My SCMKL 42KM 2013

Yes.. Another chapter of me testing the limit of what I can do.. My 3rd official marathon which is the 42km! And of course, as usual.. the unstructured and incomplete & suboptimal training for the event! I guess I will never find real time to practice for the 42km and as how addictive it can be, I somehow don't mind to cause suffering to myself! hahaha Well, I may not have achieved the goal of fully running a marathon but i do still can finish it.. By hook or by crook :)

After Perth City to Surf last year, this is the next marathon that i have decided to join. I guess if it was during its original date, the run might have been different. Then I was just back from EBC and perhaps had achieved my best physical fitness ever. But the postponement certainly changed a lot of my conditioning.

 Coming to the event day, I was having doubts whether i should go on. Honestly, the training was in shambles and I was never the man i was when i ventured on Perth's City to Surf. Being me, tawakkal Alallah je la.. haha Why not kan..why not? The bitter experience of 2010 is still in my mind but that adventure had taught me a lot to prepare and protect myself.It proved to be helpful during City to Surf.. and for this run:

1) Anti blister cream
2) Instant Pain reliever (got myself a spray on)
3) Nutrition for the run
4) Rocktape
5) Compression top & bottom

I was up early. At 2.30am I woke up on my own. Of course, after a good carbo loading the night before, I had to let it all out to facilitate my run. I remembered when i did my first half marathon.. haha I spent sometime in the toilet immediately after the start :)

I parked next to Masjid Negara as the road to Bukit Aman parking was closed as early as 320am. There were not that many cars then so i had a good spot:) I felt a bit jittery and the morning was pretty humid. There were already a sea of runners waiting and everybody seemed to be excited to be part of this big running event of Malaysia.

The marathon flag off started on time at 0430. It was a good crowd but i did notice that there was no gush of wind. Hmm.. it is the start of a very warm day! My pace was good but i was a bit careful not to push myself too hard inthe early stages. This is Malaysia and the weather is different. I remembered the suffering I had during the Kuantan Century Ride!

I thought i did well till about KM15 when i felt a bit burnt out.. literally! It was so hot and i just felt very tired and fatigued! I started to walk and run and walk again at this stage and I thought oh my.. this will be a long day!

 Half way along the run, honestly i felt like quitting. Seriously! I was burnt out and somehow the mojo was not there. I can;t explain why! I was feeling weak and helpless. And i sort of decided at km22 I will stop. And I did. took a breather.. and tried doing a selfie pic haha Then somebody asked if i wanted a picture there and of course i replied Yes! Somehow the breather at this cooled me down. At the water station there i slowly took few drinks and munched my chewies ( i thought this was better than the gel.. which after sometime can be a bIt revolting!) Somehow, I regained my strength and determination, and I told myself.. I cannot stop what i have started. I guess, this was a reflection of our lives.. At times, we may wanna just give up or change directions. However, if we have a goal.. then we have to go all out and persevere.

 Of course, the journey from the Cheras Badminton Stadium to Segambut was not easy. It was getting hot when the early morning sun rose.From KM22 onwards, i was moving on fine. Though i walk in between mostly because of the twitches I felt. I did not push myself too much as I do really want to finish my 42km in one piece!

 After KM30, The rejuvenation was obvious. I did not feel the pain and fatigue that I had before. In fact, i felt stronger to continue and I was sure that I can do it. I did listen to my body when my small runs somehow caused some muscle pulling here and there.The water stations were really good as I don't think I was in a state of dehydration at all during this whole run! Subhanallah.. it was SOOO HOT! I felt like a running coal and at every station with a sponge i will literally bathe to cool myself down. It was AMAZINGLY SUPER HOT!!!

 At KM37 I met Shuk again, whom went passed me at about KM15. He was not in a good condition and with my spray on, he felt a bit better. The cramps were getting on him and he was struggling. Seeing the time, I know I may not achieve my PB. This is the first time i can actually finish my 42km with a friend and i thought, Why not escort him all the way to the finish line? I am sure my presence lifted his spirit and both of us slowly paced to the finish line!
It was an overwhelming finish when i reached the Finish line. It may not be as estatic as the first time.. I can still remember how i felt when i saw the finishing podium then.. and again this time around I was proud to have finished it again.. haha because of what i felt at KM22, It was such a good feeling to persevere and complete what you have started.

My gun time was 5 hours and 52 minutes. Way beyond my best time I did last year. However, i am not dissapointed because despite my appauling training, i manage to finish it under 6 hours. It is a definite improvement from the 7 hours I did in 2010 hahaha Alhamdulillah, I completed this run without much morbidity.. though a bit fatigued but not injured. I am thankful for that :) 

And now.. I will have Putrajaya Night Marathon next.. I am Insya Allah sure, I'll clock a better time:)

The learning continues as we are up to 15!

It has been an interesting journey. Whatever that I've seen, done and learnt before did not really prepare me on being the clinician taking full responsibility of the patient's management. There is never a straight forward case, something and somehow things will happen and pushes you to the limit to apply the knowledge that you have obtained.

Having your own patients do not mean that you cannot refer to your friends elsewhere for opinion but having to make decisions there and then poses the ultimate challenge of to do or not to do. Its not about you having the balls to proceed or not but to make an informed decision for a better outcome can be really unpredictable.

Being in the theatre poses a challenge but managing them post operatively can be tricky. I am glad i have had full ICU training in Sg Buloh therefore there are lots of bits and pieces that i can match together for a better outcome. From Sepsis to managing nutrition, from haemodynamics support to ventilation I was challenged in a way i never thought that i would come to someday.

Of course, I am still a long way from being a "House" (from House MD). The learning before was compartmentalised but managing real patients is a multi holistic approach. Seriously! Its not just a jargon but having to manage all the problems at the same time can be overwhelming. Having experienced staff and a good team is essential to the success of such a programme.

I wish i can be of more descriptive as how I've done it before. However being in my setting at the moment, especially at the beginning of our mitosis; it is against ethics and can be medico-legal if I am to discuss or reveal the specifics of each surgery and procedure done.

I am looking forward for more adventures as it matures my ability to troubleshoot and manage as we go. Nothing beats experience and Insya Allah, slowly I am gaining it.

This week 16,17 and 18! Allahu Akbar!

Successful event thanks to the great team

As I've blogged earlier, my thanks to the team who made it al successful that it turned out not too bad! It was a lot of effort and enthusiasm. I really do appreciate the wilingness of all the staff to make it a success.

                                                                  Kudos team!!

Simple life.. not so simple as it should.

I try not to make my blog as my emotional bashings but throughout the years (it has been 9 years in fact!) at times I just have to blurp it out. It has only been indirect and to those who knows me may understand wy at those junctures i just have to blog out a few words. Its a venting space but I try very much not too be to specific on the topic.

A healthy mind is needed to be productive and unhealthy ones can lead one to misery. That is the root of happiness. If one is unable to free one's mind from hatred and envy, one will not be able to feel what happiness is all about. 

I used to be bogged down by this fact but i have liberated myself years ago. What is the point of being unhappy thinking about other's misery? I suffered then and it made me suffocate. Keeping a clear mind is really important and we get to be focused on what we do. Seriously, I'm not bothered anymore of what people can do to me and perhaps it is just my nature to be so. It gives me the peace of mind and Alhamdulillah, I'm sure that Allah is kind to me on that.

Treat people how you want people to treat you.. and important concept. However, it is not grasped by those who reckons that whatever they do should be recognized and respected. Respect should never be asked as  it can only be earned. How is it earned? By the way we deal with things daily and the respect will come with it.

Honestly, i yearn for simplicity.. the simple life. Being simple on everything that we do, I maybe a high achiever with many aspirations but nowadays, i envy those having simple lives.On Sundays when I have the time to do so or when i am not working, I love being in Shah Alam Stadium bazaar. I would sit down and observe the simple life that people has. What the community is all about, the lower middle class society. Simple life, simple hopes simple needs.. And unfortunately, I don't have that.

A simple life.

Hari Malaysia 2013

16 September today.. Selamat Hari Malaysia! Since 2011, the gov had introduced the day today as a public holiday. Interestingly, it was a question I asked when i was younger, the eager beaver learning history of why was 16 September not celebrated but only 31st of August.History is interesting but a bore to many. I love history because of the story it tells and about the humble beginnings of many things.

History would also compass of how things can go right and showed retrosepctively how it went wrong that leads to the downfall. I have always wondered that did not these leaders realize the obvious wrongs they were doing then? Throughout dynasties, empires including our own Malay Empire fell due to the same causes. By history it is obvious what brings people apart instead of together. Again and again it is being repeated which brings to my own conclusion about history.

The saying goes that we learn from history. I reckon for a hard crude fact We've never learnt from history! In fact, despite knowing all the does and donts, We tent to repeat history again and again. There will always be the struggle to start off with, then the peak and then the downfall. Interestingly, all empires and civilization fell because of the same reasons. It may not be similar but the principles are the same.

Malaysia by convention is 50 years old, Independence has been 56 years last August. As a country, we have moved up a rank and different from what we started off from. We seemed to have a direction and objective, rooted with the eastern culture and mentality we have grown. As a nation, we are still very young and the basis of how we want our nation to be seemed to be rocked and shackled. It is not being helped by the openness of our media as the information which is unvetted is easily available online 24 hours. The biggest sin of rumours and wildfire stories are easily flamed through this media nowadays and it is not easy to know which is really true.

Being idealistic does not mean it can be translated into reality. Being in Malaysia, there are so many taboos to crossover. As a nation, our maturity is still questioned whether we can really apply the idealistic nature of humanity in our society. We can never run from our eastern values and it is apparent in our past civilizations. It is easy to be swayed by western ideas of liberalisation but at the same time we have to be wary of their cunning nature. History has shown that fact of how manipulative they can be; and in this time it will not be the physical nature but perhaps the indirect influence of our thinking and ideas.

Hahaha.. as you can see i can ramble and ramble without stop. I have always been a keen thinker on this issues and perhaps now I should be more vocal to put my ideas through.

Selamat Hari Malaysia Malaysiaku..:)

One Friday 13th: Essentials of HO

It was such a hectic day.. I was jugging two things at one time. My patients in CTC and at the same time ensuring the Essentials of HO being organized well. It was not easy but i guess the flow of planning that made it work.This was an official College of Physician's ,Academy of Medicine Malaysia programme and no way can I muck this up.

I am blessed to be surrounded by efficient colleagues and fellow doctors who did what they were asked to do.I was a bit gung-ho when i changed the whole programme of how the afternoon session should be done. I suppose it is because i have a bit of attachment with regards to HO training and I do have my own ideas how they should be exposed. Coming from Simulation background; as I have always wished that I was trained in such during my undergraduate days. In fact, i believe it should be a big component in the Master of Anaesthesia programme.

As my head was totally filled in with the happenings, it is unfortunate that i did not have the time to snap pics to show the event. One of my trainees managed to recogize this and took the initiative to take the event pictures! Hopefully i have it available by next week so that i can share it with you.

I have to thank my ED colleagues; Izzat, Julina , Amin and their 2 trainees for their support. They have been really helpful since we started Simulation based training 3 years ago. Of course, to Nadia, Azman (who came and helped my O2 station at the very last minute!) the awesome trio.. Fairuz, Naim and Azizah (my future co-workers) who handled the logistics efficiently and made everything work during the day. I was worried if the flow or things that can go wrong on that day. Handing an OSCE like session is very labour intensive and needs a lot of coordination. It was not easy but Ahamdulillah, i do appreciate my team members.

Thank you! Thank you!

Exponential progress, CTS rolling forward

Alhamdulillah, we are at no 13. Who would have thought our team are capable of going on strong as such. We are not aiming to be a service centre like IJN, but we are progressing well towards being a cardiac centre.It has been an interesting few weeks now and the trend is we are getting busier. I guess it is a good thing for CTC as now we can see how by starting Open Heart surgeries we have managed to tickle and activate other departments to move forward.

 One of our patients had a delayed recovery. It was certainly a challenge to us the anaesthetist managing an ICU case. It was in fact the first proper ICU managed case. From an eventful cardiac surgery, we thought we were OK after 2 days but suddenly he developed an abdominal pathology which we were thinking of the worst about. Luckily it was not one of the common complications and managing the patient holisticly became a true challenge for us. We needed to reintubate the patient twice and both times the whole team had a challenging time to decide and consider options.

At a certain point, I did feel like doing a "House"-like queries on looking for the cause of insults. The patient did went into multiple organ failure but in terms of grading, it did not go to the severe spectrum.It was really a good case to reflect upon and review how we have managed it.It was really interesting and made me learn more than i thought I've known. Partly, the training I had with Shanti in Sungai Buloh really helped to bring the patient from its brink. I guess it is time for me to grow as well and make calculated clinical decisions to scenarios which was uncommon to us.

The whole team had our Aidilfitri do in a different manner. We started with prayers and of course, the awaited makan. Honestly, this is the place I want to be at the moment. To have a team which works cohesively at the moment is enlightening. I can see its potential to grow and it can only be better. There were glitches along the way which could have been very detrimental. However, Alhamdulillah; we manage to control the hitches with care.

To infinti and beyond :)

Life Long Leaning - Lessons I;'ve Learnt

Norizal whatssapped me while I was doing the CABG the other other, but i was not able to answer him. Nor did i know what it was for. He then called me up coaxing me to give a motivation talk to the new batch of MBBS UiTM. I told him about my issues : I have 5 kids to take care off on Saturday morning but he reassured that it can be handled.
Yup.. it had been quite some time since I last did a motivational session with young medical students.It used to be a routine for me since my medical school days and even after that. It was my forte before and of course, I would be more than happy to contribute.
I was honoured to be given the first ever slot for these students in UiTM. haha It was overwhelming but at the same time, I had to ensure the talk would not be too boring or typical of an academic staff. (As usual, I always try to be different..) I spent the night looking through my old pics; as i am sure visual stimuli would make people to be more interested with my talk.
I can see myself in their shoes.. All of them do not really know what they are into :) Everybody will say they really want to do medicine but soon reality will hit them. To carry the responsibility of becoming a future doctor demands a lot of their effort and time. The shocking thing later to them will be when they start working.. It will totally be another chapter and challenge. I do hope that our medical school will train them to be resilient and strong to face what is to come. The scenario and setting will be different but the gist of it i feel will remain the same.

Organizing this and that

Being in a university, i cannot run away from being in a committee or another. Organizing events would be another feature in the prospectus of becoming a Lecturer in the medical faculty.I have left this for quite sometime and i guess now i need to reactivate my special neurons to organize things again.

I used to enjoy this in med school and probably went overboard because it became my main agenda rather than studying! Haha (Prof Raja Khuzaiah warned me again and again, and of course it is something she will always say about me everytime we are in a meeting together!)

I'll be involved in the upcoming Essentials of HO workshop organized by the College of Physician. The main core of my piece would be acute medicine n resuscitation. Me being me, I want to create an impact and not just another didactic unattractive session. I am trying smething new and hopefully it works with good reviews. It is not easy doing this crusade but I am a strong believer in experential learning rather than the old school didactic sessions.

It is quite interesting that i came across a website , A group of young doctors dedicated to improve the learning of others, HO Workshop. Kudos to these few individuals who has been working hard for the past few years; preparing guides and pointers for their colleagues. It is a very good initivative and i salute them for doing that. I am sure, a lot of new doctors or budding doctors will use their guides and info provided to their benefit.

Providing resources and information is a noble cause. I remembered Mark Finis notes ; a gentleman who provided extensive notes in Anaesthesia and I am sure has been used by a lot of individuals from around the world. Imagine the pahala or deeds he has generated automatically. True honest intentions and something i definitely would like to do if I can. I did start a special page for Part 1 Anaesthesia resources, but after i left the Masters programme, I sort off forgot about it. I was hoping in the Wiki format i would attract people to continue my work. I guess as how the world is, we do not really have that many who want to GIVE but aplenty of TAKERS.

Ok.. first step this and coming soon.. Intensive Revision Course for Anaesthesia Entrance Exams. :)

Demm

How do you beat ego? Seriously.. how do you even negotiate with such ego? I still cannot understand this mentality. Perfectionism kills enthusiasm.

I guess there is no way to teach orang yang macam bagus ni.. Chill aah.. Get a life!

P/S  hahaha WTF???

The end of one era, TQ Dato KY

Prof Dato KY in his last faculty meeting mentioned about being careful on what you post on social media. True, in any ways that we do in this world, we have to always be careful on what we say and potray. However, the multimedia explosion (as how we described it in the 90s) has progressed to such that people are dependant on it. Social media is now a part of our lives and trying to deny its existence is against te mainstream. It is how u plan to use it to your advantage.

Well, my blog post today is not about the social media but about my boss, the Dean of UiTM Medical faculty. Am i worried if this post is being read by him? Of course not! Otherwise this blog could have been private a long time ago! What am I going to say about him? Read on if you must :)

Prof Dato KY... i reckon everybody in the medical fraternity especially Cardiology will know him well. He is well established and his impressive CV will speak for him. He became the Dean of UiTM medical school 10 years ago. Looking back retrospectively, he was definitely the right person to lead UiTM in its developing years.He is moving on to head a private university and it would be interesting to see his work there.

Before i joined UiTM, there were lots of stories about him. Mostly not so encouraging haha He was in my interview when i applied to join as a trainee. It was interesting as at that time, there was no more opening for anaesthesia; so i went through the surgery list. Only in front of the panel that i made it clear, I wanted to join Anaesthesia. He did not give me a hard time then ( as how to my friends who did, not too sure whether it was related to me suddenly saying Im for anaesthesia interview, not surgery.. haha)

Prof Dato KY is on his own a unique man. I never knew him personally, what he is like outside the faculty. I know that he is a workaholic as he will reply to my email wherever he is in the world! He does meetings at odd hours and people under him just had to submit!

He was clear what he wanted from us during the traineeship, sort out to become Specialist as soon as possible. I like his pep talks as he can really be inspiring. His ideas maybe bombastic to some, but nothing is impossible. Many people ridicule him behind his back, but he stayed on and the best thing about him is he prove everybody wrong. (in a way justifying his statement that he is always right.. haha)

He walks the talk. That is why I am impressed with him. He may have certain attributes that make people go logger heads with him but alas that is his personality! He has a very strong character with a noble cause; thus the only way to survive is how he has done for many years. True, sometimes it can be totally out of this world when you are challenged by him, but i guess you just have to rise up to it!I do respect his ways and Alhamdulillah, when you justify your needs he will be attentive. Personally, he has never stopped me from doing what I want and I am thankful to him for that.

Some might question his leadership. He can be really stern and dictatorish.I have encountered these moments and sometimes cringe on it too. However His brand of leadership, and in my opinion he is the best person to bring UiTM Medical Faculty to where it is now. His leadership style was required and he proved it in the end with the results! He may not have many friends outside the fraternity; otherwise the surgical services would have kicked off gallantly earlier but we cannot be perfect all the time can we?

All good thing come to an end and it is sad that he will not be with UiTM as the Dean anymore. I have always been inspired by his ways and he is a role model. To achieve what he did is a mammoth task but never impossible. Insya Allah, the objective is to always aim for excellence in our own way and to benefit mankind in a way or another.

Thank you Prof Dato KY. Im sure one day you'll find this :)

10 and beyond

Our open heart surgery hit the number 10 on the 20th of August. It is definitely an achievement since starting the whole mumbo jumbo in June. It has been a steep learning curve; in fitting into the expectations of the institution. It is not easy running a cardiac centre as the risk is as high as it can get. I do look at this opportunity as a challenge and it is not an easy one to manage.

I am more familiar with the off pump technique which demands a swift control of the situation for the surgery to be successful. It is not easy but slowly with Prof Zamrin's guidance, it is a wonderful journey.I have my own objectives and aim , in line with the organization's mission and vision. To achieve this is a long shot but not impossible, never impossible.

To 10 and BEYOND!

p/s of course, in statistics.. the increasing number of cases would lead to an increase of possible complications.

Syawal rush

I reckon it is obvious that i am without a maid now haha look at my blog posting!! I was not ableto blog about Aidilfitri this year and the arrival of my new nephew! Wow.. i must have been that busy huh.. to top it up, the ogoing CABG cases in UiTM. Of course, the more we do, the more expected of complications will occur.

 Dzulaikha turned 1 on the 21st.. I guess she was the first amongst all her siblings that we did not manage to celebrate her birthday even in the smallest manner. Sorry my dear child.. both ur Walid and Ummi are overwhelmed by the things that we have to do in getting the 5 of u sorted out day in day out.

                                                                "Ayman Akhil's arrival"

We have started Dzulaikha in a nursery near our home. The best option was to place her in Salsabila along with her elder 3 siblings. Unfortunately, due to the taska's policy it was not possible o enrol her on short term basis despite our willingness to pay. ALhamdulillah, Dzulaikha looked like she is adapting well. It is a bit confusing at times that she would cry both ways either being given to or coming back home at the end of the day.. haha

Im trying very hard to fit in my training regime for my kl marathon at the end of Spetember. It looks almost impossible atthe moment and it became obvious how my fitness has dropped in my to short runs during Syawal. hmm.. i need to get on my bike back somehow.. somehow..

All is not gloom though.. I reckon the current maidless period is indeed a blessing as I am trying to learn how to balance my life; busy working life with the demands of my family.

We'll see on when i will blog again.. hopefully not too far in the future :)

Transition & Adaptation

Why do people blog? It was a trend a few years ago before the arrival of the efficient social media tools like FB and Twitter.Many jumped into the trend bandwagon and we had all kinds of blogs.Election results ie GE12 in 2008 was influenced by bloggers and the internet. That was how powerful it is.I have always loved writing and i blogged because it gave me the opportunity to continue what i like to do. At the same time, improving my language writing so that it will not rot.

Blogs were interesting and you can see why one blog had more followers compared to the other. People can relate their lives and share; sometimes it was easier to create an avatar and speak out your mind. Various kinds of blogs were available , you just have to google and find out. My blog had its popularity spur for a while, as people were keen to know what anaesthetists really do. I was happily blogging about my work and my encounters, that sometimes i did forget the ethics of what you can reveal in such postings.

However when FB came, it brought a massive tsunami with it. It was more user-friendly and became a tool for socializing which was never seen before. Myspace lead the concept but it was not as holistic as facebook.I myself took a turn and slowly my blog writings became more numb and lifeless. I do still maintain the blog because it brought a lot of memories. Somehow, nowadays it became more of my diary compared to my opinions and writings. I used to comment on the current political issues etc but my interest on it has mellowed. I am not sure how many silent followers are left to see what my life is about but that was never the point for me blogging.It was never about gaining popularity; just a space to share and write.

Why am I writing all this? Well, i was reviewing my blog and discovered how my postings evolved and the change of content from when it started. Well, as how the evolution theory works; we change and evolve and that is just how life goes.

2 months of terror coming your way!

The maid is going back home this weekend. She is off for the next two months. She has not been back to Indonesia for the past 2 years. The high alarm alert has been activated by wifey again and again. I am in some sort of denial phase, denying to think about how to handle our 5 kids in the near future.

It is coming! really really soon :) Wow, handling all my 5 kids alone without the maid. Honestly, I've not been really involved as how I used to be when we had 3. I was in charged of the kitchen, laundry, groceries, packing their bags etc almost a huge chunk of the work, and now having 3 unindependent ones : Marissa, Dzarief and Dzulaikha it is a challenge of yet to be seen!

It is scary come to think of it..

Dzulaikha is planned to be sent to a nearby nursery, and it'd be my job to send her there every morning. Qayyum will remain in sekolah agama for transit, where he will change & eat.. and then be sent to the school. The other 3 will be doing their usual routine of going to Salsabila. That solves the daily management.

BUT.. when they are back, we have to sort out their food, then mandi.. and then laundry for the kids! I remember how tedious it was (not the laundry) but when arranging their clothes and to match them correctly! hahaha wuuhuuu.. A big challenge!

My Cardiac list will get busier, and its going to be tough to balance between caring for the kids and work.

So.. lets enjoy these last 3 days of freedom before it is time to say hello to reality! Haha I'm being relaxed about it because perhaps.. I am still in denial :)

CSR Sime Darby & Pertiwi Kitchen Soup 21 July 2013

I initially saw the posting in facebook. Izad was looking for docs who can volunteer for his CSR programme. I read through the posting and thought why not. It is something that i would like to do when i have time. Especially it is ramadhan now. I browsed and google to look more info about Pertiwi Kitchen Soup.And it was cool to read through the blogs for the volunteers who participated in the past. I then confirmed with Izad about my intentions and Alhamdulillah he was ever so glad for me to join!
Right after iftar, I was off to KL. I was worried if i am late but the traffic was excellent. It took me less than 20 minutes from BJ to Jalan Sultan Ismail. Amazing isn't it when you realize you are not that far off from KL in distance. It is usually the traffic which slows your travel time.
I was clueless about how it is being done, as they wanted more doctors to be involved in this programme.

 From the SIme Darby building in Jalan Raja Laut, we walked to Tune hotel and beside the main road, we saw the setup. People were already queing as it is a routine thing done during the week. This time around , they saw the whole group clad in green (Sime Darby colour) haha The kitchen Soup van was ready to distribute the food packs prepared earlier.
I was introduced to Dr Muhammad-Kumaran (a South African) with his wife. and they are the main core in organizing the clinics on Sunday night. We were straight away into our duties, a simple day to day clinic running. Of course, we had loads of patients waiting for us. It reminded me the time when i did locum and at the same time, glimpse of P2 HKL. The patients are mostly the typical patients i had with me during those days. I guess when P2 closed, they became homeless and it is around the Kl streets that we see them.

 Next stop was Kota Raya but the amount of patients waiting for a check up is not as much as in Chow Kit. Seeing Kotaraya at 11pm on a Sunday night is different from what i used to see. I've not been to this part of KL >15 years therefore it did bring some nostalgia. People were waiting for food to be served and we had quite a crowd there.

 The last stop was the most interesting stop. As it was under the Jalan Syed Putra bridge. This is the heart of the homeless community. An organized terrace and borders between each member can be seen when one walks along River Klang on the embankment. You might have thought most of them would be the illegal immigrants but by fact, they are all fellow Malaysian citizens. Such poverty and seeing their large simple lifestyle, one wonders how they survive in their day to day running.

One might argue, they become homeless and live in such conditions because they decide to do so.There might be a number of them who are like that, but i am sure there are a big number themselves who are just unfortunate. They just dont have the means. More so the ones with infectious diseases such as HIV and Hep B, the social stigma is still as how the casts are that they just have no where else to go. I guess, i do realize why my former Consultant in medicine emphasized how we should treat all patients the same. Itis just so easy to slip into the judgemental mode and be unfair to them.

 We had an interesting mix. Sazzli, a colleague of mine was one of the doctors invited. We didn;t know both of us participated in this programme and it was fun to see Sazzli shocked seeing me! There was Dr Chen as well, an Aesthetic physician who unfortunately had a bout of asthma attack during the trip. Dr Fairuz, a Public Health trainee was certainly in his elements while doing the check ups. They had to give us the manual BP cuff and i can't remember the last time i used it ( being anaes and techy as well.. hahaha)

 Thank you Izad for the opportunity.Insya Allah, i hope to have the enthusiasm of serving as how the regular doctors who does it week in week out.I do salute the efforts of Auntie Munirah to sacrifice her time and effort for such a noble cause. Insya Allah.

Mid ramadhan post

Its the 16th day of Ramadhan today. Time flies very fast. It'll be Syawal in another 2 weeks and its August next week! I can't believe I left Perth only mid February and there's a lot that has been happening ever since.
I'm tight with my daily routine that I've not done raya shopping for the kids or even sending my kain for baju melayu! haha I'm not sure its due to laziness or me just not prioritising properly.
Alhamdulillah, we've successfully completed our 6th open heart surgery in UiTM. I am very pleased with the outcome so far. The plan is, we are getting busier with having 2 Cardiac OT days per week. I am more than happy to commit and Insya-Allah will vie my best for the institution. Its time that i look for a partner as it can be hectic.I wonder who would be interested to do cardiac, or if they are already one, to join us in UiTM. It'll be tricky to look for somebody that i can work with.
On another note, I'm currently doing the Department's website. Thanks to technology, its easy to do one today than say compared to 5 years ago.
the link.. mafeitz.wix.com/anaesthesiauitm ..
do browse through and give your comments! It is still at its infancy stage but I'm not looking into an award winning site. Just some info on our department and the activities that we do.

Going on strong

It is the holy month of ramadhan, A month of celebration but at the same time a remembrance of how we should always be thankful for what we have. We are getting busier in Anaesthesia UiTM but I am thankful that we are progressing as how we should lately. Alhamdulillah, the 5 CABG was done uneventfully and the plan is after Eid, we will do 2 open heart cases per week. Even the thoracic component is going on strong with the few complicated cases that was done.
I am happy but the same time sad that my two initial colleagues, Suraya and Hady are not with us anymore when we started CTS services. We were working for it for about a year when the 3 of us went our separate ways.Don't get me wrong, there was no feud or dissatisfaction but the decision for our own future. I left for Perth, Hady went private and Suraya into business. We had a good thing, the 3 of us but it was not meant to be.I'm sure they would have been proud to see what UiTM Anaesthesia has achieved in this short period.

As much as I can, i do try to maintain my link with Sungai Buloh Hospital Anaesthesia Department. I do feel I can contribute a lot to the development as well as being in touch with the hecticness of KKM hospitals. ICU can be a nightmare to manage but somehow, i do enjoy it. I guess thats why i pledged to do Anaesthesia and it is a part of what makes me today. It can be disheartening to decide on life and death issues but again when i am not oncall as often, i do feel fidgety and loathing for that 1 moment of terror.

Another first for Medic Fac UiTM

I must say, when Prof Zamrin said that we will be doing OFF PUMP CABG today, I was a bit worried as my experience in handling off pump is very limited. Alhamdulillah, Prof Amir from HUKM came around to help and facilitate. They have been doing this together before therefore he is the best person to be around for this case today.

And today 2 July 2013, Another history mark in UiTM calendar as the first Off Pump Bypass was succesfully done. Alhamdulillah :)

AOSRA PM 2013 Kuching with love 18-22 June

 SIGRA (Special Interest Group in Regional Anaesthesia)  lobbied for this event 2 years ago and Alhamdulillah we won the bid. The task to organize the biggest Regional Anaesthesia Conference in Malaysia was challenging. MSA did most of the organizing and Shah as the SIGRA Convenor did the necessary to get excellent speakers & facilitators for the event.

 Like our usual MSA meetings, SIGRA members were more than happy to run the hands on workshop. I reckon our workshop and live demo is cool because most overseas conference do not really show how the block is performed on real time patients. We did the workshop in Kuching GH and Alhamdulillah it went well.

 When one of the speakers pulled out, I was asked to replace him. it was a mammoth task considering I am still young and new at this. However, i took the opportunity to speak and it was a real nail biting experience. Interestingly, I did not loose my cool but i guess looking back, i could have done a better job with the content of my presentation:)

 Honestly, I was mostly knackered during the whole conference. The stress of doing the workshop and before presenting totally knocked me off. I did not go anywhere on my own (very unlikely of me!) as I've been here 2 years ago during Yo's wedding. All my evenings were spent with the SIGRA team on the sponsored dinners around town. I guess when you are one of the speaker, the spectrum changes as compared to if you are the participant.

Hari ini dalam sejarah UiTM

Alhamdulillah, 11 June 2013 I am very proud to have been involved in this major leap stone n the history of UiTM. The moment we have been waiting for eagerly; yet rewarded perhaps with the best gift of team. Our first CABG on UiTM soil, the first ever and Im sure will be mentioned in the history books. Alhamdulillah, everything went according to plan and I've just extubated the patient.
It was literally heart stopping but with the full support from all quarters to run this first case it felt good.
Insya Allah.. to better future :)

                                                       crucial moments

                                                    Perfusionist team

Kuantan Century Ride

I registered for it after hearing about it from a riding friend whom I just met. I didn't exactly know what i was putting myself into! There was no proper training but to join in the fun..Why not? As usual.. the motto I've always had. As usual. i suffered.. hahaha
Brought the whole clan of MDQs to support me, well since it was the school holidays at least another place for them to relax. I was lucky as the room i had was big and suited a family with 5 small kids. We stayed at the MS Garden which is the official hotel for this event.I was amazed to see the enthusiastic crowd of riders who came in with the best looking road bikes I've seen. The Malaysian scene is really a happening one at the moment.
I met Rathi in the early hours of the morning for breakfast.Apparently, MS Garden catered especially for riders with an early breakfast time at 4am! Imagine having breakfast at that time! We were then off to UIA at about 630am.

 The sea of bicycles was very prominent. I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere. Certainly the most happening cycling event in Malaysia and Im part of it.

Nearly had a heat stroke but i finished it.. haha Not an easy ride when you start cramping at 100km with 60km to go :)