We’re celebrating the lunar new year in late January which means it’s my peak period for dog grooming. Tired would be the word to describe the month. Physically tired as I go from appointment to appointment. And I’m always looking forward to the last appointment before I head off for the lunar new year break.
I didn’t have a great month as I was down with tummyache and diarrhea. It was an on-and-off thing since my dinner at Ikea on the 12th of January. Felt slightly better on the 18th of January. Had to cancel an appointment as I was feeling terrible. Slept the entire afternoon and it was good to rest.
Chinese New Year celebration and visiting came and go faster than I expected. Spent the 3 public holidays with Dear visiting her relatives. First time and it felt weirdly good. They were all welcoming despite some seeing me for the first time. But also probably because it’s the Chinese New Year, everybody just welcomes anybody to their home for celebrations. The visiting schedule wasn’t as hectic as my family where we tend to have many relatives to visit. It’s quite relaxing for me after my peak period which I do appreciate and enjoyed a lot.
Time really flies and January just came and go in a blink of an eye. I wonder what February will be like. Hmm…
I have a lot in mind that I would love to put down in this blog and share with the world. The thing is, I do not know where to start! And when I do, I probably make it very confusing to understand for my readers. It is like those vlogs that I tried doing, the feedback I got from Dear was, I’m being everywhere! I need to plan my content better.
So for a start, I am going through other bloggers’ pages for inspiration. You’ll probably see some changes in the future posts. Till then, a short and sweet entry for the night.
It happened in April when I was off to my last appointment for the day. I’ve groomed this poodle before and the day I got bitten was my second visit. On the first visit, he was such an angel allowing me to groom him. However, the second visit was a nightmare for me.
As usual, after I unpack my grooming equipment, I got ready to start grooming. Sadly, before I could even start, I got bitten on the nose just when I bend down to retrieve my small shaver. I’m not sure how bad the wound was, all I remember was to get some tissues near me to cover and add pressure to stop the bleeding. Everything happened too fast and sudden that I didn’t know what to do other than adding pressure and hoping the wound isn’t bad.
A trip to the clinic
After the owner came back into the room, I told her I needed a while as I got bitten by her poodle, she asked me to head down to the clinic at the void deck. She said the wound looks bad. She can’t accompany me as she had a newborn at home, so I made my way down alone.
While on the way, I was still adding pressure to the wound. As I couldn’t wear my mask on (a mandatory rule due to covid-19), I was hoping that I wouldn’t get caught and be issued a fine. I had a valid reason for not wearing my mask, that’s what I thought.
When I entered the clinic, the receptionist helped me with registration. They thought I had a nose bleed as I was pinching my nose with tissues. I told them no, I got bitten by a tiny dog. Upon hearing that, I got ushered into the doctor’s room to seek treatment. Skipping the queue as they deem it as an emergency.
The doctor helped to clean up my wound and I was told the bite pierced through the nose. My nostril was bleeding on the inside too. Got given a tetanus jab because the last I took was quite some time ago. He mentioned that the tetanus jab can last about 5 years. Despite my fear of needles, I went through with it because I was told it might help prevent or reduce any inflammation or infection. And it’s part of the treatment to receive the jab I guess.
Had a brief chat with the doctor while he attends to my wound. He was the first person to believe me that the small dogs are usually the most aggressive ones compared to the bigger dogs. Though if a large breed were to bite, the injury definitely will be much worse.
Self-declare medical leave
After my visit to the clinic, I head back to the customer’s house to retrieve my stuff and call it a day. We rescheduled the appointment thinking it could be a one-off incident because he wasn’t aggressive before. The owner reimbursed me the medical fee and I could feel that she’s sincerely sorry about what had happened.
I canceled the week’s appointment because I wanted to let the wound heal. And also wearing a mask over the wound hurts badly. Dear came back early from work to check on me. Felt so loved and cared for.
Felt the pain kicking in after all the shock and adrenaline was gone. It’s bearable thus I didn’t take the pain killer that the doctor prescribed. I tend to my wound with care because I didn’t want it to leave a horrible scar and also its pain when applying the cream. Thankfully, it healed well with slight scarring. Not obvious unless you take a closer look at it.
Newborn baby, maybe?
I don’t blame the dog for acting the way he was. My guess could be the owner’s newborn baby who just got home from the hospital after about seven months in the NICU due to being born prematurely. With all the medical machines and a newborn, I’m guessing the dog felt neglected, in need of attention, and had slight changes in the environment he was used to, thus he attacked me unexpectedly. It could also be an act of jealousy.
It’s just my guess, I don’t know the actual cause of his sudden aggressive behavior. But I read up and heard a few stories of how the dog/cat’s behavior changed when a newborn arrived in the family. Yes, even though the parents may have done everything to introduce the baby to the pets, it doesn’t mean the dog/cat won’t act all crazy.
Many envied me for being skinny and they wished they were as slim as me. I wished they would stop commenting and envy how skinny I am no matter how much I eat. For the record, I’m unhealthy despite having a slim body.
My wife and I had to explain many times that I’m actually unhealthy and I have skinny fats hidden inside that small body frame of mine. Nobody in our circle of friends knew what skinny fats are or even heard of the term. To be honest, I didn’t know about it too. I got to know of it when I came across an article about it on Channel News Asia’s Facebook page.
Skinny Fats and Why It’s Deadly
side-by-side comparison shows how tightly packed the abdominal cavity can become with visceral fat Image from makeyourbodywork.com
The medical term for skinny fats is metabolically obese. Yes, I’m obese on the inside where unhealthy fats are surrounding my organs. I may look normal on the outside, but actually, I might have a slew of healthy issues beneath me.
I have a low muscle mass and my fat percentage is quite high, which I’m aware of after visiting ActiveSG Lab. They have this machine to measure your weight, height, muscle mass, fat percentage etc. I think it’s good for those who wish to know more about their body and what they could do to improve their health.
Health issues that people like me may face if we continue our unhealthy lifestyle are diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, stroke or even Alzheimer and cancer. We may have vitamin deficiencies too which can lead to fatigue or low concentrations levels.
Are you skinny fat?
As I was researching about skinny fats and what I should do to get back to being healthy, I came across this list on shape.com website:
Haven’t been lifting weights since years ago.
Experience constant “sugar crash” or “brain fog”, such as fatigue, low energy, or difficulty in focusing, memory or concentration.
Pass on protein-packed food.
Belly is bigger than the rest of the body.
Diet consists of excess carbohydrates, artificial sweeteners, sugar or processed food.
Feel light-headed after mild exercise.
I identify with most of what’s listed above and I can say it’s not something I’m proud of. I didn’t know I was this unhealthy and am glad that I came across an article about this topic a few years ago. It’s like a wake-up call to me that I need to get back and be healthy.
How am I affected? And what I did to get healthy?
Every time when I looked in the mirror or look down at my belly, I feel fat. Yes, skinny people like me do feel fat but I’ve my reason. I have a bulging tummy which nobody knows because it’s hidden beneath my clothes. That bulging tummy is a sign of skinny fats.
Before I started to get healthy, I’m always feeling tired. I’ve no mood for anything and basically, I need my afternoon naps. The words, food coma, that my friends have been using, I experienced that too. Being born weak with health issues when I was younger, my unhealthy lifestyle during adulthood isn’t helping much. After graduating from secondary school, I haven’t been exercising. Eating whatever I feel like having was also part of the contributing factor to me being skinny fat.
I’ve experienced pains to my knees. I thought taking glucosamine would help. It did but not much. Occasionally, my arms would be in pain too whenever I lifted them up. I live with these for years and thought it was normal and part of ageing. The biggest wake up call that I needed to do something was when I experienced sharp pain on my back. Thinking it could be due to work. And I didn’t want to end up like my sister who is now suffering from back pain and had to visit specialist to sought help.
I decided to get rid of my unhealthy lifestyle in year 2019. I’ve changed my diet, eliminating carbohydrates such as rice and noodle. My meals mainly consist of proteins, fruits and vegetables. I’ve also cut down on desserts and sugary drinks. Now I’m taking my coffee and tea without sugar which most of my friends thinks I’m crazy.
Year 2019 was also the year I started bullet journaling. And I decided to do a exercise challenge on a monthly basis with different exercise planned for each day of the month. I started small, example a 10 sit up for the start. It’s because I haven’t been exercising and I didn’t want to strain and push myself till I got myself injured. Each day I try to complete the challenge. I did increase the number of sets I had to do as I get the momentum of exercising.
Changes I noticed in myself
I’ve lost some weight but was told I looked healthier. I’m no longer taking afternoon naps. I no longer feel lethargic instead I’m much more alert. Concentration level while driving and at work got better too. Realized my bulging tummy got smaller too which was what I’m aiming for. This means my body fat percentage is gradually heading towards the healthy range.
The pain and aches that I’ve been feeling previously were gone. I can’t remember when was the last time I felt the sharp pain in my back or that my knees giving me the aches. I am no longer taking glucosamine to help with my joint issues.
I’ve found out that I’m lactose and gluten intolerant after my change of diet. Despite me being lactose intolerant, I do enjoy ice cream at a controlled amount. Not too much to avoid tummyache and many visits to the toilet.
My advice to everyone, always listen to your body. Some signs are an indicator to certain problems or illnesses that you need to address. Don’t ignore them like how I ignored my skinny fats issue. Health is important, don’t neglect some self love.
Decided to visit Disney Magic of Animation Exhibition on my birthday. And have been waiting ever since I got to know of its existence in Singapore. As a Disney fan, particularly bias towards Mickey Mouse, it is a must-visit for me.
Due to the Covid-19, we had to see how bad the situation gets. Thankfully, the number of cases in Singapore per day have been decreasing. And the number of recoveries has been increasing. So despite the virus going on, we decided to go ahead. To reduce our contact with the crowd as much as we could, I made the decision that we drive out towards the Art Science Museum.
Tips: Parking at Marina Bay Sands is expensive. You may park at Gardens by the Bay if you would like a cheaper alternative.
Disney Magic of Animation Exhibition
Where: Art Science Museum When: 26 Oct 2019 to 29 Mar 2020
We paid via Standard Chartered credit card, on top of the 15% discount, we were given a Simba Funko Pop. It’s while stock last and thankfully we’re lucky enough to get our hands on it.
Entering the exhibition is like going back through time. I got to learn how Disney started and got to where they are now. It’s amazing to learn so much such as them studying animals’ movement for the movie, Bambi. It really takes a lot of time and effort to perfect an animation from start to finish.
At the end of the exhibition, we were greeted by a small section of merchandise. So much to choose! Wanted a tee, but it’s difficult to find my size. Adult sizes are too big. Kids sizes are just right but the length of the shirt is too short. After browsing the entire collection, I decided I would want a bowl. Despite the hefty price tag, Dear said it’s OK to get since I like it a lot.
My Birthday Thoughts
As I got older, celebrating my birthday has become more of wanting to spend it with my love ones. No big birthday bash, no fancy restaurants. A simple meal and doing what we like has become what I’d prefer now.
Maybe I am beginning to see that spending time with love ones are important thus my priority now. It’s like what many said, you won’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Cherish the people around us before it’s too late.
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