MEA - Post Ops

After having a myomectomy done in 1997 to remove a fibroid, I have been having abnormally heavy, prolonged [menorrhagia] and very painful menstruation. I was treated with Danazol, Tranexemic Acid and HRT which helped very little. My life was disrupted and over time the pain became unbearable and painkillers were unable to manage it.

Last year, after a chat session on YM with several old school mates, I got a mammogram and a pap smear done at HTAA Kuantan. The mammogram was inconclusive and the doctor ordered ultrasound scan which eventually ruled out breast cancer.

Instead of pap smear, the doctor did a pipeline procedure and the result was inconclusive too. So a hysteroscopy was ordered to rule out endometrial.

The result of the hysteroscopy was negative. No endometrial cancer. Thus doctor decided to do MEA to treat the menorrhagia. I found good readings on MEA here, here and here.

MEA was done under GA on the 11th. I was given gonadothropine hormone shot a month earlier. I was pushed into OT at 10 am and arrived back on my bed at 1pm.

I had the usual after GA effect ... violent vomiting but this time around I had problem passing urine in the first few hours after coming back from surgery. The bladder became quite irritated. By late afternoon I was able to urinate and felt a lot better.

I was taken off the drip and given solid dinner of rice with grilled chicken. I took a bite and vomited again. So I kept to warm plain water. By 8 pm I was hungry and getting very thirsty so I asked my daughter to get me some fruits. She came back with some watermelon and grapes at about 11 pm. I tried eating the fruits but I still vomited accompanied by purging. By midnight I was starving. A slight cramping in the tummy started

The next morning I was given [hehehe ... HTAA customary] two pieces of stale bread with a tiny drop of jam. I was thankful for a small pot of hot Milo. However, I still threw up the breakfast. Darn!!! The cramp did not go away but grew steadily worst.


I noticed I was leaking. I thought I was leaking urine so I put on a sanitary pad. At about 10 am two doctors came. One was the houseman I guess, and the other a visiting Professor from UIA whom I had some problem understanding his English. I mentioned about my leak. He read my medical history and noticed a urodynamic test I did last year at UIA clinic [paid rm150 for that - ordered by my local gynae]. He immediately called the *Dato* [the department head] to decide a procedure.

I was supposed to be discharged then but I had to see *Dato* first for the leak. It was about 5 pm when a nurse came to tell me Dato was occupied. I was asked to come back in two weeks time.

So I was discharged then. The houseman gave me a three days medical leave inclusive of the ward stay and the treatment. It would mean that I was supposed to race back to Jerantut at 5 pm from Kuantan then go to work the next day. That was so ridiculous!!! The attending nurses were indifferent to my predicament.The houseman has already left. I had to raise my voice and demanded to see the doctor. Geezzz!!!

The houseman came and apologized profusely. I was given one week off.

On the way back to Ayong's place I stopped at the beach. No sunset. We were on the east coast. Still the colour of the sky was awesome. [it was too dark for Ayong's 2 mp handphone camera]
Next morning, Friday 13th, I woke up to a blazing sun shining right through the curtain. The cramping stayed on but did not bother me much. The leaking did. We had a leisure breakfast at Teluk Chempedak. The breakfast stayed in tummy.
It rained heavily on the way back to Jerantut. Arrived home in the afternoon. I was seized by fatigue. My body hurt all over. I felt feverish so I went straight to bed. The leaking continued and so did the cramping.

I woke up in the middle of the night feeling ravenous. There was nothing in the house. I boiled some water and made me a mug of hot Milo sprinkled with oats. I surfed the net looking for more reading on MEA. I found out the leak was not urine but normal watery discharge which could last 1-6 weeks [read more here]. Legaaa!!!

I don't know if my hormone goes through a roller coaster ride. There is no mention about it in any of the reading. However I can attest to it. Last night I was alone in the house. Both children returned to their own lives. I became overly sensitive and at one point I was so emotional I almost quarelled with Ayong on the phone. It was like the post natal depression. I started crying watching soaps on Astro and couldn't stop crying. I felt drained ... emotionally and physically.

I am feeling better today. I managed to finish this piece.

Pantai Pelindung

Ayong is transferred to Kuantan effective 16th March. I was scheduled for MEA procedure on 11th and have to check into the ward on the 10th. Monday 9th was the birthday of Prophet Muhammad. It was a bit of a rush to get a place for her.

At the twelfth hour, Mahie [the flower sender] managed to secure a house. So, that Monday morning the three of us [me, her brother Epit and Ayong] drove to Raub and loaded my 'hero' and Ayong's Kembara with her fridge and matress and pillows and cushions and pots and pans and then braced heavy rain to reach Kuantan at about 9pm. Mahie [who was visiting his in-laws in Pekan] arranged to take us to the house for rent.

Our eternal gratitude to Mahie for having the foresight to make necessary arrangement with the landlord. The house was ready to be occupied. It was quite late and after a short introduction to the landlord and the landlady and the final deposit paid, we were able to finish unloading before hitting slumber land.

Ayong snapped this pic using her handphone camera the next day. This is the view of Pantai Pelindung in front of the house. KOOL !!!

Who and What Is It For?

My younger brother came home from Dubai for a three weeks extended leave. I was on TENS and was feeling rather drowsy when he knocked on the door with one of his twins.The other twin was sleeping. He needed to go shopping with his wife and planned to leave the children with me. But seeing I was not too well off, he took the non sleeping twin with him leaving the sleeping half and two other children, an eight year old girl and a six year old boy.

After a while, I saw the boy snipping off one strand of my seashell curtain and took delight in watching the shells dropping to the floor. When he realized I was watching him, he put the scissors back, ran to the settee and hide under a cushion. I asked him to collect the fallen shells in the hope that it would satisfy his curiosity. But he threw them all into the rubbish bin. What a waste!

The next day, my second youngest brother came home too. He works as a lorry driver delivering Gardenia breads to Pahang regions. Our talk went on to PPSMI [English for teaching Maths and Science in school - ETeMS]. I was pretty amused because this brother of mine didn't finish his form 4 study. He is a lorry driver and his spouse is a housewife. He asked me what is all the furore on ETeMS about. He is more concerned about teachers' lack of presence in the classroom rather than the conflict of using English language to teach the two subjects. His wife was more interested in some mathematical concept her child seemed to be having problem with. Both of them mentioned Math and Science in English is easier to understand. My son who is in his third year doing Mechanical Engineering at UIA chipped in saying that had he been given a choice he would choose to learn Science and Maths in English while in primary school. His elder sister now working in a bank agreed with him wholeheartedly.

From my point of view as someone who was involved in the training of the teachers for ETeMS since 2003, I am wondering what is the real issue with ETeMS. My casual observation shows that the teachers, parents and students don't seem to mind the programme. Who is it that raised the issue and for what purpose?