My Unforgettable Experience

THE MOUNTAINS ARE WAITING FOR ME!  
By Chan Soon Fatt
12.08.2015



ANNAPURNA’S THOLONG LA High Camp View Point,50000M 

For a retiree who had been to thoroughly grounded to always to  expect the unexpected,  and being a strong advocate of applying potential problem analysis to prepare against Murphy’s Law ! in my work and my passion for travels  off the beaten tracks (especially high altitude mountain trekking),  my world came crashing down on 21st April 2015  during my routine 5.30am brisk walking exercise in preparation for my forthcoming Mt. Kilimanjaro trek for Q3and Q4 2015 which I was  earnestly looking forward to.

My left side of body suddenly went limp. Realising the worst, I tried to drag  myself homeward but my left foot felt like it weighed a ton. Sensing the body imbalance, I quickly sat on the grass curb. Fortunately, fellow early brisk walkers came running to my aid.

Still being able to talk, I requested their assistance to summon my wife from my home. Within minutes she drove over and delivered me immediately to University Malaya Medical Centre Emergency Trauma Admission. The trauma team was very professional and after a  quick blitz of Q & A, I felt as though I was in an ER TV series. A CT Scan was immediately performed and diagnosed  my problem was due to right frontal lobe cerebral bleed.  A surgery was advised against due to high risks involved but which may be necessary if the bleeding continued. Fortunately it did not! Thank GOD FOR HIS MERCY and GRACE!  The next 9 days was spent in ICU at the NEUROSURGICAL WARD and subsequently transferred to Neuro-surgical Rehabilitation Ward after a follow up CT  Scan confirmed the cerebral bleeding had ceased.

Word soon spread about my predicament..

I was very touched and blessed by the steady stream of concerned visitors that ensued with many surprises! Many expressed shock and disbelief knowing my good fitness level.

A big heartfelt thank you to all my visitors who wished me positive “jia yew” or “add oil” pact for a speedy rapid recovery and rehabilitation.

✔ A Delegation OF operators from Milk Powder Dept, NMMPJ
✔ Visitors from MNRA mgmt. committee members
✔ Fellow retirees, my travelling & makan makan buddies
✔ Past Work Collaborators and friends from  Nestle HQ and factories
✔ Production Director and Factory Managers from CEIC, Sri Muda, NMMPJ,
✔ Family members, Church brethren and concerned USJ 11 neighbours, fellow Gasing hill trekkers.

MNRA management committee members

MNRA management committee members

Visitor from HQ,& FM,NMMPJ’S FM

Ex Nestle collaborator

 Thank you too for all the fruit baskets which was shared with the Neuro Ward team nurses on Nurses Day. Because of the new MILO Nutri G (a gift from En.Adnan Pawanteh ),which was shared with my therapists,  I soon became tagged as Uncle Nestle in the Neuro Rehab ward.


A Powerful motivational aid during my low periods- a GET WELL WISHING CARD made by a good family friend who trawled our fb accounts for memorable photos of beloved family members.

Chronology of rehabilitation important events 

1. 26/4/15 admission into Neurosurgical trauma ward. CT Scan performed confirms a right frontal lobe bleed.

2. 28/4/15 repeat CT SCAN confirm cerebral haemorrhage has ceased

3. 29/4/15 discharged from trauma ward and transferred to neurosurgical rehab ward

4. 5/5/15 first sign of recovery-able to move left leg

5. 10/5/15 Able to sit upright with balanced posture for meals and reading.

6. 13/5/15 able to transfer self from bed to wheel chair and vice versa and use of move to toilet and shower without assistance.

7. Started training walking with roller walking frame

8. 18/5/15. House inspection by occupational therapist to assess safety status of home for hospital discharge.

9. 2/6/5/15 Training to stand up with quadripod.

    The turning point in the rehabilitation. Successfully walked several rounds inside the physio therapy room under close supervision by physiotherapist who held onto the rear of my pants fearing for my safety.

10. 3/6/15 based on 2/5/15 Neuro team weekly patients review, neuro team announced I was ready to be dischsarged on 6/6/15.

11.3-5/15. Put thru intensive staircase and platform walk training in preparation for home discharge.

 

 

Learning pointers:

1.No one is immune from stroke attack especially if you suffer from hypertension and cholesterol. Know your health status. Do not be stingy on Health checks. Senior citizens as ‘warga mas’ can register for at a govt. hospital or klinik rakyat nearest your residence and medication prescribed is FOC. It just requires a little effort to register yourself and sacrificing some personal time.

2.Watch your diet, do EXERCISE

3.For accelerated stroke recovery:

a) Refrain from wallowing in depression, suicidal thoughts and emotional distress especially the feeling of uselessness and thinking of self being degenerating into a permanent retard and becoming a  burden to loved ones. Do not give up on living.
b) Dwell on happy reasons to want a speedy recovery and lead a normal life.
c) Your spouse play a big role too! Simply by being at your side. Even that, do recognize she or he has their own life to live too! It would be expecting too much of them to be a permanent Care giver. Their well being is equally important!

4.  A picture of beloved ones close by does wonders as it reminds you of the good times spent enjoying seeing your children growing up - a powerful reason to want to strive for rapid recovery and lead a normal life

5. Consciously make effort to practice all the physiotherapeutical routines. Rehabilitation requires lots of disciplineand enduring pain from over stretched muscles and limbs joints.  Recovery takes a lot of effort

6.Consider MAKING YOUR home elder friendly or apply the multi generational home concept to modern living.

DEPRESSION

DEPRESSION: YES I WENT through it too! Now I can emphatise with other stroke patients and neglected elderly who whines about not finding purpose in continuing living being a very active and independent person now reduced to to a handicapped state now is really depressing.

All the windows in the rehab ward and open baconies are secured safe fron jumpers. In my quiet time I asked “ WHY ME GOD?” just as as I was enjoying myself, my retired lifestyle and adventures. HE’s not finished with me yet! It’s just a temporary sabattical for me to slow down. My family still needs me!. My son and  daughter both conspired to return home from overseas to visit me unannounced on my birthday. My wife constantly reaasured me she will always be there for me and will take care of me and reminded me of our marriage  vow on our commitment to each other ”TO LOVE AND CARE FOR EACH OTHER IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH till death do us part”. A picture of beloved ones close by does wonders as it reminds you of the people important in your life, especially your spouse and your children .

 

Even as I am writing this, my trekmates had just touched down in Kilimamanjaro Airport, being greeted by a hopping Masai troupe, an event which I was supposed to be a participant.

 

 

 

I am so disappointed that I was going to miss my 14D Mt.Kilimanjaro Trek/Serenggeti adventure and Everest 3 high pass trek planned for October ’15 this year. I reassured myself Not to WORRY. The mountains are not going away and there will be other opportunities.

The rehab ward requires me to wear adult pampers; ME! a 59 yr old 29years trained Nestle moulded hygiene advocate wearing pampers can’t phantom myself wallowing in my excrement urrgh! Digusting! I had made up my mind, NO WAY!. I will get myself to the toilet whatever it takes! Thus a push to be independent and mobile first targeting wheel chair mobility.

The therapist had been training me to optimise the use of my strong right hand and leg and coaching me to stand on weak left leg, a lot of focus on interlocking the bones at the knee and body posture balancing. So a lot of ”kunci lutut!” and “badan tegak! intructions kept ringing at my ears lead to being able to stand upright and independent transfer to and from hospital bed to/from wheelchair made easy and full independence in the ward.

My status rating chart was upgraded from mobility requiring assistance to independent with minimal assistance. Soon I developed my own rhythm guide:

 1) Lock Left knee. 2) Bend the knees. 3) Lift forward left leg,move I step forward. 4) Stop, balance body posture. 5) Move right leg forward.

This instructions had to be verbalized to constantly remind myself as it is critical not to miss a single step as it helped  accelerate my walking recovery. In my own free  time I spent practising walking around the rehab ward, greeting fellow patients as I passed their bed rooms. Shortly after this I was given the nod to be discharged. My much improved independence and mobility has taken a huge load off my wife’s shoulder as she no longer need to be watching over my shoulders. Now at home I move about independently to my aircond bedroom on the first floor as the TV and laptop are all in the bed room. My rehabilitation still continues as an outpatient at PPUM as well as reinforcing with alternative treatments eg., accupunture, electrical stimulus TREATMENT that’s suppose to massage your blood vessles 70x per second. No doubt, FULL RECOVERY WILL TAKE TIME AND LOTS OF EFFORT.

 

I GOT AN APPOINTMENT TO KEEP WITH THE MOUNTAINS WHICH ARE WAITING FOR ME!