Tuesday, May 26, 2009

BP1 - 23 MEI 2009 : SABTU PAGI-TENGAHARI DI UMMC

We didn't talk much on way to UMMC. Too many scary thoughts running amok in the mind.

When we arrived at *TRAUMA , I went straight to register while Suami went to park the car. The nurse at 1st station took my BP. It was high, though I took my medication before we left.

Tapi sebenarnya TAK lah mengejutkan :)

(*I'm glad original name of DATARAN Trauma was changed to what it is now sahabat FND! My point: DATARAN will remind people of Dataran Merdeka, dataran this & that which are normally associated with lots of joyous occasions, eg perayaan Hari Merdeka, etc but certainly NOT trauma!)

Then, to 2nd station -- reconfirmation of addresses, etc. But couldn't find MYCARD!

I remembered the last time I took it out was when I used it to get the additional 10% discount at mega-sale BS yesterday morning (Friday) in Mega Mall that me & Amzar stumbled into.

We went to Mega Mall after rushing off ole-ole for Tual to Irfan's house in Taman Puncak Jalil. *We were rather late; sampai 10.30am & Pak Ripin was VERY ready to go with Idura & Qaisara at hand to send him off. Had to be at airport by 11 am!

(*Must diverse a bit about why we were late...

Of course the usual sesat jalan.. even though that was the 4th time I went there! The whole time, Amzar kept offering to drive since he passed his driving test the day before.
Back to why we were so late: getting ole-ole ready!

I gift-wrapped some special gifts & had Amzar helped me packed 20 basic sets for our relatives: 1 packet of chocolates+1 packet of rempah Adabi TomYam+1 packet of rempah Adabi Mee Bandung. Apa-apalah...

Before that, straight from sending Durrah to sekolah ugama I went to office although I was on leave...
Kononnya sekejap to pick up laptop & stuff, but of course I ended up leaving 'homework notes' for Amzari, Bibi, Joan, Md Noor, Mieza, Mui Koon, Soke Chee, Zulfa... even Heida, I think!

I must also mention the funny thing that happened on why my stuffs were left in the office overnight!
Normally, laptop will go back home... no matter what.
Late evening Thursday (ie the day before)... I made Bibi, Joan & Md Noor helped carry downstairs my laptop + homework bag for the long weekend (since I was going to take leave on Friday) & to wait for me in front of surau. This was while I got my car from my coordinator's special parking spot on Bukit Bioinformatik.
Guess what I did...?
I rushed off to Sekolah Kebangsaan Alam Shah because it was sending off day for headmistress, Puan Zam Zam. She was transferred in a sudden move to what in my mind was an acknowledgement of her capability!
Students-teachers were crying & I was caught up in the whole scenario, what with the song Ayat-Ayat Cinta (?) blaring on the background & the students were singing along.
Out of the blue, I thought of checking my phone, "How come so many missed calls?"
I called back the last no., which was from Joan.
She blurted, "Did you forget... da.. da.. da..?"
Aiyyaa... I felt so bad, because it was already so late... & they were dengan setianya menunggu in front of the surau... they had to catch their buses, some more!
So, told them to send everything up to the room!
Couldn't imagine having to join the traffic towards office... it was all the way in front of the school!
Of course, I could imagine them laughing their heads off & I didn't blame them :)
I would to if my 'supervisor ala-ala ber-Q' did the same thing.
I'm sure they couldn't wait till the next day to share the hilarious incident to the rest of the group. Even I couldn't help smiling!

More of this at this link
http://foolishreport.blogspot.com/2009/05/tale-of-forgetful-supervisor-and-her.html)

Well, back to UMMC's 2nd station at the emergency, luckily the guy readily accept my driving license. A fleeting thought, "Hidup ke lagi my driving license?" Hidup lagi rupanya.
Of course, found MY CARD after everything had settled.
Asked to go to the waiting area for consultation session. Was relieved to see that no one I knew was there.

I didn't think I wait long before my name was called out.
1st doctor, an elderly lady, did background history, manual checks, 3 vials of blood & all. Basically, she thought it was Bell's Palsy but she got the nerve wrong.
Slowly I said, "You mean 7th nerve, right?"
"Hmmm... Remember Prof TJ Voneida (http://www.brainviews.com/ciFiles/tedpic.jpg)," I told myself.
Prof. Voneida was the Head of Neurobiology Department, NEOUCOM where I did my PhD. He had this infamous multiple facial expressions video tape & lectures on cranial nerves (plus of course Bell's Palsy): Facial Cranial Nerve, 7th nerve... SEVENTH.. SMILE.. SAD, SOB-SOB, etc.. control of facial muscles, facial expression!
Anyway, told me that she couldn't rule out minor stroke due to medical history (BP since *early 2000) & family background (Tok Ayah, Tok Mak, siblings...).
She was optimist, though, because I was still moving around & alert! I wanted to tell her (but it was too great an effort to start explaining matters)... about how Tok Mak could move around even after her stroke that went unnoticed back in 2007, during the latter part of sabbatical!

(*A certain dear person was very sick & I was very disturbed with being constantly trying to figure out what the visitors were thinking as they came to visit her at the ICU.
Took extra Panadol that night but the headaches & stiff neck didn't go away. Remembered telling Suami, "Lain macam aja sakit kepala ni. Kena pi jumpa Dr Selva juga."
After jenazah was taken home (from the hospital) for burial.. that's when I started my medication for BP!)

OK.. OK.. back to the consultation room.
The doctor called someone to discuss my case & I overheard her saying that she suspected I wasn't managing my BP well & that I was probably 'a non-compliance case' so more tests should be given to really rule out minor stroke.
Had this urge to tell her, my compliance about other things might be bad but NOT about my BP. What happened to Tok Mak really shook me up about what could be lost without any warnings! Could have Kak Erah vouched for that :)

Anyway, I thought, "Why not? Let me have the tests. It's not everyday one could walk in to UMMC & get all these tests done within such a short span of time."
I also wanted to make sure that 'stroke' could really be ruled out.

Suami went back to pick up kids.

So, was put in ECG's test room & by 9.56am it was done. Rather quick, I thought.

Next was escorted by a nurse with an elderly lady to the other block to do chest x-ray. The machine in emergency wasn't working? Walked back with the elderly lady to consultation waiting area.
It was 10.23am & since I was told that it would be sometime before the films would be processed, sms Suami that I might as well go for breakfast at the concourse cafetaria.
I didn't feel like eating before we left from home.

Wasn't sure I could handle the usual nasi lemak, etc... so went to the shop on the concourse & bought Tuna sandwich, apple juice & STAR.
Of course, tak selera...

Checked my face at the mirror above the washing hand sink.
Adoi... this is for real, girl... the right upper & lower lips looked thin, the right eye looked big!

Went back to the waiting are but was told that I was to see another doctor. She would come down from the ward ASAP & I probably have to do CT scan.
It was 10.59am, sms Suami about it.
I thought to myself, "Wow... CT scan! This is really getting exciting."

While waiting, sms to Saadah: "FYI: something came up... I sendiri (i.e. not anything to do with Tok Mak). Have been in UMMC whole morning. X selesai lagi. So, there is a big possibility that I won't be going to kenduri. Kut betul X pi, will find ways to pass gifts." That started off a string of sms communications about what I was going through (without telling her the details) & her own health problem.
Dugaan... dugaan...

11.23am : Done with CT scan.
Was not so scary, except for kena tanggal tudung & cermin mata. Ke kalau pakai cermin mata lagi menakutkan sebab tak pakai... semua kabur, i.e. ignorance is bliss :) Barang kemas dah tanggal masa X-ray & I actually have taken off my chains at home...
Head placed in a 'head holder' & arms in a pair of arms holder, i.e. no movement could be made.
The scanning, itself, didn't take long.

By then, suami & kids were at DF having brunch. Kirim hot vanilla & Sultana danish.

Met them at the consultation waiting area.
The kids seemed to be unsure about whole situation. They were checking my face. Never could they imagine that something could possibly be really wrong with their Mama.
Durrah looked slightly worried.
Aiman looked like he felt sorry for me.
Amzar was in a denial sort of attitude, ie "everything's normal & under control". Even brought up other issues, e.g. charge for the vanilla was too much!

They were going to Bangsar, next, to buy stuff for Amzar to bring for his 1 week stay in UIA Section 17 campus & also to see Dr Selva about a thickened painful tissue in Aiman's earlobe.

Finally, got to see the 2nd doctor: a foreigner, young lady but I have faith in her the minute she started asking me questions.
I felt better, too, when another doctor interrupted the session to get HER opinion on his case!
YES, Alhamdulillah!

She did manual checks on me again... gait, etc.
She was talking to herself, too, vocalizing her notes on CNS. My kind of girl :)

She also called her superior to discuss my CT scan results, etc & the outcome was I've to check my ear by an E&T to rule out infection of kayap (herpes zoster virus?).

In between, received a call from Zai, who wanted to kirim $ for pengantin, since she was sure I would be going to kenduri at Putra Jaya.
Told her, "No, because something came up..." She suspected that it must be something important & asked whether it was Tok Mak related. I answered in the negative & told her I couldn't talk anymore.
She already has her own set of dugaan to deal with...

12:27 noon : sms Suami to buy artificial tear, eye pads & tape.

I was asked to make myself comfortable at Bed 8, Observation Ward & wait. Took time to enjoy my cold vanilla & Sultana danish. I was starving.

1:29 noon : A young soft spoken lady doctor checked me. Ear not infected with kayap... no vesicles!

99.9% = Bell's Palsy (ie X tahu apa sebab sebenarnya, but nerve inflammed).
Wrote me a prescription for antibiotic for the pain in the ear that I complained of earlier... just in case & an appointment to see ear specialist on Friday.

Backed with the other young lady doctor.
She discharged me. Wrote note for me to do facial re-training & physiotherapy on Monday morning.
Told her about the observation session I was scheduled to do at a private Higher Education Provider in SJ with MQA.
She said, "I think you should rest, unless of course you think that (session) is VERY important to you."
OK, girl, I got your point.

She gave me mc till Monday. Wrote another note to go to Neuromedical on Tuesday to really rule out the stroke. Also gave prescription of prednisolone (steroid) to reduce inflammation of nerve. Pharmacy at emergency only had prednisolone. Asked to take 6 pills of 5mg each daily after food.

While waiting for Suami, bought a bowl of mee hoon soup for myself & 5 pieces of chicken chops + 2 ikan keli masak lemak kuning cili padi (especially for the boys).

What a long traumatic morning!!
I was just doing whatever needed to be done.
Was relieved when I flopped myself into the car seat.
The antibiotic for the ear can wait...

Alhamdulillah, I could go home !!!

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AL-BAQARAH (2: PART OF 286)



لاَ يُكَلِّفُ اللّهُ نَفْسًا إِلاَّ وُسْعَهَا لَهَا مَا كَسَبَتْ وَعَلَيْهَا مَا اكْتَسَبَتْ

رَبَّنَا لاَ تُؤَاخِذْنَا إِن نَّسِينَا أَوْ أَخْطَأْنَا

رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْنَا إِصْرًا كَمَا حَمَلْتَهُ عَلَى الَّذِي مِن قَبْلِنَا

رَبَّنَا وَلاَ تُحَمِّلْنَا مَا لاَ طَاقَةَ لَنَا بِهِ

وَاعْفُ عَنَّا وَاغْفِرْ لَنَا وَارْحَمْنَآ


YUSUF ALI:
On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:)
"Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error;
Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us;
Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear.
Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness.

Have mercy on us."


Allah tidak membebani seseorang melainkan sesuai dengan kesanggupannya. Ia mendapat pahala (dari kebajikan) yang diusahakannya dan ia mendapat siksa (dari kejahatan) yang dikerjakannya. (Mereka berdo`a):

"Ya Tuhan kami, janganlah Engkau hukum kami jika kami lupa atau kami tersalah.

Ya Tuhan kami, janganlah Engkau bebankan kepada kami beban yang berat sebagaimana Engkau bebankan kepada orang-orang yang sebelum kami.

Ya Tuhan kami, janganlah Engkau pikulkan kepada kami apa yang tak sanggup kami memikulnya.

Beri maaflah kami; ampunilah kami; dan rahmatilah kami"

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