Lotus - surviving life & remaining pure to urself

Saturday, October 30, 2004

Audit

Started audit today. For the first time I did full time shift (13 hours straight in Accident & Emergency and Trauma) of PRHO/medical SHO job at Newham University Hospital. Its bloody tiring, but I really enjoyed the day.

Patutla they say doctor really busy. Today is soooo sibuk, sepanjang 13 hours shift, we only had 30 minutes lunch break (BUT the bleep call tak stop - so the doctor I shadow munched lunch with phones on ear. I am fasting today.) and 20 minutes dinner (this is termasuk masa running to the canteen and eat. Bleep call again non-stop). We finish the shift 5 minutes before 10 pm. But betul la time sibuk mcm tu, mmg tak lalu nak makan. I seriously think I am going to lost weight bila start keja nanti. A worrying thought considering my already petite nature.

I truly enjoy the day on basis of:

- Now I really feel final year, and start gearing up for doctor job. All the stuff you learn over the past 4 years start to come together. I do know a lot of things and considering I did not do any reading (NIL, ZERO) since I am back from Malaysia; I feel I am doing ok. To other medics, don't worry. You will like that when you are in final year.
- I do care about patients.
- The PRHOs & SHOs kat Newham are really best. Work environment best (despite the geriatric smell, a patient try to cause chaos in the ward, smell of baby poos and a rather humid ward)

The things I have written in my previous post; I am really compassionate about it. That is my dream. Taknak la cakap tak serupa bikin. I hope I will be able to achieve at least one of those things I have written in this life time. Prolly start by sorting out my life first, kasi my parents senang, then collect enough wealth so that I can spread its joy to other people ( well, money and status talk kat Mesia, believe me) .



Thursday, October 28, 2004

More medical talk - please read

The news of retinal transplant is a success on human trial (Elisabeth Bryan, 64/F) brings a smile to my face. Another breakthrough in medicine. A cure to retinitis pigmentosa, macular degeneration, retinal dystrophy & (possibly) diabetic retinopathy. These are among the so-called incurable disease - ie nothing can stop you from progressingly losing sight. Many of these are genetic - sth you can't change. Retinitis pigmentosa, Stargardt dystrophy are among genetic disease that follow the hideous course like Huntington disease. You were born as a normal child, and later in your 30s & 40s, in the prime of your life, you start experience visual loss, reduced field of vision and later become progresively blind.

The unfavourable side of this news is the "cure" is obtained retinal cells from aborted foetus. You might have different view, either ethical, religious etc...but I personally support this... Having been in touch with disabled people, you have no idea how much this will mean for them and how it can improve their quality of life. Sight is a precious gift.

Anyway, my day today has been good.

I have renew my passport at Malaysian Embassy, and it should be ready to be collected next Wednesday. Gilo betul, I totally forgot my passport expired this December. I travelled back to London from Kuala Lumpur with only 2 months life on my passport. Totally forgot to renew it when I was in Malaysia. I only realised that masa kat keluar through KLIA immigration officer. Luckily my student visa still valid until next September.
Met a Chinese girl who is also renewing her passport; her name Tanny and she is from Reading. Bring her to Mawar to have lunch. She is sooo glad to have Malaysian food at last; she has not gone back to Malaysia for the past 2 years. We gonna keep in touch.

Am going to meet Keena & Whoda for bukak posa at Khan's this evening..

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

Life is actually good, ppl

Urgh...I have written an artice abt Brits drinking habit, and for some unknown reason it failed to be published and lost them all. Tensen2x.

How's life? Life has been quite a bore this weekdays. Should be doing Prescribing online course, but tgh malas. I did the first module and spotted the mistakes, so informed Dr A F. He appreciated that :> Nice to know he gonna be my consultant for Health Care of the Elderly in Newham hospital (according to Lynette) next year. Apparently his teaching is excellent.

I have been bloghopping. Its enlighting to read about other people life and most have a good life ie good career, health, academic excellence, wealth. I hope you all appreciate that. It also makes me wonder for those who doesn't have computer access, do other people know about their life?

I spend time in Malaysian hospital last September. It's eye opening. Life can be really difficult in Malaysia. Money, status (and health) talks. If you are not working because of illness etc, no one will take care of you. If your child is ill, you take time off, employer can easily fired you because of missed days. You end up jobless, (family arguments will follow soon) and your sick child needs care (not mention the possibility that he/she gonna die). Doesn't it sound like doomsday?

Now imagine you live somewhere in Kampung/felda/cities up north or in south. Suddenly your beloved child fall sick with leukaemia or other childhood cancer, and hospital with that kind of specialities is only in Kuala Lumpur. To make it worse, you have no cars. You only earn around RM 300-400 a month in Felda. But because of your love for your child, you go to hospital. You take the bus for a 3 hours journey every month. Most of the money your family earn goes into transport and there isn't much left for other needs.

I know these group of people because I am involved in their or his/her child care. I wish I could make a difference through:

(1) change the policy for employer for parents (for those in private sector particularly) with sick child. Protect parents right. (to all my well-off friends out there who own companies, please don't fire your employees if this happen to one of your workers. Have a heart)
(2)Persuade the hospital to arrange patients transport facilities for free. (am wondering if datuks/datins or rich people outthere are willing to do or start this kind of charities)
(3)Living allowance for these unfortunate people. Providing free treatment is not the only answer because what's going on beyond hospital is also important.
(4) I wish dialysis can be provided for free to kidney failure patients.
Dialysis is RM 60 per session (this is subsidized by charities eg: National Kidney Foundation) and RM 150 per session in private hospital. These patients need to do this 3 times a week. I will let you make the calculations how much it costs per year. Even my Brits colleagues went aghast when I mention the cost.
(5) I wish most ppl are willing to donate organs.
Those kidney patients CAN be CURED with kidney transplant. But because of how our Malaysian community behave (this is well written in an article by Malaysia Medical Association) - not willing to donate organs, kidney patients in MALAYSIA don't have this choice of cure. The one with money goes abroad for search of available donor for transplant.

So, to sum up, life is actually good to you people!





Saturday, October 23, 2004

Lost??

Been spending time with my good friend, Shima last nite. Marathon tgk the Orange county the whole day. The dude, B Mckenzie looked like Russell Crowe. I initially thought that he is R Crowe son. They behave sooo unlike 16 years old.

Nxt week is Prescribing week, which is literally meant I have one week off. Plan to go travelling to Edinburgh to see old KMYS friend before starting audit this Saturday.

Wish my old friends suma tinggal dekat2x ngan London; many have gone back for good, some still stay in UK to finish study. After spending 4 years abroad, now I feel I want to see familiar faces.

I missed travelling. Nantila, bila dah kerja nanti, can save enuff money, take one month hols, go travelling in Canada/Australia/South Africa/America/South America. I might as well finish touring Europe dulu kan. Then masa dlm my journey, I can try write a holiday romance story. Cheeky!

My hubby & I met when I holidaying in Switzerland. That time I wanted to escape a bitter stage of my life (I was confused & hurt, people were passing judgement about my new appearance, enuff said). I wanted to get away from London for awhile for my own sanity. The fact that my friend Mary was studying in Lugano at that time (Mary, where are you now? I have been searching for you for the past 3 years. All e-mail bounce back to me) provide a perfect excuse to come to Switzerland. I fly with Swiss Air, time tu mana ada Easyjet. Bersambung....

Wednesday, October 20, 2004

Time off today & audit

huhu...sejuknye today. hari ni ppl in my gp suma malas nak dtg Barking hospital for that INSTEP thingy. gonna buat presentation this Friday.

Tadi call my hubby, and dia baru balik dr HKL,my sister in law sakit - blood glucose too high. Been missing him like hell. To all the ppl who want to know how is our being, we are in the stage of sorting out our life now... I have been having a feeling of wanting to go back & settle kat mesia, all these after spending 2 1/2 mths in mesia. So much had happened during that time. Apologise to all frens kat mesia I tak contact. I have my reasons and hope you all understand....My dad is closer to than ever before after The Revelation (if i have guts, i will tell you all abt it) . I realise how much my dad loves me, and how much he needed me. Me, a daddy girl, dah kahwin lak tu.

Anyway, on the good side, i just got a call, telling me i have been accepted for doing audit at Newham Hospital. Yeay! Ptg ni ada training course 4-6pm. My term until end of this year tak demanding sgt, 2 SSMs. Nxt SSM this November is kat Newham, so convenient jugak for me. ...Am gonna do all rotation next year, work hard nxt year dear!






Monday, October 18, 2004

Back in one piece

Allo....am back in one piece to London on Sunday morning. Now dah final year & can't wait to finish med school. Dunno la, balik mesia for 2 months & 10 days hari tu make me reconsider what I really want in life... ....

Now baru lepas sahur. Since balik London ni, rajin pulak me bangun sahur. Actually am worried with my weight, kurus sgt. Its back to my college weight. Hari tu masa fourth year exam I lost dlm 1-2 kg I think..Many say its the hardest exam we ever had in med school. I guess the reason why it is difficult for me to gain weight is I always getting restless if I am not doing anything (the trait I inherit from my dad). Even at home resting, I will kemas kabinet, wash the dishes etc.. Need to learn to take things easy.

Mental block. Will write later.

I think I will let ppl know about my blog.