Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Personal. Show all posts

Friday, February 27, 2009

Adventist Hospital - the day I was admitted to hospital


God Heals, We help



Today(27-2-2009), I was discharged from Adventist Hospital, Penang. Thanks to the team of Dr Teh Aik Sang, Siew Ai, Melissa, Lee Yu Kheng and Robert.

This is first time after 54 years since birth( I was not born in hospital), that I was admitted to hospital. Friends said it is blessing that I went to medical check up prior to retirement. I normally dislike go for medical check up even the check up will be paid by the employer. But I have visit many hospitals in Penang, Kota Bharu, Kuantan, and Kuala Lumpur. The visits were for other family members or friends, sometime for a stranger who I do no know.

The most unforgotten event in my hospital visit was a visit to an Iban boy, who suffered from acute kidney failure. It happen in Kuantan. It is by chance that we met the parent who was asking for a place to buy chicken for their boy who refused to eat hospital food. It was late at night, and we have to help the parent searching for the food. We become friend because of the event, the child was very happy to have his chicken dinner. Looking at the boy's face, we feel very sad, despite his smile it was swollen, as the child was seriously ill. Weeks later, the child was discharged.But one day we received a call from the parent, that the boy has passed away after he re-admitted to the same hospital. They have no relative in Kuantan, we are their only new found friends, and the grandma of the boy who come all the way from the home village. We need to arrange for the funeral , with Pastor David Pitchai conduct the funeral, and sent the body back to their native land in Sarawak. It is touching and simple Christian funeral for the boy, and we are his only friends here, we have to make the best for the young boy. The departure cry of the parents and the grand mum, at the moment my tears dropped with theirs. This young boy is my new found friend and he has to leave so early. I know the boy will be having good time eating chicken in heaven. The tearful eyes of the parent and the grandmother after the funeral, the peaceful face of the child......... my heart go for the family, and still remember them, because they touch my heart. The boy was still young, and yet he has to leave.

The second incident was my own dad. He was admitted to hospital in Penang , after a fall due to the bone fracture. But was re-admitted after operation for internal problem, which we still not satisfied with the answer given by the said hospital. Dad was not ready to leave, and not expected to leave. Dad may have many things that he has not fulfilled or completed.

Another incident was my father in law, he was a heavy smoker. But lived until 85 years. He was admitted to a university hospital in Kota Bharu, Kelantan. I still remember when he was critical ill due to lung problem, and he was laying on the bed. Suddenly he wake up and searching for his bicycle, and he want to check the business account in his two shops. He used to cycle each morning to his two shops to check on the accounts. The last days of his life he still remember his business. His business is his life until the end.

The moment I admitted to hospital, pastor's wife was with me; wife was with me. The mind was in the prayer mood, the Psalm 23 was with me. I was naked when I admitted to operation room, It remind me of Garden of Eden, where human was naked before God. All is clear, we cannot not hide anything from the almighty. There is where we come in nakedness, we have to go back home in naked. We have no choice, God see everything in us. This is lesson that I learn, need to be prepared for the event. It is natural process; birth, aging, sick and death. It will come one day, are we ready for the day? May God help us to prepare for it.

The service of the hospital is good; especially the nursing staff. The registration and pharmacy staff are equally polite. I really enjoyed staying there, especially the smiling faces of these people and the information provided for each process taken really make you feel comfort. Despite the hospital is busy, the staff are still having the smiling faces, this is remarkable. This is unlike the other private hospitals in Penang.

May be it is because the hospital is managed by Adventist Church, a non-profit organization, which make the difference.

It was a blessing, that I am fine. Thanks to the doctors and the nursing staff, thanks to all church members who supported me in prayer. Thanks God for giving more time for me in this earth..........I will be thankful for each day that God give, I know that it will be a blessed days for each day I live. Each morning when I wake up, I will be thankful , thank God for giving me another new day and that ......... I am still alive for another beautiful day.

This is the first time I was admitted to a hospital ; it was also the first time I admitted to Adventist hospital( a friendly hospital), it was the first time I go for an operation; they said it is my blessing, as only after 54 years that I have my first visit recorded.

Life is still beautiful, isn't it?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Retired- good bye to employer



Today 24-2-2009 is the day I officially retired from my employer of 30 years in Ipoh. I redeemed my freedom from the employment contract that I have given to the employer when I first joined the company. I am a free man today. There is no farewell for me today, as I do not like to said farewell for the day, it is the beginning of new phase of my life. It should be a celebration, not a sad farewell. It is the beginning, not the end. So why said farewell........

I still remember the first day I walked into the Bukit Mertajam branch of my employer in 1979. The employer was at that time, rank first in the market position of the industry. But the day I retired from the employment, the employer has slipped into 3rd ranking in the industry. It is sad to see that happen during my retiring time.

What is retirement?

The retirement is defined as withdrawal or disengagement from one's occupation, business or office or a career job. The career job is the position occupied by a worker for substantial portion of the working life with single employer or in a single setting. But some said that definition is for the past, the retirement as permanent separation from the work place is being replaced with new definition. Retirement is a permanent disengagement from the career job, and enter into a bridging period of semi-retirement. Not complete retirement. He may go for a bridge job.The act of retirement is now redefined as bridge retirement. Bridge retirement is the form of partial retirement in which a senior workers ( I do not like to use an older worker), alternate period of disengagement from the work place with periods of part time, temporary, occasionally and self employed engagement in work. It is the start of second career or the start of second education.It is a beginning, not the end. For more reading, there is an article from www.ericdigest.org on the new meaning of retirement.

It was a pleasant surprise that, Kim Ta come all the way to from Penang to Ipoh, to celebrate the event together with me , the day of new beginning, and the day of my new freedom. It is a joy to see him here in Ipoh..

Loh help me to transport my belonging to Penang. We also stopped at Taiping for a dinner with Teh, Chan, Draz and Sashi. We have a good time in Taiping, talking about the new development in the state politic. By the way it was surprise to know that the coffee shop we have dinner is owned by Miss Koo's parent, what a coincident.

Ipoh is the state capital of Perak. The name Ipoh come from a local tree, pohon epu or pokok ipoh. It was formerly know as Paloh by Chinese. Ipoh is referred to old town & new town, which was divided by the Kinta River at the heart of Ipoh. I retired at Ipoh, which I worked for past 4 years(in New town), it will be a sweet memory for me and a special way to remember Ipoh.

Taiping, the city of everlasting peace. It is the wetest town in Malaysia. On the day of retirement, I passed through the town, and have dinner there- city of everlasting peace. It reflected that my retirement will be an everlasting peace. Life will be beautiful after retirement. Initially there will be period of adjustment and re-adjustment, but it is all part of life process, I need to learn how to face new challenge in my retirement.