Friday, October 12, 2018

Journey into parenthood

It all started when I received a phone call from my wife on 2nd Sept 2018. I was on duty for Bokor TA and was in the middle of peak activity for the TA. It was initially a kind of S.O.S whatsapp from my wife asking me to call her on phone. I was very anxious to me a call, thinking something bad could happened, and as my call was pickup I hear a happy and joyous voice of her, shouting that I am gonna become a daddy. It took a 2 minute of silence for me to only realize that i have been standing still without a word after hearing it. I was like are sure honey,talking to myself and figure out exactly, how could that become into being. I need someone to slap me on the face, and when I am looking at the surronds, I noticed that Daniel the TA coordinator was giggling while doing his work on his laptop. He probably saw my awkward respond to the call and could also eavesdrop our conversation through the phone.




mom-to-be shopping spree


Spoil with choices but with lots of questions in mind


However, there were initially few anxious moments after we received  the good news. A day after  I had transferred to a new accommodation barge at Betty Platform, I received another distress Whatsapp messages from my wife that she was going to be admitted into hospital. After getting a much better WIFI  connection at the bridge, I managed to make a call to my wife.  I was told that the doctor had to keep her in ward for close monitoring due to a threatening miscarriage. I started to panic because I was still in the middle of TA Campaign, in the middle of the sea and I could do nothing much except to comfort her over the phone. I figured  out a plan on how to fetch a flight back to KL later in the evening. With the support from the Project Team they put me in a boat back to onshore Serimas Wharf and I was demobilized from Intrepid at 5pm. Along the journey back to Serimas Wharf, I managed to get a flight back to KL at 7pm.
When I reached KLIA2 at 10pm, I became restless and still anxious to know how was my wife doing. Although we were replying messages to know our whereabouts and she has stabilized ever since her admission, I was still worried about her. We kept praying that nothing bad will happen to the baby.
The next day in the morning, I have to wait another 2 hours before I was able to met my wife, due to the Hospital visiting hour starts at 10am. I was allowed to meet my wife and bring her necessities and food at 9am but my wife had to walk out from the ward. Moment I saw her at the alley, I carefully hug her and ask about condition. I saw her quite struggling to make a step to get closer to me. Finally I became calm with my wife in my sight I felt relief for a moment.
The next few days I accompanied her in her bed. As her condition improved, she was sent home on Thursday after staying there for 3 days. We were  being cautioned by the doctor to treat her at utmost care as it is still in the first Trimester.



Satisfying the cravings at PJ Hilton Breakfast Buffet
 WHAT TO EAT
This will be a sticky issue for my wife considering not only she suffered quite a substantial effect of morning sickness, she also having other problem related to gastritis. I have been asking if she has started to feel the cravings, but luckily and unluckily she has not. Lucky because she hasn't started to ask for bizarre and notorious food that a normal pregnant craving mother would ask. I just hope it is not exotic food which I could not get as it was off-season i.e Nasi minyak orang khawin like what mum craved last time. Or something which could be consumed but not daily as what my mom-in-law had pulut durian for 6 months daily.
But, the bad thing of not having yet the craving was she could not eat much and do not know which food suits her well after puking a lot. We have to list down the food that could be cook or buy cancelling from the list, we are limited to a very few selection of food.
However I list down here few foods that could survive till the end of the day.
  • Mee hon goreng
  • Mushroom soup
  • Capati with cheese slice
  • Mee kolok, probably this is one of her cravings because it pop out after we went out from the house
  • Nasi himpit with kuah kacang
  • Her own-cook Spaghetti Oglio.
  • Butterscotch bread.
  • Biskut ping-pong
  • Mee sua- This is a life-saving food
  • Kuih apam sira gula Melaka
How my wife experiencing the morning sickness is something which is what concern us the most. Whenever she was struck, she would lie flat on the couch or bed afterward. The food that caused her to vomit, she would not dare to consumed again as it will traumatized her. Once my wife craving for an Olio Spaghetti that she wanted to cook so much, she end up throwing out from the moment she preparing the food until night time. She said that she will never eat anymore spaghetti during her pregnancy. Sometime she would throw out only certain food portion out of the whole dish which she consumed. For instance, piece of fish or chicken meat and chillies. It became worse when she drink water immediately after taking meal.
Not only the food, she would also throw out if she smell the cooking aroma. It became worse when she was staying at her mom's house as the house was located just above a restaurant situated on the ground floor of the flat. The only way that she will stop throwing up is when we stay in a Hotel or at our house where cooking activity is almost zero. That's when whenever I have training in KL, I will bring my wife to the hotel.



Week 18 Medical Checkup
It was a normal checkup with Dr. Norlida of Hospital Al-Islam in Kg. Baru. Prior to meeting the Dr, my wife has to take few routine Test i.e weight, BP and urine. Considering the wife has yet to have the craving feelings and she could not take the normal staple such as rice, has resulted on her unchanged weight for the past 1 month. What makes thing worse is her gastritis has worsen. She has taken all the medication and the advice given by the doctor, yet the pain did not subside. We were advised to go see the Gastrologist for further treatment. In she goes again being warded for treatment of rib cage cartilage inflammation

Fast track to Week 36 pregnancy(due to old habit of me not religiously updating my blog), it's time for my wife experiencing the "babymoon". PD Lexis Hotel welcomed us where we decided to go for the babymoon. Though it was lay back trip, we sometime have to keep reminding ourselves that the delivery is nearing. That was the reason that we have to limit the activity and confined our activity by enjoying the view overlooking the Straits of Melaka and dipping ourselves in the Jacuzzi at our apartment unit. I personally has almost forgot when was the last time I went to Port Dickson because this time around the trip is worthwhile.








At night we had seafood spot where my wife been there for couple of times before. Typical seafood restaurant that offer limited but still fresh seafood. We pick the usual menu such as sotong goreng tepung, ikan bakar, ketam goreng berlada and not forgetting the otak-otak. Price quite high but whatever you have to pay for the cravings, you just have to fork out.





Thursday, October 11, 2018

It comes, it goes now it comes again

After spending almost RM 75K on a visit to Prince Court Medical Center, what is that nothing about it that can be told about it in the blog. The journey should be chronicled as it has all the element of blood, sweat and tears, literally.
It goes back to 2010, when I was first detected having kidney stones in both of my kidneys. I will share here what could have contributed to the accumulation of the stones including my lifestyle, food that I took and also the nature of the job.These are the potential suspects of the causes of the kidney stone development. But before that let me share the symptoms that I personally observed prior to undergoing the first operation.
1. painful at the back underneath rib cage. Could felt this whenever after i drank juice especially lemon. There was at one time I had to drive from Nestle to home at wee hour, with only one hand on the wheel and the other pressing my back
2. discomfort at my pubic, and i could felt it intermittently
3. traces of blood in urine and sign of infection. After taking quite significant amount of Antibiotics, there is still traces of blood detected dor a few trips to clinic.
The first Operation I had was at Subang Jaya Medical Centre. My case was attended by  a Datuk Urologist Dr. Decision was made after few unsuccesful attempt ro remove the stones by consuming Urals. I was informed that the stones need to be removed theough surgery.

Finally there is a place we can call Home

A home to me is a place to recuperate from ever energy draining activities be it from works or physical activities. It has to be comfy and cozy but not necessary posh. The "feeling at home" ambiance has to be felt at every corner or space in the house. The master bedroom will be the priority area that should have it, followed by living room, dinning hall and kitchen. I have been blessed and fortunate to own a house which has a amazing view and neighbourhood.
The prestine surrounding is a natural remedy after going through a week of hectic schedule in bustling KL. 





Main living area

Master bedroom

Kichen cabinet