Little-Wonder.Net

13 September, 2008

Sinus tachycardia

12:38:29 | Daily Life | writebacks (3)

Being attached to a mobile ECG monitor for almost a day really feels like crap. But it’s over now so … yay!

Basically, it involved having five wires (with electrodes at the end) being attached all over my torso, and secured in place with so much surgical tape that I felt as stiff as a … piece of metal. All the wires were connected to a monitor which was kept in a pouch secured around my waist.

There was also this blue button on the monitor which I was supposed to press each time I experienced my usual symptoms, and I think I ended up punching the button a total of about ten times.

Can’t shower for a day, which was really quite unbearable for a clean freak like me.

I couldn’t sleep either. Practically squirmed the entire night because the surgical tape made my skin feel really itchy and by the time I woke up, the sensation was similar to having ants crawling all over me. Ack.

Naturally, I felt like I could hug the nurse who removed all the wires for me this morning. She’s a very nice one too, unlike the b*tchy one who attached all the wires for me yesterday. She kept me distracted by talking to me about everything under the sun because well, having tape ripped off isn’t very pleasant as well, isn’t it?

After waiting for about half an hour or so, I was called back to the clinic for a review.

And man, the graphs and whatnot that the little device managed to output was … damn bloody interesting.

Basically, it was like a graph showing the changes in my heart rate ever since 2pm yesterday (when I got the wires attached) until about 10am today (when I got the wires removed).

Plus, the doctor could even tell what time I went to bed because my heart rate started decreasing (and became really stable) at around 3-ish in the morning. It was like … ooooh! I began dozing off around this time and began to regain consciousness at around this time! How absolutely cool is that?!?

I’ll scan the graphs in when I receive them in the mail next week. Hahaha, I just found it really fascinating. (Although I’m not sure whether everyone else will think so.)

Oh, and yes - the results.

No abnormal heart rhythms, which was really good news to me because it means that it’s highly unlikely that I’ll die of cardiac arrests or faint due to missed/extra heart beats or whatnot.

My heart rate’s on the high side though, a condition termed inappropriate (persistent) sinus tachycardia (although my case seems more like the specific version, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome), both of which is neither excessively serious nor dangerous, but causes discomfort (due to heart palpitations) and potential fainting spells.

Again, no medications. I just have to live with it because it’s correlated with my chronic low blood pressure as well. So, it seems like this period of consistent giddy/fainting spells is not going to see its end yet. :(

The doctor told me to gradually start exercising again though, because it might help me recover. (I completely stopped my usual walking habits and all strenuous activity since mid-June when the symptoms started.) So … I guess I’d start by slowly increasing my walking distance (providing I don’t start feeling faint) and perhaps move on to roller blading and cycling again and see how it goes. If there’s improvement, then good. Otherwise, I think I’m screwed.

(MITHI - WE CAN GO TO SOUTHERN RIDGES TO EXPLORE SOON!)

Like, finally.

09 September, 2008

Yay for code.

00:10:39 | Daily Life, Little Things | writebacks (6)

I’m so happy.

I managed to complete coding a nifty little program for one of the modules in my FYP. It features adorable little coloured blobs with numbers attached to them, and you can adjust the numbers and in turn, the blobs grow bigger (or smaller).

Wheeeeeeee.

(Yes, yes, yes I know. It seems weird that here I am, seated at my desk at almost midnight, going gaga over a program I coded. The epitome of geek?)

I love coding.

Even though I’ve picked up Actionscript 3.0 only barely three months ago, it wasn’t as much of an uphill struggle as I initially expected it to be. Yes, the initial learning is tough but sooner or later, it gets better and one will start enjoying the coding process more.

More people should learn how to code. (Haha.)

—————-

Oh and yes, there was the cardiologist visit last Saturday which I’ve yet to speak about.

Well, the same issues are back after a short period of calm. The giddy spells and the occasional fainting spells are coming in waves now and in addition to these, I suddenly find myself having extremely strong heart palpitations.

I find my heart racing and seemingly threatening to thud right out of my chest after climbing up a mere two flights of stairs (I used to be able to climb up ten at one go), when I reach up to get something from my shelf, or when I bend down to pick up something I’ve dropped.

First, those palpitations, followed by the fainting spells. They come in pairs.

And one particular day last week, I experienced the same strong palpitations even when I was seated at my desk, reading a textbook.

In lieu of this, the cardiologist wishes to rule out arrhythmia. As such, I’m going to be hooked up to some portable ECG monitor (Holter) coming Friday for about a day or so - and I’d be concealing everything with a big, baggy sweater as I go around with my daily activities.

Am soooo not looking forward to it. :(

05 September, 2008

Cousins united, and double birthdays.

23:31:08 | Daily Life, Events, People | writebacks (5)

Gee, it’s been such a long time since the four of us took a proper photo together. (Okay, I lied. Our last photo had been early this year - but this is the first one in a long time where all of us look decent.)

Sticking together since young - the awesome foursome.
Clockwise from top left: David, me, Jeremiah, Matthias.

I look really tiny here.

The above was taken during a double celebration within my extended family - the 65th birthday of my Uncle Jimmy, and the 1st birthday of his second grandson, Joseph. (More pictures here.)

As usual, I came face to face with so many people I didn’t know. But then again, since when do we attend a large family gathering and not find any faces we don’t recognize?

Apart from the usual members of my extended family who meet on a regular basis - there were vast amounts of people from what I call, “the other extended family” - namely, the extended family of my cousin’s wife.

Smart alec kids
Boy, “the other extended family” really did know how to reproduce! Look at all the KIDS.

They ran around the living room, screaming their lungs out, shoving toy guns and all sorts of thingamajigs all over the place. They fought over balloons. They pushed each other. They threw themselves on the floor and kicked and screamed.

One kid crawled under my legs while I was seated - which made me jump up and yelp.

And another stepped on Jeremiah’s foot - which was recuperating in a huge cast after a recent operation. (Props to him for not jumping and yelping, though.)

And boy. Not only are they rowdy kids - they’re a bunch of smart alec rowdy kids.

There was one occasion where I shouted (to make myself heard over the din) at them to play outside the house instead of around the living room where plates and cups are precariously stacked, and the adults struggling to watch television.

The response I got?

“YOU WANT US TO PLAY ON THE ROAD AND GET KNOCKED DOWN AND DIE, IS IT?” - Kid in the orange sleeveless tee.

?!?!?!

Pfffffft, never heard of the garden and the backyard, is it?

More babies on the way?
Oh, and I received news that another cousin’s wife, Jeslyn is expecting her second child. (Which makes the fifth kiddo from the newest generation on the way.) I’ve another expecting cousin as well - although I’ve learnt of her pregnancy much, much earlier.

And it seems that my reactions towards each pregnancy are becoming more and more varied.

Eight years ago, when I received news that my first nephew (Jeslyn’s first child) is on his way, my response was an enthusiastic “Oh my gosh, that’s fantastic!”

Two years ago, upon receiving news that the second nephew (Cousin Dawn’s first child) is on his way, my response was a mere “Mmmmmph!”

Last year, when I learnt that the third nephew (Joseph, who turned one today) is coming along soon, my response was a sharp squeak - “Another boy?!?”

A couple of months ago when I learnt that Cousin Dawn is pregnant with her second child in two years, I reacted with a … “WHAT?!? You mean they’re so bored they have no other form of entertainment at night?!?”

And after tonight’s news? I leaned towards my mum and whispered “Whose condom broke?” Needless to say, my speechless mum couldn’t garner any response.

Later on, Jeslyn confessed that she decided to have a second child because Little Joshua (her first child, now seven years old) wanted her to.

I immediately had mental images of Little Joshua approaching both parents and asking - “Mummy, Daddy! Can you two have sex? Pleeeeeease?” and couldn’t stop cracking up after that. Hehehehe.

—————-

I’ve another cardiologist appointment in about twelve hours’ time, which means that I ought to be heading off to lalaland soon. The fainting spells and the usual bouts of giddiness are still plaguing yours’ truly, this time accompanied with strong(er) heart palpitations - which means I should get my sorry ass down to a doctor soon to find out what’s wrong, and why I am getting worse instead of better.

Until then!