Two emergencies of bleeding

Two emergencies of bleeding

person in white pants and brown leather shoes standing on gray concrete floor with pink petals
Injured her foot. (Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com)

Little Tom fell from his bicycle.

Everybody at home panicked.

“He is bleeding a lot … a lot! Can you come home, mum?” the older brother cried.

“Listen, boy. Go get a clean towel from the cupboard. Cover the wound. Press to stop the bleeding. Just press. Daddy will be back in a few minutes. I will meet you all at the emergency department.”

*******

Nurse Chen went back to attend to her two patients. The doctors and nurses were hanging blood, pack after pack, only to see more blood being vomited and passed out. The resuscitation went on for these two regular patients who had cirrhosis liver and bleeding oesophageal varices.

Nurse Chen informed the ER staff to expect her son. He had five stitches on his foot.

*****

Both are emergencies. The amount blood loss varies. But the perception of ‘a lot of blood loss’ is very real in both contexts!

Prepare the interviewer instead of the differently abled interviewees!

Prepare the interviewer instead of the differently abled interviewees!

An interview session

*********

Two mothers and a father

approached Ms Chensp ( a trained and voluntary job coach)

a job for their differently abled child.

******

Ms. Chen asked a few managers…

‘Well, we look for someone

who is a good fit for a job!’

hmmm…

‘An interviewee should explain

why they are the best candidate!’

Ohhh…

******

Well, I  will be bringing

three differently-abled persons.

And what questions would you ask them?

‘Of course…

if they would like to work for us!’

Then, Ms Chen went through with them

some potential questions

and how the interviewers

may ask a question…

so as not to frighten her clients!

*******

The human resource manager

was friendly enough

‘Hi, Dave, we have

vacancies at our restaurant.

Would you like to work for us?’

Dave answered, ‘no, I don’t think so! ‘

oh, oh… 

The manager glanced at Ms. Chen and asked again,

‘I mean, we are so busy here at our restaurant.  Would you like to come and help us here?’ 

‘Sure!’

*********

‘You can work four hours a day. 

Anytime you don’t feel well,

you go home. We will pay by the hours.’

(Many clients were on medications

and may feel sleepy.)

*******

One employer has six staff members who were trained in the job coach program, too. They understand and supervise this category of staff in the Linen department.

“We have one clerk who was diagnosed with depression. She is still on medications.  She has worked for us for about fourteen years now because she is used to the supportive working environment here.”

Oesophageal cancer: “… wanting a taste of food.”

Oesophageal cancer: “… wanting a taste of food.”

man in white polo shirt wearing black sunglasses on his head
Tasting food (Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com)

*****

I read “The Taste Of Chocolate (Flash Fiction #35)” by Haoyando. It reminds me of a person with oesophageal cancer who suffered from dysphagia and could not swallow food.

A feeding tube was inserted through the nose straight to the stomach. Liquid food was fed several times a day.

Sometimes, the carer would feed him small spoonfuls of porridge with fish or minced meat. Slowly he would chew and roll the food inside his mouth with his tongue. Then he would spit the chewed food into a bowl.

The carer would strain this mushy food through a siever. This was mixed with the remaining liquid and fed through the naso- gastric tube.

That way he got to masticate the meat with his teeth, stimulated the taste buds on his tongue, and mixed the food with his oral salivary enzymes.

We must grateful for the ability to savour the little moments of joys satiating food!

*****

Quotes:-

Food is not just eating energy. It’s an experience. – Emoovio

*****

Sip your tea

Sip your tea

Poem by Prof Lee Tzu Pheng (Singapore Cultural Medallion winner). She was formerly in the English Literature Dept in NUS.

This is a powerful poem on human friendship and  loving one another.

No one ever knows
when it’s Time to Go,
There’ll be no Time
to enjoy the Glow,
So sip your Tea
Nice and Slow.

Life is too Short but
feels pretty Long,
There’s too much to do, so much going Wrong,
And Most of the Time You Struggle to be Strong,
Before it’s too Late
and it’s time to Go,
Sip your Tea
Nice and Slow.

Some Friends stay,
others Go away,
Loved ones are Cherished but not all will Stay.
Kids will Grow up
and Fly away.
There’s really no Saying how Things will Go,
So sip your Tea
Nice and Slow.

In the end, it’s really
all about understanding Love
For this World
and in the Stars above,
Appreciate and Value who truly Cares,
Smile and Breathe
and let your Worries go,
So Just Sip your Tea
Nice and Slow.

This poem is beyond all relationships
But made for us all.

When I’m dead.
Your tears will flow
But I won’t know
Cry with me now instead.

You will send flowers,
But I won’t see
Send them now instead

You’ll say words of praise
But I won’t hear.
Praise me now instead

You’ll forget my faults,
But I won’t know…..
Forget them now instead.

You’ll miss me then,
But I won’t feel.
Miss me now, instead.

You’ll wish You could have spent more time with me,
Spend it now instead

When you hear I’m gone, you’ll find your way to my house to pay condolence but we haven’t even spoken in years.
Look for me now-

-Lee Tzu Pheng 

 

Composed by the Singaporean poet Anne Lee Tzu Pheng, this remarkable poem dwells on the nature of time and the relationship humans share. It invites the reader to be present in the moment rather than losing oneself in regret and guilt about the incontrovertible nature of time and lost opportunities. This poem is to remind us to take our time to live life and appreciate the value of life and memories that lives on beyond time and death.

The patience of a ktv room owner

The patience of a ktv room owner

********

There are many ktv (karaoke television) apps around including WeSing app. I won’t delve into what the app does.  You can read it here yourself.

But whenever there are competitions,  I was very impressed at how some ktv room owners sat through, praised and commented on the songs; from croaky singers to excellent singers! They certainly make it a day for some happy singers.

It is a good hobby for many housewives and retirees, of which I am neither, totally!

I usually pop in and out of these rooms and support some singers with flowers or gifts. I don’t have that much time in hand to sit through the whole session, anyway.

And I haven’t had the courage to compete openly yet!

This socialisation and competitive atmosphere is not available if one is to sing using a karaoke set at home as proposed by my family members.

*********

Rising every time we fall

Rising every time we fall

*******

Her primary cancer

was in her left breast.

Having undergone surgery, 

chemotherapy, and radiotherapy

*****

Just when she thought

it was all gone for good…

no,  it came back…

this time,  on her right breast!

So she underwent further

surgery,  chemotherapy,

and radiotherapy

… all over again!

*******

the following episodes

involved the lungs, lobectomy, etc.

it has been forty years

since she was first diagnosed.

She is now eighty three.

*******

I marvel

at her courage and perseverance

at rising each time,

cancer came back.

There is still a need

for early detection

after each episode,

whenever cancer comes back,

and catch it

before it spreads further.

******

And they were certainly

very painful episodes

one had to endure to live

as a fourty-year-old

breast cancer survivor. 

********

Quote:

“The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Nelson Mandela

Towards public honesty and trust

Towards public honesty and trust

******

I was amazed by what I saw

as we walked back to our hotel

Along an empty street was a newsstand

magazines covered with a plastic sheet

to protect from rain?

Won’t somebody

just pick one or two home?

Without paying?

That was three decades ago in Yokohama.

********

Last week I saw

a florist stall in a local mall

“Take your pick (of flowers) and

drop your money in the box here.

Any further question, 

please call this number!”

I was again very pleased and amazed

that this public trust

has finally arrived at our shore!

********

Are our kids matured?

boy and girl sitting on bench toy
MAtured (Photo by J U N E on Pexels.com)

Are our kids matured? ( A senryu)

Tolerant patience,

the ‘grown-up’ demeanour of

unchildish children

This senryu reflects how some children mature at different ages. Some earlier in life and some later, which some adults, never seem to!

Quotes:-
1.  “Youth ends when egotism does; maturity begins 
    when one lives for others.” ― Hermann Hesse, Gertrude

2. “Maturity is when your world opens up and you realize that you are not 
   the center of it.”    - M.J. Croan

Terjemahan Google ke bahasa melayu –Adakah anak-anak anda telah matang?

Adakah anak-anak kita sudah matang?

Kesabaran yang bertoleransi,
sikap ‘dewasa’ kanak-kanak
yang tidak bersikap kanak-kanak

Senyru ini menggambarkan bagaimana beberapa kanak-kanak matang pada usia yang berbeza. Dan ada juga dewasa yang tidak matang-matang langsung

谷歌翻译成中文- 你的孩子成熟了吗？

宽容的耐心，
的“成年”举止
幼稚的孩子

这句Hai句反映了一些孩子在不同年龄时的成熟情况。有些成年人似乎永远不会成熟！

The Elephant in the Room- Teenaged Pregnancies

The Elephant in the Room- Teenaged Pregnancies

(A poem –Senryū)

There is this big elephant in the room but no one sees it or wants to talk about it!

The Elephant in the Room

Teenaged pregnancies

with fathers still in college

small babe with ‘big babe’!

Quote:-

Social ills: teenaged pregnancy, gangs, children with behavioural problems. All these things can be alleviated if kids got more physical activity for starters. – Edwin Moses