A Mind of My Own

Each year, we hope that it will be a good year. Sometimes, our hopes are dashed. The disasters that have made known contains high mortality rates. Plagues are scary because they spread fast and kill fast too. Until the medicine or antibodies are developed, more people die each day.

Bubonic Plague aka Black Death

It was horrible. It began in the 1330s.

In the early 1330s an outbreak of deadly bubonic plague occurred in China. The bubonic plague mainly affects rodents, but fleas can transmit the disease to people. Once people are infected, they infect others very rapidly. Plague causes fever and a painful swelling of the lymph glands called buboes, which is how it gets its name. The disease also causes spots on the skin that are red at first and then turn black.

The disease soon spread to Europe and western Asia due to China’s business dealings with the rest of the world. It finally ended its destruction in 1771.

Small Pox

Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a contagious disease unique to humans. Smallpox is caused by either of two virus variants named Variola major and Variola minor. The deadlier form, V. major, has a mortality rate of 30–35%, while V. minor causes a milder form of disease called alastrim and kills ~1% of its victims. Long-term side-effects for survivors include the characteristic skin scars. Occasional side effects include blindness due to corneal ulcerations and infertility in male survivors.

Spanish Flu

The 1918 flu pandemic (commonly referred to as the Spanish flu) was an influenza pandemic that was first found in the United States, appeared in Sierra Leone and France, and then spread to nearly every part of the world. It was caused by an unusually severe and deadly Influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1.

Malaria

Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.

Recorded fevers started in 2700BC, China. Scientific Studies began in 1880.

Bird Flu

Avian influenza is an infection caused by avian (bird) influenza (flu) viruses. These influenza viruses occur naturally among birds. Wild birds worldwide carry the viruses in their intestines, but usually do not get sick from them. However, avian influenza is very contagious among birds and can make some domesticated birds, including chickens, ducks, and turkeys, very sick and kill them.

This started the culling session that made animal lovers steam. Cats were targeted to be the ones carrying the deadly disease. This is an ongoing disease. The origins are seemed to have started from China.

Mad Cow Disease

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), commonly known as Mad-Cow Disease (MCD), is a fatal, neurodegenerative disease in cattle, that causes a spongy degeneration in the brain and spinal cord and red eyes. BSE has a long incubation period, about 4 years, usually affecting adult cattle at a peak age onset of four to five years, all breeds being equally susceptible. In the United Kingdom, the country worst affected, more than 179,000 cattle have been infected and 4.4 million slaughtered during the eradication programme.

Beef imports were affected. So did the blood donations as anyone who has ever visited Europe will not be required to donate blood. This law is applicable to Singapore. The disease was suspected to have come about because reared bovines were fed the remains of slaughtered sick chickens, cattle and sheep in their daily feeds. The change in their diets made them unable to adapt. Cattle are natural herbivores.

It is scary to see that the world is being plagued by diseases just after you thought one was eradicated, another problem arises. A killer disease will be found in 2011 when cancer treatment succeeds. If Mr Juseleeno is accurate in his predictions. A death that will occur in just 4 hours. Swift and devastating indeed.

Is the world coming to an end?

I woke up this morning unable to open my eyes due to the dried tears clustered on my eyelids. Terrible. I blinked a few times to get them to open a bit and finally managed to after a while. I needed to clean my eyelids with the eye swaps soon.

Image via Wikipedia

Took a while to get rid of the dried tears and my eyelids were swollen, ouch. At least I looked decent enough. The vision was still cloudy and I felt the contact lens (protection purpose) a little itchy. However, I couldn’t rub my eyes as the flap wasn’t fully healed. I’ll need about a week to let it heal.

The sand in the eye feeling wasn’t that great either. Thus, I used the eye drops hourly to lubricate my eyes. I felt better. The follow up reviews took some waiting as quite a number of people were there for theirs too. One aunty loudly proclaimed to the nurse at 1pm that her appointment was at 12.30pm. I was there at 12.30pm and this aunty wasn’t even there yet.

The nurse lined her up after the previous patient. Perhaps this aunty was sitting outside after her initial check on her eye power. I doubt she is a patient person. At 1.15pm, it was finally my turn to see Dr Goh to remove the contact lens. My eyes felt way much better but I still have that sand in eye feeling. Hope it’ll go away by Monday. The urge to rub the eyes is simply too tempting.

Overall, my vision is still adjusting to the glare of sun and lights. It’s tiring to look at something near for too long either. Thus, my practice with typing has improved without looking at the screen and I can still type coherently.
I just wonder if I could squeeze out from the crowded MRT when I get to work on Tuesday.

I arrived late at the MRT due to my animated talk with my youngest brother. Was supposed to meet HF at 9am at the platform. She arrived at 8.54am while I was just packing to get out of the house. Oh my. I half-ran to the station and managed to meet her at the escalator.

Image via Wikipedia

We proceeded towards our station for the eye evaluation for Lasik at Paragon Medical. When we arrived at the lifts, there was a long queue. It was 10am, we were wondering what was going on at 10am in Orchard. The kids were in the queue and we simply hadf no idea. The lifts came and went. We were still stuck on level 1. Our appointment was 10am.

In the end, we decided to take the fire lift, again. We had taken it for the Lasik forum the other time. Finally, we reached the clinic for our eye evaluation. It’s free for those who have attended the forum. The waiting time was average since there were a lot of people undergoing the test too.

We started the test at around 10.20am and ended at 12.30pm. The tests were routine, checking your eye power and the measurements of the cornea. The part for the eye pressure was a little scary. The puffs of air blown into each eye made me jump. I would have jumped higher had the nurse not informed me before it.

HF jumped as the nurse didn’t tell her. I took some repeats as I kept moving my eyes a little. Fortunately, I could focus at a fixed spot once the nurse told me not to move. Oops. Finally, the tests ended with a personal consultation with the doctor himself. I was assigned to Dr Jon Goh. A rather nice man although he appeared a little aloof during the forum.

Due to eye drops, my vision wasn’t that good after the tests. HF had trouble focusing. In the end, we gave up trying to focus and navigated our ways through the crowds when the space was big enough. The fine words were rather trying too.

After lunch, we went to Far East Plaza for some shopping. I bought some hair clips. I think I buy too many hair clips. I did my plaits for the operation with the new hair clips. I think they are supposed to glow in the dark once they have absorbed enough light.

HF decided not to carry on with the operation as she had driving lessons the next day. I choose to take the operation. We went back to the clinic at 5.15pm for some pre-operation preparations. The nurse explained the procedure for the operation and I was assigned to a comfortable sofa to await my turn.

I adjusted my position on the bed a few times for it was perfect for the start of the operation. I was to focus on the blinking light. I tried to focus and managed most of the time. The suction was slightly painful due to the pressure. However, it didn’t last long.

I blacked out during the cut as it was normal and started to focus on the blinking light again. The pulses began after the flap was opened and I did notice some burning smell. I didn’t know if I was still blinking my other eye each time after the cut. I do know that I noticed a hazy vision with some clear parts.

After the operation, Dr Goh verified that the flap was done smoothly before letting me out of the operation theatre. I had a cloudy vision and took my seat again. The tears were the side effects and I was tearing non-stop. I think I suffered the worst among the rest.

HF was outside and counting those who have completed theirs. They looked fine with one even using the handphone to SMS. When I finally came out, I was tearing and nearly blind, she was shocked. She led me to the seat at the reception while we wait for DD.

I was in no condition to take th MRT and wasn’t keen to get bumped into either. DD led me to the taxi stand and we waited for one to take me and HF home.

My memory failed me last week. I was supposed to be doing something that my mum had instructed me to do, place the the spun dried clothes on the bamboo sticks. I forgot about the task totally and went to bed.

Obviously I got scolded. Sometimes I wonder if I am getting older mentally or I am just being paranoid. My feet go to sleep when I place them in a folded position for too long. That’s when pins and needles start to attack them. What can I do?

I have to practise chelation. It’s supposed to help me with handling those problems. Most important, diet and nutrition are vital to health. I don’t like to be in bed during critical times such as holidays. I like to be up and about especially during holidays.

It’s no fun if you are down with illnesses that keep you to your bed and there’s nothing you can do about it. When your memory starts failing, you are scared. I’m scared of losing my memory. I might be still in my prime but I do get worried especially if my health isn’t that good.

Forgetfulness, getting pains in joints, coldness in feet or arms are part of your body telling you that it is in trouble. If I don’t stop to listen and heal my own body, no one else can. Doctors can’t even help me if I don’t tell them what problems I have. I don’t want to lose my health.

Men tend to love sports like rugby and soccer. Every time the screen shows up a group of men racing with each other for the ball, the men go wild. They start to give instructions via the television to the players that they should look out for this guy behind him, that guy on the right, the one on the left and more.

The most exciting among them could be the rugby game. It’s a game where 2 teams race each other to get the highest possible points. Europe’s rugby is different from American’s rugby in terms of costumes for the game. I’m saying it as my point of view.

American rugby tend to look violent to me as they go all out to hit the opponents down with some ending up with torn ligaments or broken ankle. You can find fansites about rugby, the game fixtures, schedules, tournaments and championships. You can also find out sports news where they give all the vital details of the players besides their joined dates.

I had a pounding headache for 3 days. I thought that after sleeping, it would go away. No. It decided to date me for a 2nd time. I had such a trying time at work as I couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it. So, I hoped that by Saturday it would be gone. No such luck either. The headache came on and off and I couldn’t join my ex-colleagues on Friday evening since the headache came back with a vengeance at 5pm and insisted that it loved me by hounding me till I laid back to sleep.

On Saturday, the headache came again as soon as I opened my eyes. The only thing I had in mind was more sleep and hope it decided that its love wasn’t reciprocated. Fortunately, by this afternoon, it was gone. It decided to make its retreat and I’m now feeling better. Just the after-effects are leaving me rather woozy.

This little girl is unable to eat food. She needs a special formula concocted by the doctors in order to survive. The bill is expensive too but the health insurance refused to let the family claim the amount. It’s a food supplement issue according to them.

This makes me wonder, if my insurance refused to cover such issues and I have to fork out so much money, why on earth am I buying from this insurance company for? Have we ever bought the “wrong” insurance before? What if one day, you thought that your insurance is enough to cover for almost everything since you have paid high premiums, but the company says, no, sorry. You can’t claim because it’s <insert some insurance or medical or whatever term> and you won’t get a cent from us.

What is the purpose of buying insurance if we can’t claim it? What are the things we should be looking out for? Can we ever be able to cover absolutely everything in life?

This is getting serious. Men will have the higher chance of erectile dysfunction when they smoke a pack daily. You want to have kids but you are suffering from being unable to maintain your erection due to the nicotine circulating in your blood cells and lungs.

In fact, emerging research shows that men with a pack-a-day habit are almost 40 percent more likely to struggle with erectile dysfunction than men who don’t smoke.

“Smoking delivers nicotine and other vasoconstrictors that close down the blood vessels” of the penis, explained Dr. Jack Mydlo, chairman of urology at Temple University School of Medicine and Hospital in Philadelphia.

It’s no laughing matter when you truly want to have your own family but unable to sustain it when it’s at the most critical time. While this report is from America, it doesn’t mean that men from any other countries are safe from this issue. You won’t want your wife to leave you just because you can’t quit smoking.

You can quit smoking but not quit making life. Health is wealth despite “Money makes the world goes round”. Money won’t help you when you have cancer in the advance stages, ED, or other illnesses that have no medications for them.

Sure, there are ED medications but if an erection lasts for more than 4 hours, it can also cause permanent impotence.

To my dear friends who are getting married, I feel very happy for you. I’m not one who is verbal with my blessings. For ES and WW, I’m very glad that I was part of the morning and evening entourage. While it was both fun and tiring, I’m glad that the two of you are going to be working together as husband and wife.

ES, as your good friend through these years, I was very touched that the photo of us was used in your photo montage. We had some great time during our few trips out together. You were always offering your shoulder to comfort me during my sad periods. Thank you.

Now, I should offer the both of you my blessings. I wish that you’ll live in harmony, with good kids and celebrate your many years of marriage together in future. And I wish you good health.

The IBD Health Blog is giving away $25 via Paypal. It’s opened to all countries, W00t! Check out IBD Insurance Services if you’re looking for insurance providers. This contest ends on 31 Dec 2007. Time zone, unsure.

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