22nd Birthday :)

I just had to write this.
I had the most amazing, fantastic, remarkable, marvelous birthday ever.
Seriously.
So I want to convey my thanks virtually to everyone who made my birthday wonderful. Coz everyone likes to be appreciated, right? :)

Firstly, my family and relatives. Thank you for the nasi dagang at breakfast, the wishes and celebration at home (sorry I made you guys wait til I come back), the scrumptious cake, perfume, personalized towel, kain baju kurung, sweater, card, car sticker (?), book, necklace, eye liner, lip balm and money. Lots of it.

Thank you to si kacak Faiz Mokhtar for the wish, birthday song, little gifts and the oh-so-romantic candle-lit dinner, not forgetting the coming (soon, I hope :P) birthday present, haha.

Thank you to Mas for the wish, cute birthday card, nice car freshener and the fabulous watch! Love it loads!!

Thank you to Fit for wishing and posting the super gorgeous brooches and selendang Lovely!

Thank you to Fazliny for the wish and cute but cannot-be-mentioned-here piece of clothing, hehe :)

Thank you to Sarah, Mer and Suat Wei for the wish, birthday dinner at Chili's and the lipstick. I totally love it!

Thank you to Dalila for the wish and lovely kain!

Thank you to Jun Xuan for the wish and nicely modified horoscope frame :) No wonder we're so compatible ;p

Thank you to Iza for wishing and coming all the way from Sg Petani (;p) to give the silky grey top with the cute paperbag (?) ;)

Thanks Aliah for the wish and cute black shirt and pink selendang. Can't wait to wear it on our next hangout!

Thanks Suriya for wishing on my birthday and giving me that HUGE adorable mug. Anyone fancy a cuppa? ;P

Thank you to Faetz for the wish and lunch (was that a birthday treat even? I'm assuming it is, hehe)

Thank you to Nora for your call, albeit belated ;p

Thank you to Amira, Nora (coursemate), Sam, Hana, Berett, Imran, Bank Islam (?, haha), Inda, Peanut, Jau, Jejan, Myra and Izzati for your smses :)

Thank you to Zack, Alex, Skynext (?), Zul, Iela, Amirul, Chidah, Azim, Etong, Mariani, Nadia, Abby, Shima, Odit, Ashraf, Irfan, Bulost, Haziq, Jp, Nazar, Zatil, Fadilah and Paktam for your virtual wishes, although I reminded some of you, haha.

Thank you to Kak Ija and Mr Sara of SunMed.

Thanks to BF, Mas, Sarah, Imran for wishing multiple times! :)

Thanks to GSC for the free movie coupon.

Thanks to Jusco and Diners Club for various coupons, although I didn't use most of them.

Sigh (happily). I just love birthdays :)

Clinical Attachment III: HTAR Klang

Upon entering the first semester of my final year, me and my coursemates were briefed on our clinical requirements. For the first time ever in the history of audiology in Malaysia (so the drama queen :P) final years will be sent for external clinic in selected hospitals: Putrajaya, Sungai Buloh, Klang, Kuala Terengganu, Seremban and Melaka.
Lucky for me, I was designated to Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang, together with Chun Suan, Umar and si penyibuk Luqman, under the supervision of Cik Siti Aminah.

I must say, it was the best clinical placement yet.
Firstly, the setting. It's quite nice although not completely equipped. I felt at ease working there and they're going to have MyHINT (a speech test) soon. Great! The only thing lacking (in my opinion) is they don't have enough chairs in the room. However, my supervisor did clarify that she doesn't want unnecessary people to overcrowd the room, which I accept as a solid reason even as my legs were giving out on me. (27/8/08: I went back on 25/8 and there were two green bar stools, which were supercool! So no lacking point anymore for HTAR Klang then. It's all goo0oo0od :P)
Talking about supervisors, Cik Siti is definitely a good one. I am all thumbs-up for her. She's patient, helpful, efficient, easy-going and really committed to her profession. I learned a lot from her and seriously, am more confident doing clinic under her supervision than anyone else. Other supervisors simply made me kancheong with their presence or trying-to-be-helpful-but-not interruptions.

I got to observe an ENT operation, tympanoplasty to be exact. It is a surgical procedure of repairing the eardrum. While changing out of the surgical gear, overheard the surgeons saying something like 'I shouldn't have blablabla...' followed by a 'Never mind, you learn by mistake...'. Excuse me? Did I hear her right? Mistake in the operation theatre?? Those sentences only confirmed my doubtfulness on doctors. I hope I don't have to experience situations where my life or my loved ones' lives are at the hands of the doctors. The movie 'Awake' is forever etched in my brain, thanks again to Mas.
Other plus points of doing the placement in Klang include staying at the Nurses Hostel which is just a less-than-10-minutes walk to the hospital and charged at the cheapest rate ever of RM1.00. Was a bit freaked out by the crows' nest in the room initially, but when cleaned, it was an okay room. Besides, on the weekends I didn't stay there as I went back home which is possible for me unless I was placed for example, in Kuala Terengganu. So yeah, quite enjoying myself during the three weeks.
One other important thing is, it's just a 10 minutes drive to the biggest Jusco in Malaysia (I think), Jusco Bukit Tinggi! I don't mind being placed anywhere; as long as there is a decent shopping complex, I'm a happy girl :)
Nothing but good reviews from me for HTAR Klang. Definitely a good place for clinical placement!

Lab Coats ≠ Cafeteria Coats

Ok this post actually goes out to all doctors, pharmacists, labbists (hehe, i meant lab people, e.g. biotechies, microbies, etc), and anyone else who uses the lab coats.
Last month my department invited a guest speaker, Dr Noor Ibrahim Mohamed Sakian, from UKM (of course) to talk about Infection Control, Professional Liability and Pediatric Sedation.
Basically, it's about hygienic practice in audiology. To cut it short, Dr Noor suggested that audiologists (including clinical students) should be wearing the lab coats and gloves during clinic, as currently we are not. However, mindful of his suggestion, it is not practical for audiologists to do so as we do not want children to be scared of us, as in their mindset: lab coats + gloves > doctors = traumatic experience. So what the audiologists can do is maintain a practice as hygienic as possible, e.g. using sterilized soap and not using the same probes on different patients.
Anyway, moving on from the talk, I actually want to emphasize on the use of lab coats. As most are probably aware, lab coats are mainly for hygienic and protection purposes. In fact, according to Jones, VA, white coats are sometimes seen as the distinctive dress of physicians, who have worn them for over 100 years (thus noting the traumatic experience of children as mentioned above).



But that is still beside the point. My point is, people are using lab coats not only during their practice/clinic/research but also during their lunchtime, driving, everywhere!
And that practice, is so NOT hygienic. To quote Dr Noor, lab coats are not cafeteria coats! They're not suppose to protect your working clothes from curry spills! And are you not aware that you are spreading infections by wearing the lab coat all over the place?!
So please, whoever reading this, take note in wearing the lab coat. To be distinct among other professionals is fine; I mean, you studied for 5-6 years, of course you want people to know you're a doctor without having to introduce yourself right? But I am sure not wanting to spread diseases is also an important issue for anyone, so keep your lab coat in your lab/clinic/office okay? No need to wear it around. Plus it'll maintain the whiteness of the lab coat.
So please, do wear lab coats appropriately. Thank you.

Appreciating the Elderly

Being in the audiology field clinically since my 3rd year has exposed me to various types of patients from different backgrounds. However, one aspect common to all, in particular to the geriatric population is that there are families who do not take care of their fragile and old parents. Initially I was surprised and appreciative of independent patients who came in by themselves with their equally old spouses for hearing assessments.
In cases where they need to wear hearing aids, it saddened me when they claimed that they have quite a few children and none seemed to actually want to buy the aids for them. I mean, I know those things are quite expensive, but if there are let say, 5 of them and all are working, surely they could pool in money to at least buy for one side. There are hundreds of applications for hearing aids funding and not all are confirmed to get it. If working-children are able to buy the aids for their own parents, think of how many others who simply are not financially-able, will then deservedly get the funding.
And then there was a case, where his old man accidentally fell off his bike on road and consequently is wheelchair-bound, and has hearing loss. His son actually had the guts to say out loud ‘it’s so difficult to take care of this old man; he is deaf and complains too much’. I was shocked, but my supervisor at that time quickly retorted ‘He took care of you since you were born; now it’s your turn lah’. That got the guy to shut up.
Despite that, there are cases of those who really take good care of their elderly. I had the opportunity to observe a patient who has hearing loss and was accompanied not only by his spouse, but also his son and grandson. Talk about family love! But seriously, people should not take their parents for granted. They’re the ones who brought you into this world in the first place; the least you could do is take care of them.
Here’s a poem complimentary of my bestie, Mas, (a nursing student) which was actually her assignment to interpret, of which I still kept, glued in my clinical notebook. Very touching, and really motivates me to be a better person.

“Crabbit Old Woman”

What do you see, what do you see?
Are you thinking, when you look at me –
A crabbit old woman, not very wise,
Uncertain of habit, with far-away eyes,
Who dribbles her food and makes no reply,
When you say in a loud voice,
I do wish you’d try.
Who seems not to notice the things that you do
And forever is losing a stocking or shoe.
Who, unresisting or not; lets you do as you will
With bathing and feeding the long day is filled.
Is that what you’re thinking,
Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes,
Nurse, you’re looking at me.
I’ll tell you who I am as I sit here so still!
As I rise to your bidding, as I eat at your will.
I’m a small child of 10 with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters, who loved one another –
A young girl of 16 with wings on her feet,
Dreaming that soon now a lover she’ll meet,
A bride soon at 20 – my heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows that I promised to keep.
At 25 now I have young of my own
Who needs me to build a secure happy home;
A woman of 30, my young now grows fast,
Bound to each other with ties that should last;
At 40, my young sons have grown and are gone,
But my man’s beside me to see I don’t mourn;
At 50 once more babies play around my knee,
Again we know children, my loved one and me.
Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead,
I look at the future, I shudder with dread,
For my young are all rearing young of their own,
And I think of the years and the love that I’ve known;
I’m an old woman now and nature is cruel –
Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body is crumbled, grace and vigor depart,
But inside this old carcass, a young girl still dwells,
And now and again my battered heart swells,
I remember the joy, I remember the pain,
And I’m loving and living life over again.
I think of the years all too few – gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact that nothing can last –
So open your eyes, nurse, open and see,
Not a crabbit old woman, look closer –
See Me.

Looking for Subjects

Are/Do you:

1. An adult aged between 50 to 60 years old?
2. A native Malay speaker? (Malaysians please)
3. Have symmetrical normal hearing in both ears?
4. Have type A tympanogram in both ears?
5. Right-handed?
6. Live in Klang Valley?

If you answer yes to all of the above, CONGRATULATIONS! You are eligible to be a subject in my research :)

If you fulfill questions no. 1, 2, 5 and 6 but are not so sure about no. 3 and 4, you are welcome to see me and do a hearing assessment. For FREE!

If you don't fulfill any of those criteria but know someone who does, please do let me know and drop a comment here. Your recommendation is highly appreciated, seriously.

Basically, what I will have the chosen ones @ selected subjects do is to go for a diagnostic hearing assessment which includes Pure Tone Audiometry and Immittance Test and then do a speech test using MyHINT (also known as Malay Hearing in Noise Test) without wearing the EduLink and with the EduLink on both ears and in the left and right ears respectively.

And that's it! Easy-peasy. So anyone interested? :)