It's been a long long while since I took a long trip out of the country and I am looking forward to my upcoming overseas trip this Friday! Gonna be away for slightly more than 2 weeks. Hopefully, I will not experience all the horror stories I have been reading about airport issues, delayed and/ or lost baggages, transport strikes, heat waves, etc etc etc...
Fingers crossed!
I have a history of kidney stones and will visit the urologist regularly to check on the state of my kidneys. In this post, I want to capture the outcomes of my recent visit to the urologist. You see, I had brought forward the review of my kidney stones from Sep to Jun 2022 as I had experienced a consistent pain at my back just at where my right kidney is located. Following the visit, I was scheduled to undergo a CT scan of my kidneys (and areas around it). Here's the results.
Right kidney: There was a slight increase in size of the stone since the last review (that was done 2 years ago). Otherwise, the stone had remained in the same position near the opening into the ureter and had not moved. There is an appearance of another stone. This stone is small and is located deep in the kidney.
Left kidney: It showed the appearance of a very small stone - 1mm or less. Similar to the stone in the right kidney, it is located deep in the kidney.
The urologist concluded that the pain I had experienced was unlikely due to the kidney stones. He said that based on the size and location of the stones (particularly the 2 located deep in the kidneys), they will possibly stay there and not cause any trouble. He added that there is also a likelihood of them being flushed out given the smallness of their size. As for the larger stone in the right kidney, I can opt to get it removed if I am keen but his view is that it will likely stay put (as it had not moved) and not cause any troubles. But I do have to continue drinking lotsa water. So... yeah, everything looks good for now and I had decided to keep things as they are.
PS: Interestingly, the pain I had experienced had disappeared too. Apart from the kidneys, the scan also showed normal stomach size, prostate gland, bladder, etc... :-)
I started my COVID-19 vaccination programme in Apr 2021 and completed my full regimen in May 2021. My first booster shot was taken in Nov 2021 and my 2 booster shot in June this year when the second booster shot programme was opened to persons above 50 years old. I think getting such shots will, in time to come, be part of a regular routine given the need to live with the virus endemically.
And talking about living with the virus, it's refreshingly nice to see how well and calm we have been despite the on-going COVID-19 wave of infections. It is also interesting to note that we have been able to keep this state of affairs without further tightening any preventive measures. Getting the virus these days is no longer seen nor perceived as a death sentence and many people around me have gotten the virus over the last year.
:-)
I am halfway through my sabbatical... well, tbh, I'd prefer to call it NPL - No Pay Leave. That's what it is - going on leave without pay. It was not a difficult decision to make as I wanted to take time away from work, recuperate and chart my next career moves. I am, of cos, not ruling out the possibility of going back to the same company if conditions are right. Here's my journey since my NPL on 1 Apr.
To be honest, the first few weeks were really stressful. It was an emotional roller coaster ride and I could not wind down. On one hand, I really wanted to just do nothing, but on the other hand, I was very restless. So I kept myself occupied. I met up with friends, went shopping, did short trips up north, walked more, swam, did gardening, etc. But there was just so much of these that I can do (right?). Despite it all, I had consciously kept away from work-related meet ups and contacting colleagues although I eventually met up with my team and a couple of closer colleagues for a meal or two, catch-up over whatsapps on what's happening at work, etc. The stress eventually eased off as I learned to just enjoy my day, don't get stressed up by not being occupied with programs or not being too detailed in how I organise my day. I told myself owe myself the moments to just relax, chill and simply live life as it comes.
Finance-wise, I was conscious I need to manage my spendings. After all, I am not getting any salary during this period. And it was not easy, especially with inflation and all - food, utilities, petrol, etc everything is easily 5 - 10% more expensive overnight. When I first started, I stopped eating at restaurants, cook more, take public transport as much as I can, etc. My lifestyle changed overnight. Thinking back, I think I swung a bit too far. Objectively, I do have some savings, and passive income but on a nett-nett basis, I still need to ensure my spendings is within the amount I have set aside to ensure longer term needs. I have since gotten a balance with regards when to hold back and when to reward myself with some luxuries. In effect, these couple of months had been a reality-check on my readiness for retirement. I am not. I need to work for a while more. But positively, I am more confident that I can take on a lower-paying job, if I want to, now.
As for my health & well-being, I am heading in the right direction. I sleep a lot a lot better these days. I hardly experience any insomnia and I am able to easily get my 7-8 hours of good night sleep. Granted that I still have all sorts of weird dreams now and then but overall, my sleep quality has improved. And with better sleep quality, all things else fall into place. I am already seeing positive signs from my body, eg how my resting heart rate has decreased from high-90s to high-70s now. On the flip side, I am having a hard time controlling my weight gains and the body aches have increased! I believe this is because of the increased exercises and walks that I am doing these days. But well... let's not get too bothered by it as long as the increase in weight is kept in check. I am starting to have uncomfortable dreams again over the last couple of days and I do believe it is due to the realisation that I am halfway through my sabbatical... hmmm...
These days, my routines revolve around very broad aims - consolidate my life within the first 3 months, review & consolidate my finances by May, review my resume by June (which I have yet to complete). I have about 3 more months to go. With my quick life audit (health, finances, self, work, etc) done, it is time to chart ahead - review my career options in Jul/ Aug, look for job in Aug/ Sep, etc. I will be taking a long overseas break end-Jul/ Aug before I end my no pay leave. So yeah, these last 3 months of deliberate pause have certainly been interesting. On the surface, it seemed like I have done nothing, but reflecting, I think I have done much... without realising it.
:-)
