Google translated from English to Malay with minimal editing by author.
A White Lie- about an ostomy
A White Lie- about an ostomy
Don’t tell lies, ever. No matter what – not even little white lies. –Margaret Keane-mom
(Bahasa Malaysia translation
Mr. Ponusamy was accompanied by his daughter
to see a stomaltherapist.
Although the care of his stoma
and the skin around it was excellent,
he made many complaints about them.
It must have been difficult for him to accept
having a bag on his tummy to collect his faeces.
The surgeon would not reconnect his intestines
nor close the stoma as proposed six months earlier.
“They said that it was a barium sulphate blockage in my colon.
But it has been removed already. They should be able to re-attach
the intestines and close this ‘thing’, this stoma,
so I can defecate naturally from my anus!
But they cannot give me a good reason
on why they won’t operate to revert my condition!”
The daughter called the stomaltherapist aside.
“All his children agreed and told the surgeon
not to tell him that he has cancer of the colon.
He is 88 years old and had two heart operations before!
We are afraid that he may have another attack!”
“I’m retired, but I’m a well-read man.
My fatigue or feeling tired all the times;
alternating bowel habits of diarrhoea and constipation;
sudden weight loss; blood in my stools;
all point out the signs and symptoms of cancer, aren’t they?”
“…you have just said it, yourself!
This is the report of your biopsy.
Yes, it’s true… “
Mr. Ponusamy kept quiet.
The two ladies glanced at each other, worriedly.
“Do keep an eye on your father at home!
Call me or your surgeon whenever necessary!”
During the following months,
Mr. Ponusamy would drop by the ward
whenever there were patients scheduled for ostomy surgeries.
His daughter would standby dutifully, from a distant,
as her father went on to explain systematically to a new patient
about how to care for a stoma.
We found a prolific speaker in him, too.
Mr. Ponusamy shared his experiences
at seminars for healthcare professionals
and patients with intestinal cancer and stomas.
“I have a successful career, loving children and grandchildren.
But, I would be happier if I was told the truth from the beginning
so that I can make plans and do the best I can, with the time I have left.”
A white lie, no matter how well intended it was meant to be,
should one tell or not tell, a white lie?
– Serena Chen S.P. @ TPTan –
26, October 2020
Tourists’ Miss Is Our Gain!
Tourists’ Miss Is Our Gain!
Tourists’ miss is our gain! – courtesy of Toh HL 
Tourist’ miss is our gain! -courtesy of Toh HL
Tourists fly thousands of kilometers to see exotic places.
The pristine corners of Port Dickson are ignored.
We have them all to ourselves.
We are not complaining, but feel it’s ironic. – Co-author Toh HL
****************************************
Travelling does not have to be expensive
if one cares to appreciate the treasures
around and near us!
Soak one’s self
in the serenity of nature’s beauty,
sounds of rhythmic rolling of waves,
and the distant cries of birds in the forest! – Chen S.P. @ TPTan
Baby goats in a row
Baby goats in a row ( a haiku)
This is a poem (Haiku), about baby goats on bottle milk feeding.
Quotes:-
- “A newborn has only three demands. They are warmth in the arms of its mother, food from her breasts, and security in the knowledge of her presence. Breastfeeding satisfies all three.” -Dr. Grantly Dick-Read
- There must be reasons why we men are so hipped on breasts as if we’d all been weaned too soon. ~Gunter Grass
When A Nurse Looks For A Nanny
When A Nurse Looks For A Nanny
My nurse friends and I had our fair share of rejections when looking for a babysitter in the city.
“When you go to do night shifts, who will look after your baby? Me?”
“No way! The last nurse I worked for was a ‘sterility freak’! I had to boil the milk bottles. I must pick up the bottles and teats with chopsticks… cannot touch the milk bottle teat with my bare hands!… You find someone else!”*************************************
****************************
Quotes:
“The nurse is temporarily the consciousness of the unconscious, the love of life of the suicidal, the leg of the amputee, the eyes of the newly blind, a means of locomotion for the newborn, knowledge and confidence for the young mother, a voice for those too weak to speak, and so on.”–Virginia Henderson, RN
International Nurses Day 2021: Nursing the world to health
International Nurses Day 2021: Nursing the world to health is the theme this year.
12th May is the anniversary of the birth of the founding nurse, Florence Nightingale. It acknowledges the commitment and bravery of nurses around the world in the light of COVID-19.
According to an international nursing chief, the Covid nurse death toll is now as high as the number of nurses who died during World War One.
Nurses form the largest healthcare workforce. Only now, going to hospital every day is like going to the war field. Caring for others while worrying about those at home. Working through the shifts, as the ratio of staff-patient stretches thin.
To this vital backbone of the healthcare system, many thanks, nurses!
Tourism: of decors and assurance
Tourism: of decors and assurance
This poem is about tourism, the street decorations that still linger post festivities, and the assuring sight of police presence!
Quotes:-
- “You don’t have to be rich to travel well.” – Eugene Fodor
- “Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” ― Gustave Flaubert
Shadow: A silent companion, always
A silent companion, always (a poem)
This short poem is about shadow as a silent and non-complaining companion. And it is always faithful and sticking around wherever Teh C. H. (guest photographer) goes! The face mask in the shadow marks the lingering pandemic in the background! Teh cycles in marathon, triathlon and half iron-man.
Quote:
When one sees light, a shadow will follow behind! – TPTan
As surely as a shadow in broad day light, as certainly as success with determined might! – TPTan
“Rakan sejati adalah orang yang datang…”
"Rakan sejati adalah orang yang datang..." (Terjemahan Google: Bahasa Melayu) “Rakan sejati adalah orang yang datang ketika seluruh dunia berjalan keluar” – Walter Winchell. Sama ada di kolej, tempat kerja, atau bahkan pengkhianatan dalam perkhahwinan atau keluarga! Siapakah rakan sejati anda?
那些缺席的人，请举手！
那些缺席的人，请举手 (谷歌翻译为中文)
大家在这里吗？那些缺席的请举起手来！ 在表现主义中，当今的规则。不是过去，不是未来。
殖民时期的许多道路名称已重命名为今天的VIP。因此，关于那些位置的那部分历史和故事就丢失了。 此，如果您在场，您会代表投票吗？
爸爸，你总是说，在你的时间里，你每天只有十美分的零用钱！ 今天十美分能买到什么？
过去，我们用一半的劳动力来管理这些工作负载！您不需要额外的人员！”任命一名高级护士经理。是的，但是今天，我们管理患者，机器以及很多防御性文档！但是，当我们开始获得更多的机器人而不是护士的时候，未来可能会改变！
不要比较为什么现在要做的事情现在不能完成，反之亦然。 每个时期都有自己的弱点和优势，也都有自己的挑战。 然而，真正的挑战是当曾经用粉笔和黑板擦洗的老兵或“baby boomer’ 现在必须融入当前的技术和计算机时代时！ 忍不住比较和对比生活差异！
Chen Song Ping 