Tag Archives: cystoscopy

Change for the Better

19 Oct

After my health scare in January, I had to manage my diet to avoid a recurrence. For the first three months of the year, I avoided alcohol. And I was very conscious of my food intake, and I am still until today. I have omitted quite a fair bit of food with my new low-oxalate diet.

Everything I cooked was bland, but it had to be this way. Salty food was a big no-no for me. The biggest give-up was nuts; I had to give up most of the nuts I typically snacked on, among other things. Spinach, a healthy vegetable full of calcium, is my biggest enemy these days – who would have believed such a thing?

Now, nine months later, with a follow-up appointment with the doctor yesterday, I am pleased to say I am all good and clear. The diet change has been for the better; no new traces of a recurrence inside me. Yay!

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An Impressive Return… Not!

10 Feb

I finally played my first golf game after laying off for a month due to my recent medical issues. All’s good with me now, and off to the golf course yesterday. Although it was only nine holes (I did not want to exert myself too much), put it this way – it certainly was not an impressive return! Hahaha.

All the muscle memory to hit the little dimpled ball was gone. The tee-off was wayward, and the second and third shots were all short. I have lost the power and strength to compress the ball to fly it. Hmm, a few more games should suffice to fix this, methinks.

The short game was decent simply because I started chipping in the garden for distances between three to 10 feet several days ago. Putting with the new TaylorMade Spider Mini putter was not too bad. There were more one-putts than two-putts, so this is good.

The outcome of my first game post-medical procedure is expected, non-impressive, and trying. I should not be demoralized and take heart that at least the short game and putting saved me some blushes. I should be back on track after a few more games!

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DIY Project #26

31 Jan

Feeling inspired that I finally completed the last miniature, I started on the next one immediately, project number 26. It should not take so long since I have to be home to continue my road to recovery from my medical issues.

DIY project #26!

I have yet to play golf, so it’s a matter of allocating enough time to the project daily. Then there will be progress. I find these DIY miniature sizes more enjoyable to do. Also, the completed set does not take up much space in the IKEA display cabinet. Nice!

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Iron Challenge 2023

27 Jan

Sadly, I will be out of action for this year’s Iron Challenge, scheduled for this Sunday at my golf club, a tournament I play annually. I am disappointed. Boo hoo hoo.

Towards the end of last year, when the tournament date was open for registration, I was one of the early birds to sign up for it and was looking forward to it. I even started preparing myself for the challenge, playing my last few games using only my irons, no woods or hybrids for all my second and third shots save for the tee-off with the driver.

But alas, all the preparation has come to naught because of my medical condition recently. Sigh. I am supposed to be on the road to recovery, but I had a setback on Tuesday; it’s disheartening.

I don’t have the strength to move about; what more attempting to play golf? Swinging my irons like a warrior on the fairway will need Herculean efforts. And being a strokeplay tournament, I’m simply setting myself up for disaster if I participate.

So best not to be a hero when I am not ready physically and mentally; I should stay home to rest and get well faster.

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Not Ready

20 Jan

This year’s Lunar New Year is happening too fast, way too fast! I find myself not ready in terms of preparation. But I suppose it’s okay given the circumstances that I was in last week.

In my state of being a sloth, the Water Rabbit is hopping in at a breakneck speed! There’s hardly space to catch my breath. Sigh.

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The Sloth in Me

17 Jan

I have been moving ever so slowly ever since my return on Saturday. It’s at an unbelievable sloth’s pace. Although I feel fine, perhaps I am not quite yet.

I don’t think I should move around too fast or too much because, at times, if I move too fast, my head feels lightheaded!

Sometimes, even at a tortoise’s pace, it’s too much for me. So a sloth I shall be, and a sloth I am until I am off my meds and able to move around more steadily and comfortably.

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Never Assume

16 Jan

The back pain I mentioned at the beginning of the year led to more than what it was. One should not assume and brush things aside when in pain, be it a nagging back pain, pinched nerve, or pulled muscle. Initially, I thought with rest, the pain would subside, and I would be fine. But no, it was far worse.

For more than a week, I experienced excruciating pain five times which had me almost keeling over each time it hit. Something is not right with my body!

I consulted a doctor friend verbally and then saw three doctors for the recurring issue. And I also did several blood and urine tests to identify the problem.

And what a problem it was – I had kidney stones. Dang! By Thursday afternoon, the urologist specialist I visited ordered a CT scan to be done. And that evening, I was hospitalized. Everything happened very fast!

The next day, I underwent a cystoscopy and had the stones blasted to smithereens. Being sedated in the OT room, I could hardly give a first-hand update on the situation then; hence no story on Friday.

I am home now and recuperating well after being discharged on Saturday afternoon. I am thankful all this is behind me by now and in time to get ready to usher in the Lunar New Year of the Water Rabbit!

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