Health

I am falling apart! :p

Just one week before the European Kuk Sool Won Championship, I managed to really hurt my right foot. Gemma and I were doing some 'light' sparring... she's vicious! She blocked one of my slow light kicks with a swift elbow to the side of my foot. It swelled up, went very purple and was incredibly painful whenever I put any weight on it.

I struggled through the Master's seminar that week and also the actual tournament itself. It has been over a month now and it still hurts from time to time.

...

On the morning of our Yellow Belt grading and our first Kuk Sool Demonstration, I woke up with a strange after image in my right eye and an area of blurred vision just below my focal point. It worried me as it had been only just over a month since I had had laser eye surgery.

After the grading and the demo, we headed straight over to the opticians to get it checked out. They said they couldn't see anything and to use a few drops and let them know how it was in a week. On the Monday, they called me to check how it was, but there had been no change whatsoever. I had to quickly book off the afternoon and head over there for another look.

After three hours or so of various checks and tests they told me that a vein in my retina had haemorrhaged. Nothing to worry about, but they wanted me to head over to Harley Street in London to get it checked out asap. Nothing to worry about? But head over to our head clinic? Holy contradictions, Batman!

We managed to get the Wednesday off work and travelled over. The surgeon was great and reassured me that it should heal by itself in time. I wouldn't need any surgery, but I would have to take it easy. They were more concerned with what had caused it as the likely candidates were high blood pressure or even diabetes. The laser surgery was ruled out as a possibility as that deals only with the front of the eye. My problem was at the back.

With the threat of possible surgery lifted from my mind, we enjoyed the rest of our day in London, visiting Hamley's and Madame Tussauds. The next morning I had a doctor's appointment where my blood pressure was cleared and blood tests were arranged.

I was cleared of diabetes and some of the other possible causes they checked for, so I don't have an answer for what caused the haemorrhage. It just popped. I guess it's just 'one of those things'.

...

I did, however, discover that I have high cholesterol. Unusual for my age and given my new healthy fit lifestyle, it's probably unrelated to what I eat and how much exercise I take. It is most likely hereditary as my Dad and my Granddad both have it. I have an appointment this Thursday to have a chat about it and see what medication I will have to try.




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