Halved in 27 Days...

I had my check up at Dungun Hospital yesterday.

On 3rd October 2013, my results were as follows:-
Total Cholesterol was at 7.0 mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol was at 5.2 mmol/L

Now it is...
Total Cholesterol is at 4.2 mmol/L
LDL Cholesterol is at 2.6 mmol/L

If you wanna know what the numbers mean, have a look HERE.

I am very surprised at the results. Thinking back it's probably due to my diet... I was like a horse for the 27 days... no, it was not due to the quantity I ate... It was what I ate... I was eating oats twice a day for most days. 

I also think it had to do with the fact that I was on 75gms of aspirins daily throughout that duration. Aspirins work as inhibitors (inhibiting clots), thus thinning your blood and increasing blood flow. There was an article I read about traditional ways to reduce cholesterol by using Black Wood Ear fungus. The article is here...

I actually have the ingredients bought but never got the chance to use it yet. The fungus works as inhibitors as well. I have friends who also told me that they used this recipe with success.

Therefore, it is my personal opinion that oats and the inhibitors worked together in bringing my levels down fast. How? I have no freaking idea... probably the inhibitors made the blood more fluid thus making it easier to absorb and transport the fibre from the oats to cleanse the arteries. That's just my 2 sen...

For those of you who have high cholesterol, no harm trying...

Exercise Stress Test

My wife and I drove to Kemaman Hospital for my Stress Test this morning. This is the second time this week. My original appointment was for 10:00am on Sunday. However, when we arrived there it was somehow cancelled. My name was there but someone had apparently cancelled it. I had two options; wait for 2:30pm or come back on Tuesday at 9:00am. We opted for the second option as 4 hours was a long wait.

We arrived at 9:15am after a 75-minute drive. The clinic was full. It was a long wait... I was the last patient. It was a traumatising experience. One of the patients, a pakcik, had to stop his test as he had an attack. When it was finally my turn, the doctor sat down and have a chat with me first. probably because I was the youngest patient there. He didn't think I needed to do the test. I related what happened to me a few weeks back but he still didn't think I needed the test. Nevertheless, he decided to go through with it for peace of mind. 

I was required to sign a form acknowledging that I understood the risks of the test and that a heart attack was a possibility. The doctor encouraging me to push for Stage 7.

The stress test is basically a test where you have the ECG attached to you while you are on a treadmill. Then the speed and gradient is increased every 3 minutes. Your maximum heart rate is determined before you start... which is 220 minus your age. Mine is at 178bpm. The goal is to be able to achieve 85% for your maximum heart rate.

My results are below... I achieved 101% of my maximum heart rate. Click on the picture for a larger view.

I stopped at 13 minutes. I could have pushed to Stage 7. I stopped due to the following reasons:-

1. The appointment checklist states that you should not consume anything 2 hours prior to your test. My test was scheduled at 9:00am. Therefore, I have not had anything to eat... I only had a cup of coffee at 7:00am. So, basically I am already dehydrated when I started. It was after 11:00am when I started.

2. During the test, they did not have any water on standby and my throat was dried out.

3. My leg muscles were sore...18% gradient is very steep...

Basically, my legs and throat gave up... not my heart. : )

My next test will be in Dungun Hospital on the 30th. Hopefully my cholesterol would have gone down significantly by then. In-sya-Allah...

Check Up!!

I had to visit the hospital again yesterday for a follow up check up. Mainly, for another blood test as the two other tests they did when I was admitted was not complete. Some reagents were not available it seems.

So, my wife and I arrived at the hospital. We went up the the registration counter and showed them my letter from the doctor. Obviously, they had no idea what the letter was for so I had to explain that I was asked to come for a check up. She asks for my IC and after paying RM1, she gives me my number and asks me to wait. Just like that.

Okay.. so I am number 1049... they are currently at 1024. The waiting area is freezing. Fully air-conditioned. My wife needed to go to the washroom so I accompanied her there. After her washroom visit we went back to the waiting area but decided to sit outside as it was freezing inside. We sat where we could see the number display.

After waiting awhile I met the co-owner of Tenggol Island who was there for a check up as well. Some chit-chat and off he went to register. After several moments, he reappeared with his blood samples and informed that he was sending his blood sample to the lab and wait for the results there.

At that moment I noticed something was wrong. I observed closely inside... there were two desks where they did preliminary checks. Blood pressure, temperature, etc. They were only at 1031 then but I decided to go inside instead as something was definitely amiss. After sitting for a couple of minutes, I hear the nurse call out names and they would move to the desks.

I walk over and ask the nurse if she had called my name... haaa.. she did... she asks me to sit down and looks through the registration card and letters and asked what I was there for. The problem with the documentation on hand it did not specify what I was supposed to go through. It had a brief history of my admission and what they did bit nothing specific on what needs to be done on this visit. I explained to the nurse that I was supposed to have a blood test. She looks through my card again makes a decision... blood test and ECG she informs. She takes my blood pressure as well then explains clearly what I needed to do.

I went to room number 5, the ‘blood test and check up’ room and handed my forms. There were two ladies there waiting. Inside they were trying to get some blood from a child. Probably 2 or 3 years old so you can imagine the ruckus inside. While waiting, I read the notices plastered all over the door and wall. One of the signs stated that blood tests would be give priority over check ups. The nurse pokes his head out and asks me if I was still fasting. Yes, I am... and I am about to faint soon... it’s almost 11am... hahaha. Soon the child came out and my name was called. As I walked in, the two ladies state their discontentment to the male nurse as they arrived first. Sigh... you should have read the signs. Blood taken, they hand the samples back to me and tell me to send it to the pathology lab and wait for the results which I knew as the nurse had explained to me earlier. I deliberately hold the sample in front of me as I walk out the room. The two ladies gave me a look. Like I care?

I send the samples to the pathology lab. They tell me to come back in an hour. It was 11:15am then. I then go back for my ECG test at room 8. Another child was in the room so it was quite a wait. My turn... the nurse asks me if I had chest pains. I said No... not now, only the other day. To which she replies, “Dah tak sakit baru nak datang?” Hmmm... was that necessary? Anyway, I politely informed her that this was a follow up check up.

After my ECG test, it was time to eat. I was famished. We made a quick run to a warung nearby where I quickly gobbled down a Roti John and a nice iced coffee... which cost RM5. We then made it back to the pathology lab at 12:15pm and after a couple of minutes my results were handed over. Back to the waiting area, hand my results to the nurse and wait for my turn.

Finally I am called into the room. The doctor asks... Ammar? 

Ya, saya (Yes, that’s me)... 

She looks at the card again and repeats her question... Ammar? 

Ya, saya... I replied again...

Another look at the card and... Ammar Kevin? Umur 42?

Ya, saya...

Tak nampak cam 42... nampak muda lagi.

Thank you for the compliment. : )

She too didn’t know what I was there for so I had to go through the whole nine yards... explaining what happened on Sunday, the history of my high cholesterol, etc. 

My overall cholesterol is now at 7.0.

LDL cholesterol at 5.8

Blood sugar is normal she says which I think I saw was at 5.2.

Liver ok.

Heart ok.

ECG ok.

Looks like the only improvement is in my blood glucose. Last year's results here.

She sets my next check up for 30 October. 

By the time I left, it was almost 1pm. A full 3 hours and 15 minutes at the hospital for a check up.

Wake Up Call...

How often do you get a wake up all from The Almighty?

Will you even know if the wake up call smacked you right on your forehead? Most people won’t even know, I suspect.

Well, I got my second wake up call... I think.

I got my first call last year in early November.

Things have changed since I came here. I have not been exercising, I have stopped my statins and have lost control of my diet. How did this happen? Well... circumstances... one thing led to another.

Late Sunday afternoon, I started to feel some tightness in my chest. It gradually built up. When I got home from work I told my wife to get ready for dinner and that I wanted to stop by at the clinic to see the doctor. The pain was just mild... to my standards. Went to the panel clinic and after 45 minutes met the doctor. Explained the situation to the doctor and he suggested that we do an ECG. Alas, the machine was not working. So that meant we’d have to go to the hospital.

Went to the hospital, paid RM1 and registered. After about 45 minutes, it was my turn. Again, explained the situation to the doctor. She too decided to do and ECG and if it was ‘suspicious’ she would have to admit me for observation. So, ECG it was... the ECG was done and she said it definitely looks ‘suspicious’ and wants me admitted. She also does a blood test. I would have to wait for the results before being admitted. While waiting I asked if it was ok to go out for a quick bite. It was ok and off we went to McD for some porridge. 

After that we went back. MY HR Manager, F&B Manager and his wife were there waiting to check on me. How nice of them. I had informed my F&B Manager and FO Manager as they would be in-charge in my absence. After waiting a while I was admitted to the 6-star accommodation. This is the first time I have ever been admitted... hopefully the last. It was pretty late then. About 11:00pm. My wife then decided to go home to get some stuff and came back to accompany me.

It was difficult to sleep with the nurses chatting away. Just before 5am they woke me up to get my blood pressure followed by an ECG and another blood test.

Breakfast was served at 8:00am sharp. 2 slices of bread with jam... hardly any jam with a cup of diluted milk tea.

The doctor came at about 8:40am. She wasn’t happy with my ECG. She said it was still not normal. She would only release me in the afternoon. She said what I experienced was termed as ‘stable angina’.

Lunch was served at noon. Plain rice, some vege (with a lot of sand) and ‘asam pedas’ fish with an apple.

Tea was served 3:00pm. 4 pieces of biscuits with plain tea.

Before being discharged, another ECG and blood pressure test. I had to come back on the 3rd for another check p and blood test as the two tests I did earlier was not complete as they did not have certain reagents. On the 20th I would have to go to Kemaman hospital for a stress test.

I was prescribed statins (30 tablets) for my cholesterol... aspirins to dilute my blood, in case my arteries were starting to clog... and nitroglycerin, in case of an attack... no, not for bombs. Hahaha... I paid RM32.00 for the admission and medication. 30 tablets of statin at the local pharmacy would cost +/- RM200.00.

Last year, when I found out about my cholesterol, my doctor told me it was a lifestyle change. A lifestyle change means it was a lifetime commitment. I lost focus and determination... and this is the price.

I am very appreciative of my wife who has been extremely supportive. I am extremely impressed with how she handled herself. She was very well composed, showing her concern while remaining cheerful and positive. She went home and packed a bag of stuff and what she brought back to the hospital showed her level of forethought. She slept in the chair by my bedside... or at least she tried to. She didn’t nag me... she did give me a piece of her mind though... ever so subtly.

So, lifestyle change it will have to be.

34 - 39 - 34 - 37

That's my waistline in inches.

I was at 34 inches.
Then I got married and moved to Pangkor Laut.
I ballooned to 39 inches.
Then I got a scare with my cholesterol levels and started dieting and exercising.
I brought it back down to 34 inches.
Then I fell sick and stopped exercising and ended up moving to the East Coast.
Haven't been to the gym since I got here.

Now my waist is back to 37 inches. SIGH!

Inches to the waist meant FATS. But how much fat? Back in January, I had brought it down from 19.8% to 16.6%. When I moved here, the digital scale was left behind. It didn't make the cut of important things to bring along. So, I couldn't measure my body fat % up until recently when I met a guest who worked in the pharmaceutical industry. He sent me the formula to calculate body fat.

Based on the calculation, I am now back at 19.5%... : (

Time to diet and hit the gym again... no more excuses.

By the way, it's simpler to use inches for the formula.

Men: (waist (in) - 3) + (hips (in) +1) - (forearm (in) x 3) - 19 = _____ BF %

The moral of this article is... discipline cannot be compromised.

6 Months Later

To start, this is a picture from my last post in November. The picture on the left was taken in July with me weighing just under 92kgs. My waistline then was 39 inches. On the right, was at 86.6kgs in October with my waist around 37 inches. Also note the body fat percentage at 19.8%.

Drumroll...

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

This is yesterday, 6 months later. Weighing in at 81.9kgs and my waist at 34 inches. Body fat has dropped to 16.6%. 10 kgs in 6 months. No miracle pills, no miracle shake, nothing. Just eating 6 times a day, YES your read that right... SIX... and exercise. 

The weight goal has been achieved. I'm not too bothered about my weight now as long as I remain in the acceptable BMI of +/- 23. The focus now will be the inches and the body fat %. So it will be a lot of maintenance workouts from now on and more fat burning. 

Bad Week

The last week has to be the worst week I have had since I came here last February. Solely because I was taken ill. Really, really bad... unfortunately though, I had to weather it out without taking medical leave as my GM is away on leave out of the country. It started right after my off day on Friday the 3rd...  there were many already sick due to the hot and wet weather with all the rain and I probably caught it on Saturday when I got caught in the rain.

When you're my age and you pay attention to your body you will know when you're about to get sick so on Saturday night I took some paracetamol before sleeping as a precaution as I could feel the mild body aches coming. By morning, when I had my shower, the aches were at full blast... toweling myself dry felt like my skin was tearing and I had developed a bad cough... just like that. I really can't remember the last time I had a cough... that's how long it has been. I headed to see the in-house doctor immediately and he gave me 600mg Ibuprofen for the aches and Prospan for the cough as it wouldn't cause drowsiness. 

The 600mgs of Ibuprofen (Brufen brand name) worked almost immediately and the aches subsided... they were still there but at least I didn't feel like I just got hit by a train.

The Prospan wasn't very effective or should I say not effective at all. It tasted just like maple syrup. I guess it's probably more suited for children.

By Wednesday, the cough was so bad that I decided to take the drowsy stuff. What I don't understand about cough syrups is, why the hell must it be so sweet? I understand that it needs to be flavoured so people will actually take it but really, does it have to be literally a syrup? Here's the problem... it's supposed to make you drowsy but then it has so much sugar in it that it makes you hyper at the same time... so, it actually makes me cranky and it is extremely annoying... your'e drowsy and wanna sleep but your body just won't allow you to sleep. Smart huh?

By Friday, I couldn't take it anymore... it was serious... the in-house doctor was away on leave... the panel clinic on Pangkor is closed on Fridays... great! Just great! I decided to take the boat out to the mainland to go to a clinic. The doctor says my lungs are okay and suggested that I get a jab... whatever dude... whatever... as long as you get rid of this fucking cough.

He also gave me this cough syrup which I must say is pretty good as it cleared up my phlegm... I didn't feel drowsy although he said that it would make me drowsy and it tasted of prunes... that's the good part. Good stuff. RM75.00 for a jab, some paracetamols, lozenges and antibiotics.

It has indeed been a horrendous week... feeling like shit... weak... unable to rest... need to work... and trying to stay away from others so I won't infect them as well. But, I'm much better now with the occasional cough here and there and hope to be able to hit the gym again this evening. That's a full week with no exercise. Sigh...

I hope I won't have to go through this again... it normally happens once every 18 months or so... just hope it doesn't anymore.

Lipitor & Cholesterol

Following my blood test, I went to see the doctor today and he has prescribed me a 20mg dose of Lipitor for 4 months after which I'll do another test to check my cholesterol level. Lipitor is a brand of atorvastatin by Pfizer. You can read more about statins by clicking on the active links in this paragraph. I would recommend that you read about it as I read that 1 out of 5 people in the USA have high cholesterol... and quite frankly I think Malaysians are not far behind. The next thing you should do if you are reading this is to get yourself a blood test.

If you didn't know, the foods that are high in cholesterol are offal (liver, etc), egg yolk, butter, prawns, ice cream, red meat, cheese, fast-food (deep-fried), processed meats (sausages, etc), shellfish and desserts. Of the 11 that I just listed, I indulge in 9 of them... hmmm... no wonder!

Starting tonight it will be a tablet a day for me for the next 4 months and also oats in the morning to further assist in lowering my cholesterol level. I just hope I don't develop any side effects from taking Lipitor.

Rakyat Discrimination...

Whenever I come back to KL there are 3 things that I MUST do:-

1. Visit my mom,

2. Visit mt in-laws,

3. Visit my wife's niece... technically mine too but for the purpose of specific family tree relationship  

The poor girl was sick. She is always bubbly but this time she was just very grouchy and passive. She had a fever, running nose and a cough with nasty phlegm. We decided to take her to the clinic.

At the private clinic the doctor recommended that we took her to the Pediatric Wad at the General Hospital as he said she may have to be admitted as he feels she probably has a lung infection. He wrote us a referral letter. So, off we went. 

I dropped them off at the entrance and went off looking for a parking spot which took me a good 30 minutes... and that too parking outside the hospital compound some 500 meters away. When I got back,  my wife told me that we were charged more as we were referred by a private clinic. WTF? Why the discrimination? Are we not rakyats as well? Are you assuming that we are more affluent because we went to a private clinic first? Couldn't that visit to the private clinic be something due to logistics and emergency?

Okay, you charge me more... do I get priority? NO... I still have to wait out a whole 80 minutes... and that is WITH a referral letter stating 'KIV for Admission' on the envelope. SO WHY CHARGE MORE? See the charges chart below.

Anyway, the good doctor confirmed that she had some germs on her lungs after an x-ray. Gave her some medication and told us to bring her back there if her fever has not cleared within 48 hours.

I am greatly offended with this RM30 fiasco. It is a mere RM30 but it is the principal that matters. I pay my taxes. A LOT in fact. A damn fucking lot!! So why the discrimination? Can someone explain to me? I just fail to see the justification for this blatant discrimination.

Dhiya was up and about like usual after the first dose of medication and a nap. In fact she was more hyper after the medication probably due to the sugar in the medication.

Here's baby Dhiya up and about again... showing off that she can now stand...

Blood Test Results

As the saying goes... what you don't know, won't hurt you...  how true it is... but when you do find out, it is normally catastrophic.

It's been two weeks since I had my chest pains and I just received my blood test results. Unfortunately, it is bad news. It has been confirmed that I have HIGH CHOLESTEROL.

Total Cholesterol: 7.7 mmol/L or 300.3 mg/dL (240 mg/dL and above is high)

LDL Cholesterol: 5.8 mmol/L = 226.2 mg/dL (190 mg/dL and above is very high)

HDL Cholesterol: 1.55 mmol/L = 60.45 mg/dL (60 mg/dL and above is good)

Triglerides: 0.8 mmol/L = 71.2 mg/dL (100 mg/dL and below is optimal)

Blood glucose: 6.2 mmol/L = 138.6 mg/dL (ideal is 3.9 mmol - 5.6 mmol)

This is where I got my information from... Cholesterol here and blood sugar here.

Here's one of the pages from my results... the bad page where all the bad news are.

Let's start with my blood sugar level. My test was done after 8 hours of fasting. So my results suggest that I have Impaired Fasting Glucose which basically means bordering on being diabetic. Hmmm... that probably explains why my wounds take time to heal these days. If you do further searching you will probably find that one of the causes for IFG is high cholesterol.

That brings us to my cholesterol levels. I have always suspected that my cholesterol levels were high as the signs are there around my eyes... called Xanthelasma.

Ok... I have high cholesterol and bordering on being diabetic... life goes on... I will need to deal with it just like everything else in life. Am I scared? Of course I am but like life... you never know what happens... life goes on. We cannot think about the what ifs all the time. I met my doctor before I left for KL and when I get back we will start with my medication to reduce my cholesterol levels. My doctor didn't spend too much time explaining my need to change my lifestyle and eating habits as he knows I have already done so.

Here is the scariest part... I started the change in my lifestyle and eating habits on my own during Ramadan. It was not motivated by any illness... just the desire to lose fat and be healthier and even after exercising and cutting down on all my sugar I am still high on blood glucose and cholesterol. 

So, here's my golden question... what would my levels have been if I didn't change? Would I still be blogging here?

Awal Muharram

Today is the first day of Muharram... and in conjunction with that, I am resting today... no gym. And tomorrow, I start with my new workout and meal/nutrition plan... taking my current plan to a new level.  A new year, a new goal... the picture below is the goal... wish me luck... at my 'ripe' age, I'm really going to need it... hahaha... Ada Berani? 

Losing The Barrel...

Today is 10.11.12... I just had to post something today...

On 1st January 2012, I quit smoking... yes, again. 

In February, I started work here on the island and on 21.02.2102, I tied the knot with my wife. 

These 3 events played a major role in my weight gain and I transformed from a 86kg dude with a 35-inch waist to a whopping 96kg dude with a 39-inch waist. It was alarming... but I was not so bothered about my size actually, coz my wife wasn’t complaining... YET. What bothered me more was the fact that all my clothes no longer fit me and this really bothered me. As it meant spending $$$ on new clothes... something I don’t want to do. Not for the reason of weight change, anyway.

By the time I realized my weight gain, it was close to Ramadan. I thought it would be a good opportunity to start the weight loss regime in Ramadan. So, first things first... setting the goal. I reckoned that 85kgs would be a good weight to target... I didn’t just pluck the number. I wanted to be on the higher range of my acceptable BMI (18-25). 85kgs would put me just below a BMI of 24. The second just as important goal was to bring the inches down to 34.

During Ramadan, I would hit the gym a few hours after breaking fast... normally around 11pm. Ramadan started around the 21st and in the picture below you will see that I dropped by 4kgs within the first week. I had actually dropped a kg or two before that as I had stopped with my aerated drinks and ice cream for over two weeks. So, in actual fact I probably lost 2kgs in that week...

The second picture on the right is the result after almost 3 months of gym. Actually, my weight plateaued after 30 days but I kept at it as I knew the plateau was due to my body composition changing. This was evident with the inches still dropping while the weight was stagnant. This is the stumbling block for the average Joe/Jill who would have quit when the needle on the weighing machine stopped progressing.

Just look at that super, super, sexy barrel of 37 inches back in early October. Hopefully that barrel will disappear by year's end.

This is now... 85.6kgs and my waist is at 35.5 inches. I’m quite happy with my progress and I think by the end of this year I would have achieved my objective. The only challenge I face is the irregular meal and gym times due to business levels. I started off with dinner first then gym a couple of hours later but now I have changed it to gym first, followed by dinner. Only breakfast is regular at 10:30am daily.

Last Monday, I suffered some chest pains in the night. I had difficulty breathing and some tightness in my chest. I consulted the doctor in the morning and we collectively ruled out my heart as being the problem as I probably would have fainted attempting my 5km jog at 8.5km per hour or when I burnt 500 calories earlier this evening running and walking for 57 minutes. But to be safe, he took me for an ECG which came out fine as well. Then, he had me do a blood test on Thursday to check my cholesterol levels. We’ll have the results next week.

Life is short... we shouldn’t make it shorter by leading an unhealthy life. Ever since I hit the gym again, I don’t have headaches anymore. I sleep better. I wake up before my alarm goes off. And I just feel so much better. And the nocturnal activities are also *ahem*... 

It’s not that hard... I still have my ice creams and cheesecakes and lattes and donuts... ooh... yummy donuts... and cakes... and my Cokes and what nots... just not as often as I used to. 

So, what about you?