my journey

It has been nearly 2 weeks since I last writing here.I'm being less active in writing in my blog after coming back to Malaysia, may be bussier now than when I was in Sydney. I have given lecture on SLE in pregnancy for the 6th Pahang Medical Update last week and day to day work is just like before. Of course I feel more comfortable being in control rather than being as an observer. Here I have played active role and all the decision is made by me. I have started rheumatology journal club even only Hilmi and I have to alternate doing this...but I think it will be a good start. At least to keep myself busy and teach my specialist who has interest in doing rheumatology. I believe teaching others will make my work later much easier and make my knowledge grow. I have started grumbling again to MOs as before...working with a group of majority Malay MOs here in HTAA is more difficult compared to work with a group of combination of other races. I used to work before with chinesse group...a...

Return back from sydney yesterday. My flight (MH122)supposed to be departed at 3.40pm. However, due to unavoidable circumstances it was delayed for 4 hours. All the passengers had already boarded the aircraft and infact it was already started moving, however it stopped just few meters from where it was started and made a turn back. The pilot informed us there is a minor problem in the engine system which need to be checked by the engineer first before we proceed. We were in the aircraft for 2 hours and had received several times refreshment, but the problem was not settle. Luckily I've in business class...not that bad. We have to disembark after 2 hours and hanged around at the terminal. Announcement made about an hour later, informed us everything ok. At the end, it departed at approximately 8.00pm. I've informed Abg Mi on this and I'll reach about 1am+. I had a smooth journey anyway and I've enjoyed the food including satay..it's quite sometime I've not got ma...

I have finished my short course ultrasound today. I've submitted the feedback letter and going to pack back soon. Still got 2 days to go and tomorrow may be to do last minute shopping (I've not bought anything yet so far) Feel good in a way..I've got a congratulation letter from Fred stated that I've completed my Basic Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course and entitle to consider joining advanced standing in Australian Rheumatology Association/ Australian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine: Foundations section of the Certificate in Clinician Performed Musculoskeletal Ultrasound. That's great..I can skip the basic part if I would like to join. Anyway, I don't know yet how supportive it is from the Ministry of Health. Thinking about that, I'll come back to reality next week and I've line of patients waiting. I've opened Rheumatology clinic as soon as I come back. On top of that I've a lecture to be given next Saturday...everything ready. Not bad, since...

Browsing some of youtube on Yusuf Islam today. Touch by his song and his journey of change to good muslim.

4th November, 2008 My trip started here. I thought I’d prepared everything for tomorrow departure. I knew I had not got my insurance yet, in case anything happens…nauzubillah. I looked back at the itinerary posted to me earlier. Luckily I realized, it was going to be one way trip. So I had to get myself a place to stay once I reached Melbourne and to get a way back to Sydney. I googled for the affordable place to stay and booked a cheap air ticket back to Sydney. I had decided to stay in Melbourne for 2 nights…that would give me time to go around Melbourne at least for a day. The cheapest place to stay or air ticket here definitely is much more expensive than what’s the price offered in Malaysia. Don’t think you will get Air Asia price..don’t dream about it. So Malaysian, don’t complain so much…everything here I had to pay almost more than double than what I can get in Malaysia. Thanks to this technology, I could still made an arrangement at last minute, provided my credit card was no...

Sunday comes again today. I have to plan for something, or else I'll be bored the whole day. Looking back at local Sydney map and the bus route in which I need to take. It has been my habit now,to read map. This time I will take a tour to Darling Harbour and explore what I'll find there. Few interesting places I should go there...Sydney wildlife and acquarium. Seems to be both are situated next to each other. I took bus 372 and stopped at the Railway Square...I guess this would be the nearest stop for me to get to Darling Harbour. From there I just walk, follow my instinct...I'm good at that. Not bad, I reach the Paddy Market and China Town and not far from there I found the way to Darling Harbour. Today is a little bit cloudy in Sydney. I prefer this weather anyway since I won't easily get tired. Sydney Wildlife and aquarium situated at the end of Darling Harbour. I have bought the combo ticket for both tours and it can be use up to 3 month. Quite a number of creature...

What else should I write this time.... Work...nothing much bothering me since I have all my time observing and may help by giving some opinion (don't know whether it is useful or not). Feels like coming back to medical student days. Sometime I miss the role of being incharge rather than just observe other people practice. Don't worry, it will be over in a few weeks and I'm on my toes again to start my real life back. At that time may be I'll regret not to take this opportunity to appreciate this wonderful time. Thinking back... I don't even start my lecture presentation for this up coming "East coast medical update in pregnancy". I have to prepare a topic on Lupus in pregnancy...just a week after the day I'm coming back. Ok..will do it later. Typical malay..last minute job and I have 3 more weeks to think about it. This week I've learnt more...I feel more comfortable now (I think!!) in performing ultrasound. Spend my Monday and Teusday in Xray depa...

I have a busy and productive weekend. Let's see what I've done on Saturday...It's a free day for me. So I've decided to go somewhere around Sydney. Something affordable for me. I've never wondering around or going for a trip alone back there in Malaysia. This experience only I can do it here. Relatively safe and nobody looking at you and think that you're wired. Everybody is thinking about themselve rather than think about you. It's a free world after all...and you can do whatever you want to do. I went to Circular Quay again today...looking for any opportunity to follow any trip or cruise and I've decided to go for "Whale watching cruise". Something interesting, but of course I don't quite like sailing that much. It will make me nauseated and I'm prone to get seasick. But at the end I go for it and give a try. While waiting for my trip, I just walk around and infact now I realized that I don't have to take a bus to go to Sydney Ope...

Start my day with observing Dr Joshua Rheumato clinic today. I've to be an observer, no license to practice since I'll only will be here for only few weeks. One thing about working here is I feel comfortable and feel accepted. I think I'm more comfortable interact with the superior here rather than in Malaysia. It's easier to discuss things and they are more acceptable to critic or opinion. In fact it is something like sharing experience on how we practice in Malaysia compared to Australia experience. Discuss case of recurrent optic neuritis with no other feature of MS and later on developed peripheral neuropathy. Later diagnosed as Lupus in view of positive ANA marker. There are such condition I've seen but usually with other systemic involvement rather than solely optic neuritis. Such an interesting observation. That lady improve with steroid and methotrexate. He also discussed about a patient diagnosed as Sjogren's and presented with cerebellar lesion which w...

Quite cold here in Sydney for the past few days. It has been forecasted to be on and off shower for another couple of days. May be difficult for me, I can't tolerate cold that much especially with not much fat to protect me from cold. Anyway, it's always an experience I need to go through. Since most of the Ultrasound practice need to be done in St George, means that I have to do a lot of travelling from Randwick to Kogarah. It is easy earlier since Dr Joshua kindly gave me a ride and show me the way there. But, of course I can't depend on him for every single trip. So, I have to learn to get a public transport to come here. On the first day it cost me AUD 37 for one way trip from Randwick to Kogarah. I can't afford that if I'm going to have frequent trips here...I'm going to be broke. I have decided to get a train and bus to travel. I need to catch a correct bus to central station and from there get a train to Kogarah. Have to study the bus and train system her...

Had a chance to go around Sydney yesterday. Snapped some pictures at opera house and sydney bridge. Important landmark to make sure people know I'm really in Sydney. It's beutiful and I admirer the work of the architect who built it, a brilliant art. Today, I have attended a private class on basic ultrasound usage especially concern rheumatology field. Unusual thing to do on Sunday in Sydney. However, I find it quite useful tips. Interesting but has to go back to basic physic. Dr Joshua was great in explaining, make things simpler than I thought (at least the physic part). I think there's a good future if I pursue and learn more on this field. Will consider this as my future specialty field in rheumatology. It's been great to do something that not many experts in this field yet in Malaysia. I hope I'll get the grasp of getting an experience in this.... I had a walk to Coogee beach in the afternoon. It is just within walking distance from my place. Full of people on...

Quite a fruitful day today. Starting my day in POWH without any hassle. Plan has been organised for me for the next week program...seems to be in order. 3 cases has been brought up during rheumatology meeting. Quite interesting cases have been presented. First case was dermatomyositis complicated with peritonitis, second case was a patient with scurvy (quite rare to have found a scurvy patient, only found it in text book) and the last case psoriatic patient (?related to the introduction of lithium). Impressive presentation.

Just reached Sydney 3 days ago. Still has nothing much to do. Able to secure place and start my attachment program in Prince Wales Hospital this coming Friday. Thought would raise some problem, luckily everything goes well. Life a little bit difficult here,...not quite difficult actually. The only thing this is the first time I'm traveling alone and have no one to talk except for when I'm going to hospital. Food seems to be not a big problem around here. Find a good Muslim Thai restaurant around the corner where I stay. Luckily I 'm small eater, so it does not cause a real problem to me.