The Surgery

Me on the hospital bed!

For all those who don't already know, I went for a surgery to get my back fixed. I've already had a bad back for the longest time - I've been diagnosed with a posterior prolapsed disc in my L4/L5 since 2004. Earlier on, with a combination of Physiotherapy and alternative Chinese treatment, I managed to recover and not have any symptoms for an amazing 7 years! Also I went for Yoga and swam often until I started going deeper into work and stopped those yoga and those swims.

Some time this year I had to chase after a cab (because I left my laptop inside) and then I attended a party where I danced just a little bit too much which aggravated an already bad back after the aforementioned cab chasing incident. I busted my back VERY badly. And off to the doctors I went. After countless consultations, the doctors at NUH recommended surgery to fixed my back. However I wanted to seek a 2nd opinion and by pure serendipity, I managed to get hold of my first doctor from 2004 - he has since become one of the best spine surgeon here, winning many awards! This doctor (Doctor Hee Hwan Tak, now in private practice at Paragon Medical Center) also recommended surgery but his opinion was that my other disc, L5/S1 has also degenerated, so he recommends a disectomy of 2 discs and also to insert a silicon space in the L4/L5 region to make sure that in the future it is not likely to recur again. Now that's a good doctor that thinks long term, like 30 years and more kind of long term.

So a decision was made and off I went to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital on 21st December 2011 for my surgery. And it was the best decision I made to go there. The nurses were THE BEST. They are always cheerful, very attentive, very helpful and always there to take care of me, and the other patients in the ward. I think it is very rare these days, hearing so many stories from my own relatives. These nurses always ask after us, when they had to inject, they are empathetic, saying that they understand that it hurts and comforts the patients, telling them to bear with the pain. The hospital itself looks like a condominium or a SOHO apartment. Beautiful. Food was actually nice and delicious with at least 10 choices for me each day, for patients with dietary restrictions, they also had choices, how rare is that!

The view of the hospital. Does it even look like one?

The QR code tag!

Needless to say I enjoyed my stay. And the love from friends and family are just overwhelming. Too many to name, but really every one made me feel so loved. Thank you to Huiyee, Jeth and Jiahui for being there when my eyes opened, I remember asking for Bak Kwa the moment I spoke. Hahahahahah. Thank you to J-en who accompanied me for many many hours and chatting with me and make me laugh over and over again. Thank you to Lynette for stealing a slot in the afternoon to visit, to Peiling and Xuan for taking that long cab journey over during lunch time, to the Flamingoes for bringing so much joy to the ward, to Seraphina, Leon for making all of us laugh our pants off. To Alexis and Gabby for staying late with me and keeping me entertained with the OK magazine. To Mark and Eunice for the thoughtful homemade cookies. To Joanne for the absolutely cute Giraffe, to Joot and Shaun for the Balloons. And of course to my family and all their love! And finally to Fabian, who despite being so so far away, kept me company and all hours of the day, and for the endless love and missing from India! I miss you BB!

The skunk that kept me company!

Me again!

I can now walk slowly and shower and do all those things myself! Here's to a speedy recover to me!

*note to self: Swim more and go for Pilates or Yoga soon! The physic said the biggest mistake I made was to stop exercising, resulting in a weakened back!

Sydney

A lovely cafe @ Glebe

Photo: Shanna

OMG!!! CUTE TEES

isn't this t-shirt just DAMN CUTE!!!!!!! omg i <3 bug bunny

besides hot guys

Besides hot guys (1), what have i been up to?

mostly i have been keeping up with school work and that is making me busy enough.

I was just having a conversation with amy that day, and she noted that she wasn't feeling particularly motivated in school. But for me, i am feeling one notch lower, i feel unmotivated. (note the fine difference between not particularly motivated and unmotivated).

It just appears that there's this certain air of gloom surrounding year 4s, i saw it in my seniors and i wondered why, and now i am feeling it for myself.

i am almost very sure that i had enough of school and i don't want anymore of it. i am ready to be an adult and to go out there and rule the world!

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1. and by hot guys, i don't mean that i have been sleeping with them!!! i have been exercising my eyes on the web

updates

I have been told to update my blog. Hahaha. its strange that i should update so much less that i am here in melbourne. but i reckon i owe everyone just a really quick summary. I have been here in melbourne for 5 weeks already, and in another 2 weeks i'll be back in sunny singapore.

Spending a lot of quality time with you-know-who, and we even went for a short trip to tasmania. it's such a lovely lovely place, and i promise i will put the pictures up on facebook. we also went for some road trips and in fact this weekend we will be going for another two road trip.

things have been quite ok with everything. work has been pretty alright, but mundane. not exactly learning as much as i would have love to, but still its a job. in other good news, i am going for my interview on wednesday with Whybin\TBWA\Melbourne!!! I am so excited and looking forward to that.

Well what i have been doing? i have been going extremely high listening to remixes!



I miss everyone! see you guys real soon and yes i will blog more

updating

gabby says i haven't been updating alot. well work's been super busy. i wish i could say more but, i'm feeling all weird out. so i'm off to bed.

i want a cuddle

you know you are gay (part 2)...

you know you are gay when:

1. your bag is coveted by your sis and your mom
2. you use sister's blusher
3. you know more about beauty than your sis and mom combined
4. they need your stamp of approval before stepping out of the house
5. when you listen to kylie's in my arms, you start shaking to every single beat!!!!! with THAT look on your face

of school and uncelebrated birthdays

i am in school now, studying hard for my exam which starts in 2 days. haha, around the corner you say. this semester is pretty overwhelming, notice the drop in blog post? haha mostly time is so consumed that whatever time left is dedicated to you-know-who and to my rest!

and i can't even celebrate my birthday cause my mommy will be away in malaysia =( no one to cook 鸡蛋面线 for me. no birthday celebration also because i have like 5 papers the week after my birthday.

let's partay after my exams!!!!

oh, in case you are still scratching your head over what to get me for my birthday, you can:

1. chip in to the 'help kiezin get his furniture fund"
2. a nice vest (size S, unless its really super tiny then m would be fine)
3. of course there's the customary expensive present that if you would want to get me, i would not reject, like er... well well, a... ok LCD television, 32inch and above???

of school and uncelebrated birthdays

i am in school now, studying hard for my exam which starts in 2 days. haha, around the corner you say. this semester is pretty overwhelming, notice the drop in blog post? haha mostly time is so consumed that whatever time left is dedicated to you-know-who and to my rest!

and i can't even celebrate my birthday cause my mommy will be away in malaysia =( no one to cook 鸡蛋面线 for me. no birthday celebration also because i have like 5 papers the week after my birthday.

let's partay after my exams!!!!

oh, in case you are still scratching your head over what to get me for my birthday, you can:

1. chip in to the 'help kiezin get his furniture fund"
2. a nice vest (size S, unless its really super tiny then m would be fine)
3. of course there's the customary expensive present that if you would want to get me, i would not reject, like er... well well, a... ok LCD television, 32inch and above???

support yourself

jia you! exams are around the corner. you can do it. you can support yourself and tide through the exams. go see a doctor for your knee and your throat. at the very least, you must care for yourself.

start of semester

its only the start of the semester, and i am already feeling the heat! =(

what about me?

what about me?

#####

a blog i read said something and i thought that it is indeed so true:

"It’s scary how fast change is today. Yesterday i can say i love you, today i can scream at you for the slightest stupid mistake you made. I even saw people’s feelings change towards each other within hours. It’s alarming, i’d say. I saw how a promise made 24 years ago turn into dust as time rubs away traces of those words uttered. It’s sad, to say the least."

#####

there are some emails that i receive that i appreciate:

If we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in
a matter of days.
But the loved ones we left behind will feel the loss
for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more
into work than into our own loved ones,
an unwise investment indeed,
don't you think?

visual DNA

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