How much do you make?

Somebody asked: "You're a Doctor? How much do you make?" I replied: "HOW MUCH DO I MAKE?" ... I can make holding your hand seem like the most important thing in the world when you're scared... I can make your child breathe when they stop... I can help your father survive a heart attack... I can make myself get up at 4AM to make sure your mother has the medicine she needs to live...and I will work straight through until 4am to keep her alive and start the day all over again! I work all day to save the lives of strangers... I will drop everything and run a code blue for hours trying to keep you alive!!! I make my family wait for dinner until I know your family member is taken care of... I make myself skip lunch so that I can make sure that everything I did for your wife today was correct... I work weekends and holidays and all through the night because people don't just get sick Monday though Saturday and during normal working hours. Today, I might save your life. How much do I make? All I know is, I make a difference.

Surgeon's instinct

Really can’t remember and recall back when was the last time I sitting in front of my laptop and write blogs to be updated. Sharing my life with others through this medium requires certain writing and communication skills. I find communication through writing and talking is totally two different things. My elder brother, Jun Shen once told me that I need to brush up my skill in SMS. His advice, I should SMS more frequent with the others to master the Art Of SMS, especially girls. It may sounds so weird, but it is so true. Expressing through words without face expression, body language, intonation and so on requires a certain level of Art to express well and clear.

As a future doctor, communication skill is very vital for me. Communication among medical personals, between doctors and patients, between doctors and patient’s relatives and other relationship which may appears in the working environment. False communication between nurses and doctors can reduce the efficiency of the treatment prescribed and in the worst case, death. I am still in the process of learning to explore and master this skill.

As a first year medical student in Volgograd, we were arranged to have practical classes in the Regional Hospital for the duration of 1 month. 2 cycles that we have to complete, 1^st cycle in the Therapy department and the 2^nd cycle in the Surgical department.

I had just completed my 1^st cycle in Therapy department last week. We learnt and gained a lot from our lecturers who are working at the department at the same time. My group 31, the so called “Hardcore group of the batch” was always lucky to get the best lecturer. Best lecturer produces best students with the best way. Our class duration, modules, assignments are always the best and top of the list in terms of amount. Honestly, I am glad that we always have such luck with us.

We learn through observations most of the time, because sometimes it appears communication barrier. Learning the Russian system here and have to catch up with the Malaysian system is sometimes tiring. Can you imagine when you found out that what you learnt and trained for so long actually not applicable? I never and shouldn’t stop catching up with the current Malaysian system. Thanks to Venus, student nurse in Assunta Hospital. Learning through skype is fun!

Currently in the surgical department is the most trilling and exciting one. Surgery is what most of the doctors dream of, although not all the time. I always dream of standing in an Operation Room with only the most brilliant people in it to save lives. Got influenced by watching Grey’s Anatomy from season 1 till 7.

Finally I stepped into my dream for the very first time. I watched a Femoral Artery Bypass Grafting (FABG) surgery for nearly 2 hours. 3 surgeons working on the patient had blocked the view as the incision area is not very huge. Barely see and understand anything but the feeling was so great. The feeling of being God’s mechanics. Tired of standing on my toes throughout the surgery.

I got to watch Angioplasty’s surgery too. Surgery to dilate the narrowing of blood vessels using a stent with balloon, only a small incision is made on the forearm region to minimize recovery period and followed by the insertion of the stent with balloon into the vessels, then access it to the narrowing area. This surgery is very common too back in Malaysia for heart patients.

In books, we learnt that the puncture of artery, vein and capillary can be differentiated by the blood spill. This is because of the pressure presented in artery is the highest, followed by vein, then capillary. According to book, puncture of artery is described as “fountain”. That day, I saw 5 fountains in the operation room of angioplasty. 

What I got to say is that, surgery is lots and way more interesting compared to therapy. But not everyone can become a great surgeon. Qualities and credibility of a surgeon is sky high. I don’t know and still have no decision yet to become a surgeon one day. But what is for sure is that, blood is not an obstacle for me.

I miss home so much! Can’t stop thinking of my summer holidays. I want to go back home, I want to look at 

my new house, I want to sleep on my new bed in my new room, I want to have Malaysian food till I drop from Penang to Ipoh, I want to go anywhere I want to go, I want to have outermost freedom at home. 

“Spending time apart from someone shows you how much you really need them in your life.”

Future surgeons

What says the Maths?

Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 1Hb, 10Hb, 19Hb, 28Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.1
Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 2Hb, 11Hb, 20Hb, 29Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.2
Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 3Hb, 12Hb, 21Hb, 30Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.3
Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 4Hb, 13Hb, 22Hb, 31Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.4
Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 5Hb, 14Hb, 23Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.5
Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 6Hb, 15Hb, 24Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.6
Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 7Hb, 16Hb, 25Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.7
Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 8Hb, 17Hb, 26Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.8
Kalau anda dilahirkan pada 9Hb, 18Hb, 27Hb dalam mana-mana bulan, anda adalah no.9

no.1
—-
Anda sangat cerdik, jujur, lucu, degil, rajin, terus-terang, cemburu dalam asas pertandingan, baik hati, peramah dan autoriti. Anda ingin mendahului dalam apa jua keadaan. Anda seorang yang berdikari, berkeyakinan dan tidak pernah berada di bawah pimpinan orang lain. Anda akan bercinta dalam usia yang muda tapi akan berkahwin pada usia yang matang. Anda tidak suka akan orang yang bertentangan pendapat dengan anda. Malah anda juga menyimpan dendam dengan orang yang bersalah dengan anda. Anda seorang yang kuat belanja. Pada masa hadapan anda adalah professional dalam kerjaya yang anda ceburi. Namun terdapat juga orang yang kecil hati dengan pencapaian anda. Anda mempunyai keluarga yang bahagia. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no.4, 6, 8.

no.2
—-
Tak kira apa pun, anda akan disukai oleh semua orang kerana anda berperanankan Bulan dan semua orang suka akan bulan. Em…bagus! Anda suka bermimpi siang. Anda kurang berkeyakinan terhadap diri sendiri. Jadi and perlu membuat perubahan ke atas hidup anda. Anda adalah seorang yang sukar diramal kerana anda membuat perubahan berdasarkan masa dan keadaan. Anda juga seorang yang mementingkan diri sendiri tetapi and mempunyai bakat dalam muzikal, seni dan komunikasi lisan. Sikap anda seperti bulan yang datang keredupan dan pudar jadi semua orang boleh mengetahui perubahan anda. Anda boleh menjadi Mahatma Gandhi yang kedua kerana cinta akan keamanan. Anda juga seorang yang bertanggungjawab dalam keluarga. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no.2, 5, 9.

no.3
—-
Anda adalah seorang yang berhati keras, pentingkan diri sendiri, kuat agama dan suka untuk mempertingkatkan kehidupan sendiri. Anda mempunyai masalah keluarga dan anda dapat mengharungi dengan kesabaran anda. Anda sangat pandai bercakap, wajah yang cantik, jadi ke mana saja anda pergi anda akan dapat apa yang anda inginkan. Daripada hari lahir anda, anda perlu berkerja keras untuk berjaya. Anda juga seorang yang menghormati orang yang lebih tua daripada anda. Bukannya senang nak menjalinkan hubungan sama ada percintaan, kekeluargaan atau persahabatan. Sekiranya anda suka akan sikap seseorang itu, maka hubungan itu akan berpanjangan. Anda suka akan kebebasan, pencipta di mana ada anda akan membawa harapan, kegembiraan dan keceriaan ke dunia ini. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no.6, 9.

no.4
—-
Anda adalah seorang yang amat degil dan rajin. Mungkin anda akan menjauhkan orang lain daripada anda kerana kata-kata anda. Anda seorang yang bertimbang rasa akan masalah orang lain. Anda berbakat dalam penyelidikan dan seni. Anda akan membantu ahli keluarga atau kawan-kawan yang menghadapi masalah tanpa berfikir panjang. Anda kena berhati-hati dengan orang sekeliling anda kerana mereka mungkin akan mempergunakan anda. Kawan-kawan anda akan menghabiskan masa dan wang ringgit anda dan selepas itu menjauhi daripada anda apabila anda dah tak ada nilai buat mereka lagi. Walau bagaimanapun anda tetap seorang yang sabar dan tegas. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no.1, 8.

no.5
—-
Anda sangat popular dalam komuniti. Anda boleh menyelesaikan sesuatu perkara hanya secara lisan. Anda mempunyai akal fikiran dalam menjalani perniagaan. Namun anda terlalu terburu-buru. Anda adalah seorang yang humor di kalangan kawan-kawan dan ahli keluarga. Kawan-kawan dan ahli keluarga anda juga akan minta bantuan anda apabila mereka memerlukan bantuan. Anda bukan seorang yang setia dalam hubungan percintaan. Anda suka perubahan dan kebebasan. Anda mempunyai ciri-ciri seorang pengembara dan ahli silap mata. Anda mempelajari hidup melalui pengalaman. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no.1 , 2, 9.

no.6
—-
Anda dilahirkan untuk menikmati hidup ini. Anda tidak pedulikan apa-apa perkara dan hanya ingin berseronok dalam hidup anda saja. Anda sangat pandai dalam pelajaran dan pengurusan perniagaan. Anda seorang genius, baik hati (tapi hanya orang yang beranggapan anda orang baik), mempunyai paras rupa yang cantik atau kacak. Semua benda yang baik akan datang pada anda. Anda mengambil berat ke atas ahli keluarga dan kawan-kawan anda. Pada pandangan mereka, anda adalah seorang yang murah hati, peramah, adil saksama dan mempunyai penilaian yang tajam. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no.1, 3, 9.

no.7
—-
Anda mempunyai daya tarikan kepada sesiapa saja. Anda adalah seorang yang realistik, yakin, gembira dan merupakan seorang yang genius dalam bidang pendidikan, muzik, seni dan nyanyian. Anda mempunyai masalah sikap iaitu panas baran. Namun demikian, anda banyak melakukan pengorbanan untuk keluarga. Anda meletakkan keluarga di tempat yang amat tinggi sekali sehingga kadang-kadang mengabaikan kebahagian diri sendiri. Anda telah dilahirkan untuk memberi sumbangan kepada dunia ini. Jadi anda seorang yang bagus dan seorang yang amat gembira. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no.2.

no.8
—-
Anda mempunyai personaliti yang sangat kuat jadi tak ada orang yang memahami anda. Kepakaran anda hanyalah menuding jari pada sesuatu benda. Anda juga mengalami pelbagai dugaan dalam hidup. Semua masalah ini telah menjadikan anda lebih kuat dan tabah. Anda memperjuangkan keadilan. Kebanyakan masa anda telah dihabiskan bersama-sama dengan kawan-kawan. Anda seorang yang disiplin dalam hidup, tidak putus asa dan berani. Faktor-faktor ini telah membawa anda ke puncak kejayaan. Anda juga adalah seorang ahli pasukan, keluarga dan pejuang yang sangat bagus. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no.1, 4.

no.9
—-
Anda adalah seorang yang sangat tabah dari segi fizikal dan juga mental. Anda mempunyai penilaian yang sangat tajam. Anda juga adalah seorang yang sangat dihormati dalam komuniti. Anda adalah orang yang boleh menerima cabaran dan berjaya dalam apa jua yang anda buat. Pada usia yang muda anda selalu bertentangan dengan ibu bapa anda. Tapi apabila usia anda telah semakin meningkat anda adalah seorang anak yang taat dan hormati mereka. Anda sesuai menceburi bigan kejuruteraan atau perbankan kerana orang lain percaya dan yakin akan anda. Anda merupakan model teladan kepada orang lain. Pasangan ideal anda adalah no. 3, 5, 6

11-11-11

I woke up extremely early this morning. Set 3 alarms with interval of 10 minutes each, to prevent myself from reentering my sweet fantasy world. First thing when I woke up was enter the kitchen and start busy preparing my lunch. Once my lunch was done and packed, a warm bath was taken.

It was snowing outside. 7am sharp I start my attempt to make today a day to remember during my stay in this city of Volgograd. I start walking in the snow to Morphacorpus. This building is where classes for Anatomy, Surgical Anatomy, Biology, Microbiology and so on are conducted. There is a museum in this building where students can get every single bone in our body for references and self revisions. I studied in this museum once, all alone by myself surrounded with all the parts of the human body. It sounds scary right? But the feeling was great. Most of the samples were made by students themselves. It sounds interesting right?

Walking in the dark with snow was a real experience. With the Jaguar leather shoes from my dad, I walk through the street with no fear. The right hand of mine was holding my lunch ration. Throughout the journey, I enjoy drinking the black tea I prepared in the mini bottle from my mum. Tea is a must for the local Russian in the morning. They can’t live without it. Just like Malaysian Teh Tarik?

Heat produced by my body trapped in my newly bought Adidas Supernova CLIMAPROOF. Sweating during this kind of weather is really good. Warm.

After 40 minutes of walking on the slippery and muddy road, finally I reached my destination. Kept my jacket, changed my second shoes and followed by Anatomy mass lecture. The lecture was very well conducted and the pen in my hand was having a marathon on the papers. It was like almost impossible for you to jot everything down. It was extremely fast.

I didn’t attend the Physical Training as I had a little sprain on my ankle again. Played volleyball with the Russian yesterday and it was indeed an experience to be remembered. I didn’t inform my parents on this but I know they will be reading my blog and find out about it. “Better late than never”

Spent my time in the library studying First Aid because my lecturer on this critical subject is just a junk. I don’t meant to be rude but the reality speaks. We had grown up and it’s good to be independent sometimes. I had 3 high productivity hours today.  

Five dollars for a Five years old

A woman came home from work late, tired and irritated, to find her 5-year old son waiting for her at the door.

SON: 'Mummy, may I ask you a question?'
MUM: 'Yeah sure, what it is?' replied the woman.
SON: 'Mummy, how much do you make an hour?'
MUM: 'That's none of your business. Why do you ask such a thing?' the woman said angrily.
SON: 'I just want to know. Please tell me, how much do you make an hour?'
MUM: 'If you must know, I make $20 an hour.'
SON: 'Oh,' the little boy replied, with his head down.
SON: "Mummy, may I please borrow $5?"

The mother was furious, 'If the only reason you asked that is so you can borrow some money to buy a silly toy or some other nonsense, then you march yourself straight to your room and go to bed. Think about why you are being so selfish. I don't work hard everyday for such childish frivolities.'

The little boy quietly went to his room and shut the door...


The woman sat down and started to get even angrier about the little boy's questions. How dare he ask such questions only to get some money?


After about an hour or so, the woman had calmed down, and started to think:

Maybe there was something he really needed to buy with that $5 and he really didn't ask for money very often.The woman went to the door of the little boy's room and opened the door.

'
Are you asleep, son?' She asked.


'No Mummy, I'm awake,' replied the boy.

'
I've been thinking, maybe I was too hard on you earlier' said the woman. 'It's been a long day and I took out my aggravation on you. Here's the $5 you asked for.'

The little boy sat straight up, smiling. 'Oh, thank you Mummy!' he yelled. Then, reaching under his pillow he pulled out some crumpled up bills.


The woman saw that the boy already had money, started to get angry again.

The little boy slowly counted out his money, and then looked up at his mother.

'Why do you want more money if you already have some?' the mother grumbled.

'Because I didn't have enough, but now I do,' the little boy replied.


'Mummy, I have $20 now. Can I buy an hour of your time? Please come home early tomorrow. I would like to have dinner with you.'


The mother was crushed. She put her arms around her little son, and she begged for his forgiveness.


It's just a short reminder to all of you working so hard in life. We should not let time slip through our fingers without having spent some time with those who really matter to us, those close to our hearts. Do remember to share that $20 worth of your time with someone you love ♥

Grateful and Thankful

There was a blind girl who hated herself just because she was blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend.
He was always there for her.
She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend.
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her and then she could see everything, including her boyfriend.
Her boyfriend asked her, " now that you can see the world, will you... marry me? "
The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind too, and refused to marry him.
Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying: "Just take care of my eyes dear."

This is how human brain changes when the status changed.
Only few remember what life was before, and who's always been there even in the most painful situations.

Today before you think of saying an unkind word think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife think of someone who is crying out to God for a companion.
Today before you complain about life think of someone who went too early to heaven.

A Letter from Mom and Dad

My child,

When I get old, I hope you understand and have patience with me

In case I break a plate, or spill soup on the table because I am losing my eyesight,

I hope you don’t yell at me.

OLDER PEOPLE are sensitive.

…… Always having self pity when you yell.

When my hearing gets worse and I can’t hear what you are saying,

I hope you don’t call me “Deaf!”

Please repeat what you said or write it down.

I am sorry, my Child.

…… I am getting older

When my knees get weaker,

I hope you have the patience to help me get up

Like how I used to help  you while you were little,

Learning how to walk.

Please bear with me.

When I keep repeating myself like a broken record,

I hope you just keep listening to me

Please don’t make fun of me or get sick of listening to me.

Do you remember when you were little and you wanted a balloon?

You repeated yourself over and over until you got what you wanted.

…… Please also pardon my smell.

I smell like an old person.

Please don’t force me to shower.

My body is weak.

Old people get sick easily when they are cold.
I hope I don’t gross you out.

Do you remember when you were little?

I used to chase you around because you didn’t want to shower

I hope you can be patient with me

When I am always cranky

It is all part of getting old.

You will understand when you are older.

And if you have spare time,

I hope we can talk

Even for a few minutes

I am always all by myself all the time and have no one to talk to

I know you are busy with work.

Even if you are not interested in my stories,
Please have time for me.

Do you remember when you were little?

I used to listen to your stories about your teddy bear.

When the time comes and I get ill and bedridden,

I hope you have the patience to take care of me.

I AM SORRY

If I accidently wet the bed or make a mess

I hope you have the patience to take care of me

during the last few moments of my life

I am not going to last much longer, anyway.

When the time of my death comes,

I hope you hold my hand

And give me the strength to face death.

And don’t worry…

When I finally meet our Creator…

I will whisper in his ear to BLESS you.

Because you loved your Mom and Dad.

Thank you so much for your care.

WE LOVE YOU.

With much love,

Mom and Dad