My Chocolate Factory Dream

When I was in 5th grade (fancy way to say darjah 5 kan!) we were asked to write a karangan bahasa melayu entitled "Jika saya seorang jutawan". Being such a chocolate lover, I wrote, "Jika saya seorang jutawan, saya akan membina sebuah kilang coklat.

Of course the karangan goes on and on about wanting to help the needy., but the only thing that I could think of - wow... my own chocolate factory? sweet...! I can eat all I want, I don't have to put aside my pocket money and wait until Friday to buy that chocolate bar I love so much. Life was easy those days. Today, if I were to eat a piece of cake or a bar of chocolate, my brain would go on autopilot thinking how much calories is that, and how much I will have to work out to burn those calories.

Life was a lot happier those days. When failing only means to try again until you get what you want. What happened along the way that we fear failing so much we stopped going after our dreams. Even worse, there are dreams we suppressed so deep we even forgot what we dreamed about as a kids. I've wanted to be a secret agent, the prime minister, a sharp shooter, an author, to have my own talk show and etc.. etc.. etc..

When I was in high school, every Friday I will look forward to read this column on NST written by young writers. I wanted to be featured in those column too. I have totally forgot about this dream. I wonder what was I so afraid of that I stopped trying? I wanted to be a good public speaker, but I stopped working on that too. The same thing happens to all the dreams I've had. The only dream I'm still working on is my dream of being a doctor - and I'm still not doing my best for that either. So what really went wrong, I wonder. Until I watch this inspiring speech on youtube today, that it's never too late, and that it was our fear of failure that keeps us away from our dreams.

So, what's next? It hit me yesterday as I was flipping through the book I'm currently reading by Regina Brett, God Never Blinks - that all I have to do is to do the next right thing to do.

If I want to write a book, start with a paragraph.
If I want to be a good public speaker, start preparing a good speech.
If I want to open a chocolate factory or a kiosk even, okay actually I don't want this anymore.

Here I am 24 years old, gathering every pieces of dreams I have had, and sorting them out, of which one I would like to work on first, and doing the next right thing I should do. How about you? What are your dreams? Are you still working on them? Are you stuck just like me? Remember, when in doubt, do the next right thing to do. :-)

annoying medical students

So I have been on both sides of the equation. I was, at few times been the source of the history , and most of the times the one who asks a whole bunch of questions that sometimes sounds ridiculous and silly to people.I have also heard family members complaining of medical students who keep asking over and over same questions, in multiple occasions in a day. 

I have accompanied my grandfather in the hospital having to hand over the list of his medications which occupies half an A4 sized paper when written with a size 12 font. I have also heard patients who could not recall what medications they are taking, and telling me it's the white tablets, blue pills and god-knows-what kind of description.

Ask any doctors in the world, they would all agree that the most important part of managing a patient, is to have an accurate history of the patient. But in time of distress - your kids are having sky-high temperature, vomiting and crying all night long, I doubt giving an accurate history would be easy. The same thing applies when you are in severe pain, or your parents are grasping for air unable to breathe, I doubt you would be able to recall the list of medications, or previous surgery and hospitalization they have had. Not to mention, I have seen the elderly who went to the clinics on their own without any child accompanying them, unable to give an accurate history to the attending physician.

Some hospitals have a good and established medical records system that past medical history can be accessed readily, but this is not always the case.

I suggest it's time, everyone should get everything recorded on paper, or on your smartphone for that matter. Just so you could give an accurate history, and if medical students come and bother you, you can just hand them the details. If you have 15 minutes for facebook, you have 15 minutes to write down all the following details regarding yourself, your parents, and your kids.

1. List of medications : Name and the dosages
2. Any previous reaction / allergy to drugs / food.
3. Previous surgery - when, complications
4. Previous admission to the hospital - reasons, and length of stay
5. Any medical conditions : diabetes, hypertension, etc.

For your kids, we would also be interested to know :

1. Method of delivery, any complication
2. His milestones
3. how long was he breastfed, when do you first introduce food to him, what kind of food, any allergy, or adverse reaction from food.
4. any problem during pregnancy - fever, infection, gestational diabetes, any medications you took during pregnancy.
5. any problem during his first month of life

These things may not seem very important to you today, but if , (God forbids) you / your family members require medical attention, these details are of huge importance. So, start writing, and free some space in your mind now that you know, your past medical history is good to go.

Dari Bismillah ke Alhamdulillah 'Assalamah!

Antara kelebihan duduk di Timur Tengah bagi saya adalah menikmati budaya doa yang sangat subur dalam kalangan masyarakat Arab. Saban hari usai saya mengambil riwayat pesakit, saya ucapkan "Salamtak!" pada pesakit, dan berjela-jela pula balasan doa dari pesakit, keluarga, penjaga kepada saya dan rakan-rakan. Selalu saja saya kebuntuan ingin membalas kembali doa-doa tersebut.

Hari ini antara perbualan saya dengan rakan ialah bagaimana agaknya suasana bila di Malaysia. Pernah sebelum ini saya mendengar kata-kata nasihat yang berbunyi, "Doktor yang pulang dari Timur Tengah perlu ada nilai tambah... Sebelum memulakan sesuatu prosedur, bacalah bismillah..." Eh? Setakat itu sajakah nilai tambah Islami pada seorang doktor kelulusan timur tengah? Pernah juga saya dengar pengalaman ahli keluarga yang "sejuk perut", "sejuk hati" bila dengar doktor yang meniti di bibirnya bismillah, alhamdulillah dan inshaAllah.

Persoalannya bila pulang nanti, mampukah saya masih mengucapkan doa-doa semudah "Salamtak" dan "Allah Yashfiik" pada pesakit-pesakit? Ataupun saya akan jadi ragu-ragu bimbang ada yang mengira saya sesat kerana ungkapan-ungkapan ini tidak biasa kita dengar? Ataupun saya hanya doakan dalam bahasa melayu saja "Semoga Allah sembuhkan Tuan/Puan"? Ataupun adakah saya akan melupakan amalan murni budaya doa dan menjadi seorang doktor yang mahal senyuman?

Saya belum berpeluang turun ke lapangan. Barangkali rakan-rakan serta senior-senior yang sudah berpeluang berkhidmat lebih tahu situasinya bagaimana.

Dari Bismillah, InshaAllah ke Alhamdulillah 'Assalamah.

Indahnya doa dalam kehidupan masyarakat Arab, sebelum surgery doktor dalam menjelaskan pelan rawatan disertakan dengan InshaAllah, memulakan prosedur dengan Bismillah, dan sebaik selesai dengan Alhamdulillah 'Assalamah (atau Alhamdulillah Alas-salamah). Begitu juga perjalanan menaiki teksi. Masuk kenderaan dengan bismillah dan assalamualaikum, nyatakan destinasi diiringi insha-Allah, dan disudahi dengan Alhamdulillah 'Assalamah sebaik tiba ke destinasi.

Saya tahu saya akan rindu. Pada pesakit-pesakit dan keluarga mereka yang mendoakan kejayaan kami. Kadangkala saya iri hati mendengar pesakit mendoakan doktor yang merawat mereka, "Allah yujzikal kheir ya duktuur, Allah yusaa'adik, Allah yu'tikal alfu kheir". (Semoga Allah mengganjari doktor dengan kebaikan, Semoga Allah membantumu, Semoga Allah memberikan beribu-ribu lemon kebaikan padamu doktor). 

Muaz dan doa masuk ke tandas!

Satu hari, anak buah saya yang sulung, Muaz menduga saya tentang doa masuk ke tandas. 

Muaz : Maksu, maksu tahu ke doa masuk tandas? Cuba maksu baca muaz dengar.

Saya : Tahu. (saya bacakan doanya)

Muaz : Dulu sebelum muaz pergi sekolah maksu tak tahu ke maksu tak ingat? 

Saya : Ha? maksu ingat je...

Muaz : Kenapa maksu tak bagitahu Muaz pun doa masuk tandas?

Saya diam sendiri. Sudah jadi kebiasaan kita menyuruh anak kecil membaca doa sebelum makan, tapi banyak aktiviti-aktiviti lain kita lupa ataupun boleh jadi kita malas nak mengajar, sebab kita sendiri pun tak mengamalkan doa-doa tersebut.

Mendoakan orang lain

Saya terfikir, boleh jadi sebab kita ada misconception tentang doa, yang menjadikan kita jauh dengan doa. Kita sangka doa perlu dalam keadaan menghadap kiblat, mengangkat kedua tangan, dimulakan dengan pujian terhadap Allah dan selawat keatas Rasul, dan disusuli dengan doa. Tapi hakikatnya, doa lebih mudah dari yang kita sangka. Apabila melihat orang dalam keadaan susah, dan terdetik dalam hati kita, "Ya Allah, bantulah hambaMu itu." itu pun dikira doa. Yang penting, datang dari hati yang ikhlas dan bersungguh dalam doa.

Dalam satu riwayat  daripada Abu Darda’ RA, Rasulullah SAW bersabda maksudnya : “Doa seorang muslim kepada saudara muslimnya secara ghaib (tanpa pengetahuan saudaranya) adalah mustajab (diterima), di sisi kepalanya malaikat yang diutus Allah setiap kali dia mendoakan saudara muslimnya dengan doa yang baik, dan berkatalah malaikat itu, amin!, engkau juga beroleh manfaat yang sama.” (Riwayat Muslim).

Selain berbalas doa dalam urusan seharian, ada juga berdoa secara tanpa pengetahuan orang lain. Hadith ini saya rasa memotivasikan kita untuk mendoakan orang lain dan dalam masa yang sama menyelesaikan masalah iri hati dengan kelebihan orang lain. Masakan kita mahu berasa sedih atas kebahagiaan orang lain, sedangkan dari satu sudut tidak mustahil kebahagiaan orang lain itu adalah antara doa kita yang dimakbulkan Tuhan.

Semoga kita semua menjadi hamba-hamba yang melazimi doa dalam kehidupan seharian dan melazimi doa untuk orang lain di sekeliling kita. :-)