him after that throughout my stay at the hospital…..boo hoo hoo!

But, it did prove one thing, that there is always a possibility of a McSteamy at our hospital, and no, I was not drugged yet at that point.

24

24 hours to go before surgery! Ok, is finally drawing closer and closer….and I don’t like all the mixed emotions I am feeling – anxious, scared, moody…anything BUT happy!

Nothing will ever, ever prepare anyone for a surgery. The only thing I can prepare for is to pack my bloody bag today…and trying to figure out how to sneak in my notebook!

Well, most of all, I need to prepare for is my mental energy and strength.

I am leaving this in God’s hands…Trust and Faith…..

Checking the checklist

Ok, checklist part 2 pre-operation (Hammy 3, no, I am NOT OCD…it is called planning :p)

Could not get this list out of my head…I get unsettled knowing that I know that I have stuff to follow up on and do:

*Make a list of dates and RPM classes cover (must remember to remind GXMs)

*Hmmm….still contemplating about getting the 2 pounds …or maybe 5 pounds dumbbell so that I can use it at home…hmmm…

*Still trying to get a time to get my facial done (I really don’t want to look like a hag during my operation LOL hahahahaha)

*Have to re-look into my training and race schedules…again…hais…

That’s all for today, folks. I am sure I am not done with my checklist, yet.

Checking, checking, checking

I have exactly 6 more days to my surgery. Not looking forward to it but is something I have to do. Well, how am I preparing for it? I have been planning couple of stuff to get myself ready:

*For this whole week, gonna max out all my RPM classes…hahaha…planned out all the hardest and most enjoyable tracks...hei, I ain’t gonna get back on the bike for about 3 weeks after my surgery! So, I reckon I might as well go all out this week.

*Even worked out when I need to have my nails manicured and pedicured, so at least I will not feel THAT depressed knowing that I will not be able to have my lovely nails coloured after my surgery…PFFFTTTTT!!!

*Of course, planning out my meals AFTER my surgery…what to eat, what to avoid…hmmm…maybe not too much carbs…don’t want to be piling on the pounds in the 3 weeks! LOL!

*Bought some books to catch up and of course, planning to copy thousands of series, documentaries and movies from B, one of my RPM members…before I grow fungus in those 3 weeks…hahahaha!

Oh well, I will take it positively and enjoy the ‘break’. Ok, peeps, got to go for now…need to go see what else I need to prep.

Tell me more, tell me more...

I have an appointment with my surgeon today. As I wait rather (eagerly? nah! I don’t think so), there are sooooooo many questions I need to ask him. So, I made a checklist of questions for my surgeon later (and Hammy 3, I am not being OCD):

*Do I really need to do this ah? *Ok Hammy 3, LB, EA – I am ENTITLED to ask this question :p*

*How long will the surgery be?

*GA….uurrghhh….don’t like the thought of GA…NO other options? Heheheh

*Can I actually keep my manicured and pedicured coloured nails or do I have to remove the nail colours…PFFFTTT!

*How much is this whole damn thing gonna cost me…??

*Must I stay in the hospital for 2 days after surgery….is it necessary…I really don’t like to be locked in!!!! Feels like I am being grounded…boo hoo hoo!

*And most importantly, how soon can I start my workout regime….u know, my biking, RPM, running, swimming etc etc etc…and don’t tell me is 2 weeks at MINIMUM?!!!

Oh well, I am sure more questions will pop out as I make my way to see Dr Foo later…wish me luck peeps!

To cut or not to cut?

It’s been a rather interesting and tiring week for me since the Christmas and New Year. And no, it had nothing to do with partying nor drinking. This PB has just been busy pottering between 2 hospitals….trying to get myself sorted out, not psychologically!

Ok, in short, I have not been well past 3 months, was diagnosed with GERD (Pls check wiki if unsure), condition didn’t improve, hence got sent to gastroentologist, did ultrasound scan plus endoscopy…*you get the picture lah*. In short, I am due to go under the knife pretty soon to remove gall bladder stones (to quote my surgeon “you cannot delay anymore, the stones are tiny, very dangerous”) AND possibly a liver biopsy….*yucks!*

Anyway, when I was told about my inevitable surgery, of course I panicked bcos I am thinking:

*Damn! I can’t do the Great Eastern 30km Pacesetter this month…SHIT! SHIT! SHIT! Oh wait, maybe, just maybe I could do the run first, THEN do the surgery…HMMMM…..

*AIYOO!!! Need to find replacements for my RPM classes….damn it!

*Wait, how about all my races, triathlons in the near few months…am I gonna recover on time? FARK!!!!!!

*My work? …SCREW the work!

*Oh no….2 weeks’ recovery time…oh no!!!my fitness level! My stamina! My strength! Suffer!!!!!

Yes, I was that psycho…to think about all that and despite having gotten a 2^nd opinion, I am still that close in delaying the surgery...*OH, I can so hear Hammy 3, EA, LB all screaming at me…NO MORE DELAYING! DO THE BLOODY SURGERY ASAP!*

I know, I know…resistance is futile…….and maybe, this is God’s way of telling me…”Take a break, woman!”