Meme: Save Yvonne's Eyesight

How much is your eyesight worth? Dare you put a pricetag on your eyes? Sadly, Yvonne is losing hers and the pricetag for the surgery is almost RM16,000. She's raising the funds for the surgery not by begging for it, but working for it. She's published a book (see above), maintains a blog, and sells merchandise. You can support her by buying something (I plan to get the book from MPH, btw) or donating to her fund directly.

You can also help by sending on this meme. If you do, please follow these meme rules:
1. Create a blog entry titled "Meme: Save Yvonne's Sight"

2. List three things you love to see. Add in the picture of Yvonne's book cover. The URL is http://www.yvonnefoong.com/images/banner/my-story.jpg

3. End with the line, "Yvonne Foong is in danger of losing her eyesight thanks to neurofibromatosis (NF). Please find out how you can help her by visiting her blog at http://www.yvonnefoong.com.

4. Tag 5 blog friends. Be sure to copy the rules, OK?

5. If you have a Facebook account, please check out Ellen's new invention, a "feme" pronounced FEEM, a meme designed for Facebook here. And if you want to blog about NF, that would be great too!

The three things I love to see are:
1. A beautiful beach
2. A genuine smile or laughter
3. Dancing

I'm tagging the following blogger friends to ask them to help out:
1. Freedom09
2. Mark the Pooh
3. William
4. Silverhaze
5. Khwai

Anyone else interested in passing on this meme is more than welcome to do so. Yvonne (and I) will very much appreciate it!

What the Hell..?!

As I mentioned in my previous post, my back gave way about 2 weeks ago and I have stopped all physical activity except for some light walking/hiking and my ballroom class (more about ballroom next time). Most of that time was spent catching up on downloaded TV shows and resting. Basically inactivity lah.

Before the injury I weighed about 75kg, my new weight after all the rich foods I ate in Beijing (along with some muscle I put on at the gym there). It stayed at that level even when I went back to my previous activity level (3-4 classes/week).

However, I weighed myself this morning and was shocked to see the scale read..... 71.5kg! Huh? I was expecting 75kg or even more, because my food intake remained consistent while my activity level dropped off a cliff. So where did the 3.5kg go?

The logical deduction is that I lost most of the muscle gains I made in the past 4 months. A quick check with my Body Fat % gadget (hardly accurate) shows that I have reduced my fat % too. So the real answer is probably a bit of both.

In addition, I'll be taking the upcoming long weekend to do a 3 day detox. Besides cleansing my colon, it will inevitable obliterate some fat storage and (unfortunately) more muscle mass. Based on my detox experience last year, I should go back to my original weight of 70.5 to 71kg.

This post is an extremely long way of saying - Operation: Eat has been reset. I'll have to start Season 2 after the detox and I've recovered from my back. Sigh.

Stubborn

I was stubborn, I didn't listen to my body. I thought it was a normal sprain, something that passes with time. Even after I suspected it to be sciatica, I hot headedly rushed back into teaching. That's the thing about fitness instructors - we believe in stretching beyond our limits in our quest to get fitter and inspire others to do the same.

That was probably why, 2 Fridays ago, I felt a sharp intense cramp in my lower back when I bent down to pick a sock off the floor. I had even bent my knees so it wasn't exactly bad posture but the intense pain told me, "This is serious, this is different." I struggled to stand up and paralyzed on the spot as I tried to breathe through the pain. Heart beating wildly, I sought to calm myself down, "I'll be fine, I'll be ok, this is just a normal cramp."

I slowly walked up to my room to do some stretching, as that's the best thing to do for cramps even though it hurts. But this time it only had a temporary effect as my whole left butt cheek area was burning with pain. I shuffled slowly to my father and told him I would need help going to the clinic. All the while worrying, "Will I be able to teach again?"

At the clinic the doctor gave me a painkiller jab and more pain pills to swallow at home. My perspective on western medicine is this: they're great in fixing many problems, but pain is not one of them. Pain killers reduce inflammation and numb the pain, but something wrong had to have happened, and no amount of medicine can fix that.

In the afternoon Dad drove me to a Chinese traditional massage centre. Tit ta (literally, "iron hit" in Cantonese) , though I don't know why it's called that. It was my first time doing this, so I had my reservations but the situation was too dire to worry about the sifu's qualifications. The waiting room was already full of injured persons, and I took my number (22!). I waited for about 90 minutes before being called in, and the sifu proceeded to work his magic.

He immediately identified the errant nerve (or muscle?) that was swollen and cramped up. Surprisingly, though the pain is in my lower back, the problem was in between my butt cheek and my hamstring. The moment he started stroking that area - wow! - I knew it was the right spot. The session lasted about 30 minutes and RM40, and I felt an immediate improvement. Before treatment I was inching forward like an 80 year old. After treatment I was shuffling about like a 60 year old. Amazing, if you ask me!

I stayed in bed for the rest of Friday and Saturday, as any movement reminded me of the cramp. I was more mobile on Sunday, and it got progressively better after that. However, as of this moment, 12 days after the injury, there's still a little nagging tightness/soreness. I allocate 20 minutes before bed and after waking to do stretching, but I'm slightly worried about the persistent discomfort.

I am taking an extended break from teaching or participating. Will I be able to teach at 100% again? I'm worried, but this is just another hurdle in life. And there's only 2 ways about it: give up or jump over it. I'm jumping!

Under the Weather

There are instructors who can teach 3-4 classes a day and survive with a smile on their faces. Maybe I have to concede that I'm not one of them. On Friday evening I taught 2 classes, and I became quite lethargic on Saturday and Sunday. Monday I began to have cough. Monday night the fever came. I stayed in bed on Tuesday, and this morning I began to have some slight runny nose. The fever is under control, but because of that the doctor would not issue an MC for today. Damn her.

Anyway, I doubt it's A(H1N1), but I'm taking necessary precautions by avoiding contact, wearing a face mask, and upping my supplements. I am currently:

• Taking at least 3000mg of Vitamin C a day (spread out over 3 doses)
• Taking NoCo, a herbal supplement
• Making lemongrass + ginger tea everyday
• Constantly drinking warm fluids (green tea, for all its antioxidants)
• Gargling with salt water twice a day
• Avoiding exercise (say bye to my stamina!)

Anything else to add?

Sciatica

I have sciatica. Ouch.

In the latest in my long list of health problems, I did a particular nasty pull when teaching BodyJam one day. Normally sprains or muscle pulls resolve itself within 3-4 days, but when the pain intensified on Day 5, I knew this wasn't normal.

Modern medicine is surprisingly useless in resolving pain, so I decided to consult the Almighty, All-Knowing, All-Encompassing Google. Self-diagnosis has led me to conclude I have a mild form of sciatica. There is no modern cure but I found some effective deep stretches that will really relax the muscle causing the pain.

It has worked well so far, but I'm still left with a dull pain - that last stubborn 10% that won't go away! I'm now considering whether to visit a Chinese traditional sinseh, those specializing in sprains, dislocations, etc. I've heard many good things about them, but I'm reluctant to go because I have a persistent trust issue. How would I know if they cracked my back and I'd end up paralyzed from the waist down the next day?

Deep stretches for now.

Guilty Pangs

In my quest to gain weight by consuming more food, especially quality protein, I hope I don't forget why I was once vegetarian-inclined: animals do feel pain when killed to become our food!

Lobsters and Crabs Feel Pain, Study Shows

Excerpt:

Elwood and Appel gave small electric shocks to some of the crabs within their shells. When the researchers provided vacant shells, some crabs -- but only the ones that had been shocked -- left their old shells and entered the new ones, showing stress-related behaviors like grooming of the abdomen or rapping of the abdomen against the empty shell.

Grooming, as for a person licking a burnt finger, "is a protective motor reaction and viewed as a sign of pain in vertebrates," the researchers wrote.

It has been thought that the behavior of crustaceans is mostly reflexive, but the fact that they showed signs of physical distress at the same time they changed a behavior -- in this case, moving into another shell -- suggest they feel pain as well, according to the researchers.

...

In the past, some scientists reasoned that since pain and stress are associated with the neocortex in humans, all creatures must have this brain structure in order to experience such feelings. More recent studies, however, suggest that crustacean brains and nervous systems are configured differently. For example, fish, lobsters and octopi all have vision, Elwood said, despite lacking a visual cortex, which allows humans to see.

It was also thought that since many invertebrates cast off damaged appendages, it was not harmful for humans to remove legs, tails and other body parts from live crustaceans. Another study led by Patterson, however, found that when humans twisted off legs from crabs, the stress response was so profound that some individuals later died or could not regenerate the lost appendages.

Say a prayer for that delicious shrimp salad you're about to bite into, mm'kay?

Elsewhere: "Do fish feel pain?"

Three Pronged Approach

I'm slowly bouncing back from my case of persistent diarrhea. I think my commenters were right is saying that I was probably stressing my digestive system with a sudden influx of FOOD.

Anyway, I'm still maintaining a steady stream of calories into my body, but I'm taking a few steps to help it along:

1. Chewing my food properly: I admit I'm a quick eater, gulping down food like I've been starving since 1985. But now I'm making a conscious effort to get at least 30 chews before swallowing it down. Why? Chewing breaks down food into mush that is easier to digest, and saliva contains important enzymes to begin the process. By rushing my chewing, I'm missing an important step in nutrient absorbtion.
2. Taking a probiotic supplement every morning: My Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) might be caused by unsavoury bacteria lurking around. The probiotics I'm taking have about 16 strains of beneficial gut bacteria that should help to keep my stomach healthy from all the food I'll be wolfing down. A common criticism of probiotic supplements is that stomach acid kills most of them before they reach the colon... I just hope my supplement is good enough to survive that.
3. Taking an enzyme supplement after certain meals: I'm guessing that my body has not been producing enough enzymes to deal with the sudden influx of food, hence it was unable to absorb many nutrients. I'm hoping this enzyme supplement goes a long way in encouraging my body to start producing more and also break down the carb- and protein-rich foods. Again, the questions with such supplements are: "Is the dosage enough to make a difference?" and "Is it effective when introduced artificially?" I can only hope.

Operation: Eat

Gotten so bored with the template that I've changed it again. You may have trouble viewing the quick links at the top in IE. Well, here's my tech support: Use Firefox/Chrome/Safari.

Anyway, besides being busy with BodyJam 48, I now have another long-term project that most people can only dream about: EAT! The mission, that I've chosen to accept, is simple: gain 10 pounds (4.5 kg) over the next 3 months. This comes up to about gaining 1 pound a week.

I've created a new tag (operationeat) to chronicle my journey. It's all accessible from the header now.

I guess the main question is why the sudden change in attitude from my previous rant?

Well, I found a nice tool online (WebMD Food & Fitness Planner). It's a free tool that allows me to search for foods I've eaten and lists out the calories and nutritional information of those items. So I journaled my eating for a few days and was surprised to find that I'm undereating. Technically speaking, I'm taking in fewer calories than I burn everyday, thus accounting for my thin appearance!

So the mission now is to reverse that trend. I have to make a conscious effort to eat, eat, eat. In fact, I'm feeling a hunger pang right now. Off to lunch!

In my next post I will flesh out my plan of action, beginning March.

They Say...

At a gathering last night, some of the things they said...

"You should go do pushups"
"You need to eat more. Keep eating!"
"Go work on your shoulders, back, and chest"
"So-and-so said you'll look really good if you just bulk up a bit more"

All the while I just smiled, nodded, and kept quiet. Did they bother to ask what I WANTED? Did they ask if I was HAPPY right where I am now? I wished they asked that before launching into their Fitness Tip of the Night.

Now, I know that they mean well and their intentions are good, but I can't help but wonder - are they merely projecting their own insecurities onto me? All around, I see people obsessed with their weight (too fat/too thin), their love life (he loves me/he loves me not), their face (my acne is killing me), and their habits (i like smoking, so what). Has anyone bothered to ask me what's my obsession before giving (mis)guidance for my life?

When I was very young I was skinny. Then I got fat in school. In old photos I looked like I had an unhealthy tendency to store huge wads of cotton wool in my mouth. And now, somehow, I'm thin again. Frankly I've never felt better in my life. I may be thin, and I may not be well-muscled, but fuck I am damn satisfied.

My internal stats are good and I know I'm not suffering from elevated health risks as a result of obesity. I know I'm not anorexic (I don't eat something and feel disgusted with myself). I know I DON'T look in the mirror and keep telling myself to get thinner. This is just how my body is responding and I'm fine with it.

However (and this is the part where I turn my back on what I just wrote), I am a group fitness instructor. Think about it: someone who espouses fitness on the stage for gym members to emulate.

Fitness + Vanity = Not a good combination.

So, I'll give this weight gaining thing a try. I'm not looking forward to stuffing myself silly... and then forcing another mouthful just to be sure. Not looking forward to all the dead animal protein I'll be taking in. Not looking forward to all the stress that eating meat will put on my body (sorry, my liver!). Not looking forward to calculating calories and then drowning myself in milk/whey protein at night because I didn't eat enough that day.

Mamma mia, here we go again! Serves me right for choosing to join a vanity fair. Children, be warned.

Warts and All

Seems I have enough health problems to warrant a new label. But I'll have to be brief. Workload is up to my neck right now.

For those of you gym rats, let me ask you, "Do you wear sandals when taking a shower or changing out of your filthy clothes?" If your answer is no, I recommend making it a yes.

I didn't know any better, and as a result I have an annoying and painful viral wart on my right heel. And somehow it got on my left index finger too. As I know, it spreads by touch so now I am very very careful with where I lay my finger. I've also resorted to wrapping it in plaster before I go to work.

I've been treating it with salicylic acid for months now with varying levels of success. I recently visited a dermatologist who did some probing and digging and it resulted in much less walking pain, but more wallet pain (RM80 for that session!) I even tried some traditional healing (think: drinking burnt paper). ANYTHING to solve this problem. Will blog about it when I have more time.

I could have taken some pics, but the ones on the Internet should suffice to make sure your feet is adequately covered when walking in a shared bathroom (swimming pools included). As for me, I now embody the saying, "Loving me, warts and all".