The 3 Generations
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Good Intentions
"Eat your vegetables! They are good for you!"
All mums would have said the above to their kid(s) some point in their lives. Being a kid before (hard to believe, but yes have been one), I remember asking myself how can something that tastes so strange be ever good for you? But we trust our parents to know best and they are there to protect us.
As we grow up, through our life paths, we experience new things, face new challenges and we learn to know what is good and bad (or at least what we think is good and bad).
Sometimes our judgment can be clouded, like how some people don't apologise even when they know they are in the wrong, because it involves pride; or when people are so determined to do something that they are passionate about or love, and don't consider the severity of consequences of their actions.
So sometimes, when we think a person cannot make any logical and rational decisions because of this cloudiness, we make the decision that overrides all decisions, for what we think is for the good of all (again can be subjective). The overruled party will inevitable be disappointed, angry, and may even ignore the advices and stick to their own plans.
It is scarily fascinating to note how two persons can have completely different views on the same situation, how one can take things so lightly when the other thinks it is a matter of life and death.
Call me a paranoid, over-reacting, pessimistic, selfish party pooper, but when it comes to protecting people and things I love, I can't be more selfish, can I?
I just hope for understanding and trust, and I still eat my vegetables today.
All mums would have said the above to their kid(s) some point in their lives. Being a kid before (hard to believe, but yes have been one), I remember asking myself how can something that tastes so strange be ever good for you? But we trust our parents to know best and they are there to protect us.
As we grow up, through our life paths, we experience new things, face new challenges and we learn to know what is good and bad (or at least what we think is good and bad).
Sometimes our judgment can be clouded, like how some people don't apologise even when they know they are in the wrong, because it involves pride; or when people are so determined to do something that they are passionate about or love, and don't consider the severity of consequences of their actions.
So sometimes, when we think a person cannot make any logical and rational decisions because of this cloudiness, we make the decision that overrides all decisions, for what we think is for the good of all (again can be subjective). The overruled party will inevitable be disappointed, angry, and may even ignore the advices and stick to their own plans.
It is scarily fascinating to note how two persons can have completely different views on the same situation, how one can take things so lightly when the other thinks it is a matter of life and death.
Call me a paranoid, over-reacting, pessimistic, selfish party pooper, but when it comes to protecting people and things I love, I can't be more selfish, can I?
I just hope for understanding and trust, and I still eat my vegetables today.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Shhhhoooo Shhhickkkk
I have finally succumbed to it.
I thought the flu jab I took years ago was the ultimate vaccine, cos I din fall sick (well, at least not to flu) for almost 2 years, even when I was pregnant.
When my colleague Alice reported to work one day with a pretty serious flu, I withstood any contagions and survived the week without a sniffle.
I guess the last straw was when my boss caught the flu bug, cos I was hanging around him quite a bit, for customer meetings and discussions. And Tamiflu had to expire on one of those days....
Here I am, trying to type with tissue paper in one hand and the other holding my head.
Not wanting Mayenne to catch it from me, I've "deposited" her with my mum for an overnight stay yesterday, but today I feel worse (just took the medicine from the doctor's - takes time to kick in). So Mum asked me to keep Mayenne with her for another night. You're the greatest, Mum!!!
I refrained from carrying Mayenne, afraid that the she will catch the bug from me. But she needed Mummy's comfort and warmth, so she cried and cried, arms outstretched, wanting me to carry her. Breaks my heart.
Mum had to carry her into the bedroom and asked us to quickly leave the house, or else she will keep looking for us and refuse to sleep. We had to quietly and quickly make my exit, and my mum told me the next morning that Mayenne actually slept well last night, which was great.
*aaaaaahhh-choooooo!*
Excuse me, gotta go and rest.
I thought the flu jab I took years ago was the ultimate vaccine, cos I din fall sick (well, at least not to flu) for almost 2 years, even when I was pregnant.
When my colleague Alice reported to work one day with a pretty serious flu, I withstood any contagions and survived the week without a sniffle.
I guess the last straw was when my boss caught the flu bug, cos I was hanging around him quite a bit, for customer meetings and discussions. And Tamiflu had to expire on one of those days....
Here I am, trying to type with tissue paper in one hand and the other holding my head.
Not wanting Mayenne to catch it from me, I've "deposited" her with my mum for an overnight stay yesterday, but today I feel worse (just took the medicine from the doctor's - takes time to kick in). So Mum asked me to keep Mayenne with her for another night. You're the greatest, Mum!!!
I refrained from carrying Mayenne, afraid that the she will catch the bug from me. But she needed Mummy's comfort and warmth, so she cried and cried, arms outstretched, wanting me to carry her. Breaks my heart.
Mum had to carry her into the bedroom and asked us to quickly leave the house, or else she will keep looking for us and refuse to sleep. We had to quietly and quickly make my exit, and my mum told me the next morning that Mayenne actually slept well last night, which was great.
*aaaaaahhh-choooooo!*
Excuse me, gotta go and rest.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Happy Birthday Gramps!
Celebrated Chester's Dad's birthday over the weekend. Here she is trying to sing the birthday song.....
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Matters of the Heart (Part 3)
The day came. My brother and sis-in-law picked me at 5.25am, and then we swung by to pick my dad. There was no exchanges "good mornings" nor did anyone speak. My heart felt so heavy on our way to the hospital, and I can't imagine how Mum would have been feeling, lying on the hospital bed, getting prepared for the surgery.
At 7am, she was pushed to the operating theatre. I cried so hard when the doors closed and we could not go in any further. I was so afraid that that would be the last time I see Mum. After I manage to have a grip on my emotions, we went to the canteen to have a bite, before proceeding to the waiting room, to wait for my mum to finish her surgery.
Dr Tan Ee Teing, the surgeon, advised that the surgery will take about 5 hours. We were the first at the waiting room, but soon it was filled with others who has family or friends going to surgery as well.
I was quite calm, until I saw Dr Tan walked past the waiting room. My mind went wild - what was he doing out here when my mum is suppose to be in surgery? Did something go wrong and he is looking for her family members to inform them? Is he late for the surgery? I dashed out of the waiting room, and saw my dad, who was outside the room, talking to Dr Tan. I heaved out a sigh of relief when I heard that he was running late for the surgery due to overruns in doing his rounds at the ward. So we went back into the waiting room, to wait.
Minutes passed, hours passed. We were all waiting for some news, any news on Mum's development in surgery. It was already passed the supposed 5 hours surgery time, and I was worried sick.
Then, at about 1.45pm, Dr Tan walked pass the waiting room again, already changed and was leaving. Dad and Bro were dozing off as they were so tired, so they did not take note of Dr Tan. Again, I dashed out of the waiting room to catch up with Dr Tan to ask him about Mum. I was then joined by Dad and Bro, and to our greatest relief, Dr Tan said the surgery was a success. But this is not without a scare: Dr Tan told us that towards the end of the operation, my mum's blood pressure suddenly plunged and the surgery team quickly tried to stabilise her condition. Fortunately, her BP returned to normal levels.
It took about 15 minutes before they pushed her into the ICU ward and we were asked to go and see her. To reduce the risk of infection, we can only watch her through a glass panel. Although the worst may be over, her road to recovery will be a long one. Looking at her with all kinds of tubes going into her body, to either put medication into her, or to extract waste tissues in her body post surgery. Her face was as white as sheet.
We took turns to go into the ICU ward to see her, and when she finally woke up, I felt tears rolling down my face. She's gonna be ok.
But we can tell she was in a lot of pain, and the morphine doesn't seem to be enough. She couldn't talk as she has the respiratory tube down her throat to help her breathe, but she kept shaking her head, frowning and tearing. But there was little that we can do.
On the next day, she looked much better - there was tones of redness underneath her skin, sign of good blood circulation. They also remove the breathing tube which according to her was where she was experiencing the most pain. She started to take porridge, but due to the side effects of anesthetic drugs, she kept throwing up. Even when her stomach was empty, she kept puking gastric juices, and the spasms were hurting her chest wounds. All we could do was to assure her that this would be over soon.
Mum was recovering well, and on the 2nd day post surgery, she was transferred to the high dependency ward to recuperate. She was very encouraged to find herself recovering well, but on the 4th day post surgery, the world collapsed again.
Mum was trying to change her position on the bed slightly as her back was feeling hot, so she used her left hand to hold on to the bed rail to adjust herself. Perhaps due to the exertion of strength or just a case of bad luck, Mum suddenly lost all sensation in that arm. Doctors and stroke specialists were called in to evaluate the situation. They quickly arranged to send her for a CT scan to access the severity of the stroke and where the clog may be.
We were relieved to hear that the scan results didn't show any hemorrhage or clogs in her brain. So what caused the stroke? The doctors did another scan in her neck, which yielded no negative reports too. Being a medical matter, it's sometimes hard to say what caused certain events.
Mum then blamed herself for pulling herself up, not knowing that it may have such dire circumstances. She told us that if she knew this is going to happen, she would not have opted for the operation. I then felt extreme guilt and regret as I encouraged her to go through the operation. But when I manage to clear my mind and think it through, it is the only way as without the operation, her life is in danger. If it is any consolation, the paralysis is only in her left arm, and the rest of her body still has full function. Well, at least for now.
Everyday, the occupational therapist will help my mum with simple exercises such as walking and finger movements. They have also made a special cast to hold her hand in a position such that the tendons and nerves don't shrink due to in activity in her affected arm. After a couple of days, Mum said she started to be able to feel some pain in her hand and could wriggle her pinky finger. I was so happy I cried. All the medication she's been taking and exercises she's been doing were aiding in the recovery.
Meanwhile, my brother and I were discussing what happens after she's discharged. We certainly cannot bring her home as the domestic helper has not arrived yet and it would be too much for Dad to take care of her. She also can't stay with us as we all had to work. We found out from our cousin that she knew someone who has gone through heart bypass, and admitted herself in the AMK Community Hospital after discharging from the mainstream hospital to recuperate. There they operated like a hospital, with nurses, therapists and doctors to monitor their recovery. Because of these benefits, the waiting list for admission can be relatively long as patients tend to stay for a while until they are well enough to go home.
Nonetheless, we requested to be considered for admission and requested for doctor's recommendation. A few days later, we were informed that my mum has been accepted as there were some patients who have discharged and there was a bed space available for her. We were so relieved to hear that and glad that she will receive good and specialised care which will help in her recuperation.
Her stay lasted 3 weeks at the AMK Hospital. Mum's bed was the furthest from the ward's main door, which gave more privacy and was less noisy. Mum actually said that the stay didn't feel that long as she had people to talk to in the ward, and the frequent exercises, meals, visitations helped time to pass faster. By the time of discharge, her arm has regained almost 70% of her strength and mobility. Doctors were confident of a full recovery, with home exercises and discipline (ie no carrying of heavy objects).
On 25 Nov 2008, Mum left the hospital for good and we were all very happy to bring her home. When she stepped into her house for the first time in more than 5 weeks, I could see her relief and gratefulness on her face. On the same day, we also went to pick up our maid Sunarti and introduced her to the family.
Everything is going to be fine now.
Thank you God , for the successful surgery, the caring doctors and medical staff who attended to my mum, to my in-laws and for all the people who has extended their help in one way or the other, for giving us strength to see through this period, for the good babysitter we found in the very short notice ....... for everything.
At 7am, she was pushed to the operating theatre. I cried so hard when the doors closed and we could not go in any further. I was so afraid that that would be the last time I see Mum. After I manage to have a grip on my emotions, we went to the canteen to have a bite, before proceeding to the waiting room, to wait for my mum to finish her surgery.
Dr Tan Ee Teing, the surgeon, advised that the surgery will take about 5 hours. We were the first at the waiting room, but soon it was filled with others who has family or friends going to surgery as well.
I was quite calm, until I saw Dr Tan walked past the waiting room. My mind went wild - what was he doing out here when my mum is suppose to be in surgery? Did something go wrong and he is looking for her family members to inform them? Is he late for the surgery? I dashed out of the waiting room, and saw my dad, who was outside the room, talking to Dr Tan. I heaved out a sigh of relief when I heard that he was running late for the surgery due to overruns in doing his rounds at the ward. So we went back into the waiting room, to wait.
Minutes passed, hours passed. We were all waiting for some news, any news on Mum's development in surgery. It was already passed the supposed 5 hours surgery time, and I was worried sick.
Then, at about 1.45pm, Dr Tan walked pass the waiting room again, already changed and was leaving. Dad and Bro were dozing off as they were so tired, so they did not take note of Dr Tan. Again, I dashed out of the waiting room to catch up with Dr Tan to ask him about Mum. I was then joined by Dad and Bro, and to our greatest relief, Dr Tan said the surgery was a success. But this is not without a scare: Dr Tan told us that towards the end of the operation, my mum's blood pressure suddenly plunged and the surgery team quickly tried to stabilise her condition. Fortunately, her BP returned to normal levels.
It took about 15 minutes before they pushed her into the ICU ward and we were asked to go and see her. To reduce the risk of infection, we can only watch her through a glass panel. Although the worst may be over, her road to recovery will be a long one. Looking at her with all kinds of tubes going into her body, to either put medication into her, or to extract waste tissues in her body post surgery. Her face was as white as sheet.
We took turns to go into the ICU ward to see her, and when she finally woke up, I felt tears rolling down my face. She's gonna be ok.
But we can tell she was in a lot of pain, and the morphine doesn't seem to be enough. She couldn't talk as she has the respiratory tube down her throat to help her breathe, but she kept shaking her head, frowning and tearing. But there was little that we can do.
On the next day, she looked much better - there was tones of redness underneath her skin, sign of good blood circulation. They also remove the breathing tube which according to her was where she was experiencing the most pain. She started to take porridge, but due to the side effects of anesthetic drugs, she kept throwing up. Even when her stomach was empty, she kept puking gastric juices, and the spasms were hurting her chest wounds. All we could do was to assure her that this would be over soon.
Mum was recovering well, and on the 2nd day post surgery, she was transferred to the high dependency ward to recuperate. She was very encouraged to find herself recovering well, but on the 4th day post surgery, the world collapsed again.
Mum was trying to change her position on the bed slightly as her back was feeling hot, so she used her left hand to hold on to the bed rail to adjust herself. Perhaps due to the exertion of strength or just a case of bad luck, Mum suddenly lost all sensation in that arm. Doctors and stroke specialists were called in to evaluate the situation. They quickly arranged to send her for a CT scan to access the severity of the stroke and where the clog may be.
We were relieved to hear that the scan results didn't show any hemorrhage or clogs in her brain. So what caused the stroke? The doctors did another scan in her neck, which yielded no negative reports too. Being a medical matter, it's sometimes hard to say what caused certain events.
Mum then blamed herself for pulling herself up, not knowing that it may have such dire circumstances. She told us that if she knew this is going to happen, she would not have opted for the operation. I then felt extreme guilt and regret as I encouraged her to go through the operation. But when I manage to clear my mind and think it through, it is the only way as without the operation, her life is in danger. If it is any consolation, the paralysis is only in her left arm, and the rest of her body still has full function. Well, at least for now.
Everyday, the occupational therapist will help my mum with simple exercises such as walking and finger movements. They have also made a special cast to hold her hand in a position such that the tendons and nerves don't shrink due to in activity in her affected arm. After a couple of days, Mum said she started to be able to feel some pain in her hand and could wriggle her pinky finger. I was so happy I cried. All the medication she's been taking and exercises she's been doing were aiding in the recovery.
Meanwhile, my brother and I were discussing what happens after she's discharged. We certainly cannot bring her home as the domestic helper has not arrived yet and it would be too much for Dad to take care of her. She also can't stay with us as we all had to work. We found out from our cousin that she knew someone who has gone through heart bypass, and admitted herself in the AMK Community Hospital after discharging from the mainstream hospital to recuperate. There they operated like a hospital, with nurses, therapists and doctors to monitor their recovery. Because of these benefits, the waiting list for admission can be relatively long as patients tend to stay for a while until they are well enough to go home.
Nonetheless, we requested to be considered for admission and requested for doctor's recommendation. A few days later, we were informed that my mum has been accepted as there were some patients who have discharged and there was a bed space available for her. We were so relieved to hear that and glad that she will receive good and specialised care which will help in her recuperation.
Her stay lasted 3 weeks at the AMK Hospital. Mum's bed was the furthest from the ward's main door, which gave more privacy and was less noisy. Mum actually said that the stay didn't feel that long as she had people to talk to in the ward, and the frequent exercises, meals, visitations helped time to pass faster. By the time of discharge, her arm has regained almost 70% of her strength and mobility. Doctors were confident of a full recovery, with home exercises and discipline (ie no carrying of heavy objects).
On 25 Nov 2008, Mum left the hospital for good and we were all very happy to bring her home. When she stepped into her house for the first time in more than 5 weeks, I could see her relief and gratefulness on her face. On the same day, we also went to pick up our maid Sunarti and introduced her to the family.
Everything is going to be fine now.
Thank you God , for the successful surgery, the caring doctors and medical staff who attended to my mum, to my in-laws and for all the people who has extended their help in one way or the other, for giving us strength to see through this period, for the good babysitter we found in the very short notice ....... for everything.
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Matters of the Heart (Part 2)
Doctors told us that given Mum's condition, she's actually lucky to have been sent to the hospital in time. Nonetheless, we were given 2 options: (1) to do a heart bypass, or (2) take blood thinning medication and hope for the best. Mum gleefully opted for the 2nd and her mind was set on going home.
But we all know that there is actually no choice - she may have an attack again and may not be that lucky the next time. I guess she's in denial of the situation and was afraid to take the chance for a better quality of life after a bypass when mortality could be the end result of the op.
Then she continued to experience chest pains and was given a series of medication to help her cope better. The doctors were very concerned and transferred her to the High Dependency ward for closer monitoring. I believe it was then she realised the severity of the situation and finally agreed to the surgery, but not after the angiogram specialist took the time to explain her condition to her and persuade her to do the surgery.
She was trying to keep her spirits up, but many times, usually when we talk about Mayenne, her eyes would well up.
The surgery date was originally scheduled on 1Nov07, which was at least 1.5 weeks from the time she had her angiogram. That seemed like a long wait, but we didn't have a choice as the operating theatres are fully booked. We were concerned that Mum will worry and think of things that will make her more sad while waiting for her turn for the operation.
She was still experiencing angina, and was getting more and more breathless and weaker by the day. We could literally see life draining from her, and the doctors were very concerned about her condition. Her surgeon then decided to request for an emergency operation by taking over a slot for a non-emergency operation, and the date was 26Oct.
...... to be continued
But we all know that there is actually no choice - she may have an attack again and may not be that lucky the next time. I guess she's in denial of the situation and was afraid to take the chance for a better quality of life after a bypass when mortality could be the end result of the op.
Then she continued to experience chest pains and was given a series of medication to help her cope better. The doctors were very concerned and transferred her to the High Dependency ward for closer monitoring. I believe it was then she realised the severity of the situation and finally agreed to the surgery, but not after the angiogram specialist took the time to explain her condition to her and persuade her to do the surgery.
She was trying to keep her spirits up, but many times, usually when we talk about Mayenne, her eyes would well up.
The surgery date was originally scheduled on 1Nov07, which was at least 1.5 weeks from the time she had her angiogram. That seemed like a long wait, but we didn't have a choice as the operating theatres are fully booked. We were concerned that Mum will worry and think of things that will make her more sad while waiting for her turn for the operation.
She was still experiencing angina, and was getting more and more breathless and weaker by the day. We could literally see life draining from her, and the doctors were very concerned about her condition. Her surgeon then decided to request for an emergency operation by taking over a slot for a non-emergency operation, and the date was 26Oct.
...... to be continued
Monday, November 26, 2007
Matters of the Heart - Part 1
It has been more than a month since my last blog. It is not that I have nothing to update; on the contrary, that's so much to say that I don't even know where and how to start.
I've titled this blog "Matters of the Heart", cos it's really all about that.
My mum, with the exception of a persistent high blood pressure and being mildly diabetic, has always seemed fit. When she was taking care of Mayenne over the last few months, she did complain of some tightness in her chest, but she brushed it off, citing old age and lack of exercise. Nonetheless, the tightness apparently developed into breathlessness and pain, but she didn't tell anyone.
On the Saturday of 20 October 2007, she went to a sinseh for a quick rub for her aching wrist. On her way home, she experienced symptoms of angina (pain in chest, nausea, cold sweat etc). But she didn't see a doctor immediately and went home to rest instead. But the pain got worse, and I only found out that she was unwell when I called her to chat with her.
Her being home alone, I was worried that she may collapse anytime, so I called my brother Cedric to go over to Mum's place to take a look as I was also home alone with Mayenne. When my brother arrived, he was very worried with what he saw - a very pale face, very shallow breaths, and she couldn't even stand without support. He rushed her to SGH A&E (actually she saw a doctor at TTH prior to this attack, which makes blood boil even thinking about it - I will talk more about this in another post).
The doctors and nurses at SGH promptly ushered her to do all the appropriate tests, to determine if she has a heart failure. While the preliminary results revealed that there are no enzymes in her blood, ie her heart is still ok, doctors were concerned about the irregularities in her heartbeats, reflected in her ECG. They recommended for her to go for an angiogram, to see if there are any blockages to her arteries.
All this while, I was at home with Mayenne as I couldn't really bring Mayenne to the hospital and it was logistically challenging as Chester took the car out for work. I could only rely on my brother to update me on my mum's progress, which was not very much.
She was then scheduled for the angiogram within the next 2 days. We didn't think too much about it, cos my dad went through the exact same procedure a couple of years back, and went on to do an angioplasty to open up the blockage he had in one of his arteries.
Now that the sole care giver of my baby was indisposed, I have to take leave to take care of Mayenne myself. Fortunately I still have a couple of days of my annual leave left, so it wasn't such a big issue. The problem I had was that I need to be at the hospital to accompany my mum, but I couldn't bring Mayenne with me (hospitals are no place for infants this young).
Then my MIL offered to take a few days of urgent leave to help me take care of Mayenne. I am very grateful for her kind gesture as I know she wasn't accustomed to taking care of infants (it's been a long time since her kids were babies), but yet she was willing to try and help me out.
On the day of the angiogram, after I sent Mayenne over to my MIL's place, I took a cab and headed to SGH. On my way there, I received an SMS from my brother. It read:
"Not so good news. Angiogram shows all her main arteries are seriously blocked. Cannot do angioplasty. She needs a heart bypass."
I cried in the cab.
(to be continued .............. )
I've titled this blog "Matters of the Heart", cos it's really all about that.
My mum, with the exception of a persistent high blood pressure and being mildly diabetic, has always seemed fit. When she was taking care of Mayenne over the last few months, she did complain of some tightness in her chest, but she brushed it off, citing old age and lack of exercise. Nonetheless, the tightness apparently developed into breathlessness and pain, but she didn't tell anyone.
On the Saturday of 20 October 2007, she went to a sinseh for a quick rub for her aching wrist. On her way home, she experienced symptoms of angina (pain in chest, nausea, cold sweat etc). But she didn't see a doctor immediately and went home to rest instead. But the pain got worse, and I only found out that she was unwell when I called her to chat with her.
Her being home alone, I was worried that she may collapse anytime, so I called my brother Cedric to go over to Mum's place to take a look as I was also home alone with Mayenne. When my brother arrived, he was very worried with what he saw - a very pale face, very shallow breaths, and she couldn't even stand without support. He rushed her to SGH A&E (actually she saw a doctor at TTH prior to this attack, which makes blood boil even thinking about it - I will talk more about this in another post).
The doctors and nurses at SGH promptly ushered her to do all the appropriate tests, to determine if she has a heart failure. While the preliminary results revealed that there are no enzymes in her blood, ie her heart is still ok, doctors were concerned about the irregularities in her heartbeats, reflected in her ECG. They recommended for her to go for an angiogram, to see if there are any blockages to her arteries.
All this while, I was at home with Mayenne as I couldn't really bring Mayenne to the hospital and it was logistically challenging as Chester took the car out for work. I could only rely on my brother to update me on my mum's progress, which was not very much.
She was then scheduled for the angiogram within the next 2 days. We didn't think too much about it, cos my dad went through the exact same procedure a couple of years back, and went on to do an angioplasty to open up the blockage he had in one of his arteries.
Now that the sole care giver of my baby was indisposed, I have to take leave to take care of Mayenne myself. Fortunately I still have a couple of days of my annual leave left, so it wasn't such a big issue. The problem I had was that I need to be at the hospital to accompany my mum, but I couldn't bring Mayenne with me (hospitals are no place for infants this young).
Then my MIL offered to take a few days of urgent leave to help me take care of Mayenne. I am very grateful for her kind gesture as I know she wasn't accustomed to taking care of infants (it's been a long time since her kids were babies), but yet she was willing to try and help me out.
On the day of the angiogram, after I sent Mayenne over to my MIL's place, I took a cab and headed to SGH. On my way there, I received an SMS from my brother. It read:
"Not so good news. Angiogram shows all her main arteries are seriously blocked. Cannot do angioplasty. She needs a heart bypass."
I cried in the cab.
(to be continued .............. )
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Celebrating Po Po's Birthday
We celebrated my mum's birthday last Sunday, together with my brother Cedric and sis-in-law Karynn. This would also be our first outing together.
Ced came to pick us at about 10.45am (our car is not ready yet) and we then headed for my mum's place which is just a 3-min drive away from where I stay. As Mayenne has not visited grandma's place before, we brought Mayenne upstairs to jor-jor (hang around). I guess she was overwhelmed about being at a new place, she bawled and was inconsolable. However, when my mum offered her an angpow, she was calmly took it and stopped crying. Bravo.
I'm getting there.... closer....
heh heh heh..... got it
(but must still pretend to sulk)
We then made our way to Kam Boat at Marina Square for some dim sum. Mayenne was fussing a bit when we were settling down at the table, but soon fell fast asleep, giving us some peace to enjoy our food.
After a short nap and feeling refreshed, Mayenne was all energetic and ecstatic. May be she's just thrilled on her first shopping day; may be she's just glad she's out of the house. Here are some happy moments she shared with Grandma.
Here's one for the album.
I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and clean the nursery room was at Marina Square. The changing table was padded and there was ample space to manoveur within the room. One thing that could be improved would be to make the door to the room swing outwards, as I was nearly hit by the door when someone barged in, thinking it was a toilet (and of course, no apology was offered).
It's been a long while since we (I mean I) shopped, so we walked quite a bit, venturing between Marina Square and Suntec. Mayenne was rather cooperative, drifting in and out of sleep in her stroller as we pushed her along. It was only towards the end of the day when she got cranky and was refusing her milk though she didn't drink much the whole afternoon.
All in all, I enjoyed myself on Sunday, but was pooped at the end of it. And this is with my mum's help. With more practice (after getting our own car), I guess I should be able to manage without my mum, and could start going to more adventurous places, such as parks, beaches etc.
Meanwhile, I'm just going to stick to air-conditioned places with nursery rooms.
Ced came to pick us at about 10.45am (our car is not ready yet) and we then headed for my mum's place which is just a 3-min drive away from where I stay. As Mayenne has not visited grandma's place before, we brought Mayenne upstairs to jor-jor (hang around). I guess she was overwhelmed about being at a new place, she bawled and was inconsolable. However, when my mum offered her an angpow, she was calmly took it and stopped crying. Bravo.
I'm getting there.... closer....
heh heh heh..... got it(but must still pretend to sulk)
We then made our way to Kam Boat at Marina Square for some dim sum. Mayenne was fussing a bit when we were settling down at the table, but soon fell fast asleep, giving us some peace to enjoy our food.
After a short nap and feeling refreshed, Mayenne was all energetic and ecstatic. May be she's just thrilled on her first shopping day; may be she's just glad she's out of the house. Here are some happy moments she shared with Grandma.
Here's one for the album.
I was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable and clean the nursery room was at Marina Square. The changing table was padded and there was ample space to manoveur within the room. One thing that could be improved would be to make the door to the room swing outwards, as I was nearly hit by the door when someone barged in, thinking it was a toilet (and of course, no apology was offered).
It's been a long while since we (I mean I) shopped, so we walked quite a bit, venturing between Marina Square and Suntec. Mayenne was rather cooperative, drifting in and out of sleep in her stroller as we pushed her along. It was only towards the end of the day when she got cranky and was refusing her milk though she didn't drink much the whole afternoon.
All in all, I enjoyed myself on Sunday, but was pooped at the end of it. And this is with my mum's help. With more practice (after getting our own car), I guess I should be able to manage without my mum, and could start going to more adventurous places, such as parks, beaches etc.
Meanwhile, I'm just going to stick to air-conditioned places with nursery rooms.
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Mayenne & Daddy
In one of our conversations on parenting, my MIL was relating how little my FIL participated in the initial stages of Chester's babyhood. According to her, he hardly carried the baby, what more change a diaper or bathed him.
I guess back in those days, men are viewed as sole-bread winners (point to note though is that my MIL also works) and child bearing and rearing are left to the women.
How times have changed and am I glad it did. Here are some stolen moments I caught of the father and daughter, spending some quality time together.
I guess back in those days, men are viewed as sole-bread winners (point to note though is that my MIL also works) and child bearing and rearing are left to the women.
How times have changed and am I glad it did. Here are some stolen moments I caught of the father and daughter, spending some quality time together.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Responsibilities
There were recently a couple of newspaper articles reporting how parents queued up way before the actual date for Phase 3 of the Primary One registration, only to find out that there are no more vacancies as the MOE website did not update the number of seats left.
My heart goes out to these parents, who pinned their hopes on getting the last few positions in the school of their choice, only to be disappointed.
I had lunch with a dear friend (who shall remain anonymous) this afternoon, he remarked in jest how his parents did not plan well for him (compared to his brother), as he attended neighbourhood schools which became defunct. So he was lamenting that when his kids are due for Primary One, he will have no alma matar privileges and have to compete with the rest of the non-affiliated members of the public.
Looking at this example, I was very concerned, to think that the planning for our grandkids' future starts now, with what I plan for my daughter. Besides education, the values we instill in her will affect what she'll become and how she'll raise her own kids.
The responsibility is immense.
But I'm sure all parents will do their utmost to give their own children their best, AND hope for the best. I'll be no different.
My heart goes out to these parents, who pinned their hopes on getting the last few positions in the school of their choice, only to be disappointed.
I had lunch with a dear friend (who shall remain anonymous) this afternoon, he remarked in jest how his parents did not plan well for him (compared to his brother), as he attended neighbourhood schools which became defunct. So he was lamenting that when his kids are due for Primary One, he will have no alma matar privileges and have to compete with the rest of the non-affiliated members of the public.
Looking at this example, I was very concerned, to think that the planning for our grandkids' future starts now, with what I plan for my daughter. Besides education, the values we instill in her will affect what she'll become and how she'll raise her own kids.
The responsibility is immense.
But I'm sure all parents will do their utmost to give their own children their best, AND hope for the best. I'll be no different.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Mums & Babes
There have been a lot of arguments (friendly ones) as to who Mayenne resembles more, Chester Highland Street
Feeling nostalgic, I took a photo in a similar pose with Mayenne too.
Me and Mum
Me and Mayenne
Here are some photos of Chester
Baby
+
Baby Angie
||
Baby Mayenne!
Friday, August 17, 2007
Mummy Dearest
Today marks the end of my maternity leave of 3 months. But I've applied for another 2 weeks' leave from my annual leave so that I can spend more time with Mayenne.
These 3 months, which I initially thought will be painfully long before I delivered Mayenne in May, whizzed past me in a blink of an eye.
The 1st month of confinement was a little crazy; trying to adapt to motherhood, endless feeds and diaper changes, brushes with the confinement lady..... time flew, and before I knew it, we were celebrating Mayenne's first month.
2nd and 3rd months were more manageable and enjoyable, as Mayenne's feeding and sleeping patterns are more defined and she started interacting with us. It was also largely attributed to my mum coming over everyday on weekdays (sometimes she stays overnight), to help take care of Mayenne.
Whilst I feel really bad that she needs to wake up middle of the night to feed Mayenne, and that I insisted that I do it instead, she said she would prefer to use this time as training ground as she will be taking care of Mayenne when I return to work.
My mum quit her job in May in anticipation of the birth of her first grandchild and she has offered to take care of her. To me, this is such a big sacrifice, though some people think it's no big deal as grandparents look after their grandchildren all the time.
She has been a housewife all her life, until I entered Uni and my brother got enlisted into the army. She was finally getting to have a life of her own, making new friends and engaging in various social activities like line dancing and karaoking, but she gave up all these for Mayenne and me. I was really touched by her actions.
That being said, the older folks have their own thoughts and ways of doing things, which I may not see eye to eye. Given my fairly short fuse, sometimes I'll snap at Mum for things she didn't do right, eg left steriliser cover tilted (so sterilisation was not done properly), wore Mayenne's clothes backwards front etc.
I hate myself for raising my voice at her, and I've been trying to stop doing so. I tell myself to be more understanding as Mum is no longer young, and it is inevitable that she may be a little careless and forgetful.
Besides, she has been doing all the marketing, cooking and washing of Mayenne's clothes (by hand). What more can I ask for......
I ask myself: Would I be able do the same for Mayenne in the future? What if the person taking care of Mayenne was someone else eg my MIL, and she makes the same mistakes - would I yell at her?
I do not say this often enough - I love you, Mum, and THANK YOU.
These 3 months, which I initially thought will be painfully long before I delivered Mayenne in May, whizzed past me in a blink of an eye.
The 1st month of confinement was a little crazy; trying to adapt to motherhood, endless feeds and diaper changes, brushes with the confinement lady..... time flew, and before I knew it, we were celebrating Mayenne's first month.
2nd and 3rd months were more manageable and enjoyable, as Mayenne's feeding and sleeping patterns are more defined and she started interacting with us. It was also largely attributed to my mum coming over everyday on weekdays (sometimes she stays overnight), to help take care of Mayenne.
Whilst I feel really bad that she needs to wake up middle of the night to feed Mayenne, and that I insisted that I do it instead, she said she would prefer to use this time as training ground as she will be taking care of Mayenne when I return to work.
My mum quit her job in May in anticipation of the birth of her first grandchild and she has offered to take care of her. To me, this is such a big sacrifice, though some people think it's no big deal as grandparents look after their grandchildren all the time.
She has been a housewife all her life, until I entered Uni and my brother got enlisted into the army. She was finally getting to have a life of her own, making new friends and engaging in various social activities like line dancing and karaoking, but she gave up all these for Mayenne and me. I was really touched by her actions.
That being said, the older folks have their own thoughts and ways of doing things, which I may not see eye to eye. Given my fairly short fuse, sometimes I'll snap at Mum for things she didn't do right, eg left steriliser cover tilted (so sterilisation was not done properly), wore Mayenne's clothes backwards front etc.
I hate myself for raising my voice at her, and I've been trying to stop doing so. I tell myself to be more understanding as Mum is no longer young, and it is inevitable that she may be a little careless and forgetful.
Besides, she has been doing all the marketing, cooking and washing of Mayenne's clothes (by hand). What more can I ask for......
I ask myself: Would I be able do the same for Mayenne in the future? What if the person taking care of Mayenne was someone else eg my MIL, and she makes the same mistakes - would I yell at her?
I do not say this often enough - I love you, Mum, and THANK YOU.
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