Footware

my dearest's best loot from Taiwan

Been busy and not writing for the 15 days of CNY.
Busy holidaying, or rather lazing around and also busy settling some unforeseen mess in my department.
Yesterday, I had 8 C-Sections through out, with 5 of them being elective ones.
I really glad to help, because at some point of my life, I gotta need somebody's help.
By then, hopefully, I won't be disappointed.

During CNY, relatives do not talk about normal regular good doctor anymore, and started to turn their focus on specialty, without realizing that it is those regular good doctors who orchestrated the treatment from different specialty ('cook') in avoiding spoiling 'the soup' of health.

Here's a specialty, just for the foot - podiatry.

The main aim of a Podiatrist is to assess, diagnose and treat abnormalities and diseases of the lower limb

Podiatrists treat people of all ages and from all walks of life. Some examples of this are:

Children sometimes have pains in their legs or feet as they grow or have problems walking.

People with diabetes may have problems with the circulation or sensation in their feet.

Sports men and women often suffer from injuries to their legs and feet.

Dancers with long hours rehearsing and performing put stress through their feet that can cause injury.

People needing minor surgery - some nail surgery or laser treatment

People wanting advice - some people do not need treatment but just want advice about footwear or foot health.

They will:

Assess and treat footcare ailments, ranging from problems such as verrucas to deformity

Analyse a persons walk or run and correct the anatomical relationship between the different segments of the foot. Orthotics-custom made soles-are often prescribed to achieve this

Monitor and manage foot problems and deformities caused by diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis

Advise and treat patients at high risk of foot problems and amputation such as people who suffer from diabetes

Nail surgery using local anaesthetics.

and also some tips for buying great shoes.

16 POINTS FOR A SUPER SHOE

1. A GOOD shoe does not depend on its price, its brand or the shoe shops reputation…it is just as easy to buy a good pair of cheap trainers from a supermarket…it is merely the fit and function of the shoe with your foot in it!

2. New shoes should always be bought in the afternoon, when your feet have had time to swell.

3. In winter buy your shoes when you have had a good walk around the shops, and your feet are warm.

4. Measure your feet both for the length and the width

5. Ask a trained shoe fitter for their advice.

6. A newly fitted shoe should be 12-16 mm longer than your longest toe…not necessarily your big toe.

7. Do not purchase slip on shoes, as they are usually too tight, they stay on your foot by you curling up your toes when walking.

8. All shoes should fasten onto the feet with straps, Velcro or laces.

9. Shoes should be firmly held on the feet when fastened and shake off easily when not fastened.

10. Heels should be not more than 4cm high, lower in children.

11. Heels should have a broad base and have shock absorbency.

12. Shoes should fit exactly around the back of the heels.

13. Natural material uppers are best such as leather, suede or firm cotton.

14. The toe of the shoe should be foot shapes (no winkle pickers) to allow room for the toes to move around.

15. If you are buying shoes to wear an orthotic with, then take your orthotic with you – you really should be wearing them!

16. If you are buying a shoe to take to the Podiatrist to have a new orthotic (insole) sometimes a good shoe shop will allow you to buy 2-3 pairs and take back the ones that are unsuitable.

ALWAYS CONSIDER THE SOCKS YOU WILL WEAR WITH THE SHOES!

P.S. Never confuse foot with food...

pilo's valentine

something to share. an article from TopTenz and my commentary is in yellow.

10. Women Spend Half As Much As Men

Although women tend to make a bigger deal about Valentine’s Day than men, when it comes to money spent, they are only half as committed to the holiday as their masculine counterparts. Last year, on average, each American male spent over $150 dollars on his respective love interest. The average woman, on the other hand, dolled out only 85 bucks.

this is only true if they have a guy at the other end, they may be spending more if they buy flowers for themselves. Skip to No. 5

9. Condom Sales Are Highest on Valentine’s Day

According to condom giant Durex, prophylactic sales are about 25 percent higher than usual on Valentine’s Day. This interesting fact may help explain the statistics reported in fact ten. The reality is that men become awfully generous around February 14 and fact number nine seems to reveal why.

The sales doesn't really reflect the score or probably it is the hope to score that up the sales. I guess with the no-panties Valentine campaign this year, the hope may be higher making the sales skyrocket. Hmmn... I wonder whether the condom company is behind the no-panties campaign.

8. March and Pregnancy Tests go Hand in Hand

This interesting fact seems to follow naturally from number nine. Statistically, at-home pregnancy test sales reach their zenith in the month following Valentine’s Day as the consequences of all those romantic couplings are realized.

This effectively shows that condom may not be the best contraception around.

7. Florists Make A Killing Around Valentine’s Day

It may come as no surprise to learn that florists tend to jack up their prices around February 14. However, the actual dollar amounts are eye-popping. The cost of a dozen roses skyrockets as much as 30 percent around the romantic season reaching as high as $100 when individual stocks run low.

No doubt. My wallet always have this annual massive haemorrhage.

6. Millions Purchase Valentines for Their Pets

You may think the day of love is only for those in romantic relationships. However, single people need love too, and when a suitable human is not available, they turn to the next best thing. According to several surveys, as many as nine million people purchase Valentine’s Day presents for their pets each year.

This certainly surprise me. Now I am wondering what to give my pet next year... Do I seriously have to get one for 'Lucky'?

5. Women Don’t Need Men on Valentine’s Day

If you’ve ever seen women comparing Valentine’s Day bouquets at the office, you know size does matter. However, as far as many women are concerned, anything is better than nothing. Surprisingly, as much as 15 percent of American women send themselves roses on February 14 to save face in front of their judging co-workers.

So much for gender equality.

4. Romance is Only A Tiny Part Valentine’s Day

Although it may seem like the greeting card industry relies on the promise of sex for much of its sales, romantic encounters have nothing to do with the majority of their profits. Statistically, most Valentine money is spent on teachers, followed by children, moms and, finally, wives and girlfriends.

This, in fact, is the most positive thing about Valentine. It's not about the lust, no panty and sex, it is about expressing care and love in a much broader, sincere way.

3. Women Prefer Cards to Flowers

When it comes to Valentines Day, women are relatively miserly compared to their free-spending husbands and boyfriends. However, they do appear to rank higher in sentimentality. Of the one billion valentines purchased every year, females are responsible for over 80 percent of all sales.

Words can always melt a girl's heart.

2. Flowers Are A Man’s Best Friend

While women prefer to express their romantic feelings through a carefully-selected greeting card, men seem to prefer the traditional means. Husbands and boyfriends buy over seventy percent of all the flowers bought on Valentine’s Day each year.

And flowers are just the fireworks and great fanfare behind the sincere words...

1. In Japan, Men Receive More Valentines

Just as mega-jeweler De Beers used clever marketing to cultivated the traditional presentation of a diamond as an engagement present in the U.S., Japanese companies have forged a similar campaign to encourage spending on Valentine’s Day. Except their marketing ploy is aimed at women. Thanks to a powerful campaign by the Japan’s chocolate industry, Japanese women are now traditionally expected to purchase chocolate for their men every Valentine’s Day.

OK, note to self, be in Japan next Valentine, unless it clashes with Chinese New Year.

my most valentines last year...

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, MY DEAREST!!

Things I'll probably do during CNY

Spring cleaning, dusting,
sweeping some dust below the carpet,
make sure my skeleton is still in the closet.


Buy some new clothes, usually all red,
but this year, I bought something more white than red.
Wash them. Dry them. Pack them up.



Keep my house well-lit through out the night

And tomorrow, my nuclear family and me will be
flying to Johor, my dearest's kampung
to celebrate Chinese New Year with my great in-laws.
Please pray for me - I need a good uncongested air traffic.

Wishing everyone a very good prosperous, healthy and joyous Year of the Tiger.


Oops... I mean this Tiger.

Read more about Tiger in the western and eastern...

Quickening !!

Quickening!

No, not the Highlander kind of quickening.

Quickening is an obstetric term indicating the subjective feel of the baby kicking.

Last few days, my dearest had quickening.

It was a wonderful feeling, a feeling that you’re actually carrying another life.

My dearest was pretty thrill about it. I was happy for her.

Perhaps I can feel those fetal movements later on.

Having the quickening is a beautiful consolation for her predicament of early pregnancy.

Initial few weeks, well, her early morning puking, at times, made me loss appetite for breakfast. My dearest was being rather adamant about not getting any unnecessary MC mainly because she had bundles of work waiting at her office. Her morning sickness, afternoon sickness, evening sickness, and night sickness and pretty much, whole day sickness, really made her incapacitated to dish out any decent meal. Beside that, she is having specific appetite for specific type of food and of course, I am glad to hunt them down.

As long as she’s eating, I had my worries down.

Positively, when my hospy works got bit tamer lately, I took over the kitchen. Finally, I got my chance to cook up some dishes, which wasn’t really something great, but it was a nice comeback for me. Since my masterchef wifey monopolized the kitchen after the matrimony, I wasn’t able to really gone into her turf.

If I did, which I did for a few times, I would be thoroughly laughed at, either for my lower speed for food preparation or the messy aftermath of my amateur cooking. Taste wise, my cooking still acceptable and non-laxative.

As I was preparing French Toast that morning, before I went to do my last call in the year of Ox, I suddenly had reminiscence about the times at Hospital Banting, where I prepared French Toast while Aisah dished out spaghetti. Come to think of it, cooking for a guy, kind of a pretty gay thing to do, eh?

Second tight spot which my dearest was having is in getting the right clothes on.

Not that she had been wearing the wrong clothes.

It’s like her current clothes are that accommodating in her current expansion of size, yet a maternity wear would be too soon, as wearing them prematurely made her look like a whale. After window shopping for few days, windows after windows after windows after windows, and finally, my dearest’s prayer were answered.

It’s Elle - the only fine shop which offers fashionable, good quality and not overpriced dresses that really fit her well and do not whale her physical beauty.

Thank God. The long journey is over.

- Foot massage -

sums of all fear

one of the 101 reasons our Bolehland is as good as hell.

pinched from Susan who pinched from Biro Komunikasi, Parti Keadilan Rakyat

Representatives from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Civil Liberties Malaysia, Democratic Action Party (DAP), Human Rights Party (HRP), Police Watch Malaysia & Human Rights Committee, Group of Concerned Citizens(GCC) and Lawyers for Liberty will be submitting a complaint to the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (SUHAKAM) over the brutal treatment received by Norizan Salleh in the hands of the Royal Malaysian Police.

Norizan was shot 5 times and beaten by the police in an incident that can only be described as ‘guilty until proven innocent’.

The complaint will be filed on:
Date: 11 February 2010 (Thursday)
Time: 11 am
Place: SUHAKAM, Menara Tun Razak, Jalan Raja Laut.

*Members of the media are invited to cover this event*

INSIDE is the text of a memorandum submitted to the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan on the shooting incident for your reference.

4 February 2010
Tan Sri Musa Hassan,
Inspector General of Police,
Bukit Aman

MEMORANDUM OF PROTEST: Shooting by police of Norizan Bte. Salleh

The Facts:
1) On 30.10.2009, 29 years old Norizan bt Salleh was shot 5 times by police.
2) Norizan was travelling in a car when the incident happened. Without justification, police shot at the car from behind, the bullets penetrating through the body of the car and hitting Norizan who was seated at the back seat.
3) After being shot, Norizan was then kicked and stepped on by the police personnel despite bleeding profusely from being shot.
4) No person in the car was armed with any weapon and there was no threat of any kind to the police. Despite this, police chose to open fire repeatedly at the car.
5) Norizan is an innocent woman who has never been charged in court for any crime. She has suffered serious injuries including permanent damage to her hand. A bullet lodged close to her heart had to be removed by surgery at Institute Jantung Negara. Norizan is lucky to be alive today!
6) Norizan lodged a police report on 16.11.2009 complaining of attempted murder by police, but no action has been taken by the authorities against the culprits.

Increasing incidents of unjustified police shootings

1) Activists, lawyers and elected representatives have raised the issue of unjustified shootings by police on many occasions, but have been ignored by both the Police Force and the Government.

2) In almost every case, the police version of the events has been similar; that the victims opened fire and police returned fire, killing all of them. It has been easy for police to get away with this version, as the victims are usually dead and the truth buried. This has also been the police version in two recent shooting cases. [Kulim shooting (February 2009) and Klang shooting (November 2009)].

3) Norizan’s shocking case proves that unjustified shootings by police have reached dangerous levels.

4) The brutality with which Norizan was treated after the shooting indicates the extent and seriousness of problems in the Police Force.

WE THE UNDERSIGNED DEMAND:-

1) An immediate investigation by a Bukit Aman team specially set-up for this purpose;
2) The result of the investigation be made fully public;
3) All those police personnel involve in Norizan’s brutal shooting be suspended/arrested immediately;
4) That the case be classified as attempted murder;
5) That there be immediate and thorough reform of the Police Force;
6) That the IGP explain to the public why the police have never revealed this shocking incident to the public;
7) The leadership of the police support the setting up of the IPCMC.
That all suspicious police shooting cases over the past decade be re-opened.

Endorsed by:
1) Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)
2) Civil Liberties Malaysia
3) Democratic Action Party (DAP)
4) Human Rights Party (HRP)
5) Police Watch Malaysia & Human Rights Committee
6) Group of Concerned Citizens(GCC)
7) Lawyers for Liberty

yesterday once more

contraception that really works

WTF of the month

Can I f--- you? - the making of possibly Malaysia's biggest arsehole.

Either that or it's a rather rare psychosomatic disorder that drives an adult to strip down and don towel after being angry and afraid listening to an indecent proposal.

Case study, anyone?

Anyway, people all over the web is laughing their heads off reading about the course of action that led to the unfortunate alleged sodomy, but please be reminded that the media can be a tricky thing that can be rather misleading at times.

Only those who involved know about the truth, and probably should be prepared to deal with the repercussion later in life or in afterlife.

The only downside is instead of doing some serious nation-building work as political leaders, they got themselves involved in some parts of sex education.

Luckily, my Aedan is not old enough to ask me what is sodomy.

Superstitio Medicina 1 | Have mercy

In obstetric, there aren’t many big questions around.

Mainly, at the end of the 40weeks or shorter journey, the big question is “How to deliver.” and this question, believed me as open-ended as it used to be.

There are just two choices, either through the natural vaginal delivery or abdominal route through the popular lower segment Caesarean Section.

More mothers are currently proud owner of the Pfannenstiel scar, a souvenir commemorating the grand alternative pathway, which is operative C-Section that brings the baby into the world.

It is in our current trend that this path was being treaded for subtle reasons, rather than clear-cut indications.

Clinically, those may be subtle reasons, but for the patient, as an individual, those reasons are seriously crystal-clear reasons.

I came in clinic few days ago, faced with an elderly mother at the age, which probably, wouldn’t have been expecting a pregnancy. She had lived more than 4 decades, and got married just last year. From the probability of conception point of view, she was truly, seriously, without a single doubt, blessed.

With blessings, her pregnancy came with obstacles, having to bear mild gestational diabetics and pregnancy-induced hypertension along the way.

Her first child.

She was obviously anxious.

She had her doubt.

Probably her imagination ran wild from time to time, about how her pregnancy going to end.

Probably she was hoping I could give him an ultimatum for her wandering mind.

Maybe I can. Or maybe I can’t.

She: So, do I have to go for Caesar?

Me: So far, your pregnancy despite mild medical illnesses is progressing very well. Is there any reason you wanted to go for Caesarean section?

She: well, you see, there’s this Kuan Yin Ma (Goddess of Mercy) that I pray to, and when I asked Kuan Yin Ma about how to deliver, Kuan Yin Ma told me to go for C-Section.

Me: Well… Err… How Kuan Yin Ma tell you? By fortune-telling sticks? How?

She: Well, the temple owner went into trance and through her, Kuan Yin Ma told to go for C-Section.

Me: Oh… I will need to discuss with my specialist first.

Although there was no clear cut indication, but there are subtle reasons how the decision for elective C-Section should pull through, mainly because she was an elderly primid coupled with multiple medical illness. Although she didn’t suffer long period of subfertility, but at 40years old, probably this is the only child she going to get.

At the back of my mind, I was planning for a trial of labor with low threshold for C-Section, but my specialist gave the green light for elective C-Section, justifiable that with a low threshold, an emergency section would prove to be worse than a planned elective op. Plus, my specialist was sadden by the incident of another unfortunate patient in her forties, having to gone through a rather long subfertility period, gone through labor and ended up with a fresh stillbirth. The ill-fated incident was preceded with CTG showing a length of poor variability coupled with a probable indecisive by the medical practitioner of that hospital.

I returned to the patient.

Me: My specialist okayed an elective C-Section, which is probably the best choice for you, after considering various factors and your preference of C-Section as the mode of delivery. However, I need to tell you about the risks and complications involved, ie bla.. bla.. bla…

She: Oh, so when will it be?

Me: I will need to refer to the OT book first.

She: Wait a while, Kuan Yin Ma had given me several choices of date as well.

And my eyes went wide open....

JD Salinger - R.I.P.

Few days ago, 28 Jan 2010, as I was reading the news, I accidentally found out about the passing away of JD Salinger, the famous literary recluse.

I admit that I am no big fans of fictional books, and I haven't been picking up much novels to fill up my reading hours. I rather watch them over the box office - most of it.

But I can remembered vividly, that The Catcher in the Rye, the famous book by this great writer was one of the few fictions that I really, really enjoyed, and I had a friend to thank for.

Having to read about his death, inevitably I gathered much of how he lived - it wasn't all shiny and nice, and also about the tributes all around.

He's no Michael Jackson, but he's definitely someone whose writings left a mark in my life.

Out of his many quotes, my favorite quote is

"Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.
Game,my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right - I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, when there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it? Nothing. No game."

and of course,

"I'm sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect."