The Time Traveller's Wife

I got the book before i watched the movie...but i watched the movie in a plane before i actually read the book...i just finished reading the book a few days back...Jasmine told me Jimmy said the movie was very disappointing...i guess that happens when you read the book first then only you watch the movie...i liked the movie as it was...but there were a few loose ends that didn't make sense...and in a story that revolves around chrono-displacement aka time-travelling, things can get quite messy and confusing...but i felt that it was a good movie...it justified the book...didn't change too drastically... but when i finally read the book, a lot of things kind of explained itself...

The book is really quite extraordinary...i think it's actually quite difficult to write a book about time-travelling...too many dates to remember...but the author did a good job in weaving the plots and creating coherence in the story....and Eric Bana as Henry is quite the perfect choice...hehe, he's cute...Rachael Macadams as Clare, Henry's wife played her role well too...so that while i was reading the book, i actually imagined Eric Bana and Rachael Macadams as Henry and Clare....

So how is life for a chrono-displaced person? it's really weird when your future is actually your past and your present self has no idea whatsoever of what your future self has done in the past...already confused? try reading the book...this book is at it's very heart, a love story..of a time-traveller who found a woman who was willing to be part of his messed-up past, present and future....imagine yourself as Clare...you've actually met your future husband at age 6...but he came from the future to see you when he was in his 30s...and you've been dating Henry since age 6, in secret coz you can't tell anyone about this..people wouldn't believe you anyway...but his present self has no inkling of that since it's his future self who went back in time....so when Clare (age 20) finally met Henry (age 28)...it was actually Henry's first time meeting Clare....

You know how at time you've wished that if only you could turn back time, you'd change the things you've done or didn't do? apparently, you can't...you can only go back in time and watch the horrible things that have happened in the past...again and again...and there's nothing you can do to prevent or change what happened...like how Henry's mother died in a freak car accident and he survived by time-travelling...but although he kept going back to the incident, there was nothing he could do to change anything...and like how Henry died...he died at age 43...in year 2000 just as the clock struck 12am...but the thing was, he was already killed in year 1984....and he was actually killed by his father-in-law...accidentally...how bizarre is that huh?

I'm still trying to fathom the concept of time-travelling...but it's a bit too deep for me....but i enjoyed reading the book...everytime Clare and Henry had their secret dates in the Meadow, i'm reminded of certain aspects of my life...or when Henry disappears on his time-travelling tours...Clare would be left alone and longing...she asked this question, Why is love intensified by absence? and i can relate to that...but i guess this time-travelling business is really not for the faint-hearted...meddling with the past/ future can have disastrous consequences...although at least for Henry, he found the love of his life, albeit for a short time...

Sylvia & Sashi's Wedding Dinner...

I was quite tempted to put this post's title as " Sylvia & Sashi's Wedding Dinner..and the horrible day at work before that"...but that's a bit too wordy...and it kinda ruins the title...anyway, before i go into Sylvia's wedding dinner, i just had to get this off my system...yes, my horrible day at work on Friday...

So i was post call on Thursday...and i had no idea what the plans would be for ICU patients on Thursday and Friday...so i was at Sylvia's house on Thursday night and got myself nail art on my finger nails..thinking that it should be a less busy day since it's Friday...boy, was i wrong...went to CME in the morning... suddenly got a msg saying, there's a tracheostomy for an ICU patient at 930am...i thought dang!!! all the transportation will definitely ruin my nail art...but was i in for a bigger shock or what?... so just a little background information about a normal transportation for a trachy patient who's stable on ventilator and does not require inotropes...you need to carry the ventilator, the emergency kit, the oxygen tanks and the patient's case notes...that's already quite a handful and you need at least 3 personnel to handle the transportation....

But this particular patient for trachy was not only on inotrope, he had 2 bloody chest tubes...when i left the hospital on Thursday he still had only 1 chest tube, which was bearable...but they just had to insert another one just before the trachy lah...and his platelets were low so we need to carry his blood and platelets as well....the worst thing was boss ORDERED that at no time should his chest tubes be clamped...i was praying to God the whole time to not let the patient die on me...

The tracheostomy was supposed to be at 9am...we only managed to leave ICU at 945am...i won't even go into the details of waiting for the damn ambulance, the transferring of the patient from trolley to trolley and how the patient desaturated when i clamped the chest tubes in order for trolley transfer...so i had to unclamp and move the patient with the chest drains on the floor...and the patient desaturated again in the ambulance so i had to manually bag him till we reached the ENT clinic...

When we finally reached there, it was 1030am...already i rue this day...so we started with the trachy which only took 30 mins...and boss actually called the HO who helped in escorting the patient, back to ICU...and he bloody knew that we needed as many ppl to help in transporting the patient...and the last straw was when i received a msg from boss in bold saying: DO NOT CLAMP THE CHEST TUBES!!! I was so pissed that my first reaction was to reply him this: F**K OFF!!! now i don't usually swear in public but boss was really pushing my limits...

The transport back to ICU was worse now that we had one person less to help us carry the stuffs...i really felt like walking away from everything and let boss settle the mess himself...as if things weren't bad enough...the oxygen tank ran out of oxygen...and we had to change to another tank...and patient desaturated again...when we finally reached ICU again, i was in such a foul mood that i actually shouted at my colleague...though the person i wanted to shout at was boss... i really felt like shouting at him: NEXT TIME, YOU BLOODY ESCORT THE PATIENT YOURSELF!!!! and he dared to tell me the chest tubes weren't fluctuating anymore...i felt like bloody slapping him...coz the chest drains were bubbling like a damn bubble bath!!! men can be such asses!!!

So that totally ruined my day..not to mention my nail art...uugh!!! thankfully the patient was ok...except that we killed a bit more grey matter with all the hypoxic episodes but well, his GCS was already low anyway...and thankfully the rest of the afternoon was less eventful...if boss had asked (oh wait, he doesn't 'ask', he just bloody orders people around) me to escort another patient, i think i'd have totally blown my top...

Elaine came from Kudat and met me at the hospital...i left work about 430pm and we went straight to the nail parlour...coz my nail art by then was just a hideous looking mess...and i didn't have nail polish remover at home...so it was either go buy one or go to the nail parlour and repaint my nails..i thought i deserved the latter so to the nail parlour it was...so i had my nails repainted in this colour called "kisses of peach"...and Elaine did nail art on her toes...her toe nails paint matched the dress she was wearing for the dinner...

After doing our nails, we went to the hair salon to get our hair washed and blow-dried...by then it was almost 6pm so we rushed home and bathed...splashed on some make-up and made it to Shangri-La Tanjung Aru's Grand Ballroom just in time before Sylvia and Sashi were about to walk into the hall...hehe...Sylvia looked so lovely in her wedding dress...it was a simple cream-coloured strapless laced dress with a long train...and the hall was packed with probably 70 tables...and hers was a dinner graced by Datuks and Datins...there was even a live string quartet playing classical music....talk about wow....

Food was good...managed to catch up with some ex-colleagues who were at the dinner as well... halfway through the dinner, Sylvia changed into another aquamarine silk dress which has a low back...i love dresses with low back...very sexy....when dinner ended and most of the guests have left, we took pics with the bride and groom...by the time Elaine and i left, it was 11pm plus... went to toilet...and then Elaine and i were busy taking photos of ourselves through the mirrors..in the toilet...hahaha...the silly things girls do...

So i guess it was a good end to what started out as a horrible day...friends' weddings always lift my mood...and i'm just glad i'm in a job where i don't have to bring work home...well, at least for now i don't have to...

My 1st nail art...

I'm post call today...back in Queen these 2 weeks...2 admissions and 1 death...quite the standard call...and i agreed to do post call locum...hahaha...came back after locum...totally crashed till about 5pm....got up, bathed and went over to Sylvia's place...she's getting married tomorrow...so today she had a pre-wedding dinner/party at her house...

It was good to meet Sylvia again...she told me it was a casual dinner, so i wore t-shirt and shorts...but she was wearing this hot, halter-neck, low-back, red dress...hehe..it's ok..i'm not the bride-to-be...anyway, she had some people over her place who did manicure and pedicure for her guests... and Sylvia made sure i had a chance at it...so after we had dinner, i had my manicure...not something i do often...i think i've only done it maybe less than 5 times in my lifetime...yea yea, i know...i'm not the well-groomed type...the girl who did my manicure actually cut my cuticles too deep till i was bleeding from a few nail beds...not a pretty sight...

Then another girl did nail art for me...she was rushing coz she still had many clients awaiting..so she used nail stickers on my nails...this would be my 1st time getting nail art on my finger nails...they actually don't look too bad...unfortunately the stickers are not sticking too well on my painted nails..and i'd be working tomorrow...not sure if they'd survive peripheral round tomorrow..hehe..and since i'm not exactly 'delicate' and lady-like, i doubt my nail art would last 3 days...so i've taken pics of my nails before the nail art suffers further ruin...doctor and nail art is a relationship that would never work out...too impractical...hehe...

Anyway, here are some pics of my nail art..i just hope it'll still look presentable for Sylvia's wedding dinner tomorrow...Sylvia, thanks a lot for the treat...really appreciate it...:)

Alisa and Baby Darrien...

Alisa was post date 3 or 4 days yesterday....since it was Monday, she went to the hospital for IOL... by 5pm something, she was in the 1st stage of labour....cervical os was dilated 3cm....Jasmine said they gave her epidural and started her on IV pitocin....Jasmine was getting this live update from Alisa as her labour progressed...and knowing Jasmine, she sent messages to everyone of our friends to inform them that Alisa's baby was well on the way....

I went out to ta pau dinner....came back and ate....by about 8pm, Alisa's os was fully dilated... goodness, must have been the shortest 1st stage labour for a primigravida i've ever known of... the amazing powers of prayers...coz i'm sure many of us were praying for her speedy delivery....so by 8.21pm, Baby Darrien was born and weighed 3.55kg...wish i had a pic of him to show....so happy for Alisa and Anthony...hopefully their next baby would be a girl...then she'll have Darrien as a big brother...

I've concluded that if you want a smooth-sailing pregnancy that ends in a safe vaginal delivery with no complications, make sure you are working in a Klinik Kesihatan throughout your pregnancy and are surrounded by family who can help and support you...ok, not really evidence-based coz i'm sure there're no large, double-blinded studies done regarding this....i'm just concluding from case studies...coz most of my seniors who were pregnant and working in hospitals, they had very eventful i.e. complicated pregnancies and their labours ended up with Caesarean sections...

So i guess if i ever get pregnant, i'd better get myself transferred to a Klinik Kesihatan...but that's quite unlikely...so i guess i'll have to be prepared for an eventful pregnancy...hahahaha...counting my eggs before they hatch....how typical of an idealist...anyway, while i'm at it, i wish my firstborn would be a boy...not becoz i'm a bloody chinese who idolizes the notion of 'must have a male in the family to carry on the family's lineage'....that's BS...it's just that i've always wished for an elder brother...but i don't have one....so i wish that my daughter(s) will have an elder brother...

My new webcam...

I'm post call today...was busy the whole day yesterday, trying to finish up the leftover cases from the day before..mostly ortho cases...glad to say that i managed to finish them up by lunch time...yay!!... then continued with the ones that were posted during my call...managed to finish up everything by midnight...

Went to ICU and was asleep by about 1am...thought it'd be undisturbed sleep till 8am...but got a call at 430am...someone posted a patient for exploratory laparotomy...5 mins later, referred the same patient for ICU admission...so i guess the operation was off then...hehe...got to go back to sleep till 8am...but poor Fazrena had to settle the patient...but i guess he was in good hands coz by morning he was no longer on inotropes....

Came home and slept some more...got up about 230pm...then went to Karamunsing to hunt for a webcam...finally found one that's not too expensive...rm49 only...cute blue one...pic quality 8 megapix...not bad...guess i can have video chats now...try taking a pic of the webcam to put it up here..but the pic i took with my digicam is blur...so never mind lah...

My Landlord, the fix-it man...

I'm post call today...i slept at 430am and only left 2 un-emergency cases for Hoe when i passed over...it seems that these days, the definition of emergency is "if you can't fit/ finish them in the elective list, then they're emergency cases"...right...can you see my eyes rolling?

So i left the hospital about 830am...went to eat my favourite beef noodles in Damai...and went to the office to get a letter...yea, my transfer to the surgery department has finally been approved...but the weird thing was, when i saw the letter, it didn't mention the date i was supposed to go over to the 'dark side'...heh, it's kind of like an inside joke among us GA MOs....we're supposedly the 'light'...and so our counter-parts are the 'dark side'...right...Kean Khang started this i think...but really, no offence meant to any individuals or departments...;P...so since big boss was in the office, i discussed with her regarding when i was to go over to surgery...she was raving on and on about how little MOs we have left in GA and how she's trying to push the state to give us more MOs...so i told her that if i can go over to surgery in January 2010, then it'd be good...hopefully by December we can get some graduating HOs to join the department, then at least i won't feel so bad leaving the department short...

Came home to find a strange car parked in my porch...and my grill door unlocked...nothing to be alarmed off really...it's just my landlord who came by to fix our plumbing....the downstairs bathroom has been leaking into the kitchen floor for almost a week...Jasmine informed our landlord yesterday and he came straightaway to fix it...my landlord is quite the fix-it man...he even helped change the light bulb in my bathroom coz i didn't have a ladder and i couldn't reach it with just standing on the chair...yea, now i don't have to bathe in the dark anymore...and he cleaned my room's air-cond filters as well...while i'm typing this post, he's fixing the leaking tap that connects to our washing machine....i wonder if he's a plumber...

I'm actually really sleepy but i'm just keeping awake while my landlord is in the house...i'd like to say 'my' house but it's actually 'his' house...sorry, i know...lame...post call brain...right, gonna check if he's done...if not, i'm gonna crash anyway...later got locum...

O&G-GA Night 2009

I'm not on call this weekend...Hallelujah!!! thank you Hoe for being so kind to me...and co-incidentally, Ana V bugged me to go to the O&G-GA Night organized by the Likas Hospital...which was held last night....being the anti-social hermit i am, my first reaction was not to go...but since i haven't attended a social event for ages, i eventually got the better of me and decided to go anyway....i wouldn't really be going alone coz Grace and Karen would be there too...i need to be surrounded by comfort zone/people....

The theme for that night was body art and tattoo...and incidentally, i have 2 temp tattoos with dolphin designs on hand...so didn't bother hunting for new ones...dinner was supposed to start at 6pm...but i only finished working out about 5pm...after bathing, tried putting on one of the temp tattoo on my arm... unfortunately, that got ruined...it didn't stick to my arm...so it was patchy...crap!! had to rub it off...then put the other one on my left chest just above the breast...thank goodness that one stuck well...if not, i would have been tattoo-less...so finally after rushing through make-up, i was ready at 10 minutes to 7pm...

I messaged Grace to ask if she was there already...she replied that she was just about to leave her house also...hahahaha...Malaysian time to the max...by the time we reached the restaurant, people were still streaming in...good thing i didn't rush to get ready...the event started about 730pm i think... it was really fascinating looking at other people's tattoo and body art...face painting and body painting....i thought i was the only one with dolphin tattoo...then i saw the big boss' kid with nicer dolphin tattoo on his arm....i want!!!

The performances were very entertaining...and the bosses and HOs were very cool about performing impromptu...these people really love to dance...and the last performance was absolutely gastric-perforating...i totally laughed till my stomach almost burst...they were performing this song by Wondergirls titled "Nobody"...i think it's some Korean group or something...but the HOs who were performing it were male HOs...hahahahaha...good thing they didn't dress up as drags...that would have been icing to the cake...

Oh, and i actually won something from the lucky draw...usually, i have no luck at lucky draws...i think i've only won once previously....but last night, when one of the boss was picking the numbers, i actually said silently, "come on, pick my number"...and lo...my number was called!!!...i guess dolphins do bring luck huh? i got RM100 vouchers from Parkson...nice!! can go shoppping...:) so i guess i was glad i went for this dinner...i supposed the hermit needs to get out from her shell once in a blue moon...then again, i have 2 wedding dinners to attend on the 3rd and final week of November...a bit overwhelming for yours truly...but since i love attending friends' weddings...i guess i'll have to brave the masses....