A story of 4 mothers - Third Mother

Biliary atresia,

in simple words, it means the bloackage of bile duct, congenital type.

Undergoing HIDA scan a few weeks after born,

the child was sent to operate under Kasai surgery.

This times was his second admission after discharged about one week ago.

Came in with the same problem, ascites (with distended stomach).

Mother looked pale.

The child did not sleep well these few nights.

Innocent yellowish eyeballs of the child showed a severe jaundice,indeed.

We optimised every treatment.

An afternoon while doctors and me are having grand round,

mother cried.

Pathetic. Hopeless.

Specialist explained to mother the condition.

The child had to stay strong in order to survive. It solely depends on his condition.

Mother asked whether should she try traditional medicines.

We all gripped in silence.

For sure, we did not encourage.

Yet, sometimes, it may give placebo effect.

Another way to comfort the mother.

After discussing with other specialists,

a stronger antibiotic was given for one and a half months.

Concurrently, the other medications were continued.

Thanks god,

we saw good result.

The stomach get smaller with normal looking eyeballs.

Eventually the regimen was finished and the child was discharged two weeks ago.

I remembered his big big eyes, exactly like the cat in Puss in Boots.

I witnessed his growth, from lying to sitting without support.

I guided him to learn walking.

Mother made her hard decision to move over here just in case his condition worsens at anytime

where he needs the same regimen again.

I felt empathy when I listened to doctors' discussion that

the recurrence is unavoidable,

he just needs the antibiotic whenever until.......

What the child suffered was much more than what we could actually help.

Sometimes,

as a medical professional,

we are not only focusing on the treatment

but also their development and growth.

We might be able to take care of the child as his or her mother,

but we assists.

To help whenever necessary.

What hope that

the child would never admit to ward again

though I believe there is high tendency.

but we pray.

HB to the child of Second Mother

The story never end.

Just one day after her discharge,

she was readmitted again due to fit.

Unexpected episode.

Yet, mother never panic.

And I knew the next day was her birthday. (the mother kept on reminding me before...haha)

Anyway, I planned to celebrate with her.

It was Friday and we had a long time for lunch.

A good time to search for her birthday cake.

Finally, we got it.

Princess birthday cake!

My two colleagues and me gathered after 5pm.

Bringing the cake and walking towards her room.

We managed to give her a surprise.

She indeed happy.

The moment continued with the singing of birthday song and photo taking session.

The sad side was we could not light up candles for her.

You know that she was on oxygen concentrator.

A room full of O2.

And it was late after the celebration.

we rushed back home for dinner, especially me, thinking what to cook for dinner. hehe...

We brought happiness

We cherished her moments.

A story of 4 mothers - Second Mother

Another noble story...

Frequented to hospital since 2008.

A mother gave up her work and started to concentrate on taking care of this little cute girl.

A girl with an extraordinary disease named: Rapid Obesity with hypothalamic dysfunction, hypoventilation and autonomic dysregulation,

in short, ROHHAD syndrome

I bet you never heard of this as I think she is the only one in this country diagnosed with such disease.

Just a few being diagnosed worldwide and she is one of the unlucky guy.

Sadly,

she cannot breathe as normal people.

She depends on oxygen supply from oxygen concentrator, a bulk machine that her mother has to carry to anywhere she goes, school, hospital, home, just to name a few.

With her permanent tracheotomy for breathing purpose, she frequented to hospital due to minor infection. But it is serious to cause her ill as nobody.

You could not believe that mother was moved to KL

and stayed inside hospital KL for 2years when her child was sent to KL for very first diagnosing and treatment.

A hard time for mother for these past 2 years.

Giving up job and fully taking care of her child.

Mother told me, ' I'm bored to being isolated inside the room. I could not go anywhere.'

but yet I could see form her eyes that she was not blaming for anything.

In a morning after ward round finished, I went to her room checking her medications.

And we started conversation.

Mother shared her stories with me.

Mother spent a lot of money and time, buying the feeding machine and learning everything she needed,

Suction-helping to reduce the phlegm and food particles which may block airway

Feeding-mixing milk, blending juice and putting them into the feeding bag before operating it

Giving medications-administering the right drug and dose, especially during crisis

Operating oxygen concentrator-learning by herself in which doctors do not even know how to switch it on...haha

just to name a few.

Basically, mother learned to be a nurse,

a pharmacist,

a physiotherapist,

a doctor, perhaps

a multitasking mother! Thumbs up!

Mother knows medications well.

She knows her child developed allergy to a few medications.

She knows what to give at the right time.

During the conversation,

I noticed that mother suddenly slapped gently at the child's cheek when the child was lazy to give response to mother.

I was surprised at first.

and I knew how stress the mother was.

She was not intended to hurt the child,

soon she hugged the child tight, saying: Sayang ('Oh Dear' in Malay)

with tears

Without her notice, I leave the room.

Sometimes,

we could not understand their feeling

we might feel empathy

but this is true love between mother and child

Cherish your every moment with your dearest mother.

A story of 4 mothers - First Mother

Life isn't simple

isn't as simple as we encountered

this is perhaps the common thought among us

but what these 4 mothers encountered are really not simple

I hope we learn to appreciate what we have and never demand for more

Mother love, I believe, is the greatest love everyone ever feel.

The story of First Mother:

I believe so far she broke the record for the longest stay in the paediatric ward.

A mother with a 1year-old child diagnosed as tuberculosis since 6 months ago, coming from an isolated place in Sarawak.

It isn't surprised to have patient coming to stay for such a long time as we know that only rivers connect those isolated place hidden inside Sarawak.

And most of them could not present to pharmacy counter to collect medications which expire every fortnight.

For the sake of patient health, specialist would choose to retain patient until the whole regimen is completed. You should know that TB would have high chance of recurrence if patient misses out the medications.

She is a mother to 6-7 children and this child is the youngest, perhaps causing the most headache to her.

Yet I believe, she never blame or complain.

Perhaps she might felt lucky for free stay and food in hospital.

Taking care of patient daily needs would be her everyday work.

And sometimes, the other children would come over to pay a visit to their mother, even though they pretended sick and skipped the school.

The story is getting more interesting when another mother joined in her isolated room.

Another mother with TB children, knowing each other in the hospital and befriended since admission.

This mother would pay occasional visit to her, bringing her some food and accompanying her killing time.

So far, the child looks well with good compliance to medications though he may encountered fast breathing and airway exacerbation aka asthma attack.

Not to forget that the child faces global development delay. Not yet able to sit without support even more than 1 years old.

Pray hard for the child for rapid recovery and always in the pink of health.

Ah Goh Kitchen

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HB

Another half an hour

I would call it an end to my 24th anniversary of my life

16.12.2011

Jolted from slumber by a super early 'morning' call at about 12am

the earliest ever phone wish I received

Thanks, Hoo SM for surprising me!

16.12.2011

A usual working day for me

until I found it interesting when

I received a slice of cake from a group of PRPs

with wishing card

and

I was surprised by my two colleagues,

one distracted my attention from

another one that was trying hard to light up candles on birthday cake.

But they in vain.

Anyway, I appreciated a lot for their efforts, making a big surprise for me!

Thanks, Cindy, Corinne! Not to forget dude that shared the cake, Alex and Siew Ping!

16.12.2011

Another call here

right before I finished my movie in cinema

from my secondary school mates

Lee CH, Yong KL, Ong MY, Mah YS, Wong TS, Cheah KH, Cheng SK

(Hope I didn't miss out anyone of you!! Sorry if I did)

unfortunately, my phone battery died

Finding so hard to get phone lending my friend around

Receiving wishes one by one from them

It reminded me the same memory a few years ago

where the almost same group of them called to me

just like today

16.12.2011

I was waiting

waiting for phone call from mum and brother

I felt frustrated after finishing my movie

I phoned mum purposely

yet, she didn't know it was my birthday.

I hinted her only then she realised

Brother called a while after I ended call to mum

'I wished in FB and SMS already.'

Anyhow, I appreciated his call in the end as

he gonna work for night shift and had to rest in daytime

16.12.11

It was over.

Finished my reply for wishes in FB.

Another brand new day is awaiting me.

For the moment

I still remembered how reluctant I was when obtained posting in Sarawak

and it was last year.

People

play

eat

drink

and

grow up together with his or her companions

This is how people develop relationship (of intimate one for friendship) among each other

And there is such a feeling that

makes me to give up my appeal going back West

It appears to me that I started to accept the reality of staying back here

I miss my friends here

I miss every corner of this hospital

I miss anything and everyone here.

Yeah, for the moment, it seems so true for me that

it is a good opportunity

to spend the time before I am leaving for postgrads

at here

Perhaps,

I am not ready to leave my group of friends and neighbour here

for the moment.