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*picture taken from HERE

Can't Keep Calm!

So the flu ran its course. It's been already two weeks!

I felt better.

Or so I thought.

I started to spit bloody mucus out. The fever came back with vengeance. And then I started to leak bloody mucus from my nose. I became worse as the day went by. The pressure in my sinus was so bad that it caused a migraine and teeth pain. I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. I was so miserable.

Damn.......

A sinus infection. I had only one sinus infection and it was about 12 years back. I have never had any problems with my sinus.

I called my ENT up and went to see him the very next day.

He said my sinus was severely infected. My ear drums were dull. I had laryngitis. I had a severely raw throat. The insides of my nose were completely swelled up and clogged with mucus.

He said I had to have antibiotics. I had caught a secondary bacterial infection. Augmentin is the best for sinus infection. And I had to have it for one week.

I have not had antibiotics for about 4 to 5 years.

It was horrible as it made my digestion go haywire. I was hungry all the time. My intestines were churning and very gassy. I was nauseated. My mouth had a metallic taste all the time and there was a layer on my tongue. And it caused me to have morbid thoughts about dying. I felt that I was going to die a horrible death. I had anxiety attacks and became depressed. I felt doomed. (It was very different from the feeling of doom before I had the anaphylactic attack 10 years ago.)

Click on LINK to read about the side effects of Augmentin.

During the 2nd or 3rd day, rust-like liquid flowed out of my nose. The ENT doctor said that it was stale blood.

Gross......

Today's the 6th day and things have improved very much. Hopefully my immune system will get stronger and be able to be in tip-top condition for another year(s)!

*picture taken from HERE

*picture taken from HERE

Keep Calm

Just imagine this scenario:

Meal after meal, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year, decades after decades, you've been fed with junk food which are laden with cancer-inducing-chemicals, which have zero nutritional values, unhealthy-fats-clogging-arteries, and everything which speeds up death.

Finally after being very, very ill and death, being just one step away, you suddenly had a chance to experience a miraculous breakthrough. YOU decided to change! YOU decided that enough was enough! At the same time, a saviour who had a chance of saving you appeared! Even though you nearly had a fatal heart attack, your cholesterol was sky high, your kidneys were failing, your liver was poisoned and basically you were at the brink of saying goodbye to Life, you managed to break free from the clutches of Death.

Bravo!

Now you're attended by the doctor/saviour (who is a few years shy of 100 years old) and his team. You're eternally grateful for their rescue. The euphoria of finally being rescued floods your whole being to the point you think that you've been instantaneously healed.

The next day you still feel euphoric.

The day after that, you feel slightly shitty. Anxiety hits you.

On the third day, you feel worse than before you were rescued.

On the fourth day, you are in such bad shape that you are spewing obscenities worse than 10 Deadpools combined together.

On the fifth day, you're yanking out whatever hair that's left on your sickly scalp and continue to scream and yell obscenities at anything and everything.

On the sixth day, you're trying not to curse the people that rescued you (who by this point are bickering among themselves about what to do with you and have started squabbling among themselves, and so on and so forth).

And then you yell and throw a-five-year-old-bratty-temper at the doctor, "WHY AM I NOT HEALED? Why am I still feeling so bloody sick?! When am I going to be normal? Why are things still so shitty?!"

It's called withdrawal syndrome my friend.

Your system had been poisoned for YEARS and DECADES. Do you think you would be healed overnight? You think your almost-100-year-old doctor is one of those Marvel characters where time can be bend or stopped? You think you are some Mutant-X where you could miraculously push out a bullet out of your skull and heal instantaneously?

It takes time. It will take years and years for the damage to undo itself. You're lucky the rot was stopped. Many have died before the miraculous breakthrough came.

My two-cents worth of advice to all of us would be this:

* picture taken from HERE

*picture taken from HERE

*picture taken from HERE

9 Years!

9 years ago on this very day, my life changed in ways I could never ever dream of. I could never be 'normal' ever again. It was very difficult as I had a child who was at that time, 4 years old. But it was the 4 year-old-child that kept me going.

I can't say that my immune system is 100% back on track. But I can say that I'm much better where salicylates are concerned. And I've managed to wean off my meds. I'm still in the midst of climbing the icy-mountain chemically-wise. Like my immunologist said, "There are tens of thousands of chemicals in the world. And hundreds are being produced in the shortest amount of time. There are no tests in the world to test which ones are causing havoc. You will never find the answer to this. It is a life-long fight. You just have to learn to maneuver your life."

I guess avoidance has done my immune system much good. By avoiding salicylates, chemicals and unhealthy food, it has given my immune system a chance to heal. Not only did my body heal, my soul healed too.

I no longer ask questions such as, "WHY ME?" or "WHEN will all this end?". I no longer feel that life is unfair. I don't think, "IF ONLY" or "WHAT IF". I have moved on.

Shit happened. And there's nothing that can be done about it.

But this journey has made me to be so much stronger. Made me to be much more resilient. (My husband promoted me from Woman of Steel to Woman of Titanium!) Taught me to be patient. Learned to let go of a lot of things in life. Learned to finally be confident of who I am and couldn't give a damn of what others think of me. Taught me to finally be free of Fear. And I finally learned what Life is all about. I'm grateful and thankful for this journey.

In ancient Greece and Egypt, the number 9 represents completion. As this journey reaches another phase, may the completion of this era bring much health, peace and joy!

*picture taken from HERE

*picture taken from HERE

*picture taken from HERE

Keep Calm 2018!

The year 2017 seems to have passed by like a Ferrari in a F1 race. It travelled so fast like a speeding bullet that it left many scrambling to see what had flown past right in front of them. It left many grasping at the wind with perplexity and much regret. Many bemoaned if only they had more time. If only they could turn back time.

(cue Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time")

If only, if only, if only...

So what shall we do about 2018?

1. Do Something!

Do something. Anything. Don't just let IA ruin and rule your life! Even a 1-minute walk will do you good for starters. Or a 5-minute meditation to help you keep calm. Or some arts and crafts. Read more books. Write poetry. Play Sudoku. Conquer Mount Himalaya in your mind. Play a musical instrument. Listen to music. Listen to MORE music.

2. Try Something New!

What would you like to do in 2018 which you've never done in 2017 but had wanted to do so? (Something that doesn't jeopardizes your health!) Just Do It!

3. Eat Healthy & Move That Bum!

Eat food that your system is able to accept. On top of that, have some movement. Walking about in your house is a good start.

4. Say No to Sugar!

Try eliminating sugar from your diet. You'll see a huge change in your health.

5. Stay Happy

Happiness = Healthy Mind & Soul = Healthy Body!

6. Just Fake It!

The mind is a powerful weapon! So by believing in yourself, YOU can make it happen in 2018.

7. Relax! Enjoy Life!

Life is too short to not enjoy. Enjoy in whatever ways you can. It can be just relaxing on your couch and listening to music. Or you can enjoy the silence. Learn to relax and enjoy the fruits of your labour.

8. No Means No!

Learn to say NO when you're not able to help others and YOURSELF. Sometimes you have to say no even to yourself. You know, when you want to indulge in forbidden food that you know you won't be able to survive. NO!

9. No Junk Food!

That includes junk food for the soul too. Such as mindless and aimless time wasted trolling on social media reading, liking and spreading fake news.

10. You Can Do Better!

Last but not least:

11.

*taken from HERE


**All Keep Calm pictures were taken from HERE

How to Survive When You Get Struck by the Lightning of Life

The storms in Life are horribly unpredictable. Sometimes you know a storm is coming and you are able to seek shelter from the lighting. Sometimes, it just hits you with no warning whatsoever. And it isn't in the form of Thor. And most of the time, we are blindsided.

Many people have written to me asking me for help to how to overcome ailments which have struck them very suddenly in life. First and foremost, I am not a doctor. But I can share with you what I had adopted in my life to overcome the salicylate sensitivity which resulted in an anaphylaxis (which also caused my life to come to a screeching halt).

1. Keep Calm

I know, it's easier said than done. A thunderbolt just struck your life. How to be calm??? "You are INSANE for even suggesting this Evelyn!" you say.

If you're not calm, how can you plan your next step? It would be running around like a headless chicken.

So, my two cents worth of advice would be this:

*picture taken from HERE

*picture taken from HERE

OR, you could try this:

OR this:

*picture taken from HERE

2. Research, Research, Research

You need to research until the information oozes out from every single pore that you have, from your eyes, your nose, your ears.

You cannot ask another person to do the research for you. Did you ask someone to study for you and sit for your driving exam? Or your school and college exams?

YOU did all the studying and research for your exams! It's the same now. Don't ever ask me to READ and SUMMARIZE all the information in the links that I gave you. The time that you spend researching about the ailment that has struck your life will give you understanding to what you must do and how to do it. You need to internalize the information.

3. Patience

Rome was not build within a day. Thus, your immune system will not be 'normal' overnight. It takes time. And it takes patience. And sometimes, it may take forever.

This isn't a 50 or 100 metre dash. This is a marathon race. So if you think you can outrun the ailment, you'll be in for a very great disappointment.

I would say that the anaphylaxis chose the right person to strike. I was a very impatient person. You can ask my mother. Having this medical condition has taught me much patience.

4. Know Your Limit (Will POWER)

Just because you are now finally able to eat the food you've not eaten for so many, many, many years, it does not mean you can now gorge yourself like a glutton pig. Just because you can now smell some fragrance, it does not mean you can expose yourself to the Eau de Parfums (a.k.a. Little Miss/Mister Stinky) all around you.

You need to have the will power to hold back.


OR, you can do this:

*picture taken from HERE


5. Use Common Sense

If you know you cannot eat a certain food or smell a certain smell, why must you go and eat or expose yourself to it? What are you trying to prove? Have some common sense.

*picture taken from HERE

6. It's OK to Fall Down and Fail

I've lost count of the times I fell down and failed throughout these 8 years plus. If a person tells you that they've never failed or fallen down in life, that person is full of shit.

*picture taken from HERE

*picture taken from HERE

7. Keep on Moving

Once you've picked yourself up from where you fell down and failed, you need to move on. And to keep on moving forward.

*picture taken from HERE

8. Get Help

If you're unable to pick yourself up and move on, get help. Talk to people who can help you. Seek help when you need it. There's nothing to be ashamed about in needing help.

*picture taken from HERE

9. Be Happy

Find that one thing in your life that makes you happy even though life truly sucks generally.

It could be your family or your child.

10. Last but not least, SWEAR LIKE A SAILOR!

*picture taken from HERE

*picture taken from HERE