Saddam Hussein (1937-2006)

Press statement by TDM.
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Facelift

Tonight's internet connection was rather slow, blamed it on the Taiwan's earth quake.

Over the weekends, spent some 8 hours online, learning and designing my blog.

And, this was how it appeared in Internet Explorer. Damnit.

Read about handsome surgeons and ugly physicians in BMJ.

Meanwhile, saw this shocking video in DBI. Hoax?

Merry Christmas

Hot sunny Sunday

Breezy night

While our friends in the southern part are having sleepless nights due to flood, we in the northern part are enjoying a breezy night with clear sky tonight. What a wonderful weather to spend this Xmas.

Just finished my evening round at midnight, and I received a call from a friend to go for supper. My friend just came back from KL for the Xmas weekends and we headed to his favorite Wan Than Mee in Terengganu Road. This so-called 'famous' Wan Than Mee was so-so only for me. I gave it, 7/10. So, which one is still the best?

I still go for the one next door.

Never judge the biscuits by the tin cover

Bought this tin of biscuits in Tesco some time ago during cheap sale for RM6.60. Real munchy huh, Choc-O, Rich-O, Smiley & Soccer, Romeo, Chess.....

Today, I opened it, and these were what I got. Bloody hell!! No Choc-O, no Rich-O, no Smiley & Soccer, no Romeo, no Chess..... What I got were some real "cheap biscuits". Got cheated! Damn you Munchy's!

The Nagore Place

Passed through this place, a place where I spent part of my early childhood living here, now rejuvenated and rebranded the Nagore Place.

Xmas soon

One of my busiest call, 2 patients collapsed near the same time. The whole hospital had no ventilator left. The old lady with severe sepsis died eventually on a portable ventilator. The young lady who presented with severe headache, was intubated. Later, she was found to have a massive intraventricular bleed.

In the midst of all the "tension", I saw this Xmas tree with the blinking lights.

New Medical Diagnosis

Today, I "took over" one very irritating referal from a private doctor, "for further Mx". The letter was written in a short and small 2 pages of paper, with a list of problems, one of which was "Abnormal Ba meal examination". Ye, a new "medical diagnosis" I supposed.

No detail descriptions/investigations/results or what-so-ever attached. What happen to our professionalism nowadays? No courtesy at all. Expect me (and subject the patient) to full and complete history taking/physical examination/investigation again? In my daily busy clinic?

Teristimewa Adibah

Adibah Noor - Terlalu Istimewa

HKB

Went to HKB today for a-day course in Primary Dermatology.

First time been here, the only MOH hospital with a Unit Perubatan Tradisional.

Generally, I was very impressed with this hospital. Spacious.

Clean and comfortable.

Beautiful buildings with lifts..

Beautiful landscape.

Herba garden, wow.

Kepala Batas town.

Most joyious thing was, I won myself a book, written by a dermatologist from Hospital Selayang. Really salute her for her so enthusiastic effort in promoting education in dermatology for the healthcare workers. She had written 2 books and an atlas of common dermatological diseases. Unfortunately, those books were not for sale (cause they are published by MOH not meant to make profit).

Biggest and Longest

New happening in Penang Island.

Dengue outbreak?

Looked like this building was on fire, but no, it was due to fogging. There has been almost daily fogging over here due to a surge of many dengue cases been notified for the past two weeks.

Day out in KK

As been told beforehand by a friend, we would most probably be brought to two places in town in the day trip out.

One of it was, none other than this, a frozen seafood factory. There were variety of fishes and sotong, all nicely packed and frozen for sale. I don't understand what so special about it, that I supposed I get fresher seafood in Penang. One thing about the price, "eye-propping".

Then, we were brought to this famous Filipino market, just in front of the Le Meridien Hotel. The place is too cramped and stuffy.

Guess, we only needed to walk one row, cause everything is the same.

Nexus Karambunai

Yet, another luxurious resort I got to stay, thanks to drug company. It was a two-day scientific meeting held hundred miles away.

Nexus, which is probably the most exclusive resort in KK, took us nearly 45 minutes ride from the airport.

Located some 30 km northeast of KK, this resort lies on 3,335 acres of unrivalled natural and landscapped surroundings on the spectacular Karambunai Penisula.

My room, which has a garden/golf view, cost a whopping RM760.00 a night.

Though feeling extremely tired of the travelling, it worth the long and exhaustive journey there.

Occupational hazard

Today, we had a mortality discussion on a very sad incidence of a young staff nurse who recently died of tuberculosis.

She was a 23 years old nurse, who presented with one week history of generalized headache. A CT brain initially done was reported as normal.

On further questioning, she gave history of on and off cough for the last two years, started when she was still a student nurse. She also had history of neck swelling with abscess formation. Non of her family members had TB before. She was previously investigated for tuberculosis, but all investigations were apparently normal or non-conclusive.

On the recent admission, her CXR showed some patchy opacities over the left lower zone, with some small cavitations on 'closer' look.

However, her condition deteriorated and the CT brain repeated one week later showed an obstructive hydrocephalus with some hypodense lesion over the left thalamus region.

This was when her sputum later found to be positive for AFB (Acid fast bacilli).

She was thus referred here for emergency EVD.

MRI done few days later clearly showed a well-defined tuberculoma.

Unfortunately, she died ten days later post-op.

It really saddened us that she died in the course of her duty, as the doctors failed to diagnose her as having TB for the past two years, even though she was symptomatic.

Part of the reason, probably because of her atypical CXR and failure to demonstrate a positive sputum.

This come to question on, how save is our working environment nowadays. Just wonder how many percent of us are affected by occupational hazard?

Xmas Mood

Here are some colorful decorations seen in Petaling Street.

S@nway Lagoon

After the Mentari disaster, I met a friend, a budding neurologist, who was staying in S@nway Lagoon Resort Hotel, sponsored by drug company. He was alone and he offered to share his room.

What a marked difference from my previous hotel.

Obviously so, this is a five star hotel.

Five star feeling too.

Five star view.

And, thanks for sharing the bed too.

Pan Mee

Being a fussy Penangite, I've never found any food so distinctive of KL except this one.

I have never missed this particular famous "Petaling Street Backlane Pan Mee", as I called it, every time I am in KL.

Price: RM 3.20 (small)

NADI

So this year again, I had the privilege to attend 5th Practical Diabetes Updates organized by National Diabetes Institute (NADI), at Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre. I rather didn't quite like the venue because Bandar Sunway is located quite far from KL and is not accessible by LRT. So, I took a Metrobus (No 10) from Kotaraya to go there, costing only RM2.50 for a half an hour ride.

Nevertheless, judging from such a huge turn-out, SPCC probably is one of the most 'spacious' venue qualified to host such a big event of the year. However, the food sucs! I did make some comment about the awful food over there in last year event, but probably that had fallen into a deaf ear.

There wasn't anything new anyway, but I did enjoy listening to few of the speakers, particularly Prof. Dato' Khalid Abdul Kadir. He was full of humours, unfortunately few people understood his jokes. I am a big fan of him anyway.

There were quite a number of prominent speakers from the local universities, however, what strikingly missing were those Endocrinologists from UMMC. I don't know why they were not invited (or rather, not interested?). I heard from some friends, there was some political reason.

Whatever it is, I had a great time in KL, though rather rush, and I wasn't able to concentrate much, as I was 'troubled' by an uncomplete project.

Till then, I don't think I would be able to attend next years' event (cause I've been there twice), unless some 'drug co.' is willing to sponsor me.

Sun Inn Mentari Hotel

Went to NADI course last week. Been a 'last minute' person, I found that all the hotel rooms were fully booked a week before. Even the budget Sun Inn Lagoon Hotel was full. I had no choice but to book a room in Sun Inn Mentari, some 500 meter across the road from Sunway Pyramid.

This was what I got, a pretty simple, odd triangular shaped room in the third floor with strong cigarette odour. I purposely requested for a room with window, as I could't imagine myself suffocating to death, which proved to be disaster!

This room was located facing next to the busy highway, yes room with window, and the whole night I only heard car and motorcycle engine noises. Rooms with window cost RM 90 and without, RM 85.

322

My maternal grandmother's house.

The kitchen.

The old "grinding machine" my grandma used to grind rice, to make chee cheong fun.