This year, we touch on the new life support procedures (mainly CPR) which is used on unconscious casualties without respiration (not breathing) and circulation (no pulse). About 11 years ago, I was taught something which we continued to practise for 10 years, until this year the SAF or rather the whole global scene decides to change the protocol.

This made CPR easier to do, with lesser steps, and a new element has been added into the picture – the AED or automated external defibrillator.

An automated external defibrillator or AED is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient, and is able to treat them through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.

– from Wikipedia.

Why does it have an impact on me? Well, it’s a long story… My father was claimed by the coroner that he had died from a cardiac arrest due to his exisiting heart condition in 2007, just one day after our Singapore wedding. That morning, I was the one who found him laying in the bathroom. First look at him, he must be there for maybe at least 10 mins, as he has lost his colour on his face, purple lips, and he was cold. Not wanting to quit at the same time, I could be wrong on the time of cardiac arrest, I fought back on my knowledge of the 4-6 mins rule of irreversible damage on the brain cells, and performed CPR (the whole procedure that I learnt from my medic course in 2000), called for ambulance.

I still remember being calm on the inside and literally did the ABC, head tilt chin lift, check for breathing and pulse. No breathing give 2 air blows into mouth, no pulse commence chest compressions etc…. I literally did CPR for at least 8-10 minutes before the paramedics arrived… It was kind of the longest morning of my life that day, and definitely the longest CPR drill I have ever done in my life and whilst doing the CPR, I was thinking of “please don’t die, please do not do this one day after the wedding…. etc”

I felt the impact today, because, whilst teaching us on the AED and why we need to prioritise AED over CPR, the instructor show us a timeline and effect comparisons… IT is statistically proven that early defibrillation, can increase by a huge percentage, the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest. So in my mind, I was thinking, should we know that someone in the family has a high risk of heart diseases, and therefore a cardiac arrest, should we buy an AED to store at home? Because, 70% of cardiac arrest happens at home. Should we have an AED back then, would he be saved?

What has passed is long gone, but I am actually thinking about the future. So should we buy an AED? Bring it around when we go out?

It is only in the recent years that we started to see AED placing in shopping malls, sport halls and various public places. And it does not seems ample, considering statistically, Singapore’s survival rate of cardiac arrest patients is only at a staggering 2%… What’s more is that heart disease is the number 2 most common condition that cause deaths in Singaporeans. I seriously think that is a worrying figure! We need to educate people on AED, life support and make sure that more members of the public knows how to save people’s life.

I strongly urge my friends and readers who are reading this, to take it seriously and consider learning how to do CPR and use an AED, it is really easy. If I can do it so can you… Touch wood, but you never will know when you need this knowledge and skill, but you cannot afford to wait for things to happen before you want to learn how to do CPR and or use an AED right?

Please take action today. You could potentially save someone’s life in the future, and what could possibly be your best reward is, it could be your friend or family member’s life you save.

Additional Info:

Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Local AED And CPR Course

I totally forgot how the feeling was! I would describe it like a session at the chiropracters (vigorous and bracing) and a session at a relaxing spa (slow and gentle)! The massage therapists used some sort of massage oil to facilitate smooth, gliding strokes.. Then there was a bit of kneading, friction, stretching and tapping! It was at this point that my mind started to wander! It’s weird how I then thought of myself as some sort of dough on a worktop – being keaded, thrown in the air, some water/oil added to provide some sort of smoothness etc!

As I flipped back and fore between relaxed and embraced mode – my mind would wander even more! At one point, the massage therapist ‘sat’ on my back (well not literally!) so that she could target my back.. the pressure she used on my shoulders and upper back was quite firm, to achieve the deeper muscle massage!… It’s weird how I thought that my breastmilk would all squirt out!!! Lol!! It didn’t ofcos!!!

Then when I was lying flat on my tummy, she did this crazy stretch, where she lifts your leg upwards towards your head and diagonally towards the opposite shoulder (if you’re understanding what I’m trying to explain!?)… I then thought about ‘what if I or someone let out a massive fart?!?!?’ I mean, it’s natural, when you’re relaxed – these things may happen.. and OFCOS, I didn’t do that!!!!

Anyways, it’s weird how you have these weird and wonderful thoughts that make you giggle, in the most normal situations!

Daze x

Some of my immediate family managed to take time out of their holiday plans and spend time with ADCA in Singapore… It’s been awhile since all of us bunked out in one house and just chilled and ate… They all stayed at our house and although, there weren’t enough beds – it was fun to all squeeze in together and sleep wherever there was space! I rather miss those days when we were younger and we all squeezed into each other’s bedrooms, or had sleeping bags laid all over the floors cos we just liked the whole ‘sleep-over’ thing!

Shame that it rained ALOT during their stay though… cos it would have been nice to take them to more places to eat good food!

My youngest sister Ansy was the last to leave Singa and she so reminded me of myself when I first came to Singapore…. She currently lives in Taiwan, and whilst she was here, she had a list of things that she needed to do.. Like have her hair cut, eat a good western meal, buy certain british stuff to bring back with her…. These things seem so trivial but when you live in a country where you don’t understand the language (and they don’t speak much english), where good old british stuff are hard to come by – I tell you, you have serious cravings… I was like that… I longed for jacket potato, a good bangers and mash dish, certain chocolates like Wispa, Fish and chips from a take-away… I still have the cravings but not so badly anymore! In a nice sort of way, I think I’m getting used to Singapore… the weather, the lifestyle, the accents, the foods… I never thought I would really… Because it was such a big culture shock to me! When we relocate back to UK, I think I will miss Singa and have those ‘cravings’ that I once had when I arrived here…

Chloe turned 2 during CNY… I look back and time has flown… I can’t believe how much she has grown…. She’s a proper madam now! And Andre, he’s also growing up so quickly…

Who knows what will happen in the future, But what I do hope is that all will be happy and stay close and in contact x

Happy Chinese New Year to all my family and friends out there!

We wish you a merry merry Christmas n a happy new year!

The best of health and wealth to you n your family!

See u in 2011!

He basically took my weight, height, and a body fat calculation via a scale. We then sat down and I filled up some questionaires and he analysed my priorities for wanting to join the gym.

My priorities:

i) to have a higher energy level,
ii) to have a higher endurance level,
iii) to pass my IPPT for now (2 months). (Hoping to be able to get Gold award in 12 months time. lol)
iv) to feel the same as I did at my fittest during NS days. (fittest during my SAF life guard course)

So after the chat, we went to the various stations to max stretch myself to allow him to have a better understanding of my current fitness level, what I need to improve on and what he can fix a routine for me. (This is what I have been thinking of for years!! Personal training to my needs.)

At the end of the 1 hour session (we took slightly longer), I was very exhausted not because I m tired, but more on my muscles not able to do more, and my back was feeling tense as if its gonna break. I actually thought I did not bad, but apparently Mubin said that he was expecting me to be slightly better, I was devastated but I am more determined to become better.

I want to be fit again, because I have been very fit at one point of my life (12 chin ups easily, 2.4km clocked at 8.57), and frankly it felt really good, I felt like I can do just about anything with my body. Now after neglecting my body for 5 years, it is time to put things back to where they belong to.

Anyways, I shall update again later. Watch this space.

Been rather crazy yesterday! Started the day really well – took Chloe to Sunday School and she seemed to love it (it should have been her nap time – but she was well hyper!) Came home and fed her lunch then decided to change her nappy….

Our nappy changing station has many gaps – and our little Chloe loves to put her feet/legs and hands/arms in these gaps.. Well, she got her legs stuck and then she panicked.. the more she panicked the more stuck her legs were and she was crazily trying to get her legs out, screaming her head off whilst trying to do so…

We eventually got her legs out and there was a bruise on her LHS side ankle… her RHS foot/leg seemed ok cos when we pressed on it – there was no reaction.. However, everytime we pressed or tried to make her stand up, she would cry when her left foot/leg had any pressure on it….

After about 1-2 hours, she would still cry when she put pressure on her left foot/leg.. so we decided to take her to A&E… Low and behold – after an x-ray – it showed a small fracture on her inner LHS lower leg…. The Dr explained that it could have happened because whilst she sprained her ankle trying to get out of the gap, it could have caused the otherside to fracture – as babies bones are very fragile. Thank God that the fracture then re-positioned itself in the correct place, cos if not, there would be a painful manipulation done!

In the end, Chloe had to have a cast done but with soft crepe bandage holding it in place.. 1 week later, it’s off to the paediatric bone specialist and put a hard cast on her leg… Currently, she’s ok with the cast and is slowly getting used to the new appearance of her leg and the weight!.. Yesterday, everytime she saw her leg, she would cry!!

The only difficult thing is now trying to get her comfortable, as she can’t bend her leg, so sitting on a flat surface seems difficult for her… Also, she’s at the age where she loves to stand and crawl.. and with this heavy cast- she’s getting frustrated! We can’t get this cast wet – so with her perspiring alot – ummm…. baths/toilet issues etc are gonna be a challenge – looks like plastic bags are gonna be one of her bestest friends for awhile!….

We’re off to Phuket again in March – so that’s gonna be fun with Chloe!!

i) Chloe has turned one and we are pregnant with our 2nd baby and as of today its 14 weeks + old. Daisy is having a hard time with this pregnancy, and comparing it with Chloe’s, this one is making her think twice about the 3rd baby at this moment whilst with Chloe, she really enjoyed her pregnancy.

ii) we went away to Phuket with my mum’s siblings and family, 11 of us and the trip was fun yet hectic. Eat lots of nice food, but some of us got food poisoning on the last day. DnAnC + Mama is going back to Phuket again, (thanks to Marriot Vacation Club complimentary stay) and we hope that this coming trip will be a much more chilled holiday.

iii) I noticed that they are a lot of dangerous and rude drivers around and I seriously was considering if I should buy an in-car video cam to record the rude moves that some drivers do. Sometimes I get “cut” by “F1 racers” in Toyota and Hondas doing a speedy lane change, so dangerous that if the car previously in front of me brakes we would get into a collusion, me hitting his right rear bumper. One particular driver I remember, SCP1133A, Silver Honda Civic.

iv) Have been playing a bit of badminton, and decided that will pick up this sport back and play it a bit more seriously and long term.

v) Wanted to go to visit a nursing home back due to time clash, we could not go and went to attend a relative’s wedding instead. Almost gone to a CNY dinner for grassroot leaders with GOH, PM Lee, but had food poisoning so gave it a miss.

vi) Health has not been fantastic. Currently having a back pain that goes back since a while ago. Seeing a specialist to get a diagnosis. Hopefully will not miss the ICT in May.

vii) Potentially (80%) selling the car as it is nothing but a big liability to us right now. 80% of the time its just sitting in the carpark. It is more of a luxury item than a necessity, hence it should really go. Anyone wants to buy it? Or anyone wants to buy the registration plate? SGN126P.

viii) Want to try scenario paintball one day so if someone wants to join me pls pls pls let me know. Need to travel to Malaysia though. Maybe airsoft too.

I think that is about all. Updates again later..

Hearing Aids Reviews

Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

I was told that using yogurt to treat thrush is also a homemade remedy. Has anyone tried yoghurt for acne or on babies with thrush in their mouth?