Baked Red Snapper

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium sized red snapper
2. Sea-salt
3. Sunflower oil (optional)

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1. Preheat oven at 220C.

2. Wash the red snapper throughly.

3. Pat dry with kitchen towels.

4. Rub sea-salt all over fish.

5. Place in baking dish.

6. If you want the dish to have some extra oil, drizzle some sunflower oil over it. If not, skip this part. I did not use any oil for this dish.

7. Bake for 30 minutes or until thoroughly baked.

8. Serve hot with warm rice and a vegetable dish of your choice.

Bon appétit!

An Extremely Dry & Hazy Weather

It did not rain for almost 3 weeks. We then had 'some' rain which wasn't that great. More like sprinkling of water. It usually rains until about April as it is the monsoon season.

With the dry and hot weather, we now have haze too! 

Certain parts of the country have dried-up taps. And the dams are receding at alarming rates! And with no rain, it's a disaster in a matter of time. In fact it's already a disaster. 

Time to stock up on masks, bottled water and containers for storing water!

An Appointment with Dr. Yadav

I met up with Dr. Yadav on Saturday morning to update him and to ask him some questions concerning the medications which I could take during the surgery.

He was thoroughly amused with the 'placebo effect' term. He said it was his first time hearing this term being used where anaphylaxis is concerned. But he also said that there are two different 'types' of anaphylaxis. One is the 'true anaphylaxis' and the other 'anaphylaxis-like'. People who have medication allergy usually have swelling or edema and usually does not cause anaphylaxis. It's people with respiratory problems who will be in trouble when they have allergic reactions to medication as their respiratory system will have allergic reactions which can result in anaphylaxis. Thus, the 'anaphylaxis-like' is used in this situation.

People with food allergies or sensitivities react in the 'true-anaphylaxis ' manner. I need to read up more on this area to understand better.

Dr. Yadav said that my immune system had gotten stronger, thus my ability to be able to eat foods with salicylate. But he cautioned me to be careful as in to space out my intake of salicylates. My body is like a jar. And everytime I eat things which contain salicylates, the jar fills up. And if I'm not careful and keep on consuming salicylates, the jar will fill up and overflow and if my immune system is down, another anaphylaxis might implode! 

I did ask him about salicylate desensitization. He said that in my case it would not help much as I am also chemically sensitive. He also said that with salicylate desensitization, I would need to consume large amounts of aspirin everyday for the rest of my life. And also I would need to have stomach medication as aspirin is very bad for the stomach. Besides I have a recurring reflux problem which I've had since I was 20. And if I bleed, it would be an issue as aspirin is a blood thinner. So he feels that in my case that there are more cons than pros. I'm also happy with the improvement that I've had within these 5 years. So is he.

Dr. Yadav also said it does not mean that I am 'fine' and will not have an allergic reaction if I took the opiates again which were given to me during and after the surgery. If my immune system is weakened, he said that there is a possibility of me reacting. So what the surgeon said that me being able to take the 'host of medications' during surgery shows that I am FINE, is wrong. 

He reminded me again that this is a life-long medical condition. But I have found a way to live around it and live it well too. He was very happy that I've managed to become better and stronger. He said that there are many people like me here in Malaysia.  He said I managed to overcome my crisis because I researched a lot, read a lot, wrote and shared and learned a lot from people like me who live all over the world and joined support groups. 

So to Malaysians who are like me,

I'm still waiting to hear from you. 

And if you have allergies or sensitivities that no doctors believe in, you can always make an appointment to see Dr. Yadav at Pantai Hospital. 

The Rice-Pot Version of Fried Pasta

Ingredients:

1. 500gm of boiled mixed pasta (penne, macaroni & fusilli)
2. Shredded chicken (from one whole drumstick+thigh which has been baked)
    * for recipe, click on LINK
3. 2 medium sized carrots (skin peeled and cut into thin strips)
4. 1/2 clove of garlic (outer layer removed and cut into thin slices)
5. Sea-salt
6. Sunflower oil
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1. Pour the sunflower oil into the heated rice cooker.

2. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic.

3. Stir fry until garlic is slightly browned.

4. Add the carrots and stir fry until slightly softened.

5. Add the shredded chicken and pasta.

6. Add sea-salt to taste and mix everything thoroughly.

7. Stir fry for another 5 minutes.

8. Scoop up on serving plate.

9. Serve warm.

Bon appétit!

'Bladder Orgasm'

On the second day of the medication, my bladder suddenly could pee. It was as if a switch inside my bladder was switched on. It became like before the surgery. I think it is even BETTER than before the surgery.

I experienced a 'bladder orgasm'!

The severe, excruciating pain is gone.

But the medication is not a pleasant experience. It makes me drowsy, brain-in-a-fog, gives me heart palpitations the whole day. I cannot have sudden movements as it will cause dizziness. I cannot drive. I cannot suddenly get up from sitting down positions as I will faint. I feel like a zombie. On a perpetual-high whole day. I can't seem to focus. I feel as though I am in the House of Mirrors at a carnival. Can't tell which is the real thing or which is a reflection. That is how foggy my brain feels.

BUT, I CAN PEE!

And that is the most satisfying thing to me now. What a relief.

Another 7 days more of medication before I can be normal Evelyn again. Can't wait...

Voiding Dysfunction

I saw another urologist yesterday morning. He was the one I was supposed to have seen when I was admitted just before Chinese New Year. But he was already on leave. Thus, the 'no-problem-you-think-until-you-have-problem' doctor replaced him. Which turned out into a bigger problem with him in the picture.

Mr. Responsible Urologist asked me to tell him the history of my bladder problems. He took the time to listen. And to explain. He was a very thorough doctor. 

Mr. Responsible Urologist also did some ultrasound and scoping of anus and vagina and checked the urinary meatus. He wanted to make sure that I did not have anal stenosis as many hemorhoidectomy ended up with anal stenosis. He also wanted to make sure the nothing in the womb or bladder was the cause. I think the amount of scoping and poking and probing that have been done since the surgery is enough to last 10 lifetimes. 

He measured the amount of pee in my bladder and then sent me to pee. And then he measured the amount of pee that was left in my bladder. He said the amount that was left behind was a reasonable amount. I told him Harnal helped. But I had to stop it because I had an allergy reaction to it. But it did help the bladder to jump start. But I could not take it long enough for it to work to its fullest effect. 

He then prescribed a new medication which contained no sulphur for my bladder which is to be taken for 10 days. It's called Xatral XL. Can you believe that the previous urologist prescribed me a medication which contained sulphur even after knowing that I am allergic to sulphur-based medication?! And when I asked him to whether there were any other medications, he said that Harnal is the only one!!!!!! I have been prescribed one without sulphur today! What was he trying to do?? Kill me????? 

I took the new medication before 9pm. I have no allergy reactions. I do have orthostatic hypotension which is the normal side effect of this type of medication. And also palpitations. The urologist told me to slowly get up from lying down and sitting down positions in stages and in slow motion. Hopefully my bladder will heal in time. The voiding dysfunction most likely have been triggered by the surgery. The urologist said that it could take months to be well again. 

There is hope!

Planet Pain

I saw a gynecologist on Monday who sadly could not find the source of the pain. The whole abdomen was in excruciating pain (still is) and it could have been triggered by something in the womb. The good news is the womb is fine... except that I have polycystic ovaries. Since I am not having another child, that isn't a problem. If I did, that would be a problem as I am not ovulating regularly. I am totally fine with that!

But the pain! What is causing the pain?

It is as though I have my brain stuck in my bladder/abdomen area all the time locked in pain mode. I move, it's pain. I don't move, it's pain. I breathe, it's pain. I sleep, it's pain. Pain wakes me up. Being alive with pain seems to be an every-second-thing.

I am feeling so down and depressed at the moment. At least with the anal surgery, there was a timeline in which I knew I would heal. Now, no one can pinpoint the source of this pain which is crippling me. I feel like I am going crazy.

I am so exhausted to the point I am thinking that I must be a murderer in my past life. And that I am struck by karma.

How long must I live on Planet Pain god???????

An Even Bigger 'Problem'

I was sent home on Tuesday night as the volume of urine that remained in the bladder had reduced. But my flow of urine was still very weak. I had to continue Tamlusolin Hydrochloride. 

I then developed an allergy reaction to Tamulosin. My right eye formed a triple eye lid. It then lost all of its triple eye lid and became a-no-eye-lid-whatsoever. I had such severe palpitations that when I got up from a lying-down-position, I thought I was having multiple heart attacks.

I HAD to stop the medication. 

But then how about my bladder??!!

How am I supposed to pee normally?

But I had to be off the pee medication, that's for sure.

And then I saw the results of the ultrasound of my abdomen and kidneys. Apparently I have multiple cysts in uterus, cervix and ovaries. How come I wasn't told of them??? Why did none of the doctors mentioned it to me? Or referred me to a gynaecologist? What if the cysts are the ones causing the pain and pressure?! Imagined if I never read the reports!!!!!!

And then the anus started bleeding again! It hasn't bled for 7 weeks now....

I'm seeing a gynaecologist on Monday and another urologist. I really hope there will be answers and a solution to the never-ending-pain!