Happy 28!

The past two birthdays were spent oncalls, but this time I have the weekend off. I almost book an RM 300+ room with ocean view but in actual I'm not spending much on myself. Actually very frugal.

It's 11pm. I'm in my car, in my sleeping bag, at Hosp Kota Belud's public carpark in front of the ED. What a way to celebrate myself. Maybe I should stick to doing calls on my birthday.

Anyway I'm not going to stay up. I'm going to Subuh at the mosque then head out to see sunrise at Akinabalu cm. Adios.

bilateral VUR post bilateral reimplantation

In the morning I was stooping to examine my two years old post op patient when I noticed his eyes transfixed on my nametag. I held it up to him.

"Yoyong suka nametag?"

He pointed with wonder at the right side of my tag. I flipped it to see what he was pointing at.

"Ni logo KKM. Yoyong suka logo KKM?"

He mumbled out baby words. He looked so fascinated. I guess it was affirmative. He then pointed out at things on my nametag with me describing what each was. My face, my name, the phototherapy table, drug dosing, my locker key, my cash which he tried to fish out.

"Duit," he said. Dasar budak mata duitan haha.

Tonight at the end of visiting hour, I was reviewing patient in the acute room when I heard a male child screamed. Then I saw his family walking out.

"Yoyong menangis nak ikut ke?" His sisters nodded with a chuckle.

I got up and went to see him because (not in order of importance or truth):
1- I care about my patients especially when I'm the only doctor for this whole ward today
2- I don't like screaming kids because it sounded like a pain score ten and we're a pain free hospital
3- He has three drains out of his body and we'll be crying if any one of them was dislodged and kid ended up with strictures.

Yoyong was laying on his cot kicking his legs while his mother tried to stop his kicking. "Nda bulih ikut," his mother tried to counsel him but the distress was palpable. Child was crying with tears. Emotional pain score is ten out of ten. The drains were so far intact.

I held up my nametag to him.

Took me less than a minute to calm him down and I stayed with him until his tears dried up. He was especially fascinated with my locker key and used it to poke at his red toy lorry. When he wasn't looking I took my key back and assured the mother. I said good night to the perplexed boy looking for a 'missing' key on his bed.

And I returned back to my acute room. My drains are safe for another night!

The next day during rounds Boss offed his drains. So much for keeping it safe overnight...

Atiqah and her tire issue

My posh friends from district came to KK last night for a movie and they booked a hotel for the night. Posh people I tell you. They headed out very early for their Brunei roadtrip so I had the room for myself. Had the shades opened to enjoy the sunrise from the comfort of the hotel bed. This was my view. It's always a good idea to rise early in Sabah because the view is so nice.

After a sleep in, I checked out and sent my car for service. I'm terrible at car maintenance so I called my dad and brother who both didn't pick up. I resigned to my fate of being at the mercy of the counter guy. I told him I need to check my tyres alignment (bro told me months ago) since I blew up my front tire months ago and he said they don't do that here, I would need to send the car to a tyre shop.

Dad later returned my call and said to get the tire alignment and balancing checked, probably swap the front tires to the back etc. I asked him why and when, he said he wasn't sure either and I need to read on that. Sigh I'm really not good at this, not even sure what to read on either.

After the service, I messaged a few people who didn't reply on the spot (what did I expect). I decided maybe it'd be a good idea to go back to my place, shower, eat, then regroup. I've only been to a tire shop once in my life and that was the one in front of our house where dad is a regular customer, so I dared to go on my own. But this is KK, first time and I'm on my own. I don't even know who to ask, what to ask before I step into a random shop.

Maybe ask Savin to accompany me to a tire shop, but he's in KK to maximize his time with his friend so I shouldn't do that. Or Vicky but he's postcall and knowing him he'd still be in the hospital for whatever reason. Guys should know cars better right? I don't know any girls who know about car maintenance.

I decided to go back and on the way back send the car for a wash. Then I saw plenty of tire shops on the road back, close to my regular carwash place.

Should I wait for people's advices based on their experience? Should I have someone accompany me and be my guide? Should I marry a handyman and leave everything to him? Or should I make my own mistakes and experience at whatever cost that might be?

I decided to go with the latter and went into a random shop. Parked the car and went out, slowly approached a guy who nodded at me expectantly. Perhaps my awkwardness was palpable. I told him my problem and he took a glance at the car.

"Tayar kanan depan nampak lari, makan dalam sedikit."

Either he's good or he's bluffing me. I wouldn't know any better but I prayed God have mercy on me. He asked if I got the left tyre changed recently and I told him about the blow out. He suggested I change the right tyre and he'd do the balancing after. I agreed.

Midway through the changing brother returned my call. He said I should use the same branded tire for each end of the car, since the recently changed left was a Good Year, I should get a Good Year for the right because of the thread. I told him too late, they only have Falken and it's already dismantled.

I asked if it'd bring a great misfortune. He said it depends whether I'm speeding and the road post rain or not. I could drift off course.

I'm known to go at least 60 km/h at a corner. I won't bet on changing my habit, but this is potentially life-threatening. Huh. So much for making own mistakes and experience.

Hadi also told me to get the fronts swapped with the back since front tyres worn out quicker, and that there are plenty of tips written on Facebook and such.

But I was done. I don't know. This is like a non medical parent with an okay child with a problem. I want the best for my child but I don't know whether this problem is big or small or perhaps he's fine. The doctor will say something, right? The tyre man would have suggested to swap front to back now, wouldn't he? Or not, because it would be adding more work at no advantage for him? I don't know. Should I have asked him? Retrospectively thinking maybe I should. I should.

It was almost noon. I paid for the tyre, dropped my car for a wash and meditated at the mosque. I hope I'll marry a handyman.

Why don't we just consider it a surprise eh

I don't like not knowing what people want from me. Case on point is Vicky.

He's always nice with me. But not necessarily to others. Even as his HO he never got mad at me to my face and I never knew was it because he never had to or because of my status as dad's kid.

Same thing here. Is it because he never had to or because he's friends with me or because he needs favours while he's here or because I'm friendly with my boss.

That's bad. I actually feel bad for him. Imagine people not trusting your kindness. What is wrong with me.