Saturday, September 30, 2006
Trinity Baptist Church Fair
The Trinity Baptist Church of Alor Star organized a food and fun fair at their church grounds yesterday to raise funds for an orphanage and an old folks home. They intend to buy two houses nearby for this purpose. They already operate a dialysis center, a soup kitchen and a center for the physically and mentally handicapped. The response from the locals (non-muslims) to this event was tremendous. Below are some photos of this fair.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
For The Believers
Came across this encouraging piece of writing on the internet.
The CROSS
A young man was at the end of his rope, seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer "Lord, I can't go on," he said.
"I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place
your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."
The man was filled with relief and said, "Thank you Lord," and he did as he was told.
Upon entering the other room, he saw many crosses; some so large the
tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.
"I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.
The Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."
When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and
see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.
YOUR CROSS
Whatever your cross
Whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine
After the rain
Perhaps you may stumble
Perhaps even fall
But God's always there
To help you through it all
The CROSS
A young man was at the end of his rope, seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer "Lord, I can't go on," he said.
"I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place
your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."
The man was filled with relief and said, "Thank you Lord," and he did as he was told.
Upon entering the other room, he saw many crosses; some so large the
tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.
"I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.
The Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."
When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and
see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.
YOUR CROSS
Whatever your cross
Whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine
After the rain
Perhaps you may stumble
Perhaps even fall
But God's always there
To help you through it all
Thursday, September 21, 2006
High Cholesterol Problem
The test results came back from the lab. Still not good. I tried three types of drugs to lower the cholesterol level but to no avail. Instead they all gave me other problems that never existed before.
The HDL is 0.94 (should be >1.0). The LDL is 3.77(should be <2.58). The triglyceride is 2.16(should be <1.68). The Total Cholesterol / HDL ratio is 6.1(should be <5.0).
The reading for the platelets is lower than 150(should be between 150-450).
"So, what next doc?" I asked my doctor. He said I am one of the very few who do not respond to the standard drugs(mostly statin group) prescribed for lowering cholesterol levels. I am also affected by the side effects. For the moment, no more drugs for me. He advised me to try green tea. They are reputed to contain a high concentration of polyphenols that act as powerful antioxidants. Polyphenols will then help in neutralizing the free radicals that are freely causing damage inside my body.
As of today, I am now a tea drinker(three cups a day). I used to drink a lot of iced coffee, milo and nescafe. Now for health reasons, green tea it is. The occasional beer at the karaoke is still on though. He didn't say anything about that. heh heh ...
The HDL is 0.94 (should be >1.0). The LDL is 3.77(should be <2.58). The triglyceride is 2.16(should be <1.68). The Total Cholesterol / HDL ratio is 6.1(should be <5.0).
The reading for the platelets is lower than 150(should be between 150-450).
"So, what next doc?" I asked my doctor. He said I am one of the very few who do not respond to the standard drugs(mostly statin group) prescribed for lowering cholesterol levels. I am also affected by the side effects. For the moment, no more drugs for me. He advised me to try green tea. They are reputed to contain a high concentration of polyphenols that act as powerful antioxidants. Polyphenols will then help in neutralizing the free radicals that are freely causing damage inside my body.
As of today, I am now a tea drinker(three cups a day). I used to drink a lot of iced coffee, milo and nescafe. Now for health reasons, green tea it is. The occasional beer at the karaoke is still on though. He didn't say anything about that. heh heh ...
Friday, September 15, 2006
Medical Lingo
When you are over 50, you tend to pay more visits to your doctor, test your blood more often and learn more medical terms than you care to know about. You may have heard of these medical terms somewhere along the line but they didn't mean anything at that time. When you move to the other half of the century, things are different now. You get real personal with these terms and you try your best to understand them so that you can come to terms to what is happening and take remedial measures for your own well being. Some of the medical terms that have cropped up lately in my life are as below:
1. Prostate Specific Antigen - A protein produced by the cells of the prostate that can be elevated in patients suffering from prostate cancer, abbreviated PSA. To check if one has prostate cancer, a PSA test needs to be carried out. (A test on blood sample).
2. Testosterone - Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. Testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females although small amounts are secreted by the adrenal glands. In both males and females, it plays key roles in health and well-being.
3. Thrombocytopenia - Thrombocytopenia is the term for a reduced platelet (thrombocyte) count. It occurs when platelets are lost from the circulation faster than they can be replaced from the bone marrow where they are made. Can be caused by statin drugs taken to lower cholesterol levels.
4. Cholesterol - High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are small, dense molecules responsible for transporting cholesterol to the liver. This type of cholesterol is actually good for your body because it helps remove cholesterol from the arteries and protects against dangerous blockages (plaques) in the arteries.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries the majority of cholesterol through the bloodstream and delivers it to the cells of the body. These LDL-cholesterol molecules are larger, less dense, and less stable than HDL, and readily oxidize and deposit plaques on arterial walls. Therefore, LDL cholesterol is known as the "bad" cholesterol because it is more likely to clog arteries and lead to heart disease.
5. Cervical Spondylosis - Degenerative disease of the neck vertebrae. Compression of the spinal cord and cervical nerves by narrowing of spaces between vertebrae causes radiating neck or arm pain and stiffness, restricted head movement, headaches, spastic paralysis, and arm and leg weakness. Cervical spondylosis can resemble neurological disease with unrelated arthritis. It is treated with rest, traction, and possibly a cervical collar. Removal of herniated disks or fusion of vertebrae may be necessary.
6. Haematology - the branch of medicine that deals with diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs.
7. Endocrinology - The study of the glands and hormones of the body and their related disorders.
8. Hypothyrodism - Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to "run the body's metabolism", it is understandable that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism.
9. Osteophytosis - Outgrowth of immature bony processes from the vertebrae, reflecting the presence of degenerative disease and calcification. It includes cervical and lumbar spondylosis.
Hope there are no more medical terms coming my way. Good health and old age is acceptable.
1. Prostate Specific Antigen - A protein produced by the cells of the prostate that can be elevated in patients suffering from prostate cancer, abbreviated PSA. To check if one has prostate cancer, a PSA test needs to be carried out. (A test on blood sample).
2. Testosterone - Testosterone is a steroid hormone from the androgen group. Testosterone is primarily secreted in the testes of males and the ovaries of females although small amounts are secreted by the adrenal glands. In both males and females, it plays key roles in health and well-being.
3. Thrombocytopenia - Thrombocytopenia is the term for a reduced platelet (thrombocyte) count. It occurs when platelets are lost from the circulation faster than they can be replaced from the bone marrow where they are made. Can be caused by statin drugs taken to lower cholesterol levels.
4. Cholesterol - High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are small, dense molecules responsible for transporting cholesterol to the liver. This type of cholesterol is actually good for your body because it helps remove cholesterol from the arteries and protects against dangerous blockages (plaques) in the arteries.
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) carries the majority of cholesterol through the bloodstream and delivers it to the cells of the body. These LDL-cholesterol molecules are larger, less dense, and less stable than HDL, and readily oxidize and deposit plaques on arterial walls. Therefore, LDL cholesterol is known as the "bad" cholesterol because it is more likely to clog arteries and lead to heart disease.
5. Cervical Spondylosis - Degenerative disease of the neck vertebrae. Compression of the spinal cord and cervical nerves by narrowing of spaces between vertebrae causes radiating neck or arm pain and stiffness, restricted head movement, headaches, spastic paralysis, and arm and leg weakness. Cervical spondylosis can resemble neurological disease with unrelated arthritis. It is treated with rest, traction, and possibly a cervical collar. Removal of herniated disks or fusion of vertebrae may be necessary.
6. Haematology - the branch of medicine that deals with diseases of the blood and blood-forming organs.
7. Endocrinology - The study of the glands and hormones of the body and their related disorders.
8. Hypothyrodism - Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient thyroid hormone. Since the main purpose of thyroid hormone is to "run the body's metabolism", it is understandable that people with this condition will have symptoms associated with a slow metabolism.
9. Osteophytosis - Outgrowth of immature bony processes from the vertebrae, reflecting the presence of degenerative disease and calcification. It includes cervical and lumbar spondylosis.
Hope there are no more medical terms coming my way. Good health and old age is acceptable.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Tennis, Tennis, Tennis
While the US Open was going on in Flushing Meadows, we were having our own tennis tournament here in my home state, Kedah, Malaysia. The Kedah Closed Tennis Tournament was held from the 7th till the 9th of September at the Northern University of Malaysia tennis courts. The university is situated in Sintok, a town near the Malaysian/Thailand border. The participants ranged from the Under 12 group to the over 50 group.
It was a trying time for the parents who drove their children to this remote part of Kedah so that their children could take part in the tournament. Many of the participants had to wait until nightfall to show their talents on the court. Below are some photos taken at this event.
Driving to the university early in the morning.
Players in action.
At the end of the day there will be one! My son the Under18 champ.
It was a trying time for the parents who drove their children to this remote part of Kedah so that their children could take part in the tournament. Many of the participants had to wait until nightfall to show their talents on the court. Below are some photos taken at this event.
Driving to the university early in the morning.
Players in action.
At the end of the day there will be one! My son the Under18 champ.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Travelling Bees
Had a small fright at the tennis courts today. Here we were enjoying our game of tennis, almost like these two in the pic below.
I was taking a rest while my wife played on with her friend. It was a cloudy day and I was wary of the rain clouds looming above us. Suddenly I saw little drops on the ground and immediately I grabbed the tennis bag and wanted to head for cover in the pavilion. My friend from the next court shouted to me saying, "Bees! Bees!". I looked around but never thought of looking up. My wife suddenly screemed and said look up.
There were so many of them, it was a sea of blackness. We all started running to the next court but it looked like they were following us. We ran again to the 3rd court and still it looked like we were being followed. By this time we decided to run to the right - to the adjacent court. Suddenly they were not following us anymore. Actually, they were migrating and we were running along their path. Fortunately nobody got stung. Those little droplets were actually drops of honey. There was a strong smell of honey in the air after the bees had left.
The court attendant told us these type of honey bees won't attack if you don't disturb them. Yeah right! So we said goodbye to the bees and continued the wonderful game of tennis. There were one or two bees that got lost, so we gave them the plan to their home.
I was taking a rest while my wife played on with her friend. It was a cloudy day and I was wary of the rain clouds looming above us. Suddenly I saw little drops on the ground and immediately I grabbed the tennis bag and wanted to head for cover in the pavilion. My friend from the next court shouted to me saying, "Bees! Bees!". I looked around but never thought of looking up. My wife suddenly screemed and said look up.
There were so many of them, it was a sea of blackness. We all started running to the next court but it looked like they were following us. We ran again to the 3rd court and still it looked like we were being followed. By this time we decided to run to the right - to the adjacent court. Suddenly they were not following us anymore. Actually, they were migrating and we were running along their path. Fortunately nobody got stung. Those little droplets were actually drops of honey. There was a strong smell of honey in the air after the bees had left.
The court attendant told us these type of honey bees won't attack if you don't disturb them. Yeah right! So we said goodbye to the bees and continued the wonderful game of tennis. There were one or two bees that got lost, so we gave them the plan to their home.
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