Small Tip on Preventing A(H1N1) Flu!

The uprising of the A(H1N1) flu to become pandemic flu is indeed a worrying thing. The number of people affected is increasing exponentially with new cases detected every hour. On top of that, the virus is capable of local transmission is not going to do any good to curb this problem. Amidst the commotions, there are panicky people who makes the situation worst by spreading some untrue fact regarding the disease. I am going to straighten some facts here.

Eating raw or rare meat can spread the illness

I heard this statement over a well-known radio station. While it is true that the origin of H1N1 is from pork, but it is an influenza virus, which means it need to spread through airborne and nasal droplets. It is in no way at all a chunk of meat able to spread the disease. It needs the respiratory system to produce the aerosolized viral particle to spread.

Avoid crowded public place

This is a very important steps to curb the spread of disease. As you frequent the crowded place, the chances of getting the illness will be higher. But one place that people often forget is the Hospital itself. While it is true that when you are ill, you go to hospital, but a trend that I observed lately that the non urgent case also in the waiting room of my clinic. The hospital should be classified as the highest risk of all public place as the confirmed  case or suspected case of H1N1 case will go through our screening centre. Yet parents also bring the little ones with cases like scabies or impetigo at the depth of the night to seek for help, all this which can be done in the daylight in out-patient department. The worst case of all that I had seen was a man who is perfectly well, came to me 2 days ago, says that his subordinate had been in contact with a possible case of H1N1. Apparently the subordinate had attended a lecture given by an American. I asked whether the American had got any fever symptoms. He said no. So I discharged him within 30 seconds.

Wearing a Mask while You Travel

I saw a few photos cutout from local daily, saw a couple from Germany went down from Batu Caves with a mask on each. While the virus has escalade to Level 6 which is a pandemic, there are still people that ignores the WHO advice regarding travelling. All the mask do is to prevent you from spreading the illness from other people and a little bit of protection from the outside to inside. This is absurd. I have seen cases from Pulau Tioman, Caucasian on their way travelling in Malaysia, and bring along the disease. People, listen up! Stop unnecessary travelling and the disease will be better curbed.

The Homeless Nest

One fine evening, I took my camera out for a shooting. And I found this empty nest. I vaguely remember there were a robin with 2 chicks some 3 weeks ago. Guess they grown up already and left the nest for a better life.

Back to real life, my sister is leaving the hometown for good, for the future. What she left to is an empty nest. Grandpa used to be dependent of her. When she is gone, this old man will be lonely. Yet, true to the sayings, old man are stubborn. I just simply can’t  him to stay with us (me and mother) for he has things that he can’t leave behind. But most of all, he is afraid of change. Any trip to unfamiliar place will pose a treat to the stability.

Soon, there will be the ‘Empty Nest Syndrome”… 

Reflection: Surgery

It had been a tough 4 months in Surgical internship. I had made it! I had made it to the end. With all the bad remarks regarding the department staff, the rotation itself and all the no-nonsense attitude in the posting, I am surprised myself for being able to go through it.

First, the department head gave a lot of pressure to us. He is treating us all like an army recruit. “You may do this with written permission; You are not authorized to do that; You must submit your form by 0800 on every 2nd of the month and bla..bla..” Working hours was from 7 am till 8 pm. Gosh! I had so little time for myself, my girlfriend and my family. All devoted to the ward and the sick bay. His style can be described in one word…unpredictable.

Next, the ward staff are bunch of back-stabbing monster. They will do anything to sell you out for the sake of their own good in front of the Big Boss. I had it once. The Sister of the ward once file an invalid complaint against us, saying that the House officer were not doing their job for discharging patient. It never occur before because discharge is our level 1 priority when doing the ward work. I was in rage when the boss came to tell us that we need to have schedule for the HO to do discharge. All for the sake of Sisters…

Yet I find a lot of fun in doing surgical stuff. All those logics in managing patient, decision-making and the thrill of hands-on is so nice. I like the feeling of holding the scalpel, carving the lines, and remove, repair, and remodeling the disease parts. It feels so real, so myself.

Now, the time is gone… I am already into my next rotation. Emergency department. Now it is a better time for me.

A Selfless Act

This case happened during my on call...

It was midnight. Rainy nights. And he is just another typical boy. Young and bright boy, and just finished school, waiting to go to college. Let's just called him Ali. Ali was riding his bike down the street. He just finished work and was rushing to go home. The watch on his wrist shows 25 minutes past eleven. The street was quite deserted, only few cars cruising down the road. Like him, they are going home too.

Out of no where, this cyclist dart across the road. Spinal reflex kicks into his action. His right hand jam into the brake, and his left hand quickly steer to the left to avoid the imminent crash. Alas, the wet road does no help. In no time a all, his bike skidded and he was dragged along. It just won't stop. With a loud 'crack', he hit head on into the road divider. The last thing he ever saw is the flash of street lights. Then he went into unconscious state.

I attended him in casualty department. His Glassgow Coma Score was merely 6/15. CT scan done, There were extensive skull bone fracture with massive intracranial bleed. A ring to the neurosurgeon on call realized my worst fear, his condition is beyond the help of modern science.

This piece of news was broken to the Ali parents. Naturally, they were in the state of devastation. I wasn't expecting anything less than this. Having raised this child, seeing him rocking the cradle, to his first word to his first graduation, there is more than just memory. There were life, joy and there were pain. There is no grieve worst than a white-haired sending away the black-haired, as the chinese saying goes.

"I wish to give away the organs of my child to the needful person." The mother said to me.

"What?" I replied. This was not what I would expect in a typical parent in such situation.

"I don't want him to die like this. I want him to be remembered as someone brave. And I want his spirit to live on in people that need it the most." The mother added.

I was taken back of her decision. It seldom happen in this country, what more in this small hospital. Her generosity to donate organ is genuine and pure from the heart.

A couple of phone calls and paper work later, the organ harvest team arrived from Kuala Lumpur by plane with all sorts of equipments. Finally, he was lay to rest at 1 am the next day. Physically, he is no longer here but his spirits and organs lives on in the other people.

Bravo to such a selfless act. Only wish that there were more people that wiling to take such steps to help the people in need. Anyway, death is just a path that everyone has to walk down alone. Why we need to carry all the organs that will eventually rot or cremated along while it can help people like those haemodialysis dependent or external cardiac machine and give them another ray of hope? Time to think, people...