Hiccups attacks

At the moment of blogging, I'm having my 5th round of hiccups attacks. This is the story...

I had pain on my right foot while taking part in CICM Run in Bukit Jalil on Sunday. Went to see a GP to actually get a referral letter for me to see a specialist. But she said she couldn't simply refer me to specialist on my first visit. And based from what she explained about my conditions and her knowledge, I assume she could treat me well. I was suspected to suffer from Plantar Fasciitis.

After consultation, I was prescribed with a lotion, anti-inflammation pills to help reduce internal swelling, vitamin for nerve, painkiller and gastricitis pills. At first, I was confused why did she give me gastricitis pills only to know that the painkillers are very strong and just in case if they would give some problems to my stomach.

I took the pills normally but in the afternoon the next day (Monday, 29.11) I had severe hiccups attack on my way back from KLCC (for a meeting) to Bangi. The first attack lasted for about 3h 50m. Damn it was tough, and I sounded silly and funny. I haven't had hiccups for a very long time, I think even before Google came into the picture.

I drank lots of water, tried different types of remedies taken from the net but they were all just not working. Then, when it was time to take another round of medicines, I ate two curry puffs I bought earlier and as simple as that, the hiccups were gone. I continued to take the anti-inflammation pill as prescribed and not long after that, the 2nd attack of hiccups came again.

This time it was more serious, I felt burning pain inside my chest area up to the throat and it got worse for every hiccup. Called the clinic, consulted the doctor a bit before I was summoned to see the doctor. Driving to the clinic in Taipan (from Bangi) was one of the longest journey, with my chest felt burning sensation and 'tahan kencing lagi'.

Consulted the doctor and he said, I am sensitive to the two pills - Dexamethasone (the anti-inflammation) and the Voltaren (painkiller) and I was then described with another type of gastricitis medicine to cure my hiccups and the burning sensation. I was advised by the doctor to eat porridge and drink milk that night.

Went to the kopitiam next door, ordered chicken porridge for tapau. While waiting for the order, I took the gastricitis pill and not long after that, the hiccups went away. I was happy, went home, but while I was having my porridge, the third round of hiccups attack came attacking. Called the clinic again, they asked me to take the other type of gastricitis pills which I did and not long after that, the hiccups were gone, again.

I went out for an appointment with a friend and while having my roti banjir, another round of hiccups came attacking. Took another pill after reaching home, and as expected they were gone right after that and about an hour later until this moment of blogging, the 5th round of hiccups attack came, which I don't bother to take another pills, I would just let it go away naturally.

Managed to capture a video of myself with the hiccups on my way from KLCC to Bangi.

No. 1 Ducks rally to beat Arizona, win Pac-10

Now the Ducks can have their turkey. Oregon coach Chip Kelly said earlier this week the didn’t want his top-ranked team to partake in the traditional Thanksgiving meal because it might make them lethargic against No. 20 Arizona.


The Ducks were anything but sedentary on Friday night with a 48-29 victory over the Wildcats. Oregon earned at least a share of its second-straight Pac-10 title and stayed on course for a trip to the BCS national championship game.

Darron Thomas passed for 148 yards and three scores and ran for another, while running back LaMichael James ran for 126 yards and two scores for the Ducks (11-0, 8-0), who trailed 19-14 at halftime.

The Ducks have only won 11 games in a season once before, when Joey Harrington led them to the Fiesta Bowl in 2001. The Ducks can lock up an outright conference title and a spot in the national championship game in Glendale, Ariz., next week with a victory at Oregon State.

It was the third straight loss for Arizona (7-4, 4-4), which ultimately couldn’t keep up with the Ducks’ speedy spread-option.

With temperatures in the mid-40s and periodic rain showers, there were concerns that the Wildcats would have trouble with their passing game, which had been averaging about 300 yards a game. But Nick Foles passed for a career-high 448 yards and three touchdowns, including an 85-yard score to Juron Criner. It just wasn’t enough.

Thomas completed 14 of 24 passes for 148 yards and an interception. Oregon finished with 537 yards total offense. Arizona put up 506.

Oregon was playing catch-up the entire first half and trailed for just the second time this season at the break. But the Ducks bounced back early in the second half with Josh Huff’s 85-yard scoring run, the longest play from scrimmage for the Ducks this season. While the conversion failed, Oregon had a 20-19 lead.


Arizona hurt itself on Oregon’s next series, when they were called offside on Rob Beard’s missed 42-yard field goal attempt. That gave the Ducks a first down and Thomas followed with a 20-yard touchdown run to make it 27-19.

The Wildcats cut the lead on Alex Zendejas’ 41-yard field goal, but James ran for a pair of scores, one for 13 yards and another for a yard, to make it 48-22. James has 19 rushing touchdowns this season, surpassing LeGarrette Blount’s score record 17 set in 2008.

James came into the game as the nation’s rushing leader at 158 yards per game, but there were concerns about his health. After Oregon’s last game, a 15-13 win over California, the Heisman Trophy hopeful was on crutches with a leg injury. He was able to rest the injury over a bye week and practiced on a limited basis.

He quickly showed he was fine by busting for a 38-yard run on Oregon’s first series. With the run, the sophomore became just the second Ducks player in history to run for 3,000 career yards. James went down late in the first half after he was hit by Arizona safety Adam Hall. While he was helped off the field, he stayed on the sidelines until the break, then earned rousing applause when he returned from halftime hopping across the field with his helmet on.


Last season Arizona fans readied to rush the field but Oregon scored with 6 seconds left, sending the game into overtime. The Ducks went on to win it 44-41 in double OT, spoiling Arizona’s chance for its first Rose Bowl bid. Oregon went to Pasadena, Calif., instead, but this season that would be a consolation prize for the Ducks.

They have already beaten second-place Stanford, so even if they lose the Civil War game to Oregon State, and fall into a tie for first in the Pac-10, they’ll go to the Rose Bowl. Beat the Beavers and the Ducks will play for their first national championship.

No. 1 Oregon ekes out defensive struggle over California

Jeff Maehl caught a 29-yard pass for the Ducks' only offensive touchdown, and No. 1 Oregon caught a huge break on an illegal motion penalty against California's kicker during a 15-13 victory on Saturday night, keeping the Ducks on course for the BCS title game.


Cliff Harris returned a punt 64 yards for the only touchdown in the first half for the Ducks (10-0, 7-0 Pac-10), who undeniably wobbled on the road to a shot at the national championship. Oregon's offense managed a season-low 317 yards and went scoreless in two quarters -- yet the defense largely shut down Cal after its opening drive.


Those defensive players were just as surprised as everybody else in Strawberry Canyon when the normally purring Oregon offense sputtered and stalled. The Ducks had played just three scoreless quarters all season long until Cal shut them out in the first and fourth.

Oregon also got a bit of luck: Early in the fourth quarter, Cal kicker Giorgio Tavecchio erased his own 24-yard field goal, which would have put the Golden Bears ahead by one, by taking a stutter step forward before the snap. The junior then missed a 29-yard try on the next play. Oregon kicker Rob Beard also missed two field goals after going 8 for 8.

Darron Thomas passed for 155 yards and led a final drive that chewed up the last 9 1/2 minutes. It was a strange sight to see the high-speed Ducks down shift into super-slow motion, but it worked to perfection: Kenjon Barner and LaMichael James took turns with the ball while Thomas milked the play clock on an 18-play, 65-yard drive.


The Heisman hopeful James rushed for a season-low 91 yards, but Oregon's defense shut out Cal's offense for the final 55 minutes. James left Berkeley leaning on crutches with his left leg in a protective casing, but he played on Oregon's final drive, and the tailback insisted he was fine.


The Bears held the nation's most prolific scoring team almost 40 points below its average, but couldn't get the Ducks' offense off the field when they most needed a stop. Cal defensive tackle Derrick Hill forced a fumble and recovered it in the end zone for the Bears (5-5, 3-4), who lost at home for the first time all season -- but only after putting a mighty scare into their first top-ranked opponent in five years.

Just two hurdles remain between the Ducks and an unbeaten regular season: a visit from Arizona on Nov. 26, followed by the Civil War at Oregon State.

Mount Merapi's eruptions

Since its initial eruptions on October 25th, Indonesia's Mount Merapi continues to spew hot gases and ash as far as 5,000 meters into the atmosphere, wreaking havoc on surrounding villages and farms, and disrupting air travel - and more than 140 people have been killed by the eruptions over the past two weeks.

Hundreds of thousands of residents have been displaced, many of them living in temporary shelters until the Indonesian government reduces the existing 20 km "safe zone", and allows them and their livestock to return. Collected here are recent images from the area near the unpredictable Mount Merapi as it still rumbles and erupts.

I got admitted....

Baru dapat news ni pagi tadi. After a month and a half, I keep on checking on the status of my application, the good news came in this morning. Alhamdulillah, my application to do my Masters in UM has been approved! Lompat sentuh bintang!


I'm not sure how the loads going to be but definitely it will involve a serious time management. What with my full marathons quest next year, dengan nak beli basikal lagi, dengan nak amik swimming kelas lagi. Ni dah datang satu tanggungjawab lagi pulak. Hoepfully, I will survive the 8 semesters (maximum ni to complete the whole course).

There'll be a majlis to welcome postgraduate students on Monday, 27th December (kena amik cuti lagi...) and registration for M.Econs is on Friday, the same day I'm flying to Langkawi. Hmmm... tapi tadi dah called admission, diorang kata boleh je register hari Selasa tu. Ok lah, will squeeze in mana-mana yang tersqueezed.

Yang paling aku kamjat, the date of Borneo International Marathon falls during the final exam session. Mati lor... tengok lah macam mana nanti, but for now... aku happy!