Seven Things...

i've been tagged by mobilemom, so here goes. (it's not like she'll beat me up if i choose to ignore this, but since she's such a cute and nice person...hehe)

Seven Things I Plan to Do Before I Die:
1. Attend 25th, 50th year high-school reunion (won't be able to attend 10th year reunion trow)
2. One last visit to Irvine and Pittsburgh
3. Go to Disneyland
4. Go to Universal Studios
5. To visit as many zoos as possible (i love zoos!)
6. Travel the world
7. Touch a polar bear

Seven Things I Could Do:
1. Pay my credit card bills (i'll do it tomorrow..i promise)
2. Pray 5 times a day
3. Eat veggies (i rely on multivitamins these days. before this, i just didn't bother)
4. Start doing something productive again (too much slacking off these days)
5. Exercise!
6. Grow my hair
7. Take my medications on time. Oops! Is it already 1PM??

Seven Celebrity Crushes:
1. Jonathan Brandis (when i was a kid...remember Neverending Story?)
2. Wil Wheaton (Stand by Me!)
3. Rashid Sidek
4. Azam 4U2C (Fine, I was 16 and stupid, but he was tall and cute!)
5. Gareth Gates
6. Yusry KRU (I know some of you are going to start questioning my taste now...)
7. Matt Damon

Seven Updates on Me (ni I tambah sendiri..hehe)
1. Still feeling tired
2. Hb count was 9 yesterday..no wonder I was extra tired
3. I got a Bone Marrow Biopsy on 10/10 to see if i still have leukemia
4. Gol & Gincu was not bad!
5. Gila2 Pengantin Popular was funny! (Later realized it's an Aziz M Osman film, patutlah)
6. I'm craving nasi ayam hailam...slurp! Ooh and also Indo Mee Goreng Bestari..yummy
7. I'm nervous about the Bone Marrow Biopsy! Wish me luck!

ciao

Marathon Cerita Melayu!!!!

I think my adrenal glands must have kicked back into motion, because I was in the mood for shopping this morning. Went window shopping for a bit, and finally bought a bunch of Malay VCDs at the video store...(mesti la original!! Lagipun kedai auntie belum bukak lagi..hehe)

• Gol & Gincu
• Ungu Violet
• Gila Gila Pengantin Popular (anything with Apek/Afdlin i memang minat! hehe)
• Pendekar Bujang Lapok
• Seniman Bujang Lapok

That should keep me occupied for the rest of the week. I think I'll start with Pendekar Bujang Lapok first.

p/s: Inspirion (TV3) tak best. Plus I'm getting confused with all the Ako/Nasha/Rashid Sibir combo dramas. They all seem to be about 2 men trying to win Nasha's love. Tau le Nasha tu cun, tapi takde idea lain ke? Don't ask any ideas from me...i did try to think of a Malay drama storyline, but my ideas somehow came out macam Malay drama yang dah ada..hehe..it's like I've been brainwashed!

Mencari Cinta

Caught up with the series Mencari Cinta just now (my mum was watching it!!), after not watching it since I left the transplant ward. They're down to two men now, Danial and Zul. Personally, if I was Elly, I would call the whole thing off and not choose either of them. A lawyer...and a system analyst? They should've gotten a couple of Dato's as the contestants just to spice up the show! Hee hee hee...Apa2 pun, good luck la to Danial, Zul and Elly. Not too bad to get a sponsored wedding at A Famosa, plus jewellery from Habib Jewels!

Quoting an email I recently received, maybe the sequel should be called "Mencari Bini Kedua." He he he...

Ok...nak tengok Inspirion (apparently drama ni best..betul ke?)

btw, i'm feeling less tired and lazy since I got a tip yesterday to massage the palm of my left hand to stimulate my adrenal glands (some reflexology point, i think). Yay!

Day +76

Not much change....still a lazy bum. I think my Hb is a bit low, saw some green stars when I tried to sit up after lying in the sofa for a couple of minutes. Definitely not helping with the whole lazy/tired issue. I'm lazy to the max!! Nak bangun malas, nak mandi malas, nak makan malas, nak check email malas, nak pick up the phone malas, u name it, i'm lazy to do everything except sleep or bum in front of the telly!

Pardon my lack of updates, I rarely can muster enough energy to even sit in front of my computer nowadays. (plus my brother was home for a few days and he was using the computer most of the time to finish his homework.) Looks like it's Animal Planet and Discovery Travel all the way this week, baby.

Also, sorry there are no interesting pictures of late. Too lazy to look for my camera.

Day +72 & No more steroid high

3.30 PM (Lying on bed): Hmm i feel like having that cekodok pisang near SS4. But I'm too lazy to drive, plus i would have to fill in the gas first on the way. Argh...maybe I'll just lie here in bed.

3.45PM (still in bed): Ooh....maybe i'll go to Giant and have some Secret Recipe brownie a la mode. Damnit! I would have to drive...plus fill in gas on the way...i'll lie down here some more i guess. (note to self: get brother to fill in gas for me)

4.00PM: mum came into the room to tell me to go down to eat lunch. Ok Ma.

4.21PM: got out of bed, went downstairs, had lunch.

4.30PM: felt a bout of nausea. got back into bed.

4.45PM: i wonder if the cekodok pisang is still there....argh bugger the weather's not looking too good. don't feel like driving out in the rain.

5.00PM: Got a call from HSBC, accusing me of not paying my credit card bills. Screamed somemore at the customer service officer (as I do every week), and told her that this dispute has been going on for two months, and that the bank better settle this or I'm taking my business elsewhere!

5.10PM: Called eflix, and asked them to start charging to my Citibank instead of HSBC (because HSBC SUCKS! plus they've already suspended my credit card for something i did not do)

5.20PM: Got another call from HSBC saying that they haven't received my dispute form last week. And that I should fax another one as soon as possible or they won't be able to do anything about it. I told them that that's a stupid policy, and that we've been trying to settle this dispute for the past two months. Also told them that I promise that when all this is over I will settle everything and close the account.

5.30PM (still in bed): hmmm maybe i should blog about this. but am I willing to drag myself out of bed to write about it? oh God why am I so lazy!!!!???

So that was my day, basically. Sleep, stare at the ceiling, stare at the tv, eat (if i manage to drag myself out of bed), sleep some more. I told the doctor how I'm feeling. The doctor said that it's normal when they start cutting down the prednisone. When I was taking a lot of prednisone, my body was on a steroid "high". So now that they're cutting it down, there's not enough natural steroids in my body to cover for the amount that they've cut down. This "down time" will go on for some time until the level of my body's natural steroids get back up to normal. Damnit! I thought I had turned a new leaf! With the waking up early, exercising, thesis work...turned out I was just high on steroids! Tipah tertipuuuu!!! hehehe..

ok..off to bitch about HSBC with Z. ciao!

wooooh...finally

I haven't written for so long because i've been trying to finish watching Felicity (the TV series). I followed the show halfway through until 2000 when I was back in college in the US, and then had to come back home. It's a drama about a girl, Felicity (obviously), who goes to college in New York city to follow her high school crush, Ben. It started out pretty interesting, but after a while, it just started to get irritating, with their petty college problems (especially Felicity's). She goes around wondering about things like "oh no, what am I going to do with my life? I have no clue..." bla bla bla shut up!! But well, I really had to finish watching it to see the ending, since I have invested so much time watching it already. plus the show is pretty addictive, despite being terribly annoying. kekeke....but I'm done now, so that's good.

Apart from that, my blood count was a bit low from yesterday's blood test. Hb 9.1, but the rest are ok. I've been feeling tired the last couple of days, just wanting to lie down and sleep, or stare at the ceiling (or watch Felicity hehe). But I've been taking a lot of protein since yesterday, like milk, meat, chicken, etc, so I hope Monday's blood count will show some improvement. It's really like a vicious cycle. I start feeling tired, i lose appetite (thus lack nutrition), my blood count drops, i feel tired, and so it goes. So sometimes I just have to realize quickly what's happening (thank God for bi-weekly blood tests), snap out of it and start eating properly. I've lost some weight, but I'm sure I'll gain it back in no time. The gross thing is, the skin on my feet is now all dark and crinkly, because it was so swollen a few weeks back, and the skin expanded. Now that my feet is back to normal (even skinnier than normal), there's the stretched skin left, looking like some old woman's feet. Ewww!! I'll stick to sneakers and covered shoes for some time. he he he...

So that's about what's been happening. Any TV show ideas that I can watch to torture myself some more? How about Dawson's Creek...or Party of Five? hehehe...

Have a great weekend everyone.

Aduh help me get this tune out of my head!

Kau biarkan aku sendiri menderita susah - nasib hidupku saliha
Kau biarkan aku sendiri melewati sepi - dalam hidupku saliha
kau biarkan aku sendiri meratapi nasib - dalam derita saliha
ohh.........saliha

Can't get the tune out of my head! Darnit M. Nasir!! I also blame the CD store at Giant for playing this song over and over again. Uwaaa...!!

Day +63

Short visit today. Blood counts ok. Just went to the clinic for the ganciclovir infusion, since doctors weren't around. Will see the doc on thursday. Argh...thursday is IV IG (immunoglobulins) day...that will be a long day for me. dang.

Spent my weekend finishing Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. I know I've been taking forever to finish the book, but that's how I treat my Harry Potters. Slowly but surely. I won't read it if i'm distracted with something else. Overall I thought the book was OK. A bit much on teenage budding-romance stuff, but I guess it's normal when you're sixteen with raging hormones. Sad ending though.

Ok lah. Gotta go find some ideas on what to eat for lunch.

Hari yang pening

Woke up yesterday morning with mild headache. Went to the hospital as usual, got my medication, and went home. Short day, since I didn't have to see the doctor yesterday. Got home around 1pm, fell asleep until 8.45PM. Woke up to have some dinner, and went back to sleep until 9AM this morning. Man...i guess it just wasn't my day yesterday.

Got my beautiful car back today, almost 3 grand poorer. The aircon better last long this time. After paying that much, the car actually feels fresh! I think mum will stop complaining about the air in my car now.

Hmm suddenly feel the urge to send the car in for power steering rack replacement lak, which is long overdue. And upholstry replacement, polishing, vacuuming...tempting...but maybe next month. :-)

Books for Sale/Donation

I'm making room for newer books in my bookcase, so I'm letting these books go. Check out the list here. Sorry lah, no description or review of the books. I can't remember anyway, and for some reason, I have two copies of some of the books, I don't know how. If I manage to sell all these, it will help pay 5% of my car aircon repair. hehehee...

Or, I don't mind donating them to an orphanage or a charity, if the books are suitable. Let me know if there are any.

Ciao

Makanan yang menggemukkan

Had some beef, made some baked ziti (i used penne, no point wasting, they all taste the same anyway). It's not that fattening lah, just don't eat the whole tray! Found the recipe at allrecipe website. I skipped the provolone cheese. If you really takut gemuk, try using light sour cream and light mozarella.



Tomorrow I'll go back to non-cheesy stuff. heh.

Orait...nak pi main Prince of Persia. That game is driving me mad. Don't think it's very good for my blood pressure. Maybe I'll go back to Lego Star Wars.

Baked Pasta with Parmesan Chicken Slices

it's been a week since i posted a food picture. here's one for today. must've used up all the pots and pans in the house...to cook the pasta, to make the sauce, to make the chicken. nasib baik i don't have to clean it up. he he he...



went to the clinic yesterday and my counts are good. WBC 6.1, Hb 10.4, Platelets 87. Kidney function and liver function all OK. Doc says I'm taking the graft very well. I'm starting to wake up later and later these days (probably since the prednisone is being tapered off), and not liking it because it feels like a waste of time. Am also eating less now, which is good, because i was worried that the chipmunk face will be a permanent fixture. hehe

am fine otherwise. ciao! am going to have lunch while watching Alice in Wonderland.

Kesian Facial Cleanser ku...

My face have become a bit oily now, and I've been looking for my facial cleanser for days now...couldn't find it. Finally decided to ask the maid this morning, and it turns out she threw away my RM160 facial cleanser! I've been using that same bottle for a year plus, and it still has a good 1.5 month of use in it (you don't have to use much). Menangis aku! Apasal la yang dia suka2 hati pi buang barang2 orang. Teruk betul lah! Pagi2 lagi nak buat orang marah. Should I go buy a new bottle? Argghhh, nak spend RM160 in one shot yang malas ni. Dah la aircon kereta rosak, nak kena betulkan lagi..tu lagi satu koyak. There goes my plan to buy an LCD screen and replace my power steering rack.

Ok breakfast time. ciao. Have a good weekend.

The Disadvantages of Living Behind a School

Woke up to a whole lot of cheering and Ricky Martin's Livin' La Vida Loca.



I now cannot stop humming that song...must..download...

ONE YEAR

Today it is exactly one year since that fateful day at that clinic in Damansara Uptown. The images are still vivid in my mind, the doctor looking at me warily, about to deliver the bad news. He turned the report towards me and pointed to the "Impression" section, which said, "Suspected acute leukemia. Urgent bone marrow aspiration needed." Me speechless. That was the day the adventure began, with impossible veins and 4 pints of blood to be transfused urgently (I was only properly diagnosed on September 8, 2004). I know I've come a long way, fighting through infections, pain, changes in my body, chemotherapy, transplant, etc. I've seen people who didn't make it, people who made it, and people who are still struggling. Alhamdulillah, God has been kind to me, making things bearable most of the time. I'm still the same person that I was before, hopefully with a different way of looking at life.

Thank you God for letting me live a little longer
Thank you mama and ayah for caring and putting up with me
Thank you Ayol for the stem cells
Thank you Firr for taking care of the cats' supplies while I was away
Thank you Deli for being my valet whenever you're home (hehe)
Thank you Z for sticking by me
Thank you doctors for making this easier for me
Thank you nurses for the care
Thank you relatives, neighbors, friends & colleagues for the prayers and support
Thank you employer for the financial help

Who else....oh yes, no thanks to Ananda K. for not supplying me with the Maxis 3G card. I missed Akademi Fantasia because of that! Nasib baik the winner was so bloody predictable, so I'm not too upset, just a bit disappointed. Hehe.

Ok, seriously, thank you everyone for the constant well wishes and prayers.

I feel better today

Huh, after a lot of sleep, I woke up feeling a hell lot better. I don't know what happened. Was it the magnesium that I got yesterday at the clinic? Hmm gotta find out.

Sent my car for air-con service, went to the bank, did a bit of walking around Giant, bought some presents for a friend's baby and had some fries at Burger King (dah gian sangat). Now here I am at home waiting for my Chicken in a bag a-la Thai (see recipe, picture) to finish baking in the oven. After the vomiting episodes yesterday, I could only stomach sourish food. Vomiting feels awful..but the nice thing about it is...a few hours later..check out the flat tummy! hehehee.

Ok better go check on my chicken. Lapar gila. Ciao...

no, it didn't get better

I only finished at the clinic at 3PM, which was rather late for a normal day. Vomited all that I ate that morning and afternoon while on the way home. So I was feeling pretty bad, and also had a headache. Maid fried me some ayam goreng kunyit and by mistake put garlic in there, which didn't work on my taste buds, so I ate a few little bites and went to bed after taking some panadol. I only just woke up after my long nap, had a bit of dinner, and not feeling any better.

My counts are alright though. Total white 7.7, Hb 10.3, Platelets 130. A bit low on magnesium, liver a bit off, but other things came out OK.

Oh shit, I feel my dinner coming up my throat. Laters!

bad mood!

Boy did i wake up on the wrong side of the bed today! First, the maid had to fry my eggs twice since i wouldn't eat the first one because it came out of the pan looking like an omelet. Then i snapped at my mum for asking whether i have turned off the lights in my room. Poor mama. Ugh, i'm probably just dreading another long day at the hospital today, got 7 bottles of IV IG and a dose of GCV. Not looking forward to seeing the superbusy nurses there who sometimes snap at me when i ask questions. Mood got even worse when i got to the clinic and was told that my ciclosporin level result from monday is M.I.A. and they have to repeat it today. God! How annoying! Hopefully the day improves in a few hours...