Shingles & Ramsay Hunt syndrome

I was at Physio doing my neuromuscular stimulation when i chanced upon an article in ACQ that sent a shiver down my spine. Yes! The dreaded Ramsay Hunt syndrome-caused by an absolutely microscopic but fearsome organism – Herpes zoster oticus virus (chicken pox virus).

Read on…

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, occurs in 20% of the general population, affecting as many as one million Americans yearly. More than 1 in every 10 people who have had chicken pox as children will get shingles as adults. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, or the chickenpox virus. This virus lies dormant in the body near the spinal cord and the nerve ganglia until something, usually severe stress or a weakened immune system, reactivates it. Once reactivated, the virus travels along the nerve paths, destroying these paths as it goes, to the skin where it erupts into a rash.

Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, occurs in 20% of the general population, affecting as many as one million Americans yearly. More than 1 in every 10 people who have had chicken pox as children will get shingles as adults. Shingles is caused by the varicella zoster virus, or the chickenpox virus. This virus lies dormant in the body near the spinal cord and the nerve ganglia until something, usually severe stress or a weakened immune system, reactivates it. Once reactivated, the virus travels along the nerve paths, destroying these paths as it goes, to the skin where it erupts into a rash.

 All of us,  with the exception of Jane came down with chicken pox. i rememberedcoming down with chicken pox on my birthday in Pri4. Like all spoilt brats i wanted a McDonald’s  party celebration  complete with a happy meal goodie bag at United Square .Back then it was the ‘cool’ thing to do. All my classmates had their fun parties, i wanted one too.  Of course, i came down with chicken pox after chiew Yan (my then good friend in SCGS) unwittingly passed the virus to me. I desperately tried applying Clinique concealer on the tell tale spots on my face. Alas, wise mum said it was best to cancel the party lest moi spread the disease to a dozen other frens. 

That’s it! I’m asking Daddy to jab all of us with the Shingles  vaccine (zostavax) or varicella vaccination -latency of the chickenpoz virus in the geniculate ganglion cannot occur in the absence of vesicles in the pinna or tongue.

God save us from these ghastly ailments!

Journey into Oblivion

Great site with lots of cool pictures and graphics!

 I spent the entire day researching and building a webby for Dad’s clinic. There’s so much stuff out there on the internet, its amazing how i never ventured into building a home based internet website to earn some passive income.  If PCs could talk, my trusty Fujitsu of 5 yrs (u were my treasure in Syd) would be accusing me of being ‘overworked & underpaid!’   Little wonder p’ple suffer from wrist tendonitis, et cetera- if you’re pounding away on the keyboard with a hunched over posture. Groan, that was me for the entire afternoon- B-A-C-K B-R-E-A-K-I-N-G!  

Penned this down when my creative juices flowed:                                                            

                                             The Journey into Oblivion 

Know me, I am a piece of gooey spearmint gum, Wrigley’s product to be precise. Pudgy hands unwrap my silvery cocoon. I enter a gaping hole.

I feel the tongue rolling me around and I am bathed in the saliva filled oral cavity. The temporalis and masseter chew me up. It’s not a bad vibe and strangely enough I feel all warm and fuzzy as I morph from being long and powdery into a smooth, elastic glob. Yes, I am fully fledged, a true shape shifter now.  I long to use my new found sticky powers but alas, the slimy secretions from the salivary glands bind my powers. I feel powerless beneath the gnashing incisors and slimy molars. I am sorely punctured, wounded beyond recognition. Strong Orbicularis Oris expands me. But I am a defect, I am not as elastic and my tormentor’s patience wears thin.

  Pop! I unexpectedly explode over the lips and teeth with pure delight. I am collected back into the putrid grotto. I bounce and toss before the back of the tongue lifts me up. I see the pharynx moving forwards to propel me to infinity and beyond. I realised that I had been swallowed. Alas, I had no intention to be consumed! Bubble Pop from Singapore gleefully told me how she managed to stick to the doors of the Mass Rapid Transport (MRT), causing a massive uproar. As I hit the faucial pillars, I fell into the clutches of the monstrous swallow reflex. 

 I pummel down the oropharyx and entered the hypopharynx. I saw the endless tunnel into oblivion. I defiantly open my eyes, this must be the coolest roller coaster rider. I bet Bubble Pop did not see this. I heard her and her kind were deposed and banned in Singapore after the MRT personnel discovered the ghastly act by some sweet toothed girl. Luckily, no Corrective Work Order was imposed on the perpetrator. I peer down in disgust at human innards.

 The proximal end of the sphincter was closed. Within seconds, laryngeal elevation triggered the sphincter to open. Peristalsis must be the finest way to travel, I thought aloud. This is an awfully good massage with contraction and relaxation- the natural way. The lower esophageus sphincter relaxed and I knock on the fundus.

 “Enter!” boomed the Stomach. Yikes! I am immediately engulfed in Hydrochloric acid as I found myself sliding into the Tube. I felt parts of me mysteriously dissolving away and shuddered as I lay helpless in the Tube. Strangely enough, the acid retreated as quickly as it came, as if it were providing me with a golden ticket to enter the realm of the unknown. I was pushed along by other boluses. Miss Coconut Fiber and Mr Ham stopped momentarily to say “hi” before being pulled along by the tidal wave of roaring digestive juices. I thought I saw Mr One Cent Coin stuck in the middle of the Tube. He was worn out, battling the acid for months, a once shiny coin turned dull. A most recent addition to the Tube, I thought aloud, seeing “2007” engraved on his body. I continued travelling down the Tube, this time into a pale brown place called the “Rectum”.

 Suddenly, I heard a loud belching sound, followed by a huge suction force. I mustered up my courage to yell, but it was drowned out by a grunting noise. Plop! I fell out of the Rectum into clear water. I waved to Mr Coconut Fibre as he too tumbled out and floated next to me. Carpe diem! i thought aloud.                                                                                                                    

                                                                       ~~~  The end ~~~ 

Met Heidi at Kowloon Bay, HK in July. We went to artsberg to source for speech Rx materials. A boardmaker costs HK $3000 (S$600)! 1S$=HK$5.  Bummed around at Kowloon bay’s shopping centre and saw miniature terracotta army exhibition.  What a coincidence, Heidi’s cousin’s studying speech pathology. Heidi works at Po Leung Kuk  with school aged children, am happy for her!

Decision making

What ever decision i made over the phone with K today, i hold no regrets.  i deliberated over it for the longest time and kept reminding myself that i wouldn’t be comfortable or contented if i had agreed to the stipulated terms.  Perhaps i was foolish and passed up on a golden opportunity? i shall never know.  Writing undoubtedly has a cathartic effect on me, even if it served as some irrational justification. I felt less guilty while contemplating on Robert Frost’s comforting words.  

Two roads diverged in  a yellow wood

And i, i took the one less travelled by

And that has made all the difference

                                      Robert Frost

 

Relax and let God drive. Enjoy the ride!

Luther Vandross I’d rather

My favourite duet !

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