Home remedy: Castor Oil

A few weeks ago, I sprained my right waist because of some exercise. I was in pain for a week, I couldn't bend down or sit down in one place for a long time and I had to pray sitting down in a chair.

My mum introduced to Cik a remedy for knee ache when we went back to Rompin. It's drinking a teaspoon of castor oil mixed with half a glass of warm water before going to sleep. It helps to "grease" the joints. They both drank it and felt generally better the next day.

Then we saw the Yoga for you programme on Astro. It says that the Ayurvedic treatment for osteoperosis is by drinking 1 tsp castor oil mixed with 1 tsp ginger powder and half glass of warm water, because the Ayurveda believed that osteoperosis is caused by wind in your body. It helps to expel the wind in body and strengthen bone density.

So I though maybe I should try the remedy for my waist ache. The oil & warm water concoction tasted like burnt peanut oil. Its palatable unlike the bitter taste of some herbal remedies like jamu, for instance. When I woke up the next morning, lo and behold, my ache was totally gone. It was like a miracle cure. Cik said it was probably due to wind in my body too.

Last night I tried the ginger + castor oil + warm water. My body felt great today and some of the aches I experienced were also gone. Cator oil is known to be a laxative and helps with bowel movement. It is easily found in Indian stores where you can buy the ginger powder as well. Its also known as minyak jarak.

Poetry in Motion

Warning! A very indelicate entry about constipation, hemorrhoids and such.

A few days ago, I'd come across a colleague who looked sickly.I asked her if she was okay. And she said she's had hemorrhoid, that's why she's not feeling so well and was on mc for two days. This condition was something that I have close connection.

Since I was small, I've had severe case of constipation. I'd go for days without passing motion. I'd tried to force it out by staying in the loo for hours. This continued on till my school years whereby I'd experienced blood dripping when I was "processing" in the loo. I had a scare. I thought I had hemorrhoid or buasir. In my uni days, I'd to take teh orang kampung to ease my troubles. It worked for a while, then my tummy got immune to it, and it didn't work anymore. I went back to the days without passing motion, sometimes 3 days, sometimes 5, I think maybe one time I'd gone 1 week without doing my business. It was discomforting. I'd felt toxic. Back then I was quite active in sports, drank loads of water, ate less.

Alhamdullilah, things improved when I started work. Kerabu Jantung said I need to force myself to do my business early in the morning. I didn't believe her at first. Then I tried it. Over a period of a few months, while diligently sitting at my throne for hours, I'd discovered that I began to pass motion regularly. Then my hours in the loo decreased to half an hour of waiting, then some more. It came to a point where I'd get the morning call. You know, like when you are still asleep but suddenly u had to get up and run to the loo because feel something about to come out! Now, I'm happy to say that I don't have that problem anymore. In my case, it wasn't my diet, but it was something to do with disciplining my body to function properly.

But not everyone is lucky as I am. My colleague still have hemorrhoid, and so many other people out there. Kak Safinah, the owner of Malay Tea House had actually recommended my colleague to use virgin coconut oil. It is reported to have healing properties, and she said you can see immediate result within one week. Maybe you can also try to eat more veggies and fruits that are high in fibre, like bananas, prunes, etc. I would advise to use two prong approach, visit the doctor to get proper medication and then try some traditional cure. Whatever works for you since everyone is different.

Ops K.E.T.U.A.T

Latarbelakang
Saya telah mengalami pertumbuhan ketuat di muka lebih dari setahun, dan mungkin anda tak perasan kerana kedudukannya saling tak tumpah macam tahi lalat manis di bawah mulut sebelah kiri muka saya. Saya sebenarnya dah sampai tahap "pain threshold" 4 bulan yang lalu apabila telah mengambil tindakan drastik dengan membuang ketuat tersebut dengan pemotong kuku. I know its crazy but I can't help it. The two previous docs that I saw was dibelieved that this condition occurs on the face, and conveniently said that the salve for warts is out of stock! Lepas jumpa doktor2 tersebut saya dh jadi bosan dan buat keputusan untuk membiarkan sahaja ketuat saya. Tetapi bila ketuat ni tumbuh kembali dengan lebih besar dan tangan saya lebih gatal untuk mengutilnya sehingga berdarah, maka saya ambil keputusan untuk berjumpa dengan Dr Baharom atas saranan rakan sepejabat saya Natasha. Berikut merupakan kronologi Ops K.E.T.U.A.T.

20 Julai 2009
Saya telah pergi ke Klinik Dr Baharom di Sentul setelah mendapat maklumat dari rakan sekerja, Natasha mengenai keberkesanan Dr Baharom membuang ketuat di kawasan sensitif, terutamanya di muka. Setelah satu jam setengah menunggu, akhirnya pada jam 11 pagi saya berjumpa Dr Baharom. Orangnya kecil molek dan sangat efisyen menjalankan kerja. Rata-rata yang datang klinik dia ramai yang sakit gout atau sakit sendi. Lepas dia examine muka saya, dia telah memberi empat suntikan bius kebas di sekeliling ketuat saya. Tak sakit pun rasa mcm semut gigit jer...

Selepas setengah jam, saya diarahkan ke bilik Ops kecil. Mata saya ditutup dan dada saya diletakkan penebat supaya tiada kejutan elektrik semasa ops laser dijalankan. Bila mata saya dah tutup barulah rasa berdebar sbb saya tak pernah menjalankan rawatan laser. Lagi-lagi bila mata saya ditutup, suspense sbb saya tak dapat tengok apa yg doc buat pada saya. Dulu pernah gak saya buat small surgery, local anesthetic jugak mcm yg ini tp mata saya tak ditutup, maka saya dapat tengok di atas siling bila doc mengodek-godek badan saya. Sama jugak masa buat root canal, mata saya tertumpu pada siling sbb ada pantulan imej dan saya dapat tengok apa doc buat. Tp kali ini berbeza, lagipun bahaya sbb rawatan laser. Silap terkena mata, buta pulak nanti.

Mula-mula doc godek ketuat saya, rasa mcm dia potong permukaan ketuat dan tarik2. Tak rasa sakit kan sbb dah bius, kebas. Lepas tu doc laser muka saya, ngeri gak. Ada bau benda terbakar, mesti sbb kulit saya yg dibuang. Pastu doc godek2 lagi, rasa panjang akar ditarik sampai ke gigi saya, ada lah kira2 panjang dua ruas jari. Panjang tu...pastu doc laser lagi beberapa kali, godek2 lagi dan announce dia dapat keluarkan akar ketuat tu...pastu doc jahit lubang yang ditinggalkan ketuat, panjangnya adalah sekitar 1cm seperti gambar dibawah:

Doc kata jumpa dia balik lagi 8 hari nak buang benang. Muka saya dah macam pirate hardy har har....tapi tak boleh lebih 12 hari, takut bernanah..takder pantang apa2, mandi and amik air semayang macam biasa. Doc bagi anitbiotik dgn ubat tahan lapar/buang angin sbb saya sihat sangat katanya.

1 Ogos 2009
Baru dapat jumpa doc lepas balik kursus emcee seminggu di Melaka dengan Sharifah Shawati. Doc tanggalkan benang pastu bagi ubat untuk sapu dan vitamin C untuk makan supaya kulit cepat sembuh. Lagi doc timbang berat dan bagi ubat tahan lapar sbb saya baru hilang 1kg, ni ubat kena makan 6 kali sehari. Amik darah untuk uji kolestrol. 9 Ogos kena jumpa doc balik.

6 Ogos 2009
Bekas ketuat dah beransur pulih. Bagi saya scar akan sembuh tak lama lagi, so tak kisah lah. Just teruskan sapu ubat dan makan Vit C. InsyaAllah scar akan hilang.

Demikianlah laporan Ops K.E.T.U.A.T untuk makluman tuan-tuan dan puan-puan sekalian.

Dah sudah tutup fail!

H1N1 Lowdown

I was on duty as a rapporteur on Monday for the annual Overseas Directors Meeting and so just to share some info on H1N1 as supplied by Dato' Dr. Hassan bin Abdul Rahman, Director of Communicable Disease Control Division from Public Health Department who gave updates on the H1N1 influenza pandemic,

H1N1 is a new influenza which causes a contagious respiratory illness that is communicable from human to human. The first case was reported on 16 April 2009, where it continued to spread around the world and by 16 May 2009, Malaysia had reported its first case of the influenza H1N1. Within 2 months, almost all parts in the world have such reported cases, of which 90% of the cases reported originated from the USA, Canada and South America. As of 12 July 2009, 143 countries have reported 106,565 confirmed cases and 470 deaths with 0.44% mortality rate.

A total of 42 countries have reported local transmission of the disease and 10 countries had sustained the virus via human to human transmission. Earlier cases reported of the H1N1 were those who had traveled to the USA, including Mexico and Canada. Now, the virus is spreading via local transmission in Asia and Europe where it was declared by WHO at pandemic level.

For Malaysia, the first confirmed case was reported on 16 May 2009. As to date, there are 710 confirmed cases of which 71% were imported cases from countries where local transmission has occurred and 29% were local transmission. Currently, only 83 victims are still recuperating in the hospital. There were no deaths reported.

It was informed that H1N1 cases with complications such as pneumonia or diabetes will be hospitalized and those with mild symptoms was advised to be quarantined at home. Government hospitals will give free treatment to those who contracted the H1N1 influenza, be it Malaysians or foreigners.

The Public Health Department (PHD) aims to:

• reduce transmission and illness severity;
• provide information to help health care providers, public health officials, and the public to address the challenges posed by this emergency.

PHD has recommended that precautions be taken from all level of society, be it individual or household to take safety measures by adhering to the guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health. It is advisable that everyone maintains personal hygiene, practice social distancing, reduce travel, avoid crowded areas and restrict mass gathering to ensure that the H1N1 pandemic will be contained. PHD will conduct disease surveillance by continuing screening at airports. The public is advised to get updates on current situation from credible sources such as Ministry of Health and World Health Organization. With regards to the tourism industry, Ministry of Health has not issued any restrictions for foreign tourists to travel to Malaysia.

Y.B. Minister of Tourism had reiterated that Malaysia is a safe country to visit from the H1N1 virus as we had taken precautionary measures to delay the widespread of this pandemic in this country. Travellers to Malaysia would not be subjected to quarantine if the traveler only showed mild symptoms of the H1N1 influenza.

*text taken from my rapporteur of the session, with info supplied by PHD.

More health issues and tips

I was down with (presumably) a cold and runny nose last Saturday...went to Klinik Idzham at Jalan Genting Klang and the good doctor gave me your standard paracetamol and flu medicine. Sunday, my nose was blocked but my phlegm was thicker and yellower, so I thought I was on the road to recovery. Monday, woke up with worse nose blocked and drowsiness from last night's flu medicine.

Decided to take MC as I feel that I couldn't work that day. Went to another panel clinic, Klinik Wangsa nearby Alpha Angle Wangsa Maju. Met up with Dr Nadir Khan, told him my flu didn't get any better but it good worst. I suspected that I had sinus problem, maybe I was allergic with seafood (I had seafood tomyam on Friday night, that's when the headache and runny nose started). Dr Nadir Khan said that the symptoms are almost similar and went on to declare,"I haven't given any flu or cough medicine to my patients in almost 17 years". Wow. And I thought that the flu medicine is the answer to our flu problems. And cough medicine for our cough problems. He said explained that flu or cough medicine would dry up the phelgm inside of you that at one point your phelgm will be very thick and yellow, and when you cough it will be very dry and hurts your throat.

Therefore, Dr Nadir tought me a technique to dislodge my phlegm. He doesn't want his patients to heal quickly, and I was puzzled by this statement. Aza de Kaza, who introduced me to this clinic explained that the doctor wants the patients to heal more naturally. I have been having phlegm and cough problems for quite sometime now, so what Dr Nadir tought me had been very helpful:

Administer to self, especially when coughing or feeling phelgm stuck:
1. Cup one palm into a half-inverted "V"
2. Pat vigorously on opposite side of the body just above the breast, and feel the phelgm starts to rise in your throat;
3. Same palm, pat vigorously under your rib cage and the side of your body. In no time you'll be spitting the dislodge phelgm.
4. Repeat with the other palm and opposite side of the body.

Administer to others:
1. Boil water and put it in a basin;
2. If doctor provides you with the herbal crystal that can help with your breathing, then drop just a pinch of it in the hot water;
3. Cup palm into half-inverted "V";
4. Patient bent down to inhale the hot water and you pat vigorously behind his/her back to help with breathing. Airway will be more clear and phlegm will thin out.

*can also be done to self for the hot water treatment, minus the pat on the back.

Diabetes Scare

Last week in Rompin I accompanied my mum to the pharmacy. It was 7pm and we had just came back from our wanderings in Teluk Gorek and shoppping around in Rompin's pesta pantai. She wanted to have her blood sugar tested. I was thinking "What the hell" might as well got my blood sugar tested too since I'm already there. My random blood sugar (RBS) was 7.8!! It is borderline to having high blood sugar, hence diabetes. OMG!! I was freaked out because last year when I checked my blood it wasn't even 6, and that was even less than an hour after breakfast.

Once we went back to KL, I had my blood rechecked. It's the fasting blood sugar (FBS) whereby your blood is tested early in the morning before you have your breakfast. My result was 5.8. Doctor said it was fine as FBS should be less than 6.1, but it would be better if my BS was between 5.2 - 5.6. For reference on your blood sugar:

FBS < 6.1 - blood taken early morning before breakfast
RBS <8.1 - blood taken 2 hours after meal or randomly during the day

Two hours later, I had my blood taken again for RBS, after I had my breakfast. The result was 6.7. I was so relieved. The doctor said that I don't have diabetes, as a diabetic person might tested 7 or more for FBS. Then I asked her what made by BS so high when I tested it previously? She said that it was probably because I tested it at 7pm when I had already eaten throughout the day, plus my last meal before my blood was taken was less than one hour. I was pacified by her answer, but I wasn't totally comfortable at the state of my BS being on the high side.

My mum then advised that I should take care of what I eat:

1. Eat according to portion: carb 1 portion, vegies + lauk: 2 portions, 1 fruit;
2. Regulate meal time: eat meals on time;
3. Only eat again after 2 hours, so food can be digested properly;
4. Exercise to loose the weight.

Doctor aslo advise that if I'm having any of the symptoms below, then I should have a recheck:

1. Always thirsty;
2. Always tired or letahrgic:
3. Can't control bladder, and kept peeing at night, etc.

So, I guess this is a wake up call for me. I've to start watching what I ate and regulate my meals. I've just started with more vegies diet, namely salad for dinner. My personal favourite: nicoise salad with italian dressing + tuna, its just delicious! I don't mind having it everyday. Will try to exercise more once Ajol's back from Jakarta.

Will check in again with the doctor in 3 months time and see my BS level...

The one with the fish spa experience

Today at lunch time, me and Nina went to the Jungle Fish spa at The Mall. This shop is like the cheaper spin-off version of Kenko Fish Spa, all the rage now in the Pavillion. It cost us about RM28 each for a half an hour session. So we sat down at the pond, pull our sarong till up on the knees and gingerly dipped our feet in the pond. OH MY GOD! So damn geli, ok!!! Nina was screaming, "This is the last time that I will go to the fish spa!". Twice. Hehe....

Seriously, it felt like your feet was being electrocuted by hundreds of small fish, sucking at your toes and foot and calf, only that it didn't hurt. Ticklish is more like it. Nina said it was the blood circulating. If you guys ever had the foot messager with the infra-red thingy, it also felt like that. Only your feet is in the water. 10 minutes or so, we began to relax our feet. I began to really look at the small fishes. They're called the Garra Rufa. They only eat your dead cells, and leaving your healthy skin, that's why they are also called the Doctor Fish. The Garra Rufas are small, like ikan tamban, and eagerly gnaw at your skin. My feet felt smooth and tingly after the treatment.

The only sad thing was, two little Garra Rufas died during the session. Maybe they overeat my dead skin cells or something. Oh well, the hazards of working in that environment....hehe

Next project: ear candling treatment.