MIL POST SURGERY EXPERIENCE

 

It is clear to me, my destiny is one of a senior citizen caretaker, as way back to 1980 when I took my landlady to the Emergency Section of Johor Bahru hospital because she bled seriously from menopause. Later, the doctor said my timing was Godsent, had she come in even an hour later, she might have been in serious condition.

Then my old man had his first of two strokes when he was 65. His doctor adviced and I would wake him up at 4am daily to see he did his morning exercise, later bath and clothe him plus assist him in his abulution before shooting off to work. I was a bachelor so told my married siblings I could manage with mom alone but would only require replacement if I had to attend official outstation trips.

Years later, my mother suffered from old age and us siblings would rotate the task of sending her for regular checkups other than monitor her overnight at the hospital as she frequently caught fever.

In 2022, I went to Kedah, stayed with my MIL as she broke her arm slightly lower than her left ball joint and stays alone. I would bring her for monthly checkups at Sg Petani hospital and do all the domestic task except cooking which her friend came to assist. Based on my personal experience, I made her take 3 teaspoons (less than that lacks that creamy taste) of Anlene Gold milk daily which surprised the surgeon as the bone completely joined within a month what he expected in 3 mths.

On January 18, 2024, 85yr old MIL broke her bone again, this time her right leg slightly lower than her ball joint. A metal rod was implanted as support which surgeons said normally takes a year for patient to normalize. This time we took her back to my house as there are more hands to assist. The first month was very difficult for everyone as she was restricted to a wheelchair. I knew I had to be very firm, often hard with her (up she accepted) to push her with daily sit-ups (gradually up to 50x) so that she would not be dependent on the wheel chair for indoor mobility. We later both agreed it made a big difference and with physiotherapy she was allowed to move indoor with a walker but assisted.

Monthly checkups went by but in June, surgeons detected bacteria at the metal implanted. Another surgery was immediately done having taken into account her age and feared the bacteria would spread via the bone marrow. They took out the metal implant but this time recovery period to normalize would take 2 yrs from that surgery date not including other factors which could extend it was found she has osteoporosis. Surgeons clarified her case is categorically not serious but CRITICAL and on all accounts she MUST avoid a serious fall.

11 mths passed since that second surgery now the surgeon officially discharged her clarifying her bone completely joined but recommended she follow up at a goverment clinic for regular bi-annual checkups senior citizens do.

It is true what is reported on the internet and elsewhere to that taking care of such patients is physically and mentally exhaustive. A familiar nurse clarified the situation worsens as in my case where the patient is very elderly as the brain cyclically begins think like a child and it is wiser for the caretaker to take it easy and not to expect too much because whilst they might understand an advice for the moment they completely switch off and repeat what they are advised not to. 😣

XIAOMI POCO C65 REVIEW

 

2 weeks before my March 31 birthday, my trusty 7 yr old iPhone XS Max broke down from one too many falls over the years. Wifey bought me this birthday present, told me to choose whatever I wanted. I was fine with a reasonably powerful OEM hp but my family was against it because it didn't have any warranty so I chose instead the Poco C65, currently, the second cheapest (new unit)  Xiaomi with a 15 mths warranty at RM398 from its original price of RN1099 so that's very good value for money. I placed an order for the 5G 8GB+256GB chipset version  but maybe the seller was in a good mood, maybe it was the Eid Mubarak season or maybe he was overstocked so I ended up with the 8GB+4GB version 😁.

Upon receiving the unit, I immediately updated the system, uninstalled the many apps I didn't need, later reconfigured the security features of the system and every app. This made the operating system much smoother/lighter. As I don't play games nor view movies, the C65 is good enough for me.

At first, I took photos at default setting, photos were not crispy at the iP XS Max. After tinkering with the settings, I now take photos using the 50MP lens as shown here with minor +25 contrast editing. People who viewed the photos were generally  impressed it came from a budget handphone.

If you are into photography like me, I hope in 2-3 yrs time to upgrade to the Xiaomi 15T Pro which as a Leica lens which delivers sharper and richer images and good in poor lighting condition.

LOOKING BACK 70 YRS DOWN THE ROAD

 

On March 31, 2025, I amazingly entered the 70 series: a milestone if one succeeds this far. It’s a time to reflect past achievements, experiences and memories:

Born uniquely tongue-tied made it impossible to properly recite the Quran, I wonder why I was born with this handicap but it taught me humility from a very young age. Over the years, I’ve been literally broken here, mended there but Alhamduillah, still in one piece. I should have kicked the bucket as early as 4 but for reasons Allah knows best, I survived death many times. There obviously must be something crucial that I not die yet. Being playful during school days saw me get poor exam results but a change in mindset earned me a degree. In career, I earned 3 Excellence Service Award, even got honored AMN, I think could have clinched a State Datukship had I stayed longer but I was more interested in furthering my studies where I was awarded a MSc. My old man who almost gave up on me when he saw my MCE results, smiled a quiet relief. Tinkering Open Source not of my line, my name became synonymous with QGIS in the public sector when I promoted it seeing its potential to save millions ringgit of public fund. The final feather in the cap came after I pensioned as I was recognized as a departmental pioneer for promoting Open Source.

Yes, there were good times: I studied abroad, I visited 30+ countries through holidays and on-government service, I been fuly sponsored for umrah. Obessed with customization, I realized my radical Fiat 131 Supermirafiori after a few years of working and owned a zebra stripe hardtail bobber, my schoolboy's dream at the age of 60 but life has been challenging to say the least. I’ve tasted blood, sweat and tears yet somehow bounced back. I've survived a broken arm bone, a hemorrhoid and 2 separate hernia surgeries plus a hairline fracture at my hip bone. As life and death is Allah's previlege, I feel I was created to give birth to my 3 children so that they too can have their seperate legacy, Insyallah.

Reaching 70, I find now I easily get tired and wonder when my time will come and this always takes me to a time after bapak had a second stroke. I asked if he was ever afraid of dying? He was 64 then and said living any day after 63 (the year Rasul demised) was a bonus so it didn’t matter. I too have that similar feeling and see death merely a gateway to the permanent world; we are not perfect but insyallah, to Jannah.

The 10 death defying incidences mentioned above are:

1. At 4, I lost much blood after broken glass milk bottle cut my arm vein. Doctor said had I reached hospital 1 hr later, I might not have made it.

2.  At 7, I dived into deep end of PD beach lagoon without first checking. I managed to get out safely after some struggle and my feet somehow  managed to touch the edge of slope so I pushed myself forward.

3. At 18, the car I was in spun on top of a hill ledge around the wet road missing cars from both directions because my brother had not serviced the brake pads. 

4. At 19, the car I was in sommersaulted down 40' ravine but stopped short of crashing into rock boulders. Police inspector who visited site said I should have died but it was not my time ... yet.

5. At 25, I drove along JB-Kota Tinggi road in the night, took hair pin corner suddenly the right side of car lifted. I drove on 2 wheels for a while but landed gently as road curved to the right.

6. At 26, I got leg cramp while swimming in the Tioman sea. I managed to swim with one leg to a friend 10' close by who then helped me swim back to our boat.

7. At 33, an oil tanker crossed my path from left to right then stopped 3/4 way because of on-coming traffic. A mad 3 sec. manuever helped avoid direct collision.

8. At 34, I drove along Batu Gajah-PD road in the night, suddenly, I came across cows lazing in the middle of the road. I miraclously drove in-between them and avoided a head-on accident.

9. At 35, I again drove along Batu Gajah-PD road and just managed to avoid a fast army truck that popped out from deceptive undulating corner.

10. At 37, I was about to fix a wall bulb when suddenly fell off the ladder. I manage to flip mid-air and avoid breaking my back, thankfully, just broke arm.

To have my 70th birthday fall on Eid Mubarak which has never happened before in my life is statistically rare and I think is auspicious but I'm no fortune teller and leave it all to Allah, He knows best and He knows me better than I know myself.