Down in JB

I was asked to participate in a patient support group event down in JB, a course I have always gladly support. I did a few sessions in the past, although they were mainly in KL. Puan Anita initially wanted to join me but his brother is due to return from Turkmenistan. We decided to ditch that plan. We were gearing up for the trip to Kuala Kangsar next weekend, but that will depend on whether my in-laws were coming or not. Rather difficult if they can’t make it with us.

Since I was traveling alone, I decided to drive down after lunch. I made a stop at Ayer Keroh for some ‘Root Beer floats’ at A&W, before kicking on. The weather was nice initially, but by the time I reached Simpang Renggam, it turned. It poured down and I had to take my time. I made it in the end and checked into the hotel just after 5.30. It looked like I have a session to attend after dinner. My colleague, Dr Bee, is from Muar. I gather that he was spending the day at his parents and will be driving down - will only take him less than a couple of hours mind you - after dinner.

Initially I was thinking of having a look at what the town have to offer, but don’t really fancy doing it alone. A quick check, and they might be showing the football in my room later. Something to look forward to …. Will blog later about the hotel. 

Pavilion Today

After work yesterday, with the planned weekend away to Johor Bharu, I needed to bank in some cheque and also pay my credit card bills. The most convenient UOB branch for me is the one in Bukit Bintang. Usually I do the banking thing during weekend, with a stroll around Low Yat and Sungai Wang, but since that was not an option, I went there after work instead, plus the boys and Puan Anita. We parked at Pavilion, and Puan Anita just hang around there rather than following me around across the road. I noticed then that the Christmas decor was already up at the shopping mall, giving me an early glimpse of what will be on offer there.

It looked like the theme this year will be snow by the fountain. They clearly cleared up the main entrance and the place was done up really nicely. There were fake snows and Xmas trees, both inside and outside the door. There was also a list of upcoming activities, coinciding with the shopping season and school holidays. I can imagine the place being packed to the seems come this weekend and the weekend leading up to Xmas.

I am sure when all the decor were up, it will be quite a spectacle. I can’t wait for the Curve and Mid Valley-Gardens to come up with their offerings. Looking forward to all that.

International Healthcare Exhibition

At the MaxFamily exhibition booth, toying around with the staffs. The gent doing the drawing is the very talented Fan.Last Sunday, upon return from Port Dickson, I decided to head out to PWTC as one of the patient support group which I participated opened a booth at the above events. I thought why not. As we only arrived in KL just after 4, I only arrived there after 5. As that was the final day of the exhibit, the vendors were doing their last minute calls and sales as well as some of them already gulung tikar - closing down. Little that I realised that the exhibition were mainly selling health supplements. It was a pleasant surprise as I was always curious as to what these vendors - or at least those who were left - have to say.

Climbing up to the exhibition hallMany choicesTrue to form, there were plenty of health product on offer, some of them misguided than others, such as cure for cancer, complete with patient testimonials. Apparently, the more expensive they were, the more potent they become Some of them were quite interesting, such as special cooking vessels which can reverse diabetes - with a testimonial from a patient who was partially blind due to effect of diabetes to the eye, and after using the product for 6 weeks, she was able to see without glasses. Ah! Bless!

Acupuncture anyone?Another company did a filter-cum-water container which can cure high blood pressure. The testimonials - which featured prominently when you enter these booth - claimed that after drinking water from this vessel, a particular old lady ravaged by stroke unable to move the right side of her body was able to walk after that. It was nothing to do with physiotherapy or control of her other health issues. There were no mention of that. But one thing was really clear. None of the product were claiming - at least in the open - that it can cure cancer. Thank goodness!

Moving on, a chat with a Chinese practitioner was enlightening. He suffers from prostate cancer - limited stage. He had to undergo surgery and radiotherapy, resulting in him being impotent. He had acupuncture and walla! I won’t describe what happen next. Suffice to say that his wife was happy. I also had a test on my foot arch. Failed, and an insole was suggested. I may take them on on that. There were also slimming products and health-related devices - machines for measuring blood pressure, blood sugar, as well as free health screening.

Offering my service at the DiGi counter as one of the DiGi yellow monsterThe healthcare exhibition was not the only exhibition at PWTC that day. Downstairs there was a Careers Fair, ironically while the convocation of The Open University being on in the next hall. I dropped by the careers fair and the gentleman at the door stopped me to ask if I have filled in a questionnaire mainly asking the kind of jobs I was looking for and my qualifications. He also politely asked if I had my CV along. I told him that I was interested in heading towards the DiGi booth to ask if there was an opening for a guy in bright yellow chubby suit. Apparently there was none! Darn!

On my way out, I stumbled across a list of all the graduates during the convocation. There were maybe 5 Indians and 3 Chinese names. The rest were all Malays and almost all were matured students. I spend the rest of the evening figuring out why that was so with Puan Anita? Was it a race thing?  

Discharged

Yes. Finally Dad was allowed to go home. And how desperate was he. I don't think he can take another day in the ward. Not that he was not happy with the treatment or anything, more about being relieved that all was over. Since the angiogram and stent insertion, he felt better and staying at the hospital was perceived as being a burden to us. We assured him that it wasn't at all.

He got the news pending a blood result in the afternoon. As soon as the result was out, he got ready almost straight away even though it took me some time to sort the prescriptions and the bills out. Even though he is a Government Pensioner, we still had to pay for the cost of equipment during the stenting. So there were bills to be settled.

I had to stay at the hospital after he left as I have a Society meeting to attend to after 5pm at UMMC. It was time to pack when I reached home. The troupe will be heading for PD on Saturday, staying the evening there. First out-of-town outing for the Estima. Looking forward to that.

Taxi Day

It has been one of those evening where I know I Should be doing some work, but can't be asked to start. I had to babysit the boys as Puan Anita was at the hospital visiting Dad. It looks like he will be a couple of days away still from discharge since his warfarin level - the INR - was still not high enough. I ended up downloading a couple of new games on the iPhone and played 'Fruit Ninja' with the boys. Great fun.

The day started out smoothly, taking the boys to school and having breakfast with Puan Anita at PappaRich. That was nice. We then went straight to the hospital to pick up mum-in-law who spent the night at the hospital. We went straight to pick up the boys from school on the way back.

After lunch, we went out for a stroll to The Curve as I wanted to buy a shredder. There were just simply too many loose papers on my study desk and some of them were confidential as it contains patient results and exam questions. Previously, I took them back to hospital to be dispose of, but a shredder can to the job just as well.

After that done, plus some tea at Marche, we headed home for a thunderstorm. Once, the lightning hit the room, triggering the circuit-breaker and short out alarm system out. It was still chirping away while I was writing this entry. Apparently, the technician will be dropping by first thing tomorrow morning to fix the problem. I will still be on leave tomorrow, but will have to was to the hospital first to visit Dad and second for a meeting late in the afternoon. We were planning to go to PD on Saturday for an event there, with the family tagging along, but at the rate Dad was going, we may have to modify the plan somewhat. Maybe I will have to ask Anita's big brother to help out.

So, here we go. The entry was complete, and it was time to write a couple of letters for work!