A Sad Chinese New Year Story

Usually when the parent getting old, their children will take the responsible to look after of them. Well, this story is a bit different. Another patient belong to my team, a 27 years ole, Chinese gentleman, had neurofibromatosis involving multiple level of spinal cord with expected complications following surgery. Practically said, he had growth in the spinal cord compressing the spinal nerve which causing him not able to move all his 4 limbs. He spent his last 7 years of life lying on the bed all the time. He was admitted recently because of aspiration pneumonia. Another expected complication for those who are bed bound.

His father passed away long time ago. He was managed alone by his 60 years old mother who help him to eat, bath, doing number 1 and 2. Wait, that not all. His mother is also working as part time maid. What a hard life she had. I must respect her. She is such a very strong lady.

My team and I was managing him. He came in a quite bad condition. He had a very bad lung infection and initially we thought he might not make it. Having said that, we still try our best and explained to her mother that all the possibilities and she might need to prepare for the worse. She cried initially but after that she take it quit well. She know what she had to do is to pray hard. During the stay, she will come in the morning, then went to work and come back to look after her son after that. I'm not sure weather she had time to rest or not. At her age, I thinks what she supposed to do is to play with her grandchildren and should be well taken care by her children.

His son surprised us by showed some improvement day by day. Then, Chinese New Year came. Well it quit impossible to discharge her son at that time, so she spent her eve night with her son in the hospital. But her son is on the way of recovery. We are in the right track and we are very positive about her son this time.

Another surprise happened, after Chinese New Year, this patient bed was occupied by another new patient. The patient passed away peacefully on the night before, unexpectedly. Her mother took it quit well. She was there when her son catch few last breath. I just can't imagine that moment. I felt very sorry for her. Deep in my heart I know how much she love him and how sad she is when she lost her son. Maybe it's the best for both of them. Only God know the best....

Saigon: Part 3

I keep reminding myself to appreciate more on what I already had in my life especially after I came back from Saigon. I really did enjoy my visit but i must say life is not easy there. Saigon or Ho Chin Minh City is a famous and large city inhabitants by 9 million populations (expected population of 20 million by 2020).


What make HCMC unique, most of the people has a small body habitus and the buildings are really "thin" so that they can maximized all the space that they have. There were millions of motorbike wheeling on the road. Motorbike is the main transportation and you must have your own motorbike before you can tackle a girl he.. he..(my tourist guide told me this) and crossing road it not a simple task because of massive motorbike moving around you.


Million of bikers on the road

They work hard for living and they work with passion. I really admire them for that as compared to some of us that always take easy on our daily work. They motivate me acquired their work culprit. There nothing wrong to be good with your work field right?

The real history of World Wide WEB (Saigon:Part 2)

I totally have no idea how the communication engineer or electric engineer going to handle a case of communication or electric disruption. All those wire is like forming a spider web (or electronic web he...he...)



But I guess this lady might know the solution since she witnessed how they built it he.. he..
(She still walk with her back straight and look healthy despite her old age, I'm impressed )

One Morning in Saigon (Saigon: Part 1)

A morning street's view in Saigon was rather different from Malaysia. It's full of color and characters.


An apple a day keep a doctor away!


Meatball noodle, anyone? I think she must be the expert.


This very smart and handsome is on his way to meet his lover he.. he.. (but his lover is still selling meatball noodle he... he...)


This Vietnamese lady had the same breakfast at the same spot for 2 consecutive days (maybe she have it everyday he... he..)


Breakfast with Internet?


I don't think I can lift up that thing and walk along the road for the whole day. She must be a Superwoman! he..he..


OK my ride has arrived. I'm ready for another mission. Let's start the engine. Have a productive day everybody : )

From KL to S*igon (with luv ?)

Nothing is comparable than having a cup of perfect well roasted coffee at Coffee Bean for beginning of your day. (yes i'm a coffee addict he.. he...) It 6.20am Malaysian time at Malaysia's airport while waiting for my flight for another mission and doing instant blooging he..he... But that not what i want to talk about (for now he.. he...)

I was on call yesterday i must admit it was quite a busy one. I only manage to rest for only few hours on spent the whole night treating patient. There is a patient who was admitted electively for coronary angiogram to see any coronary arteris blockade. But he only came to the ward in the middle or the night eventhough he had the whole day to come earlier. Maybe he had good reason though. After examining and explaining the whole procedure to him than suddenly my staff nurse call me for help. I'm quite surprised because as I know the rest of the patient was very stable and i did not anticipate any problem.

I attended my nurse, this patient's wife was found uncounsious for unknown duration. There was a little bit of frothy saliva at her mouth. An instant glucometer showed her sugar level was only 1.4 mmol which is extremely low. The treatment for her would be intravenous glucose as she can take it orally (because she is unconscious and she might be aspirated). I set up intravenous access and giving her concentrated glucose solution through the intravenous access.

As expected, she regain her consciousness immidiately after that. Later on, after she opening her eyes she told me that she was injecting herself with insulin (for her type 1 diabetes) but did not take any meal after that. She was a bit concern about her husband and forgetten to take dinner. So instead treated her husband I also treating her that night. The moral of story do not ignore your own health because you are too busy looking after others but I think her husband was very lucky to have her beside during hard time : )

Size does matter

After passing certain age, most of us found that weighing machine our biggest enemy. The reason why is because your Basal Metabolic Rate is automatically slowing down. Some of us really concern about weight (because of cosmetic and health reason) but some of us just don't. Ignorance is not a bliss. By the time they realize, it already to late, damage is already been done. As a reminder, overweight is associated with long list of diseases, namely diabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis and of course heart attack.

Even Oprah had problem with her weight. I watch her show her show last Tuesday and she said, weight problem is not just about diet and exercise problem but it is about love problem. It about how much you care and you love yourself, which i totally have to agree with her.

I also had experience with weight problem few years ago. I believe that everybody agree that losing it and maintaining it is really requiring continuous hard work. Crash diet is not the answer as you will quickly gain back your weight immediately when you start eating back. A friend of my, who will getting married in August this years is trying seriously to lose wight before his big day. His weight is also like Oprah's weight. He has been fat and thin few times, depending on his stress level he.. he...

I would like to share few tips here.

1. Firstly what you need is determination!

2. Avoid flavoured/coloured drinks esp canned drink (as all of this drinks contain very high sugar). Plain water is healthy!

3. Do not eat very late, Oprah's kitchen close at 6 pm. How about yours? (When you eat late, your food is only partially digested at the time you go to sleep and turn to FAT deposit). Supper is a big NO.

4. Do not skip breakfast (because you will binging at lunch)

5. Divide your plate into five portion. Only fill 1/5 of it with rice i.e carbohydrate. Replace other portion with vegetables and protein. With same amount of food, you wont feel hungry.

6. Do snacking while watching TV or movie because you don't know when to stop

7. Careful with cake and dessert, share it with other please... Let them be fat too hah.. hah... Dessert = sweet = high sugar = FAT. Few spoons wont be harmful but 1 plate is just bit too much.

8. Buffet and fast food is BAD

9. Do not strict with your diet. Reward yourself with one day in a week that your can eat without feeling guilty he.. he..

10. Last but not least, exercise is equally important with diet. Exercise more if you eat more. Try to find the balance. Do not over doing or under doing it. Remember exercise is good for your heart as you can release stress by exercise. Bad heart = bad life

Less than perfect

I was blog hopping 2 days ago and I read one entry that this blogger new year resolution is to be perfect lover... Wait, one second....A perfect lover? Err I totally did not agree with her. How can you be perfect in your relationship and be right all the time?

As always said, a perfect couple complete each others. If you are perfect, there no way that your couple can complete yourlife. Just imagine, if you had a perfect man or woman as your partner, won't she or he make you feels inferior and insecure? It would be very lovely if you have somebody who love you for your imperfectness... (sounds like....true love...)

I believe that, what make people become a good friend or couple is not because how much they look alike each other but how well you can accept your partner's weakness, is more important. For this year resolution, I hope to maintain and appreciate more on what I already had and try to strikes more this year. Lets make our new year resolution comes true! : ) Time will not wait for you.