The Untold Stories

Monday Made the appointment for the procedures. Got told to start low-fibre diet. No fruits and vegetables. No wholemeal bread too.  Tuesday  Breakfast (2 scones and flat white). Started clear-fluid diet after that. Water, pulp-free juice (e.g. cold pressed apple juice as opposed to cloudy apple juice), coffee/tea without milk, jelly without fruit pieces (avoid red, purple jelly as they may darken the bowel), chicken broth.  Felt super hungry. Food looked so yummy yesterday. Food in TV shows, food on the street, all looked so good. I felt like eating them all. There were moments my brain signalled me to go get food, but within a second or two, another signal reminded me that I was not supposed to be eating anything.  I made a pot of chicken soup, basically just a whole chicken and some salt. Had to pour the soup over a strainer to get rid of the little bits and pieces of chicken skin.  At 7pm last night, I also started the Moviprep, a laxa...

Got a letter from the insurance company this morning, confirming that my conditions are not 'pre-existing'. Glad that they are willing to pay for my colonoscopy and endoscopy (with an 'excess' of $500, which means I would have to pay for the first $500 in a calendar year for any claims I make).  I called the clinic quickly to make an appointment for the procedures. The earliest they have is this Wednesday, so I will be 'admitted' this Wednesday afternoon.  The lady over the phone said that I must arrange for someone to bring me home after the procedure because I will be sedated (as opposed to anaesthesia) and under NSW laws it is a requirement that I go home accompanied.  I can't think of anyone really. No family, no friends, no one, just me alone. I told her I have no one that I can ask. I wondered what she thought, poor kid maybe. Fortunately, there is a specialised cab service that I can hire to escort me home.  Then, there was the pre-admi...

Arghhhh!!!! Finally, finally I get to squeeze out some time and write something. In fact, I wasn't so super busy la, i did allow myself to slack last Friday and Sunday, I let myself to just burn the time away during those two days with Dota and JackD. I was in the library mostly throughout last week, delving into annual reports. It's actually quite interesting to see how an organisation evolved through the years. And I was touched, yes touched, by the fact that these people were actually so knowledgeable already well before I was born. Twenty plus years ago, they were already quite sophisticated, they took things seriously, with proper planning. It was just beautiful, to read something written so many years ago. And I wonder, did they at the time of writing, expect someone in my generation to read it? Ok, back to the topic Fungi. Fungi (plural), fungus (singular). Mushroom is fungi. I mentioned it previously that on the day before I left home for Sydney, there was obv...

So, today, I kinda forgot the fact that I am a student who should be putting all my time on my research project. Seems like CHANGING really takes a lot of determination and focus. Went to the clinic this morning to collect the test results. Appointment was at 11am but waited for an hour. Ridiculous. I was losing my patience already, but what could I do? Was told by the receptionist that the doctor was running late with all her appointments since the morning. The doctor I saw today was different from the one I saw two days earlier. This time, according to my prior research, she's actually an assoc. professor at the general practice department of the medical school in my uni. So she should be pretty knowledgeable. Fortunately, she turned out to be one of the best doctors I have ever seen. The HIV test came back clear (thank God!). But she was intrigued by my Red Blood Cells count. I told her that it's not a problem because, though they were slightly abnormal, I was told...

It's my first time participating in a 'media action'. Can't disclose too much here, but we were surrounded by reporters and cameras. Not sure if we made it to the TV news though. Two days ago, David called me and asked if I would be interested to help out. My job was simple. I didn't have to speak out. I only had to hold a placard that said '[location] cares about affordable transport'. So there were about 20 of us, each holding a placard to represent different areas across NSW. The whole thing only lasted for about 20 minutes. It was a fun experience though. After the event, I lied  that I wanted to walk around the city. I actually made an appointment for a body check today. It's been more than 3 months since the exposure. And the last test was done after 9 weeks. I want to be hundred percent certain, and I want to put this behind and move forward, without having to associate random symptoms i have with the exposure. I went to a private practi...

Despite so many other things that I wanted to blog about, this turned out to be the highlight of the day. I slipped. And I fell. Again, it all started out as a pleasant day. Went to the gym at noon to finish some workouts that I didn't get to do last night. Came home, rested a bit before I ventured out to the city to buy stuff. I bought a Hugo Boss to mask my body odour . The thing with me is that I can't use any deodorant or antiperspirant. It all started last year. They give me pimples or cyst or whatever u call them in my armpits. I don't spray the perfume onto my armpits but on my clothes. Hugo Boss AUD 59 50ml I also bought a shirt (no pic) so that I can be appropriately dressed to an event at uni tomorrow. Then, I took a bus home. I walked to the nearby supermarket before heading home, to get some instant noodles for dinner. And it happened. My eyes were fixed on the guys checking out at the self-checkout registers when I slipped. I did it graceful...

Wow, it's been a week since I last wrote something. What's bothering me now, seriously, is the rash on my chest. I decided to 'start anew'. I wanted so much to be a good student again. I wanted so much to do really really well in my last semester. So I drew up a to-do list for today. I dumped the suitcase that had glass shards in it as it was too hard to clean and one of the wheels was broken, four years dy anyway. I went to K-Mart to look for a cheap shoe rack for my room but changed my mind because I didn't want to spend the money when I am actually able to just arrange the shoes nicely. I then went to the uni library, and finally gathered the courage to email my supervisor, informing her that I am back and wanting to start. I even went to the gym, did some lifting after almost a month of zero workout. Then I came back and showered. As I was showering, I noticed there were some rashes on my chest. Hard to describe. Little red bumps scattered mostly on th...

Thank god that the surgery went smoothly.  Took a cab to the surgery as I was running late, as usual...  Was feeling very nervous. Had my earphone plugged in, could hear the chat between the surgeon and the assistant but wasn't really listening. Wasn't really listening to the Bruno Mars i was playing either. Kept praying the whole time.  Should be three little glass tubes of Anaesthetics. Ten mins later, the real thing began.  I could feel the surgeon pushing really hard. Like how you use a scoop, push it hard into the soul and scoop the plant out.  It only took about ten mins for it to be taken out. Bottom left.  I knew it was over when I could feel the stitches touching my lips. There was absolutely no pain throughout the procedure.  I was told to get nurofen plus. Unlike nurofen and nurofen advance, this is kept by the pharmacists. Prescription was not necessary but u can't get it on the shelf. It has got the usual ibupr...

What I did this morning: Purchased a spray (Terbinafine) and sprayed it on my slippers and inside of my shoes, to hopefully kill the fungus that 'might' be present. Wiped the floor inside my room with a multipurpose spray by Dettol (Benzalkonium Chloride). Don't know if this can kill fungus or not. Then I came across this  Article . Basically what it's saying is that there are more than a hundred types  (or is it a thousand?) fungus and bacteria that are living naturally in our bodies and on our skin. As long as we are healthy, these 'friendly' fungus and bacteria will help to inhibit the growth of 'bad' fungus and bacteria. Like how we take 'probiotics' that are good for our guts. But for now, I can't care so much la. I have done what I could. Used 'Lamisil Once', keeping my feet clean and dry. Just leave it to God and have trust in him that everything will be fine.. Worrying is not going to help me. Back to Stephen Fry. ...

Arrived this morning. First time flying with an Airbus (A330-300) to Sydney. Since the plane is made by a different maker, as opposed to Boeing which is usually the plane used for this route by most airlines, there are some differences. The lighting in the toilet is better, it makes you look better without revealing all the wrinkles and blemishes on your face, unlike the harsh lighting in older Boeing planes. The new A330-300 also has a bigger touchscreen display. Watched Gravity and Police Story (2004). Enjoyed watching Gravity, especially when I was so many kilometres above the ground. Quality of food served by this particular airline has been deteriorating. Flew with it over the last few years and it's all going downhill. Not to mention the quality of air stewards and stewardesses. Serious brain drain. LCCT is like a refugee camp, while KLIA is no better. International visitors are no longer favouring Malaysia as a prime destination, as evidenced by the lack of interna...

Spotted @ Kinokuniya Sydney  5 more days to home!!  Had lunch with some ex-uni mates today in the City. Had Teriyaki Fish with rice (with two slices of Salmon sashimi, piece of radish, bowl of miso soup, and salad) for $13.80. The teriyaki fish was quite nice, tasted fresh.  Walked around the city afterwards. There's less people in Sydney compared to last week which is a good thing.  Before I went home, I went to pee and two guys, one on each end of the row of urinals, were playing with their dicks! I knew things like this were happening but rarely so obvious. I stood next to one of them, quickly finished my business and left.  With 5 more days to home, the feeling is mixed.  I miss seeing my family, miss spending time with them. I haven't been in my new house for more than 3 months (cumulatively). And my bedroom is still very new.  But at the same time, I am worried that I will be worried.  I have got...

Where should I begin? Let's start with Private Health Insurance.  So this morning, i finally signed up for a health fund after making an appointment with an Oral Surgeon. In Australia, even with Medicare (for PRs and Citizens), dental costs are not covered. A simple procedure like a routine check-up can cost you AUD 50, and more complex surgical extractions such as wisdom teeth removal can cost AUD 500 per wisdom tooth. After consulted the dentist recommended by KK, actually a friend of his, he told me that eventually all 4 of my wisdom teeth will need to be removed surgically because they are impacted (blocked) and will cause the neighbouring teeth to be compromised in the long term, more complications. And, from what I gathered, extractions of Lower wisdom teeth are more difficult than the Upper ones. And a regular dentist, in Australia, would normally refer you to an Oral Surgeon (a specialist= more expensive) for lower wisdom teeth extractions. I have paid AUD 150 t...

6.50pm now. It's till very sunny outside, the sky is clear and blue. As it's summer now, it only turns dark at around 8.30pm. I just had a nap. It's been such a long time since the last afternoon nap. Don't know why. Not that I don't have the time now, perhaps the routine, the habit somehow got messed up. It was quite a deep nap. Kept getting dragged back into the dreams when i tried to wake up. Last week, at work, Carol asked me if I was ok now. Without too much of hesitation, I managed to say 'yes'. I didn't want to talk about it i guess. Today, on the phone with a uni staff talking about recommencing my studies in the coming semester, she asked 'are you sure you're ok now? let us know if you have any issues as early as possible...'. Again, I said I was ok and ready to start everything again. Actually, I don't know if I'm truly ok. I haven't been doing my project for half a year now. I probably lost the ability to...

Picked up this leaflet last week at the sexual health clinic. Leaflet _ Home testing trial Leaflet _ Home testing trial They are now recruiting study participants to trial HIV testing at home. There's even a website, so if you are interested in knowing more you can have a look there.  The test that's used in this study is the Oraquick test. It involves taking swabs from your mouth (not your saliva but tissue/lining inside your mouth. And it is an antibody-only test, unlike Alere Determine (involves pricking your finger for a few drops of blood) that tests for both antigen and antibody and it's also a rapid test. Having said that, it's still better than nothing right?  The nurse told me that they are having difficulty getting people to sign up for this study. I would like to sign up because I think there's no harm in doing so  and I know it's only a procedural thing for them to have this study to get it approved here in A...

11.21pm Sydney. 1st Jan 2013.  1st Jan 2014 is gonna end soon. (Notice the typo in the caption? Now I noticed it, but just let it be, it takes time i guess to train my mind to write 2014 not 13.)  StrictlyGay and Ultra Jinoman had each made their summaries of 2013.  For me, as you may already know, it would be quite painful for me to recall the major events. The best thing that happened to me was probably my family's visit to Sydney.  I can still remember how naive and innocent I was back then, in 2010 when I first arrived in Sydney. still very much a Kampong boy. Winter 2010 (June), perhaps still very innocent as a mummy boy or whatever you call it, I went home to spend the semester break. I was excited, I had so much to tell, I blabbered on and on, all the way from KLIA for 3 hours. I told them about the uni, how much better the lecturers here were, how life was different in Sydney, etc.  Fast forward to now, 2014. It's been almost 4 years...

It's the 29th of December already, 2013 will be over in two days' time. 2013, has been very unpleasant to me. It's a year that's filled with fear, worries, sadness, despair. Partly my own doings actually. And these negative feelings are not all gone yet. How do I make sure 2014 will be a brighter, happier year? I am still worrying to be honest. It was about my last sexual encounter.  [I had sex] It was protected anal, unprotected oral. There was a lot of precum in my mouth, I don't know his status, I noticed I had a bit of sore gum/lining inside my mouth.  I didn't blog about the tests I had. Actually, I had taken tests at week 4, 5 and 6 after that. They were all negative. With the combination (antigen/antibody) tests, most people agree that the window period should be 4-6 weeks, because the HIV p24 antigen should peak at around 4 weeks, hence many of those infected were tested positive at week 3 or week 4. The thing is, the first three days after...

Secret Santa. Christmas gift 2013 to one of my housemates.  Had a test yesterday.  Went to the nearby Myer department store to look for a gift for the Secret Santa event at my accommodation. Budget was $10. Saw a lot of cute little inventions, most of them averaged around $20. Could have gotten something within budget but it wouldn't be as interesting so I decided to get this little duckling infuser. It's sightly over budget ($15) but it's worth the while because I think he likes it! (I think he still doesn't know that it's from me, he's also gay by the way) Gay much?  I got a box of chocolates, an assortment of mini mars bars, milky way, M&Ms, etc. To be honest, I didn't like it! I have been trying to avoid chocolates, so that I don't have to take in unnecessary calories. My chocolate quota is reserved for really down moments, when I really need to up my mood. But I still put up a smile la, my secret santa must be looking at me when I unw...

Woke up at 7.30 this morning. Haven't woken up so early for ages (not counting the waking-ups to pee). Took a bus, then train and arrived at the sexual health clinic 5 mins late (called them while I was on the train to tell them that I would be late). Waited for the doc for ten mins. If I knew she was going to be late, I wouldn't have to run-walk-run to the place. A female doc in her 30s. Generally friendly. Started the conversation by telling her that I am gay (never assume that she knows right?) Basically regurgitated what I wrote in the previous post. Bump-Tea Tree Oil- Itchy-More red dots- Dry skin She asked if I would like to have HIV test today but she was actually kinda discouraging me to take the test. Because according to her, the event was low risk despite the fact that I discovered swollen/sore gum the next morning, and that there was a lot of precum. But I insisted. I didn't want to argue with her so I made up stories that I actually had more sexual ...

Thursday. Woke up this morning and was welcomed by the warmth of the sun that shone through the window, but I wasn't in the mood to appreciate much of it. I can now see more obvious signs that something is wrong. The original bump (raised, almost pimple-like, painless) that is 1-2cm away from the butt hole is not growing bigger, actually it looks like it's getting smaller. But the other tiny red dots (just slightly raised) are getting more obvious. They are not very big but definitely more noticeable now. When I tried to touch them, I couldn't feel anything, no pain no itch. I can also see them in more places now (area between scrotum and butt hole). For the original bump, I treated it with 100% tea tree oil last week for a couple of days. And because I noticed that even the skin surrounding the bump started to peel, I decided to stop for a while. And then, I sensed itchiness, and then I saw the other tiny red dots. I started to treat the tiny red dots with tea ...

Don't worry, it's strictly non-sexual this time. As I haven't been able to sleep well for the past few nights, my neck and shoulders are sore, and lower back too. And because I have been trying to do more weights instead of running these days, I guess my muscles didn't really get to relax. I remembered KK told me his masseur was good and not expensive. So I messaged him this morning and ask for the contact details. He gave me the number of this guy who is the owner of this massage place. Booked for an appointment at 3pm. Arrived there just on time. Was feeling excited because firstly, my muscles would get to relax and I knew I was meeting a male masseur. LOL. (I had confirmed with KK that it's a professional and no-sex service) He's Thai, in his 30s, quite short and doesn't speak good English, probably just a few words like soft, medium, hard, shoulders, neck, etc. Saw some muscles but not humungous la. I was totally naked and we started by me lyin...