Sunway Staycation p3

Final day of our staycation, SE checked out the kiddy club.  It caters for younger kids though there was a big video game screen which would have been fun.  We didn't have time to do much before check out.

Ball pool hehe

JE got to try out Potato Corner as she'd been wanting to for some time.  As I'd expected from the reviews... basically expensive fries with tons of seasoning powder.

Let's try this potato

The buffet breakfast was excellent, but a buffet does pose special difficulties for SE.  What I saw was her taking too-healthy items like yogurt, cheese and hard-boiled egg in small portions i.e. half a bowl of yogurt, a few small cubes of cheese, half an egg.  She claimed she ate a lot and said she was too full for the next meal.  And the next.  And so on - it was difficult to get her to eat for the rest of the day.  So overall I wasn't sure she was getting even her usual daily amount of food.  Regular meals would be better for this girl at the moment.

Anyway... was a good holiday!  We finished using our vouchers, had lunch, walked around Pyramid a bit and then scooted off home which was so near hahaha.

Sunway Staycation p2

SE was looking forward to the water play pool.  We used to swim on a weekly basis, but she hadn't been in a swimsuit since December (i.e. over 3 months) when the doctor forbade her from swimming and other strenuous activities.  She put it on and said she looks good in a swimsuit.

First the playground...

Swinggg!!!

Cycle cycle

The girls tried out the various water features.

Water portal!

Sliding BACKWARDS is more fun

This is fun!!

I was mindful to limit pool activity time for SE.  She went back to the playground a while.

Some kind of climbing 'makcik'  haha

Sunway Staycation

Need to catch up on my March posts.  OK so we took a 3d 2n package at Sunway Resort hotel with breakfast and some food vouchers included.  It was value for money, the dates suited us and a staycation would be a perfect activity for the school holiday.

Driving there was a breeze of course heh heh.  Reached there in no time!

Checked in... and I was amused to notice SE had fed her piglets - technically one piglet, one moomin who'd stood in as a replacement pig when the piglet was lost and one moomin who'd never been a piglet (yes it's complicated).

Packet of sugar for each of you

Had to take a photo of the hotel backdrop matching JE's holey outfit hehe.

Mama is much amused by this

Love the colours

Used the RM75 voucher for this "CRAZYSHAKE" at Black Tap.  It had chocolate brownies, chocolate milkshake, loads of cream, choc chips, choc sauce... fun experience but to me, not worth its hefty price.  

Giant milkshake

More to come on what we did.

JE’s birthday 2024

JE is 14!  This year, our maid (who has started taking baking classes) made her birthday cake.  She got out the fondant one night earlier in our apartment - SE made blobby and the moomin, JE made the monkey.  So this year it was a very personalised and unique cake.  

Me, my cake and my pets!

SE made her sis a card.  It's a moomin on the front...

Outside

Which opens up to it yelling out "Happy B-day!"

Inside

JE chose Mcdonald's for lunch.  We didn't go out for dinner since we were going to be eating out the next few days.

Me and my fam

Happy birthday to my darling girl!

How bad

How bad was the problem with SE... well, bad.  Her bones were sticking out.  The veins on her arms were so obvious as there was insufficient flesh to cover them.  Her pants were hanging loose, the butt area hollow.  

Bones

More bones

'How' she managed to get to this condition is a mystery to me.  As is the 'why'.

Waiting

One month of forced absence ahead of the actual school holidays... seems such a long time.  It turned out that due to classrooms being required for SPM exams, JE was largely off school for the month as well.

I was very apprehensive how things would turn out, worried how SE was going to take it.  How was she going to fill her day?  We others had our daily routines and would not be able to spend all the time with her.  For once I wished she was addicted to iPad games!  

After the first day, fortunately the situation did improve.  Overall we were more relaxed - bedtime was later since there was no need to wake up for school (JE was in the afternoon session).  SE started reading the Harry Potter series.

My taugeh grew

Our objective was to get her weight up as much as possible in 2 months.  Then she would be able to start school with everyone else after the school holidays.

Aftermath

12 January 2024

The day after the doc visit was the last day of her school exams.  She went to school and completed the paper.  However, that night I had to tell her she would not be returning to school for the rest of the school year.  She was very upset.

The next morning, she didn't want to get out of bed.  She said there was no point as she would not be allowed to do anything she liked and would need to face new rules which she did not like.

Get up for what? 

No. Leave me here 

Poor child. :(
 

Weight drop

10 January 2024

After the relief when her weight finally went up substantially, the next visit 3 weeks later was a shock.  We had followed the diet plan and also the doc's instructions not to weigh her at home.  She took SE to the weighing machine... and came back with a grim expression.  SE's weight had dropped back to the original of 26kg.

Doubts returned.  How could this happen?  She was eating more, we made sure of that, also taking milk twice a day.  How was it possible for her weight to drop?  Even if she was dumping her lunch while at school, surely the other meals were sufficient for sustenance?  What could be wrong?

No choice now.  I agreed to meds to reduce anxiety and increase appetite which I'd earlier declined when doc suggested.  Also agreed to her advice to stop SE from schooling.

No good.  Too thin

'Duck'

We have this McD platypus.  It is named 'Duck' because I initially thought it was some kind of weird duck.  JE earlier procured felt to make a bag with for school, inspired by this platypus.  Lately SE got hold of the leftover materials and worked on this flat version.  I thought it was very good, had to take pictures!   (Don't have a picture of JE's bag as it has been handed in).

Duck and Flat Duck hehe

Flat duck is not completely flat as it has some cotton filling (which can only be seen from the side).

Duck and 'friend'

Weight up!

20 December 2023

The doc had told us not to keep weighing SE, to leave the monitoring to her.   The next appointment was three weeks after the first. Voila, her weight had gone up 2kg!  So THIS is what it takes to get her weight up!  

For weeks I'd been puzzled.  After noticing the problem, we had been watching to make sure she was eating.  Yet how come she wasn't putting on weight and in fact was slowly getting worse?  Was there something wrong with her body as well?  Could she have a deficiency in absorbing nutrients?  Was she somehow getting rid of the food she was eating?  Should we go to other doctors to check for other problems?  All the worries were going round and round my head.

So the secret was to increase her food intake substantially.  And if she can put on weight like this, it must mean her body was working fine.  At this rate, it wouldn't be too long before she was out of danger zone!  The situation was finally improving.  After the weeks and months of worry, relief flooded through me. 

Looking better

It would all come crashing down.

Evidence

Somehow, even with me or our maid monitoring SE closely at meal times, we regularly find evidence that she had managed to get rid of some food.

 Pieces of cheese

These 2 small containers were found in the fridge, tucked in the middle of a packet of preserved nutmeg which I hadn't opened for the longest time.  Inside were these pieces of cheese she must have squirreled away from multiple snack times.  Cheese is so expensive and she just dumps it like this sigh.  I wanted to eat them but saw a bit of mold on one of the pieces.  So into the bin went some of my hard-earned money.

Tough

Back to the painful topic.  

Making sure SE follows the doctor's advice is tough.  She has to take 3 meals (breakfast lunch dinner) and 3 snacks a day (mid-morning afternoon and supper) so time and discipline are very important.  Delay in one meal will impact the next one.   

The quantity of food is more than what she used to take.

I cannot finish, full already!

Then, the type of food.  Note the paper towel full of sauce which she has rubbed off from her portion of meat.  Given the choice she would take food which are low-fat, low-calorie and totally bland.  

No I'm not eating any more

At times she gets stubborn and refuses point-blank to eat.  Then we sit there for ages as she cannot be left alone either.  When she takes so long to finish, she will be too full for the next meal and the drama continues throughout the day.  Also... there is a high chance she will get rid of the food by throwing it away or stuffing it somewhere.

No I cannotttt

While I know it's not easy for her to eat, I have no choice either but to be strict.  Her body weight was critically low - only 25kg at a height of 144cm.  She'd dropped about 10kg from her pre-anorexia weight.

Her year

Dragon is SE's year, she turns 12 this year.  And she is facing such big problems.

Me is a dragon

Or, could it be the year where the problems are solved?

Peace

Since JE insisted on flashing the peace sign even though I kept telling her it doesn't go with traditional CNY outfits... here is a post with some of the unacceptable photos.  Hmff.

 

Peace

Peace!!

PEACE!!!

Day 2 CNY

 Day 2, we headed over to Midvalley to take some photos.  I like the persimmon theme!

Here, have a persimmon

Kakak is selling persimmons hehe

The Gardens section had a retro kind of theme.  Thought SE posed well.

I actually don't know how to cycle

But I can pose hehe

Erm yeah the girls don't own footwear match dresses.

Day1 CNY

Just to record down else next year we will be cracking out heads thinking what we did the previous year.  Previously we would meet with hubby's side on CNY eve, then have no events on CNY Day 1.  Since this year CNY eve was with my family,  Day 1 we went to his sister's place.  Small gathering with other members of the family.

Hubby got the girls to participate in the gambling session.  The girls later reported it was boring and SE said she didn't know what was going on haha.

Sit here and 'gamble'

CNY eve

Thankful to celebrate CNY eve this year!  To recap, our maid (and also my sister's) caught Covid in end January.  Maid was parked in our apartment while we stayed over at my parents' place. She recovered in 5 days, but my father then got Covid.  This time we stayed at our apartment instead of going back and forth to my parents' place.  My father also recovered in 5 days and we looked forward to life back to normal.  Unfortunately a few days later he had bad vomiting/diarrhoea and ended up being admitted to hospital for 3 days.  Finally got discharged a day before CNY eve, phew!  That's how we ended up NOT fully prepared for reunion dinner this year haha.  My mother was at the hospital too most of the time.

Anyway with some last minute buying and work.... dinner was on!

The food

Last year was the first time I'd been at my parents' place for CNY even since getting married.  And this year, continue. :)

The girls in their cheongsams

Happy Dragon year to all!

CNY already

It's CNY!  As always, I will wonder why it's arriving already.  Sign of age haha. 

We made seaweed crackers and peanut cookies.  At least make SOMETHING.

I forgot to take pictures until JE was brushing the last tray of cookies with egg wash.  And she refused to take photos grr.

No, no photos

 

Diet plan

The dietician basically asked SE what food she normally has and what she likes in order to come up with a diet plan for her daily 3 meals and 3 snacks. 

For lunch and dinner, the plan given was 90g protein and 100g rice.  It varies with other carbs e.g. it would be 130g for pasta, 2 slices of bread, 2 potatoes, one wrap.  For me, I understand a fixed weight more than "2 potatoes"! 

Weighed out the meat at dinner.

This is too much!

I am full. I cannot finish

I didn't have the heart to make her finish the remaining food.  :(  Will have to in future as the dietitian said - empathy is empathy, but in her condition we cannot have empathy.  She has to bring her weight up and recover her health.  

Hate

Specialist #2 specified a blood test for SE.  Had to check where to take those tests - the clinic near our home could comply and the test would cost over RM400.  Oh well, at least it was easy to take her there before breakfast.

With all the prohibitions and stress... my little daughter told me she wants to run away from home and that she hates me.  

Waiting

This clinic doctor (there is a rotation) was something else... She asked what the problem was and I briefly said SE has an eating problem.  She took it upon herself to loudly ask SE questions starting with, GIRL WHY YOU DON'T WANT TO EAT??  TELL ME!

I didn't expect a medically trained doctor to be so insensitive!  Eventually I motioned her to just take the blood.  

At least she managed to take the required sample.  Sitting didn't work and she got SE to lie down.

Blood being taken

 This journey is difficult. :(

JE

JE is a little neglected these days since I'm so preoccupied with SE.  She's overall ok but her school (a government SMK school) doesn't seem too good.  Teachers often do not come into class.  She has friends and doesn't want to leave though.  We shall give it one more year and see.  

Noodles for me

 

DON'TS And DO

One more post - really cannot dwell on this topic long, too painful.

We returned with a list of DON'Ts:

1. Cannot keep exercising - SE had been obsessively doing jumping jacks, yoga, stretching at every opportunity.  As a family, our opinions were divided... of course exercise is normally good and should help give her a healthier appetite.  But she was exercising non-stop, even getting up in the middle of the night to exercise in the toilet. It broke my heart to see her already-skeletal leg being lifted up and down on our shared bed when I woke up at night.

2. Cannot go swimming - I mentioned to the doc SE is very determined and would swim multiple lengths. She was shocked and said swimming shouldn't be allowed in her condition.

3. Cannot go on the walk to get JE from school - same reason

4. Cannot help with cooking - SE was starting to like helping with food preparation.  Doc says this wasn't advisable as we don't want her to be focused on food. 

SE was miserable that basically ALL the things she liked doing was now prohibited.

The DO: Follow a diet plan of 3 daily meals and 3 snacks, and send pictures of every meal to the dietitian.

Lunch/dinner was to be 90g of protein and 100g of rice with vegetables.  The first time, we were surprised to find that 90g of meat was considerably more than her usual amount.  Since then we have realised some styles of cooking makes the food look more substantial than others. 

SE hated everything.

I don't like

Don't like!

Specialist #2

1 December 2023

After the visit to the first specialist, we pretty much decided there wasn't any point continuing.  However there wasn't any improvement in the situation.  SE was upset at being asked to eat/drink and being monitored to do so.  While she agreed gaining some weight would get people off her back, her behaviour was obviously the opposite - exercising a lot, drinking a lot of water, preferring plain and low-fat food.  Hubby urged me to take her to another doctor while my parents had the opposite opinion.  They thought that doctors wouldn't be helpful, that was better to monitor her at home and not subject her to more medical visits. 

After some weeks, there didn't seem much choice as the situation wasn't improving.  I made an appointment with a doctor at Sunway Medical - her next available slot was weeks away so we had to wait.

Waiting

Our appointment was at 3pm, we arrived early but only got to see the doc after 4pm.  

Doc chatted with her for some time, asked her what book she was reading, things like that.  Quite nice compared to the usual way of asking what the problem was.  Eventually she asked SE to go with the nurse to take her weight.  And immediately told me SE's condition was not good.  She said that overseas, people like SE would be hospitalised already.  She advised to stop school, not to have any physical activities.  She said she would need to work with a dietitian on this so we later went to consult the dietitian.

We left at 630pm.  It was a long day with a bad diagnosis at the end.  I had clung on to a shred of hope that the situation wasn't that bad and this hope was totally dashed.  Despite that, my dominant feeling was relief.  I had answers to my questions.  And I had the feeling that we were in good hands, that we could trust these people and all we had to do was follow their advice.

AC hotel trip

And on to our next holiday.  The 2n hotel stay was courtesy of my brother who wanted some points to round off his hotel membership ranking.  With a king bed and a sofa bed, sleeping arrangements were a bit tight as hubby decided to come along at the last minute.  He tried to look for another room but apparently they were full.  Anyway, nice also to spend time together even though at closer quarters haha.

Day1:  Arrival and chilling.  Dinner at Hokkaido Seafood across the road.

Day2:  AC hotel is right by the Titiwangsa LRT station so off we went.

We are travellers!

*Thrilled

The LRT was still down between Bandaraya and Masjid Jamek stations so we had to hop onto the free bus.  Luckily a kind passenger guided us where to go.  

*Even more thrilled

The bus took us one station to Masjid Jamek where we continued onto the Pasar Seni station.

We are here!

Took the girls to Central Market since they'd never been here.  Hmm it's nice - airconditioned with shops selling interesting things - but prices are really at tourist levels.

 

Look only

We went to try out Mixue...

Take photo first

Then onto the Sin Sze Si Ya temple and museum which chronicles the temple's history.  We didn't find it that interesting.  Yap Ah Loy features in the story.

JE taking a break (not a dump)

Then we walked over to Petaling street.

Walk walk

Tried out Bubblebee cafe for 'waffles' (actually what I would call eggettes).  Not bad.

Waffles with banana and lots of stuff

Day 3:  The hotel had a buy1free1 promotion on buffet brunch.  Which we happily took advantage of.

Me at the buffet with the Moomins

We had a good time. Thanks bro!  I'm now thinking staycations are actually a very good idea. :)