Happy Lunar New Year 2021

Salam my lovelies,

Happy Lunar New Year!

Girl and Bean were attending online classes with assessments followed by Assembly on Lunar New Year Eve before we converted the huge dining table now also known as "the office/Girl's classroom" into a table decked in all things celebratory and set, fit for reunion dinner at 5:30 p.m.

The MCO2.0 SOP allowed for The Grandparents to come over (2 in a car, perfect!) to save us from the hassle of travel (2 per car, family of 4, you get the drift!). We are thankful for living within 10 km of each other now, although we certainly miss the convenience of a hospital and nearby facilities within the city centre where we were. 

A joyous time was shared with prosperity salad toss, reunion feast from an ex-school mate's restaurant and tea ceremony-hong bao exchange. Girl and Bean are now used to this routine/complied 100% with happy hearts. Syukur alhamdulillah!

The was a health scare in the week leading up to the Lunar New Year though.

I found a large engorgement/swelling on my left arm/armpit area and went to consult my specialists. 2 ultrasounds at different hospitals and a week of antibiotics later, now, I am waiting for MRI with contrast at Prince Court Medical Centre (the injector battery spoilt just after I registered that morning!). Prima facie from ultrasounds, neuro tumour. Let's pray it is not malignant, as the blood test came back in my favour (meaning CA markers are negative).

Let's enjoy the week of breather now before the hustle bustle resumes.

Have a lovely NIU year ahead and wishing all an ox-picious time with loved ones.

Till next time, take care and stay blessed.

P/S: I went back for CT Scan and a surgery at Prince Court. The surgical team and nurses at Ward 5G were a huge blessing. Highly skilled, helpful and cheerful. Wonderful service with great bedside manners. Catering was excellent. Housekeeping was responsive. Best part of all: my biopsy report is negative for malignancy. Syukur alhamdulillah.

Intramuscular Lipoma

No, this is not WebMD. This is an account of what happened to The Other Half.

On 3 June 2017, I had 2 moles surgically excised and they were sent to Pantai Hospital for biopsy. Run of the mill, we can safely expect "benign" in the report. Done and dusted, right?

On 4 June 2017, at bedtime, The Other Half informed me he has this lump on his left side back of head that has been causing him not to be able to sleep comfortably on that side. It was covered with hair and was not obvious unless we touched it.

Once the kids were dropped off at school on 5 June 2017, we met at Prince Court. The Other Half was sent to primary care physician at ER first, who then referred him to Radiology Department for an ultrasound.

The results came back as intramuscular lipoma. We saw the sac, with its pulsating blood supply. It was 0.7cm x 2.7 cm. 

The primary care physician then referred The Other Half to a dermatologist.We felt something was amiss and immediately contacted a specialist surgeon friend of mine.

True enough.

A dermatologist would not have been able to resolve the issue.

A flurry of text messages were exchanged as my friends was on a short family vacation. The Other Half went to see his nurse on duty and they both managed to book an operating slot for lipectomy for 9 June 2017, right after a surgery by the same specialist surgeon for another friend of mine from our little Patient Support Group. It was going to be an all day affair and an overnight stay for us.

The kids were sent to The House after school on 8 June 2017, to be looked after by The Grandparents. They both skipped school on 9 June 2017.

The lipectomy went as planned without drama. I was blessed to be able to support both my friend and my husband in the same hospital on the same day. Both postoperative reviews that evening were satisfactory and follow-up before discharge reviews were also good. I was really grateful to my friend for doing such a marvellous job too!

The Other Half recovered well, he stayed alert and was not nauseous after the GA. We particularly enjoyed the Junior Suite as opposed to a single standard ward which I used to book into. The extra space somehow alleviated our stress. We watched CNN and followed the news of UK2017 General Elections in the living room. I had my own little bedroom and ensuite bathroom. Ward 5H nurses were kind and caring at all hours.

Numbness at the top of his head where the lipoma was pressing on an artery is now no longer an issue. He was discharged on 10 June 2017, the kids were sent home to The Flat by The Grandparents just before dinner time and life as we knew it - resumed.

Syukur alhamdulillah. 

Biopsy results will be out later this week. InshaAllah, we are praying for good results.

P/S: Benign, alhamdulillah! Thank you for all your prayers.

Negative

Sometimes, "Negative" is a fabulous word.

Of late, when receiving biopsy reports, I pray to hear this word.

Alhamdulillah I was blessed with "Negative" for BRCA1 and BRCA2 yesterday.

In another part of my body, my thyroid, something else is growing.

We found follicular multinodular goitre and the largest of them is 2.8cm. Ultrasound after 90 days will follow. Blood tests came back normal so not too much to worry about except my occasional fatigue. The TSH, T3 and T4 readings were all normal and the fine needle aspiration cytology report is benign.

Yes, I got second opinion (in fact it was at Gleneagles, completely independent of Prince Court).

In the meantime, let's pray for the best outcome. I am NOT looking forward to total thyroidectomy and being dependent on supplements for the rest of my life. Hopefully, I will never need TT and supplements dependency - AAMIIN.

Reconstruction Via Fat Graft

I did it and I am glad I did.

My pancakes/raisins/potholes conditions have improved. I do not feel depressed looking at myself in the mirror now, unlike in the beginning when it was just really sad to have 2  misshapen and asymmetrical cavities for what once were my breasts.

You can email me at hannah.zulkifli@gmail.com if you are a:
*breast cancer survivor,
*seeking breast augmentation,
*considering explant,
*post explant,
*post mastectomy,
*post lumpectomy,
*post accident,
*post trauma,
*post burns,
patient seeking reconstruction and want to know more. 

Remember this: I am not sponsored by any doctors or pharmaceutical companies, I do this voluntarily. One sister to another.

Biopsy, Brunch and Becoming

Salam Ramadan my lovelies,

Please forgive me for the long silence. I have been "living" at Prince Court Medical Centre of late.

If you only see my Facebook posts and do not personally know me, it sure looks like I have been enjoying jolly good meals and light banter with the Belang Mums before Ramadan. In fact, you can see some of our girly brunch dates at The Drama Queen's blog too. Their love, laughter and sometimes superficial subjects have kept me afloat on more days than not. They are my breath of fresh air outside my hospital walls.

Tomorrow, I get to find out the results of my multi nodular goitre biopsy. Follicular cancer of thyroid risk was mentioned and I felt my knees knock from fear/shock.  I can attest now that the ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration cytology I have had are not that bad. Compared to my moles excision under local anaesthesia? The latter was a walk in the park. Hollywood waxing without numbing cream? Bring it on!

Total thyroidectomy, post-operative concerns and supplements dependency are all new to me. I learn something new daily. It took me consultations with 6 specialists, CT Scans, X-Rays and ultrasounds before I hit a raw nerve of punching one PIN too often on my credit card. Out of  frustration and a moment of vulnerability, I finally buckled and whined to someone close to me whom I trust genuinely cares for me. Like a superhero, some intervention to the system started happening and I was redirected on the treatment path more comfortable to me. Alhamdulillah for superhero characters. They look ordinary but they perform extraordinary gestures of kindness.

In this long and and arduous journey of becoming, I am mostly grateful for supportive family and friends. I still work from home, I still run patient support groups and I still am me. 

Sometimes, I wake up to really encouraging messages sent to me by a compassionate friend or two and they keep me going. They remind me that I am amazing, that I am full of light and that my path is admirable. All the time and trouble they take to compose short essays despite their busy schedules humbles me.

Truly, I am just me. It is up to Him what he does with me.

InshaAllah, tomorrow I will learn something new. Something to be grateful about no matter what it says on my biopsy report. Fine, later in the week I will receive another biopsy report for the 2 moles. I remind myself to look at the 99% chance of those reports being benign and the 1% of them being CA. 

Wish me luck! Thank you for all your prayers and God bless.

Bartholin Cyst

I have been marsupialised and now recovering at home with light bleeding. Thank you for all the lovely get well wishes and earnest prayers.

Izumio and Super Lutein helped me so much leading up to the surgery. My energy level was fairly good considering the amount of work I had to put in at home before admission.

Izumio was the only drink I took before and right after the general anaesthesia. No vomit, little dizziness, alert and good appetite. The blood clotting progress was good, and the best part was that I only took 2 Arcoxia painkillers during my hospital stay. I did chew 2-3 Super Lutein capsules every 2-3 hours. 

Honestly, I did not need any painkillers once I was discharged; but have to complete the course of antibiotics.

The view was amazing. The food and beverage service remained satisfactory. My ob gyn and her team of caregivers were wonderful, skillful and cheerful. I went in slightly depressed and came home "light and lifted". Did they also remove my dark clouds for me? Syukur alhamdulillah!

Girl Turns 7

It is hard to believe this little dumpling used to nurse 24/7 and now by the grace of Allah swt she is turning 7. She has her own personality, preferences, talents and such. May you grow up to be a wise, healthy girl and always guided by His Blessings and Love. Amin.

In honour of her kind understanding and good behaviour for allowing me to be admitted to PCMC on the night of her birthday after the afternoon tea party at home, I would like to pray of her heart to blessed with even more light and love. Amin.

41st

The Belang Mums arranged for my birthday lunch when I was recovering at the ward last January. They ARE that optimistic I will make it to 17 February for many more years to come. Amin.

On Thursday, we gathered for a wonderful lunch at Ashley's in Telawi, Bangsar for a scrumptious treat of organic food. Green juices, water with lemon and my delicious platter of nasi ulam with grilled shrimps. The flourless chocolate cake was moist. We even lit a candle or two and sang me my birthday song. The last time I did sing a birthday song in public at my own birthday was Hard Rock Cafe 20 years ago!

I am glad Drama Queen found a dish she loves to eat again and we already plan to go back for more! Except she is not allowed to pay for future meals. InshaAllah, we will find many reasons to celebrate since her birthday is way too long to wait! The Belang Mums bought me really generous gifts which I never expected so you can imagine my happiness when I opened them much later just to prolong my suspense?

The one thing that struck me that day during lunch was how smart the 3 other Belang Mums are. Ask them anything (HR, Finance, Chemist by former profession so can you imagine their super brains?) and they know the answers like an open, talking and walking Google. They are increasingly beautiful inside out so I much growing/catching up to do! Their sincere love, light and laughter are most uplifting!

I was crying inside (with gratitude) because the day I found out via ultrasound that I was really ill with my multiple fluid filled cysts was November 2016 when we were supposed to gather for combined lunch for 2 of the Belang Mums' birthdays. I did not make it to that wonderful lunch as I was at Prince Court on an emergency basis. Fast forward 3 months and look where we are. I never could have imagined this. Allah swt is indeed the best of planners.

Speaking of hospital and celebrations, we also celebrated my latest MRI report.

Benign.

That was the only word that mattered to me. So I am monitoring annually via MRI my two cysts, one in each breast. No lace, no line. I pray they stay that way or better yet - disappear! My surgeon was so pleased he gave me 2 high 5s. Oh dear. Was that a secret test of my arm strength which is why I am let off from physio? I have been given the permission to drive short distances, and light exercises to rebuild my muscle tone. No cardio work is allowed yet. No stressful work of any sort is permitted so I am actually under Doctor's orders to lead a carefree life as much as possible. I am afraid I am going to follow Doctor's orders this one time *hurrah*

(If you have queries about my healing journey with Izumio, Super Lutein and Young Living Essential Oils, you can still email me at hannah.zulkifli@gmail.com )

On Friday, The Other Half, Bean and I went to pick up my decadent flourless chocolate cake decorated with fresh fruits from another beautiful inside out school mom whom despite her ultra busy schedule, fitted my request in, at the very last minute! The Grandparents came to The Flat Next Block for a day trip so we could celebrate with Girl and Bean after school. It was a warm homely celebration with loved ones, and surely feels like Allah swt has granted my every wish for gratitude, love and health. Syukur alhamdulillah and thank you to everyone for allowing me such indulgence this 41st birthday.

Thank you.

Health Update

Where shall I begin, my lovelies?

Two breasts surgeries on 5 and 10 January 2017 and here I am now, finally getting a chance to type this. Syukur alhamdulillah.

The post-surgery MRI with contrast review will be tomorrow. InshaAllah, I pray I will be given the all clear. When I say health is wealth, believe me, because I have seen hospital bills so huge I will never say a Chanel handbag is expensive now onwards.

Hope you are taking good care of yourselves too. Until then, much love on this day we commercially celebrate love. Every day is a celebration of love and life. Never forget that.

To Belang Mums who stood by me through the dark and painful days, thank you so much. I love you to the moon and back the way I love my own family members.

Your Health Bankrupt Lady

Back in November, I was looking forward to lunch with some of the loveliest school mums. As two of them were celebrating their birthdays, Drama Queen and I had arranged for a cosy lunch at Publika.

All was good that morning and I went to my dental appointment for routine scaling and cleaning after dropping off Bean at The Playschool. My dentist reminded me to go for my follow-up endodontic appointment for X-Ray so that we may proceed to replace my old crown, etc and I was driving from dentist towards Publika when l I felt a sudden sharp pain in my left arm pit.

Oh, no!

I have had numb left arm a few times earlier that month which I thought was just bad sleeping posture. There were also a few days of numbing pain in that site which I thought was just a muscle pull from having to wrestle Bean during one of his tantrums.

Suddenly, the dreaded thought of having to cancel or postpone our upcoming holidays flashed before my mind. I quickly arranged for Bean to be picked up by The Other Half and since I was not sure how long I was going to take at ER, I asked for his help to pick Girl up too.

The lunch group of school mums were quickly informed as I drove to Prince Court Medical Centre. By the time I was shown to Radiology as a walk-in emergency case, the 3 lovely ladies had sent me beautiful photos of what I was missing out on! They sent me healing thoughts, prayers and positive notes so I was emotionally still fine.

Not long after that, it was my turn for an ultrasound. Both breasts looked lumpy and the Radiologist was not surprised with my sag from breastfeeding since 29 March 2010 when Girl was born. She also picked up a lump on my left breast which is a probable cause of my pain. I was immediately given a new date to consult her colleagues in oncology as well as plastic and reconstructive surgery. That was when I started shaking (from anxiety) and stuttering (from fear).

What a whirlwind it has been since.

Blood tests, biopsy, MRI, consultations and and upcoming review with the different surgeons involved. New medical lingo just opened up to me and I have been spending time reading to review pros and cons of each different treatments. Lumpectomy versus nipple sparing double mastectomy. Lifespan of implants versus uptake of fat graft. Chemo or radiation. Eat clean, raw eating, juicing, qigong, yoga, etc. My career comeback options versus my health.

The cherry on the cake came today when I passed out at One Utama after lunch. I felt quesy and hot flash just before. I was not dehydrated, as I just drank a whole glass of dragon fruit juice, warm ginger tea and a sip of coffee with my lunch. I also had breakfast earlier before we left home. The Other Half and my two munchkins were with me at lunch so luckily they looked after me, strangers reached out to help and the security team at One Utama responded in a timely and professional manner. Alhamdulillah for all the help and blessings. This incident has put a new sense of urgency to my health plan at Prince Court so we shall see what happens next.

I am so thankful both Bean and Girl did not panic. I am so glad The Other Half did not lose his cool. I dare not imagine how much worse I could have been. I remind myself not to wish for health come 2017 because I did for my 40th birthday in 2016 and look where I am.

In the end, Allah knows best. May this be the way He purifies and brings me back on His Path. Amin.

My "Me Time"

During my recent 2D/1N "holiday" at Prince Court, I truly took time off to enjoy my own company. First time in 7 years!

It started at the reception office itself where I presented my NRIC and Prudential card for check-in/registration. An overly-friendly, chatty and nervous new staff who works as the welcoming hostess then walked me to my ward.

This particular ward comes with a nice view of the city skyline, a real treat for my tired eyes.

The floor carpet had been replaced with laminated wooden floor, which I prefer because the amount of dust is almost zero compared to carpeted ward where The Other Half was last month. Bravo, PCMC!

What did I do?

Enjoyed the city view.

Enjoyed the art installation on the wall:

Then it was flurry of change to OT purple robes, being cleared for OT, being wheeled to OT holding room on my wheely bed, being briefed about GA and breastfeeding afterwards, being wheeled and transferred onto OT bed. Bismillah and I was "switched off".

An hour later, I "switched on" and saw the exit door, felt the warm blankets in observation room and being wheeled back to my ward. It was a good sleep.

Lunch was served, the nurses came to remind me of my bath and as soon as I was able to go to the toilet without dizziness, they left me to "enjoy" my "me time". They remained a buzzer press away and came for routine temperature/BP monitoring.

I slept. I ate. I drank water. I re-watched Sex and the City 2 The Movie. 

The kids FaceTime-d me and Bean slept without me for the first time in his life. It was a milestone. I slept as soon as The Other Half texted to let me know Bean dozed off after 99 Green Bottles reached 45.

I am so convinced now that Allah swt hears and answers our prayers. How He answers those prayers is entirely up to Him.

I have been feeling low, exhausted and prayed for an opportunity to recharge. This one single night away brought me closer to Him, rekindled that lost spark with The Other Half and reinforced my bond with the kids. All I needed was an uninterrupted stretch of good quality sleep to feel myself again.

It was a good lesson. Syukur alhamdulillah.

When Shall I Say Yes

Salam, my lovelies.

I went for my annual Pap smear yesterday and instead of the usual "We will call you if there is any problem" standard goodbye line, I was told something new. And slightly shocking.

It seems that I have 2 growths that need to be addressed.

"It is not life threatening, but I prefer if you have them removed for biopsy"

I know.

I felt angry, disappointed, angry, desperate, angry, "why me?"

"Why me?" Part of faith is being patient. Accepting His tests without impatience and doubt. Obviously, it is my turn to take this test now.

Never mind, let's do this while we catch it early. You name it, I felt it.

The last 24 hours have been .... an emotional roller-coaster. I would not have been so reluctant to pick a date had it been a LA but this is "minor surgery but requires GA" and I have my reasonable concerns.

What can I say, other than console myself with "syukur Alhamdulillah we detected this early" or "better now than later".

If for some reason I am late to update this blog:

To Drama Queen, thank you for the juice and pat on the back yesterday.

To Mamapumpkin, we shall talk about this later when you are back from Japan. I have my reasons for not telling you right this moment as you already have too much on your plate.

To Stonor Mummy, we can have more vegetables juice soon and catch up properly as "sisters".

To She Loves Coffee, thank you for your du'a. We shall eat that K-lunch soon, insyaAllah.

To the stranger who reads and wishes to help the leukemia-stricken single mum with a child taking his UPSR this year, THANK YOU. You have no idea how grateful I am for your kind heart and generosity. May Allah swt bless you abundantly for your good deeds.

Life is worth living (cleanly and healthily). Please do not let anyone else convince you otherwise. I am telling myself this to stay positive and undo my own negative mental shackles.

May 4th.

Yes. InshaAllah.

Lots to settle between now and then. Bismillah.

Thank you, my lovelies.

Caring For Caregiver

The Grandparents and I are feeling the exhaustion so we each took a little break every now and then to recharge.

The garden sculpture on the road I used to call home not so long ago brought a little cheer in standstill traffic. 

A tired caregiver cannot give much joy. I was given some time off this afternoon to run errands. The list of things to do was long enough to wrap a mummy but I told myself to treat myself to something nice, for a change.

Guess what? 

I came home with new pajamas and shoes for the kids. Mothercare had a sale on! StrideRite had a clearance sale too, as they are moving out of Suria KLCC - what a shame. Even The Other Half got something new from me.

Me?

I got myself a bottle of Green Goodness from La Juiceria. So lame. I was thirsty! I was so thirsty that I did not bother to swirl the juice in my mouth that much. I just sipped it all up in record time. Not graceful, even with a straw!

The dedicated women parking space for female drivers shopping alone was awesome. I hardly get to enjoy this facility. 

I did not even glance at Chanel. I should have! 

I will work on treating myself.

Soonish. 

I shall start with that long overdue haircut. 

Single Parenting

Whoever is doing this single parenting task, has my total respect. I am getting help from The Grandparents to watch the kids and still I feel exhausted! 

The commute to and fro hospital that in reality is only 5 minutes away, the crazy queue at Suria KLCC, the lifts that went all wonky after the storm last night...

... I am all ready to retire for the night and welcome The Other Half home tomorrow morning! 

Thank you for the fresh flowers and fruits,  JC! Love from us all. Your valuable time spent with us is much appreciated. 

Speedy Recovery

The bilateral inguinal hernia surgery went well, syukur alhamdulillah. I drove him to Prince Court at 7.30 am for him to complete his admission papers. I left soon after he was assigned a ward to pick Bean up from my MIL who had come from The House to The Flat Upstairs to help us out during this hectic times. 

I sent Bean to Playschool and quickly returned to the ward just in time to see him wheeled off to OT. I then had a quick bite at Food Galleria, picked up some fruits and snacks for the afternoon from Isetan KLCC then drove to the Playschool for Bean.

The Other Half was put under general anesthesia and the operation took 1.5 hours. By the time I went back to Prince Court after sending Bean home after Playschool, the nurses had already transferred The Other Half to his ward! Speedy indeedy, or was I being too slow?

He was able to drink without throwing up. He ate his lunch and kept it down too. There was some dizziness when he first stood up 2 hours after surgery but that soon passed. In a nutshell, it was good because The Other Half was alert and full of energy.

By evening, the effects of general anesthesia completely wore off. Dato' Dr. Tikfu Gee prescribed some painkillers and antibiotics, as per his standard post-operation care.

The thunderstorm was so bad coupled with Friday evening gridlock at Ampang-Tun Razak; I decided to stay home and put the little ones to bed by 8pm after their entire day of fun with The Grandparents.

Blessed Rainfall

We have so much to thank Allah swt for today. 

Rain that cools the city down after a hot spell and Equinox.

The Other Half is going under for a bilateral inguinal hernia operation. InshaAllah all will be well. Thank you for your prayers. 

Our much-anticipated holiday is off. It is OK. Better things to come, inshaAllah. Again and again, lessons reinforced on "inshaAllah". We accept His Plan. What is not written for us will never be. Thankfully, our hearts are very calm this time. No one got any hyperventilating dramas. Yet. Girl may get one when we tell her. 

In the meantime, let's just listen to the rhythm of the falling rain and how gently it falls on the meadows. 

Syukur alhamdulillah.

Friday, 27 November 2015

Salam, my lovelies!

In the last few days, I have learnt an important lesson about never taking the blessings of Allah for granted. You know the saying, "health is wealth"? 

On Monday, Girl came home with a pair of swollen eyes, cheeks and sported insect bite marks all over her back, arms and face. She was taken in to ER at PCMC and referred to Dr. Anthony James Mansul, her usual paed, on Tuesday morning.

Dr. Anthony James Mansul prescribed her with an antihistamine and cream for itch control. Instead of issuing a Medical Certificate for missing school that day, he positively wrote a fit to return to school note so she could return without further questions. She took the antihistamine syrup like a champ using a syringe, but we never used the cream because it contains a low percentage of steroid.

Girl had missed a day of school that Tuesday. The load of homework just for one day is proof of how much she learns is a day at school, a topic worthy of its own post. 

I am suffering as I type this because my gums have acted up, and 4 of my molars  on my left side are all hurting and throbbing from referred pain. Neck, left ear and entire left side of my head all pulsing and pounding. Sometimes, tears just roll down by reflex. 

Yesterday evening, The Other Half had sent me to ER at PCMC to get some pain relief/pain management/pain intervention until I see my Endodontist, Dr. Jac Lam, tomorrow. How bad was the pain to warrant a trip to ER? It was 9.5/10. If there were an epidural for teeth/gum/head/neck/ear pain, I would have signed the consent form. It was THAT bad.

The bad news is none of the painkillers are working. Celebrex, ibuprofen, Panadol all have failed me. The Diflam Throat Anti-Inflammation spray works for short relief, which is great. The pain level went down to 8/10. Who would have thought of that? Thank you, Dr. Sharmini. 

I haven't been able to chew, or swallow solid food. So, luckily for me, I love juices. La Juiceria to the stop-gap nourishment rescue at least for today. I absolutely do not need to lose any more weight! Flab control with exercise, yes. Detox, yes. Some nourishment in absence of food, YES!

I have many hours to go before the appointment tomorrow. 

The countdown till I see Dr. Jac Lam has started. I have a fever 37.4C and the pain level is at 9.5/10 again. I suspect there is something seriously wrong with my root canal from many years ago. The gums around it is very swollen and painful. Pray all will work out well, Amin!

Mighty Monday

Alhamdulillah it went well! Not superbly over the moon and back/see fireworks and rainbows type of well, but well enough to say "we almost nailed this one!" I could not have asked for more.

The air was fresh. Alhamdulillah.

The sun was shining brightly. Alhamdulillah.

The birds were chirping. Alhamdulillah.

I tried a new route to school without Garmin on, and it was easier despite the RM1.50 toll on MEX. I will save this route for emergencies (pray I will not be needing this route, Amin!).

I did not miss the junction to school. Alhamdulillah!

I brought the entire lot of books and it was indeed the right thing to do. The teachers have taken all the books which I have labelled and I will deposit the rest of the loot which I have only just labelled and wrapped this afternoon, tomorrow morning. Alhamdulillah and in sha Allah.

The Little Girl sat with T2, so that took care of any jitters they each may have had. There was a tiny frown and tear when the teacher ushered me out of class ever so politely and discreetly. Things quickly went uphill then as the little ones settled down and the mums hang out/catch up with one another, making merry new friends and set up a support group just like the kids! Alhamdulillah.

The cream bun and water were good decisions. There were no pre-paid meals in a bento box today so the measly meal saved The Little Girl from hunger and thirst on our drive home. There was no vanilla bun left, as The Other Half wolfed it down last night at supper (and did not tell me). Luckily I had a spare stash! Alhamdulillah.

Bean went to his wellness appointment without fuss. He cried during weighing, measuring and injection but was civil enough to say "bye bye" and waved to his paed. He even had a nap in the car then came home all merry and jolly. Super duper alhamdulillah.

We are still in two minds about putting The Little Girl on the secure school bus, so we will wait and see how my timing for daily commute works out to be. By secure, I mean dedicated chaperone teachers on board with driver's cellphone number and the rest of the class. Everyone seems to be on the bus except us. I hope The Little Girl will not miss out on the fun social life on board a school bus (I recall my fun years riding in one but those were different times with different circumstances).

On our drive home, I did not miss my exit junction. Super alhamdulillah.

It was lunch hour but the traffic was not too bad. Alhamdulillah.

In a nutshell, it was awesome and great start! May Allah swt bless The Little Girl abundantly, make every day as smooth as today and keep her safe always. Amin.

Sunday Blues

Don't be blue, be thankful that you have a job to go to tomorrow.

Think of the lovely outfit and accessories, me-time during the commute/drive, potentially challenging tasks that will bring you to your next milestone or career high, scrumptious back-to-work lunch gathering, tea gossips of lovely holidays last December and jolly colleagues.

Please pardon my fluffy post. 

That is my cover for first day jitters of sending my firstborn to Big School tomorrow. It feels like she has been around forever and is only going to Big School? Not university? *insert nervous laughter*

I have yet to label/wrap/pack her books! I had almost the entire December to do it but I procrastinated/got distracted and now live to scamper late on eve of first day at Big School. I should be scolding myself for being so ineffective, inefficient, etc but I guess I had better spend whatever little time left before waking up time to get my act together. 

By getting my act together, I mean lugging the entire lot of books into my car boot first thing tomorrow so I won't have to miss a single book out if we need any during orientation. Loser mum disguised as a kiasu mum, oh dear me.

The dining hall had timely published the menu but I am not able to view it because my access which had been working just fine all along got into a little situation of wrong username and password. Now I don't know if lunch will be served tomorrow...so it may be a good idea to bring a bottle of water and a piece of vanilla bun along, just in case?

Well, wish me luck! 

A mild depression which traditionally hits me every December made its ugly annual appearance and I confess it got the better of my preparation for commencement of school. I promise to get my act together, especially now that we are well into January. I sincerely pray I won't have to wait until after my birthday in February to feel like I have ushered in the new year. 

Bean has a wellness check-up concurrent with The Little Girl's Orientation Day so I wish I can clone myself and be at two places simultaneously. The reality is The Other Half will take Bean *insert mummy guilt* no wonder my mild depression is turning into something else (let's not make a mountain out of a molehill argument going on in my head). Let's just be thankful that The Other Half is able to take Bean to see his busy, always full of appointments but wonderfully-gifted and skilful paed. 

Chill pill for me. I need to chase my Sunday blues away. 

Happy return to the grind, my lovelies! May 2015 be a fruitful and fulfilling year for you and I, Amin! Goodnight.

HFMD

Bean caught the much-dreaded Hand Foot Mouth Disease. 

It started with a few reddish spots on his face which quickly spread to his scalp, over his entire body with limbs not spared. Now at day 3, he certainly looks like a spotty pink leopard. Cute, but...slightly miserable?

Poor baby. 

His appetite is about 70% of his usual, but thankfully his cheerfulness has not compromised. 

Syukur alhamdulillah he has no fever and the medical officer at PCMC had prescribed him some gingival oral spray; and calamine cream for easy application in the event Bean starts scratching at his spots.

The only "dirty" place he had been to in the last one week was his playgroup meet at Gymboree Bangsar Village. It is hard to pinpoint a single place with 100% certainty, as most parents would probably know by now (as much as we can possibly wash and sanitise everyone's hands!).

Speedy recovery to Bean, Amin!