What would you do if you come down with a life threatening disease, like cancer?
See a doctor, get treated, keep a blog...and keep on living
Some people would like to share their journey, others like to keep it private. Its a personal decision and choice...afterall there will be many sensitive issues that will be broached. And you just never know who is on the other end, reading about your journey, your thoughts.
I guess its rare to find a blog to read, and like a craving keeps you wanting to come back for more. Over the past couple of years, there are a couple of blogs which I had been keeping tabs on. These blog owners are living with cancer. As I connected with these wonderful ladies, who had reached out through their blogs, sharing with readers the most sensitive and intimate details about their treatment, their life, their thoughts, I made a conscious effort to keep tabs on their blogs. Its like a sisterhood built on the disease that we all share, and its through their words of wisdom that I learned more about the disease and how to deal with it in my daily routine. Their words are often inspiring and would never fail to lift a tired spirit.
While some blogs appeared to have been abandoned or not updated after a period of time, it could probably be that the blog owners got bored with the novelty of blogging. However, more often than not, the blog owners may simply not be around anymore. Over time, I have learned to accept that, my favourite blog reads will no longer be updated, and even if they are updated, the spirit and essence of the original writer will no longer be present in the words on the blog.
As my list of favourite blog reads whittle with the passing of each brave sister, I really do not know what to do with my list. Do I leave their blogs on my favourite list, knowing that nothing new will be posted. There will be no updates on their life, about where they are, or what they are doing. Or do I whittle my list to those still living.
At this point in time, the list remains. simply because I still want to remember...
Monday, June 22, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Toxic
Haha, ok, feeling a little corny.
Due for scans tomorrow. Same drill, the docs gonna pump into me isotopes for the bone scan, so toxic, that theres designated toilets for you to release your bladder. So toxic, pregnant nurses avoid you like plagues. I am gonna be made to drink this icky yellow coloured liquid that taste like mama lemon washing detergent, just so that my insides would light up like christmas lights if there is any cancer activity going on in my abdominal cavity.
Couldn't help but feel that Good ol' Britney Spears is serenading to me.
Oh well, life is such....
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Soul Food
I know, i know... I am late again in posting my pics from the road trip.
We arrive home safely to a whole barrage of emails and orders to fulfil. Now that those are cleared up, I realised that the Zoombrowser program for downloading pics from my Ixus canon is misssing from the PC. Hmm....no one else at home touches my pc except me, so it must be no one else but me who had probably deleted the program or something. And plus the fact the right click for my mouse is not working too. .. oh well, will get these fixed some day.
I thought I should blog about a refreshing, not gastronomical lunch experience we had today. We needed to settle some legal matters at the Lawyer's office down at Furama today. We were early and decided to have lunch at People's Park Centre. We came by this dim sum restaurant called Breakthrough Cafe located on the 1st level.
Breakthrough cafe is run by a Christian based aftercare association that provides skills to former prisoners who have difficulty finding jobs because of their record. Many of the waiters sport fierce looking tattoos under their polo tee uniform, but service was really good, if I had to compare the service we received from a popular family restaurant that servces ice cream. The waiters were prompt to seat us, gave us our order sheet, and patiently waited to take our orders. Our food came promptly, no necessity to remind.
We also witnessed how a waiter react to a customer (the flashy tai tai with big hair, and just as big bling blings) who complained about the half boiled eggs not being done in the way she like it. I would have been really pissed at the way the lady talked down to the waiter, but he took the offending eggs away, and upon replacing the eggs, the lady told him that she did not want it anymore.
What amazes us is not so much the food, but the attitude of the staff. They seem just happy to be able to serve, and this joy seems to radiated towards their work attitude. Having had our fair share of sulky faced waiters and waitresses, and even sarcastic restaurant managers, what greeted us at this restaurant was indeed a refreshing change.
About the food, Breakthrough Cafe servces coffee shop type of food and tim sum at reasonable prices. We had the pei tan porridge, har kao, siew mai. All were delicious and so were the coffee and tea, whch were professionally done. All these served in a nice, clean, air-conditioned with nice furniture. Nicer than kopi tiam
So, if you are in the vicinity, drop by the restaurant. Give it a try, give them a shot!
Breakthrough Cafe is located at:
101 Upper Cross Street #01-02 People's Park's Centre
We arrive home safely to a whole barrage of emails and orders to fulfil. Now that those are cleared up, I realised that the Zoombrowser program for downloading pics from my Ixus canon is misssing from the PC. Hmm....no one else at home touches my pc except me, so it must be no one else but me who had probably deleted the program or something. And plus the fact the right click for my mouse is not working too. .. oh well, will get these fixed some day.
I thought I should blog about a refreshing, not gastronomical lunch experience we had today. We needed to settle some legal matters at the Lawyer's office down at Furama today. We were early and decided to have lunch at People's Park Centre. We came by this dim sum restaurant called Breakthrough Cafe located on the 1st level.
Breakthrough cafe is run by a Christian based aftercare association that provides skills to former prisoners who have difficulty finding jobs because of their record. Many of the waiters sport fierce looking tattoos under their polo tee uniform, but service was really good, if I had to compare the service we received from a popular family restaurant that servces ice cream. The waiters were prompt to seat us, gave us our order sheet, and patiently waited to take our orders. Our food came promptly, no necessity to remind.
We also witnessed how a waiter react to a customer (the flashy tai tai with big hair, and just as big bling blings) who complained about the half boiled eggs not being done in the way she like it. I would have been really pissed at the way the lady talked down to the waiter, but he took the offending eggs away, and upon replacing the eggs, the lady told him that she did not want it anymore.
What amazes us is not so much the food, but the attitude of the staff. They seem just happy to be able to serve, and this joy seems to radiated towards their work attitude. Having had our fair share of sulky faced waiters and waitresses, and even sarcastic restaurant managers, what greeted us at this restaurant was indeed a refreshing change.
About the food, Breakthrough Cafe servces coffee shop type of food and tim sum at reasonable prices. We had the pei tan porridge, har kao, siew mai. All were delicious and so were the coffee and tea, whch were professionally done. All these served in a nice, clean, air-conditioned with nice furniture. Nicer than kopi tiam
So, if you are in the vicinity, drop by the restaurant. Give it a try, give them a shot!
Breakthrough Cafe is located at:
101 Upper Cross Street #01-02 People's Park's Centre
Saturday, May 30, 2009
We are going on a Road trip!
With the Swine Flu scare going around, we are paranoid about flying. We heard so much about the poor air quality in the plane cabin, and didn't want to catch any kind of flu, swine flu or not.
We have limited options. We have been to Bintan 3 times in the past 2 years already. Batam isn't a choice destination, and Sentosa feels too close to home.
And so we are packing our bags, and driving up to Malaysia! Yes, our friendly neighbour. We will be driving up to Kualar Lumpur, cameron highlands and Malacca...
And so the journey starts early tomorrow morning, and clinche as it may sound, its not the destination that matters but the journey to get there...whatever!
We have limited options. We have been to Bintan 3 times in the past 2 years already. Batam isn't a choice destination, and Sentosa feels too close to home.
And so we are packing our bags, and driving up to Malaysia! Yes, our friendly neighbour. We will be driving up to Kualar Lumpur, cameron highlands and Malacca...
And so the journey starts early tomorrow morning, and clinche as it may sound, its not the destination that matters but the journey to get there...whatever!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Expectations vs Reality
The annual Teacher's Parents Meeting is just round the corner, and I am so dreading to be there to meet her teacher and to pick up Nic's report card. Nic haven't been performing too well in the school and I am anticipating that there's going to be quite a number of complaints from the teachers. Oh well, guess I have to face up to it.
When I was first diagnosed, Nic wasn't even 2 years old then. Being confronted with my own mortality, I thought I just wanted Nic to have a childhood, to have fun growing up, and be as carefree as possible. I do not know whats in store for her in the future, but I guess the least I could do is let her have a happy childhood when I am still around. Who knows how long that will be. Well, Nic spent much of her early years watching lots of Barney, Sesame Street, Hi-5, on TV, playing "masak masak" with Grandma, playing with the kids next door, going to the library...not a really structured sort of routine, but pretty carefree. We travelled often, sometimes taking her out of school during term time, while we take short trips. I wasn't the flashcard flashing kind of mama, but i tried to cultivate her interest in books with little success.
As Nic enters into formal school, my expectations for her were simple. Just do your homework when you need to, and pass all the subjects. I guess school life couldn't be so carefree anymore. She had to adopt a more structured routine, and had to adapt to a pretty different kind of lifestyle, something which she is still trying to get used to. She has to sit for exams, she has homework to do, spellings and dictation to learn, and her performance will be graded.
Nic thrives on compliments, praises and positive reinforcement. I think all kids do. She did well in her chinese language last year as she endeared herself to this sweet young chinese teacher. Its a different case this year, she hasn't been doing her chinese homework, and seems to dislike the subject. the teacher seems to have issues with her as I see the remarks she leaves in Nic's homework. I guess thats the variable element that is beyond our control in nurturing her love for a particular subject.
The kids in Nic's school will be streamed this year, where the kids with the top grades will be in the first 3 classes, while the kids with lower grades will be in the bottom 3 classes. While I am not agreeable with the streaming process, its the reality that the strong will thrive, while the weak will be ousted in due course. Its no longer enough to just pass your exams, you need to excel.
With school being so competitive, I do wonder if I had been slack during the formative years of her young life. Am I paying the price now?
And the Stressed Out Mama ponders...
When I was first diagnosed, Nic wasn't even 2 years old then. Being confronted with my own mortality, I thought I just wanted Nic to have a childhood, to have fun growing up, and be as carefree as possible. I do not know whats in store for her in the future, but I guess the least I could do is let her have a happy childhood when I am still around. Who knows how long that will be. Well, Nic spent much of her early years watching lots of Barney, Sesame Street, Hi-5, on TV, playing "masak masak" with Grandma, playing with the kids next door, going to the library...not a really structured sort of routine, but pretty carefree. We travelled often, sometimes taking her out of school during term time, while we take short trips. I wasn't the flashcard flashing kind of mama, but i tried to cultivate her interest in books with little success.
As Nic enters into formal school, my expectations for her were simple. Just do your homework when you need to, and pass all the subjects. I guess school life couldn't be so carefree anymore. She had to adopt a more structured routine, and had to adapt to a pretty different kind of lifestyle, something which she is still trying to get used to. She has to sit for exams, she has homework to do, spellings and dictation to learn, and her performance will be graded.
Nic thrives on compliments, praises and positive reinforcement. I think all kids do. She did well in her chinese language last year as she endeared herself to this sweet young chinese teacher. Its a different case this year, she hasn't been doing her chinese homework, and seems to dislike the subject. the teacher seems to have issues with her as I see the remarks she leaves in Nic's homework. I guess thats the variable element that is beyond our control in nurturing her love for a particular subject.
The kids in Nic's school will be streamed this year, where the kids with the top grades will be in the first 3 classes, while the kids with lower grades will be in the bottom 3 classes. While I am not agreeable with the streaming process, its the reality that the strong will thrive, while the weak will be ousted in due course. Its no longer enough to just pass your exams, you need to excel.
With school being so competitive, I do wonder if I had been slack during the formative years of her young life. Am I paying the price now?
And the Stressed Out Mama ponders...
Monday, May 18, 2009
Taking it Lying Down
Just back from treatment today. Its been a long day, literally, just waiting for my turn. I can't imagine the number of people who need to turn up for treatment today. Its terrible, isn't it? I don't mean the crowd, but rather the terrible fact that there are so many people who are stricken with the disease. There were not enough reclining seats in the treatment area, and i ended up having to have my infusion done lying down on a hospital bed. Hmmm....first time getting treatment lying down...I hope its not bad luck! Hahaha
So much for now. Pretty tired from all that waiting. Gonna turn in early tonight.
So much for now. Pretty tired from all that waiting. Gonna turn in early tonight.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Twittering
I have tried very hard, I have resisted but failed miserably, I have succumbed to the temptation of Twittering. I am still tinkering around the features. So if you are curious about what this old bird (read: me) is up to, click here:
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