Discharged & Re-admitted

I was discharged from the hospital yesterday late afternoon. By 4am, hubby brought me to the ER and I have been re-admitted.

Emergency Operation

I will having an emergency operation in the afternoon today. I have been having pain in my anus for the past 5days as though I have been shitting bricks out. I have perianal thrombosis. I have a blood clot in my rectum which can only be rectified through surgery.

I have to undergo this surgery under GA. The doctor is worried of an anaphylactic attack. I will given steroid jab before the surgery. I'm checking in now.

I hope to live and not die.

I ask for your prayers.

Please send whatever positive force you have.

It is much appreciated.

I shall survive this!!!! I shall not die! Or even end up in a coma!

The Rice-Pot Version of Cabbage Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1. 1 whole range-free (AND antibiotic-free) chicken (cut into 4 parts - skin removed)
2. 3 medium sized potatoes (skin removed and cut into 4 parts)
3. A handful of barley groats
4. 1 small cabbage head (washed and sliced into thin strips)
5. Sea-salt
6. Filtered water

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1. Pour everything from 1 to 5 into a rice pot.

2. Fill the filtered water into the pot until everything is submerged or to the highest level permitted.

3. Boil for 2 hours.

4. Serve with brown rice noodles and a cooked egg.

Bon appétit!

A Severe Reaction!

I had a very, severe reaction yesterday which resulted in me taking one Xyzal and Zrytec together to stop the pain. It was escalating to the point which I felt was turning into an anaphylaxis attack. This has not happen in a VERY long time now. The thing is, it was not caused by food. I did not eat anything prior to this attack.

Yesterday was Joel's school's swimming gala in which he took part. I got up at 5am to get ready. Got my food and had some oats for breakfast at 6am. We left the house at 7am.

Arrived at the school before 7.30am. Joel was nervous but he swam with all his might. Bagged two bronze medals. He did really good. He gave his best. Which makes him a winner. Hubby and I are so very proud of him.

We then went to a mall for the guys to grab some meal before heading home. The little swimmer was so very hungry!

The guys went to eat and I went to my usual organic shop to get some groceries. Every corner of the shop was saturated in lemongrass + citronella incense smell. It was so overpowering. This isn't the first time I had smelt this. I left the shop after 2 or 3 minutes after paying for my stuff.

I went to buy some stuff while the guys ate their meals.

An hour later, I felt a mild tingling in my head. A migraine was coming. I thought it must be the tiredness from being awake at 5am. Plus the stress and being tense when Joel was swimming. Plus the insomnia of waking up at 2.30am and 3am for the past one week as period was around the corner. Plus me having my period too. So I thought all these added together which was the reason to the tingling in my head.

And then it became worse. To the point I felt nauseated. Only at 2pm, I had my lunch which was now horrible as I felt so ill. By the time we went home, it was so bad that I crawled into bed after showering.  The pain was so excruciating and my mouth started tingling. It was an attack from being exposed to something I was sensitive/allergic to. But I did not eat anything before the attack.

I kept thinking to what I did wrong.

My mind was blank. I couldn't think of anything that I ate wrong.

I got out of bed at 6+ and my whole system was on the verge of collapsing. Every single smell in the house was so profound and pronounced. My chest started to hurt. I wanted to die from the pain. I could feel the insides of my right ear swelling up.

I knew I was heading to a full-blown attack if I did not do something about it.

I took one Xyzal and one Zrytec tablet and waited.

And then it struck me! The incense smell in the organic shop!!! That was the trigger.

But I haven't reacted to smells in years now. Maybe 2 years. I have been on a controlled diet where salicylates are concerned. Why was I so susceptible? Maybe it was the insomnia, the hormones and the stress that caused my immune system to be so weak?

I did ask them to why they needed to saturate the shop with such strong incense. Apparently, the shopping mall requires the shops at the lower ground to clear their pipes quite frequently as most of the food shops are located at the lower ground. They needed to clear their pipes so that the cooking oil would not seep back into the ducts and cause the lower ground to stink. But when the pipes are cleared, there will be a horrifying smell for a short while. Thus the burning of the incense to mask the smell. The smell of death indeed. It almost caused me an attack.

Within an hour, I could feel such relief. The pain was lessened by half. My chest did not feel so tight. I felt relief coursing through my veins.

I have been groggy and in a foggy state of mind the whole of today. For about 2 years now, I have not been taking any meds when an attack comes. I could not fight it this round.

Hopefully my system will be strong once again.

An Update

My mum's surgery was a success (even though she is now thyroid-les).

The surgeon said that the surgery went well without any hiccups.

She has been in great pain but the food which I had cooked for her has been sustaining her. It's the least I could do.

My dad has been staying with her every day at the hospital. I wish I could stay but Joel has school until mid-December.

She was finally discharged from the hospital yesterday but due to the claiming of insurance, she only managed to return home at night.

It was truly home sweet home for her as she had 'hospital fatigue'.

Thank you so much for all your prayers, support and encouragement. It really helped us tremendously.

The Rice-Pot Version of Potato & Barley Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1. 1 whole range-free (antibiotic-free too!) chicken (cut into 4 parts-skin removed)
2. 4 medium sized potatoes (cut into 4 parts)
3. A handful of washed barley groats
4. 2 teaspoons of sea-salt

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1. Pour everything from 1 to 4 into a rice pot.

2. Fill water into pot until everything is submerged or to the highest level point.

3. Boil for two hours.

4. Serve hot with rice or noodles.

Bon appétit!

My Mum's Thyroid Surgery

My mum is about to be wheeled into the operating theatre anytime now. She's having her thyroid removed. I ask for your prayers and positive thoughts as she goes through this. Thank you.

Refreshing Barley & Sago Drink

Ingredients:

1. 250gm of uncooked barley groats (wash and rinse thoroughly)
2. 1 cup of sago
3. 1/2 cup of soft brown sugar
4. (*Optional) Pandan leaves - screwpine leaves
5. Approximately 6 liters of water

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1. Pour the barley groats and 6 liters of water into a large pot.

2. Boil until barley groats have softened. This usually takes from 1 to 2 hours.

3. With a sieve, scoop up about 90% of the softened barley groats.

4. Add the sago and soft brown sugar and boil until sago have softened.

5. You can add the screwpine leaves at this stage and boil on medium low heat for about another 20 minutes.

5. You can either serve it hot or cold.

Bon appétit!

Chicken Balls Noodle Soup

Dish 1 - Chicken Balls

For recipe, click on LINK

Dish 2 - Chicken Soup

For recipe, click on LINK

Add brown rice noodles, some choy sum veggie, add the chicken balls and pour hot soup over noodles. You can also have it with a poached or microwaved egg together with this dish.

Bon appétit!

The Glorious Heavens - Part 22

We've been having storms everyday and it won't be over anytime soon as it is the usual year-end monsoon season.

Chocolate Marble Cake

Ingredients:

1. 225gm of butter (softened at room temperature)
2. 50gm of soft brown sugar
3. 4 eggs (room temperature)
4. 225gm of organic self-raising flour
5. 1/2 cup of milk
6. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
7. 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

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1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time; mixing well after each egg.

3. Add the flour, milk and vanilla and fold until mixture is smooth.

4. Divide the mixture into 2 bowls.

5. Stir the cocoa powder into one of the bowls.

6. Line a baking pan with baking paper.

7. Preheat oven at 170C.

8. Using two different spoons, drop dollops of the chocolate and the plain cake mixes into the baking pan alternately.

9. Take a chopstick and swirl the mixture around to create a marble effect.

10. Bake for 45 minutes.

11. Allow to cool. You can keep it in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for 3 months.

Bon appétit!

Low-Salicylate Meal (Version 1)

Dish 1 - Chicken Chop

For recipe, click on LINK

Dish 2 - Omelette with Chives

For recipe, click on LINK

Dish 3 - Stir Fried Chayote with Garlic

Serve dishes with warm rice.

Bon appétit!

The Rice Pot Version of Fried Omelette with Chives

Ingredients:

1. 8 medium sized eggs

2. 2 stalks of chives/spring onions (chopped into fine pieces)

3. Sea-salt

4. Sunflower oil

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1. Break all eggs into a large bowl.

2. Add the chives and a dash of sea-salt.

3. Beat the eggs until all ingredients mixed thoroughly.

4. Pour about 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a rice pot.

5. Allow the oil to heat up.

6. Pour the egg mixture into the pot.

7. Close the lid for approximately 10 minutes.

8. Open and check whether the eggs are cooked.

9. If not, continue until eggs are cooked thoroughly.

10. Once it is done, remove promptly.

11. Serve warm with rice.

Bon appétit!

1 Week

Finally after a week of never-ending-migraines, sleepless nights, aches, chest-tightness due to a reaction to ginger and grapes, things have started to quiet down. It'll be low-salicylate diet for a while now.

Yesterday was my 12th anniversary and we had a quiet time at home. Quiet, but nice.

Mini Bread Balls

Ingredients:

1. 1 tablespoon of active dried yeast
2. 300ml of lukewarm water
3. 450 of organic strong white bread flour
4. 1 teaspoon of sea-salt
5. 1 teaspoon of soft brown sugar
6. 30ml of sunflower oil
7. 1 egg (beaten - for glaze)
8. 30gm of butter (soften at room temperature)

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1. Combine the yeast and warm water in a small bowl. Mix them together and leave aside until the yeast becomes frothy.

2. Pour the flour, salt and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the yeast, sunflower oil and butter to the flour and mix them together.

4. Knead the dough until smooth.
    * Add more flour if it is too mushy. If too dry, add some warm water.

5. Cover the mixing bowl with a clear plastic film. Leave it in a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.

6. Line two baking trays with baking paper.

7. Tear marble sized balls from the dough and roll then into round shapes.

8. Place them on the baking tray.

9. Brush the egg glaze over the mini bread balls.

10. Leave the mini bread balls aside for about 10 minutes to let them rise.

11. Preheat over to 180C.

12. Bake for about 40 minutes or until it is crunchy.

13. You can serve them warm. If you want to keep them, place them in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It can be kept for 2 months.

Bon appétit!

Disastrous Experimentations!

Those of you who have been following my blog know that I have become stronger and am able to eat food with salicylate here and there.

My latest experiments have been organic grapes and ginger.

A bit more than adventurous, I know.

But I have to keep on pushing myself to overcome this.

Sadly, not this round.

Both experiments ended in disasters.

Migraines from Hades have been my constant companion. And waking up in excruciating pain is no joke. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. And migraines caused by food sensitivity have been a very rare affair.

Well, I am currently paying a very heavy price for experimenting.

Hubby is on emergency leave today as I am in no shape to drive. Yesterday was bad as my chest even felt tight.

It's back to 'salicylate-free' diet for God-knows-how-long!

But I'll be back for sure.

Grapes! Yum-yum. Worth every bite!

Moist Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1. 250gm salted butter (softened at room temperature)
2. 2 tablespoons of soft, brown sugar
3. 4 eggs
4. 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
5. 4 tablespoons of milk (liquid)
6. 2 tablespoons of powdered milk (do not mix with water)
7. 6 to 7 medium sized bananas
8. 2 cups of organic plain flour
9. 1 teaspoon of baking soda
10. 1 teaspoon of baking powder

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1. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add in the eggs, one by one.

3. Add in the vanilla essence and milk (liquid) and mix throughly.

4. Add the mashed banana into the mixture and mix well.

5. Add the sifted flour, powdered milk, baking soda and baking powder bit by bit and mix thoroughly.

6. Preheat oven at 160C.

7. Pour the batter into a baking tin lined with baking paper.

8. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown.

9. Allow to cool.

10. You can slice it and keep it in the fridge or the freezer (if you want to keep it longer).

The 2-Ingredient Cookie

Ingredients:

1. Bananas (mashed)
2. Organic rolled oats

*I am not writing down the amount as it is up to you to how many bananas and how much oats you want to use. Just bear in mind that if it is too runny, just add more oats.
*You can add chocolate chips or even nuts to your cookies.
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1. Mix the two ingredients above together.

2. Preheat oven to 180C.

3. Use a tablespoon to scoop the mixture.

4. Drop the mixture onto a baking tray which is covered with a sheet of baking paper.

5. Flatten the mixture with the back of the spoon.

6. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the oats turn to golden brown.

7. Scoop up into container once cool.

8. Keep in refrigerator (if there is any left!).

Bon appétit

The Herd Mentality

It has been extremely windy these past few days. Perfect for kite flying.

Hubby and the little young man have been busy making kites using bamboo sticks, garbage bags, cellophane tapes and fishing string.

They made two of these. And boy, did they fly! It flew so high up in the sky! I was so afraid the they would be ripped off! The wind was so strong.

So high up in the sky! Made me wish that I too could fly so high up without a care in the world.

And then came a man who had a kite with a cartoon character. He said this to Joel, 'Why don't you ask you father to BUY you a kite next time?' in a very condescending tone which implied that Joel's father could not afford to BUY him a kite.

***hole! That was the first thing that came to my mind. Of course I held my tongue. I wanted to see what Joel would say. And his answer made me snort with glee!

'We made it. It was FUN!'

Hahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahhahaha!

That's my boy.

Which brings me to my next sentence. Why must things be bought? You mean making things on our own means we are poor and that we cannot afford to buy? What kind of mentality is that? So does it mean that a person who sews her own clothes is poor? A person who bakes her own goodies is poor? A person who fixes his own car is poor? This is some stupid herd mentality.

Tuesday is a public holiday. And the boys whom Joel was playing with said that they would meet at the playground for another kite flying session. Hopefully it would not rain and that the wind would still be as strong!

I think my new statement to idiots should be, 'Go fly kite!'

Nyuk nyuk nyuk!

The Epi That Was Two Months Later

I ordered Joel's Epi-Pen in early August. It only arrived this week. I really cannot understand how a life-saving injection can be given such low priority. Who knows in the end we would have to carry syringes and vials of epinephrine. And that would be so sad.