PEPTIC ULCER

It was a long long week for me this week. I was in so much stress that my body and brain refused to do anything I was supposed to do. I just couldn't be bothered with what was happening around me and my room was a big mess. Nowadays every time I get down from the bus from Muar I came back to my room to shower and I left it just how it was in the morning and went out till 10 and got back to knock myself out till the next morning. That was what happened the whole week and nothing else.

I had my surgery end of posting examination on Monday. It was a terrible one for me because I had a case which I had never seen and discussed before. I had a case of Hemorrhoid or also known as Piles. In Malay it is called Buasir.

But I don't feel like talking about Hemorrhoid today. I'm thinking of writing about Peptic Ulcer. Patients always term this illness as 'gastric'. I'm sure you have probably had one yourself or someone else you know have one.

This is actually an ulceration of the food tract, that is the stomach and small intestine. This condition is quite commonly seen among Malaysian. Usually when asked, the patients will tell us that they love consuming carbonated drinks especially Coke. And they love spicy food and also they love asam ( a kind of preserved snack ) which I love too :(

As to why the ulceration happens, there's a lot of theories and reasons why. A major causative agent is microorganism called H Pylori. This bad microorganism have the ability to make our stomach release excessive gastric acid. Normally we all do secrete gastric acid to digest food but in excessive amount, the acid can erode the food tract and then cause pain to the patients.

Patient always complaint of pain in the area close to the centre of rib cage. The pain may be of gripping or burning in nature. And is usually associated to food. Some may vomit after taking food due to this pain but some may experiance the pain when he or she is hungry. This depends on the site on which the ulcer develop because our stomach and small intestine is about 41 feet! Some worse or acute condition, patient may have vomiting of blood or they tell the doctor that they are passing tarry black,sticky stool (feces).

Gastritis is usually well treated with medicine and if the patient can try to reduce or stop their habit of drinking carbonated drinks,spicy food and asam.
In some patients, Gastric Cancer can occur too. Because due to the acid irritation, the lining cells transform themselves into canceros cells. This is what worries all. So do try your level best to stop your carbonated drinks and etc.

I had a 40years old patient last week who was diagnosed to have gastric cancer. He came with a hard lump in his abdomen which was painless. He had gastric ulcer when he was younger. He was offered to get the lump removed by surgery 3 months ago but he refused it and seeked treatment from a local bomoh. And when he came back last week to the hospital his cancer growth has spread to his liver. He died a few days after that. It was really sad to have lost a young patient of that age and it was very sad too that he was not being followed up even though he had refused his treatment.

So I do beg you to please be more alert of whats happening in your body. The problem with patients are that they only come when they cannot tolerate pain. And cancer growth is painless.
Maybe on my next blog i'll talk about cancer. Since it is just too commonly seen and misunderstood by most people.

Oh and yes, today I bought 5 guppies and put them in a lovely long vase. I'm admiring their beautiful colours and how they keep swimming. I wanted to take their pictures but they just can't stop swimming! But they are gorgeous :)