An updating self-reflection & revision for my personal genuine story in early 2021

Yes, I am rather late to systematically express out my inner voice what how when where & why I had been going through about own personal medical experiences/exposures both in Malaysia & Singapore. May be somewhere I had expressed some of my medical reports but not systematically in good order. While Malaysia in particular in my birth place Sabah of Eastern Malaysia, those days the medical were not so advance as today because today we have more & more private clinic or medical centre or hospitals as it is getting more advance with modernization & sophisticated medical equipment too.

I recall & remember in early adult age I used to visit Singapore which is my wife’s birth-nation too on my most official & most reliable medical field. That was sometime in late 1970 & or early 1980 or so! Now I recall those days when I went to the Singapore Specialist Centre along the Orchard road. Now the old Medical Specialist Centre Building is no more there & I am still holding their medical assessments/reports till today. Today you can see the new & modern building around there. It is exactly near to the existing Somerset MRT station.

Yes, my family & I moved over to Singapore somewhere around 1991 & 1992 for some very valid reasons. Those days my 3 children were very small & young, 2 boys attending secondary school while the youngest one at nursery home. We rented a place in Hougang Ave 5. My first job was in Boon-Lay industry areas that I needed 3 transit of transportation to get there. I worked for a while & then stopped because no one like hearing impair worker. Therefore our family relied on my wife income as productivity since then with a little of my personal saving from my birth place.

In 1994 we moved into our existing home flat at Woodlands Area. Time flies & now our family had been settling down in Singapore for about 27 years! Children are married & working while my wife & I retired long ago already.

There is an ancient Chinese proverb saying as such:- 人生七十古来稀！It is rare for a man to reach 70 during those olden days! But I like to exclaim today as such:- a man begins at 70 instead! 人生七十才开始呢！Why do I say so? Simply the scientific advance with its technological success & leverage make mankind living longer with proper medical medications & surgeries.

So what if I am deaf person or patient today? Does it make me any different to share & appreciate my family & those concerning around me with friends & the nature of world? Yes, my wife & I live in most simpler life-journey today. We are happy enough with peace & satisfaction as an unit-family. So are our extended families too! FOr me I rely on online connectivity nowadays! This is one the main reasons I am relying online advantage or leverage on mutual communication & interaction for families relatives & closer friends.

Nowadays I have more free hands to approach my online connectivity about my present medical & healthcare system as I am ageing along my life-journey. Yes, I am still self-learning by slowing & struggling picking up here & there about the operation of computer or internet etc. Especially about rule & law or policies of internet. However, as a deaf person this is my only worldly affairs nowadays for thorough & sharper communication & interaction with my extended families, relatives & closer friends, near or far, known or unknown. As such I hardly move around unless I like or want to attend or join some relevant events or activities on occasional basis. Yes, I use to walk around our neighborhood for daily exercise purpose as well as appreciating/enjoying the beauty & green-nature on earth. My wife & or children use to accompany me for frequent medical review etc. Today I am still an independent patient apart from weak hips joints & hearing loss.

Watch out from now onward I am learning to express & write up my daily stories in order to enjoy my personal ageing journey even with multi-illnesses! I had been a haemodialysis (HD) patient since 22nd October 2014. My regular visiting hospital is SGH while I considered NKF is my 2nd home today as I am attaching with NKF centre 3 times weekly for my HD treatment or therapy. Each time lasting for standard of 4 hours + to & fro + waiting time & transportation + preparation. All in all I need about 6 to 7 hours per each session schedule. Therefore almost half of a week is restricted or confined to this 2nd home already. Singapore hospital is considered as my 3rd home. I personally had been involving with Ministry of Health (meaning Singapore Polyclinic & SGH) since my family landed Singapore island once upon a time.

This daily event or activity by voicing expressing or writing hereby are meant for/to my extended families relatives & closer friends near or far known or unknown too as I hardly can communicate & interact with each other on face to face contact or connection nowadays. More so they are very busy with their families & careers etc too. At home we too need to depend on online connection for clearer & sharper understanding!

Ageing & Multiple Illnesses (2021 ~ 1)

With this Corona-Virus-19 pandemic since early 2020 world wide, today 28th April 2021, I am going to make fresh revision about written articles.

Life-journey is full unpredictable symptoms. Here we are touching or talking about human beings with the journey upon 4 stages ~ born, growth & development, & of course ageing with illnesses! Those without illness I hereby praise for their good deeds ~ congratulations! 

Because of body-mind-game/system conditional factors (totally deaf nowadays), almost everyday, I am expressing or writing my diary not for the sake of anything in the world but I just simply like & want to pour out my inner voices & hence hope & wish to share a thing or two about my own personal & genuine experiential experiment or experience/exposure in my life-form as a basic human being on earth. There is no right or wrong but it is just personal genuine viewpoints. I had been doing my best & would continue to do my best too in future provided I am healthy & fit still.

For my own family & relatives & or closest & understanding friends, perhaps, it is an following up sort of educational culture & value. If not at least a guideline or a road map for those who are keen or interested. I am no medical background nor I am trained for that matter. I am also no knowledge about the medical science or field but I am just an ordinary person walking on earth trying to touch & talk about/with my own phenomena of my body-mind-game/system as a basic human being, nothing else.

Mind you, there is no one shoe fitting for all people or patient. I think speak & do as according to my style & habitual instinct with very ordinary wordings too. I many not have good command of English nor Chinese but perhaps it is good enough to put a basic gestures for understanding.

Who am I or who I am or What am I or What I am on earth to think speak & do the way the path I am doing? Is this "I" who must be obeyed? Let us move on with discrimination or whatsoever!

Next topic if time/space is/are still allowable, I may unintentionally casually touching or talking on LIFE & DEATH or BIRTH & DEATH rather! However, off & on, I may be possible inclusive in my ageing & illnesses topic too.

Ageing + multiple Illnesses Revision ~ (2)

 Sick & Ageing (病态与老化）P(2) Written sometime in December 2018 as I recall.

This part (2) is true about my present existing conditional state as per my SICK & AGEING phenomena of my personal genuine body-mind-game/system.

Sometime in late 1991 & early 1992 my family decided to migrate to Singapore for the sake changing environment as well as for the future of our growing up children study & career. Singapore is fact my wife’s birth place as we met each other in Melbourne of Australia in 1968 while we were studying. That was a big step of change in our family as Singapore is modern city & we were not sure how we as a family can adapt well with the pace of lifestyle.

Earlier at part (1) of this written revision article I spoke briefly touched my first very serious sickness as a result of gradual hearing loss as well as my jobless status. I could only manage to occupy myself by doing some volunteering tasks. I was engaging as solo-volunteer with CDC dealing Renci mobile home nursing for elders & sick patients as well as Metta home nearby my residential at Woodlands area. Later on a group of our neighbors team up & share to form Share-On Welfare Organization dealing with food distribution for the needy & poor residents in Woodlands area. It is still in operation nowadays but I have since less involvement because of kidney failure since 2014.

I believe I began to have high blood pressure sometime just before my 60 years old of age through visiting renal doctor at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). My kidneys began to have problem. Blood labs test always contained trace of protein leakage + trace of blood too. Something like in 2007, if I can recall correctly, & or, if not mistaken. I was merely given medicines to control my kidney problem. My family & I had no medical knowledge nor understand what to do then. We had not seen any dietitian too for advising etc for diet control etc. So I used to visit 2 specialists in SGH, ear specialist & renal specialist for my 2 kinds of sickness though I still have my uric acid high with occasional gout flare or attack since young age.

Then in 2009 after my wife & I came back from KL’s adventure while living in our 2nd son family house. I had my angioplasty balloon on one of blockage in heart blood vessel. I had been admitting to Singapore General Hospital (SGH) for several times under A & E till the last time an experienced heart specialist Dr Lim confirmed that I had angina symptom ( a kind of pre heart-attack symptom or phenomena) about heart problem due to chest-pain usually happening at evening after dinner. Merely through one of morning round conversation at SGH Dr Lim said he would see me in laboratory (operation room) next morning. So that was 10 years ago from now. It was sometime June 2009 then. By then I need to watch out my heart problem + renal problem + ears problem & of course my uric acid too due to frequent gout flare or attack.

Brief summary of diseases:-

1) Head injury resulting nerves system deterioration on my ENT problem as a result of a serious car accident in 1976 with 3 to 4 broken ribs too ~ main on both ears hearing loss.

2) Anxiety with DEPRESSION.

3) HEART BLOOD VESSEL PROBLEM with heart blood vessel surgery in 2009.

4) Stomach Ulcer.

5) Prostate problem (with high level reading of PSA).

6) Renal Problem (ESRD).

7) Gallbladder stone surgery.

8) Symptom of initial Pancreas problem.

9) Uric acid + Gout Flare or Attack ~ Knees joints weak & problem + hips joints weak & problem.

Generally as I am on ageing period nowadays & I have multi-illnesses today! But I think speak & do in this article as according to my memory with some reflection & reference on my medical brief records in my medical file anyhow. The much more details of medical data must go through Singapore General Hospital (SGH) as they are keeping all my personal medical reports/records in complete manner!

I trust & believe just before approaching year 2009 for which year I carried out my angioplasty balloon on my heart vessel blockage when I was about to touch my 60 years old age then I began feeling & encountering some of my physical body problems ~ arising one by another gradually year by year. Though while adult I had high uric acid with gout flare & attack occasionally but it was still not too bad at all. From then onward I have stomach ulcer, prostate problem, symptom of renal earlier disease which is called as chronic kidney disease (CKD), gallbladder stone problem. Yes, knee joints problem was my most earliest problem probably due to frequent dislocation of joints while young playing indoors & outdoors sporting games. One reason is my uric acid used to be high perhaps that was one of the main reason arising to my high level of creatinine particularly during entering my 60 years old of ageing period as I slow down in many forms of healthy activities. That was around 2006 or 2007 just before my blockage of my heart blood vessel surgery done in 2009 partly might be due to my lack of exercise & poor diet control too. This is what I can roughly & briefly remember now. The actual details must refer back to my medical records both in my personal file as well as SGH official medical records. By the way my 2nd angioplasty balloon on my heart blood vessel blockage was just this year 2019 in May due to 2 months plus typical of chest pain again which was considered as a kind of heart-attack too as per heart specialist advice.

Recently within these 2 years as I had been touching my 70+ ageing period I seem to have weak hips joints too. After walking for few bus stops I tended to feel sore & a little pain on my both hips joints area. I thus must rest for a while before moving on again. This is why I cannot do jogging or jumping event or activity. I was told & thus managed too to reduce my dry weight during my haemodialysis (HD) treatment or therapy to existing 59.5 kg is a good sign of lightening my weight’s burden.

Then in 2014 July I had my AV Graft surgery standby for ready my haemodialysis (HD) treatment or therapy as my level of creatinine had reached to very high level around 600 to 700 UMOL/L of reading. By October 2014 when I was admitted to hospital for gout flare & attack my creatinine reading shot up to around 1000 reading. I was immediately sent for haemodialysis treatment or therapy at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). That was on 22nd October 2014. I was ready to face it accept it & manage it too but unfortunately I wasn’t ready enough what how when where & why to handle the haemodialysis (HD) procedures or its progressive work in progress healthcare schedule or arrangement. In other words my family & I were truly lack of basic knowledge on dialysis treatment or therapy subject or topic. Unlike these latest few years the Ministry Of Health in Singapore had launched fighting for high blood pressure & diabetes diseases! In other words the government is serious enough to educate its population mass about renal disease under chronic kidney or renal disease topic. Never mind it is better late than NEVER approach or attitude!

After one year engaging with NKF Singapore I adapted to have some experiences & exposures through personal trial & error of own experiential experiment methods. In particular about my personal bi-monthly blood labs test results issued by NKF that alerting me about my personal medical category values or biochemistry data which is directly related to my medications & diet control + exercise + enough rest & sleep. This AWARENESS is so essential basic educational culture & value for dialysis patients proper recovery path!!! From there onward, I gradually bounced back once again with positive approach & proper attitude about my personal lifestyle & or life-journey. That was around early 2016 that I was impressed by attending our NKF HQ regular events & activities under PA&R department. My personal involvement clearly shown & illustrated in many photos & pictures as well as my pages of description in my personal FB. I began proactive once again & remain engagement with NKF’s frequent events & activities too. That actually had made a great difference in my lifestyle as well as my overall life-journey too as I became more self-independent too despite my invisible deafness disease or illness as a handicap dialysis patient in term of poor or weak direct communication & interaction.

I began my HD at NKF Yishun DC1 at blk 203 on 1-3-5 noon shift beginning on 20th March 2015. By end year of 2015 I was luckily issued my detail of my personal blood labs test results probably due to change of nursing management. We only had 13 patients of slots at one shift & it had been established for more than 20 years of history in Yishun area & it was the first NKF’s DC in Yishun in fact. Today we have another 2 new DCs Yishun 2 & 3 lately in operation within these 2 or 3 years. My last engagement with Yishun DC1 was on 14th May 2018.

So, I was lucky enough being transferred to now Jo & Gerry Essery - NKF Marsiling DC which is nearest to my residential home ground on 16th May 2018. Marsiling DC is a new centre which can accommodate 22 patients at one time of shift’s roaster. We have around 22 nurses all in all inclusive office administration + cleaners + technical back-up crews. Since I began at Marsiling DC with new management + new facilities & practically fresh nurses too, I began to plan my haemodialysis (HD) strategy as according to my family & myself schedule. This is the reason why I keep them on my face-book pages about my instant progressive procedure or program with photos taken too during my haemodialysis (HD) treatment or therapy so that they can keep track on my progressive schedule as today younger generation are too busy enough with their own families involvement or engagement. By following my description of my best knowing & understanding in my personal genuine HD treatment or therapy they have ease of mind for their own family involvement or engagement. If heavy raining or something crop-up they will make arrangement of transport for me to & fro too. They seem to have rest in peace of mind with my self-independent to certain extent, nevertheless. I also like & want to share & contribute with those relatives & closer friends, near or far, with my personal genuine experiential experiment or experiences/exposures.

I am not a well trained patient but I am willing to learn & pick up if there is golden opportunity for educational culture & value as I need to depend dialysis treatment or therapy for the rest of my long term journey. How about those younger & well educated patients? Aren’t they have much longer journey than we as older patients today? The KEY is RECOVERY PATH! And bounce back strongly & effectively in normal lifestyle & enjoy the life-journey! We have launched the concept of BEYOND DIALYSIS educational culture & values lately which are for potential chronic renal disease population. But HOW about PATIENTS EDUCATIONAL CULTURE & VALUES for better path of recovery & bounce back once again for keeping pro-active & stay healthy once again? Isn’t it a truly meaningful lifestyle or life-journey for those approaching 50 or 60 or 70 ageing period? Younger generation of patients surely is a MUST for educational culture & value purpose!

Because we have good Artificial Kidney (AK) machine where I can view the monitor or screen to self-learn & pick-up bits & pieces here & there during my dialysis progressive procedure/process. Particularly something to do with the response of my own personal genuine body-mind-game/system during the solid 4 standard hours of HD procedure/process. I am trying to be mindful & alert what how when where & why my body-mind response in such a way whether favorable or none favorable conditional factors even without of training as I am a deaf patient after all. I feel I am the driver driving a car with those artificial kidney or AK machine today! Perhaps the only difference is the needling schedule + machine setting.

My feeling is in addition of the fresh environment with easy convenient & cost effective of travelling distance + effort in term of time/space, NKF managing well enough to have systematically arrangement for branches level of exercise group since last October as well as this year the art classes too. I am always very happy we have dietitians frequent visits at our branch too despite our late in operation as compared to others. Generally I had been quite happy with my Yishun DC1 & present Marsiling DC! Smile & cheers for NKF Singapore as our 2nd home which is “a home away from our sweet home”!

1Gail Rae-Garwood

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Ageing Journey + multiple Illnesses (revision) (1)

 

Leong Seng Chen

tfSposnsored4uh  · 

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Today it is 2021 a fresh New Year to begin to make a brief SUMMARY on self-reflection & revision on certain chapter of my life-journey all in all.

Brief summary of diseases:-

1) Head injury resulting nerves system deterioration that had affecting seriously on my ENT problem that eventually & gradually lost of hearing sensual organ & its ability to direct communicate & interact as a result of a serious car accident in 1976 with about 3 to 4 broken ribs too. As such I have on both ears hearing loss. Despite using hearing aids for many years today it is useless even with sophisticated engineering design too. So I am deaf person basically since 2 years ago. No medication can cure it anyway!

2) Anxiety with DEPRESSION. When I first encountered hearing loss I was very depressed. Luckily through meditation I rebound once again. That was many years ago. So happy, I need no more medication whatsoever since then!

3) HEART BLOOD VESSEL PROBLEM with heart blood vessel surgery in 2009. That was first angioplasty balloon in 2009. Then the 2nd time of surgery was in 2019. About 10 years apart. Last year 2020 I was suffering with typical chest pain for nearby 2 months before a surgery was carried out after so many trouble shooting. Need to take blood thinner ASPRIN & CHOLESTEROL ~ Atorvastatin medicines for my heart problem.

4) Stomach Ulcer. Now under medication OMEprazole capsule to control it.

5) Prostate problem with high level reading of PSA. On regular FINASTERIDE to control it.

6) Renal Problem (ESRD). Under haemodialysis (HD) treatment with medication.

7) Gallbladder stone surgery being removed years ago! So need to avoid any oily stuffs otherwise will get minor diarrhea easily.

8) Symptom of initial Tiny Growth of Pancreas Crystals problem. Under observation & monitoring on 2 years yearly basis. No medication.

9) Uric acid high with frequent Gout Flare or Attack ~ Knees joints weak & problem + hips joints weak & problem. Under medication to control.

10) Hands & fingers problem + neck bone problem. Neck for Vitamin.

1)

https://leongsengchen.blogspot.com/2021/01/hd-part-1.html...

2) https://www.facebook.com/leong.s.chen/posts/10159369269334119

LEONGSENGCHEN.BLOGSPOT.COM

HD （Part -1）

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