angioplasty

when is it considered too young to undergo angioplasty and be fitted with 2 stents?

before your 36th birthday?

wilson did an angiogram today and was given a choice between angioplasty and a bypass operation. guess it's a no-brainer... at least for the time being. i knew i was dealt the short end of the stick with regards to pre-disposition to heart diseases years ago. my mum had her bypass operation in her 40s while my dad had angioplasty and stenting done in his 50s.

that made me take my health very seriously. the scene of my mum in the icu ward after her operation was indelible. her lying immobile with many tubes and electrodes connected to various monitors made me realise how fragile life can be and i resolved that i will not want to be in the same position.

my dad's subsequent heart attack in the middle of the night reinforced the necessity of a healthy lifestyle. something that i took to heart (pun unintended). however, both events appeared so distant now and our daily diets are not as 'healthy' as can be since my parents are now under medication with regular followups.

i suppose wilson's procedure today is a wake-up call for all of us that we need to be mindful of our diet as well as to exercise regularly. at least estee is now cognisant that she can't continue with her sedentary and meat-loving lifestyle.

me? i shudder to imagine putting a catheter through a vein in my wrist to reach the arteries in my heart. just the thought makes my spine tingle and knees kind of soft so i guess my motivation will be to avoid such a situation.

you can call me a coward for that and i wouldn't mind a single bit. :)

photo credit: http://www.britannica.com

calorie count

i think it's impossible not to gain any weight during the chinese new year festivities. the chinese new year goodies are literally health hazards! apart from them being too 'heaty', they're also remarkably calorie-dense. check out the numbers published in the 'mind your body' supplement from the straits times.

peanuts (a handful, 20g) contains 10g of fats, 0.8g of sugar and 113 calories.
yusheng (1 serving, 387g) contains 42.6g of fats, 15.5g of sugar and 561 calories.
love letters (2 pieces, 26g) contains 2.1g of fats, 9.9g of sugar and 112 calories.
dried shrimp rolls (1 packet, 45g) contains 14g of fats, 2g of sugar and 228 calories.
kueh bangkit (2 pieces, 12g) contains 2g of fats, 2g of sugar and 46 calories.
pineapple tarts (2 pieces, 40g) contains 8g of fats, 12g of sugar and 164 calories.
bak kwa (1 slice, 57g) contains 7.8g of fats, 24.5g of sugar and 229 calories.
nian gao (1 slice, 20g) contains 0.1g of fats, 7g of sugar and 46 calories.

imagine you ate all of the above in between 3 meals during the chinese new year period. that will be a total of 86.6g of fats, 73.7g of sugar and 1,499 calories extra for the day. gosh!

scary, right? but i still can't resist the next piece of pineapple tart... lol... :P

register

it's a forgone conclusion that the men in white will call for an election this year.

so have you checked if your elector information is correct? do it here by 27 jan.

limp, limp

Gout and Hyperuricemia At A Glance

•Painful gouty arthritis is caused by uric-acid-crystal deposits in joint tissue.

•Gout is a chronic, progressive disease.

•The tendency to develop gout and elevated blood uric acid level (hyperuricemia) is often inherited.

•Gout and hyperuricemia are aggravated by obesity, weight gain, alcohol intake, high blood pressure, fructose in corn syrup found in soft drinks, abnormal kidney function, and certain medications.

•Gouty arthritis attacks can be precipitated by dehydration, injury, fever, heavy eating, heavy alcohol consumption, and recent trauma or surgery.

•The most reliable diagnostic test for gout is the identification of crystals in joints, body fluids, and tissues.

•The treatment of an attack of gouty arthritis is different than the treatment of hyperuricemia. There are two key concepts essential to treating gout. First, it is critical to stop acute inflammation of joints affected by gouty arthritis. Second, it is important to address the long-term management of the gout disease in order to prevent future gout arthritis attacks and shrink gouty tophi crystal deposits.

credit: medicinenet.com

episode 2

return of the gout. :(

had a bad feeling when i went out for breakfast with my sis today. already felt my right toe was out-of-sorts yesterday during yoga class but i thought and hoped that it was just my imagination. apparently, my imagination isn't not fertile. sigh...

the condition got worse throughout the day until i had to take a painkiller before i can go to bed.

ouch!