Bartholin Cyst

I have been marsupialised and now recovering at home with light bleeding. Thank you for all the lovely get well wishes and earnest prayers.

Izumio and Super Lutein helped me so much leading up to the surgery. My energy level was fairly good considering the amount of work I had to put in at home before admission.

Izumio was the only drink I took before and right after the general anaesthesia. No vomit, little dizziness, alert and good appetite. The blood clotting progress was good, and the best part was that I only took 2 Arcoxia painkillers during my hospital stay. I did chew 2-3 Super Lutein capsules every 2-3 hours. 

Honestly, I did not need any painkillers once I was discharged; but have to complete the course of antibiotics.

The view was amazing. The food and beverage service remained satisfactory. My ob gyn and her team of caregivers were wonderful, skillful and cheerful. I went in slightly depressed and came home "light and lifted". Did they also remove my dark clouds for me? Syukur alhamdulillah!

When Shall I Say Yes

Salam, my lovelies.

I went for my annual Pap smear yesterday and instead of the usual "We will call you if there is any problem" standard goodbye line, I was told something new. And slightly shocking.

It seems that I have 2 growths that need to be addressed.

"It is not life threatening, but I prefer if you have them removed for biopsy"

I know.

I felt angry, disappointed, angry, desperate, angry, "why me?"

"Why me?" Part of faith is being patient. Accepting His tests without impatience and doubt. Obviously, it is my turn to take this test now.

Never mind, let's do this while we catch it early. You name it, I felt it.

The last 24 hours have been .... an emotional roller-coaster. I would not have been so reluctant to pick a date had it been a LA but this is "minor surgery but requires GA" and I have my reasonable concerns.

What can I say, other than console myself with "syukur Alhamdulillah we detected this early" or "better now than later".

If for some reason I am late to update this blog:

To Drama Queen, thank you for the juice and pat on the back yesterday.

To Mamapumpkin, we shall talk about this later when you are back from Japan. I have my reasons for not telling you right this moment as you already have too much on your plate.

To Stonor Mummy, we can have more vegetables juice soon and catch up properly as "sisters".

To She Loves Coffee, thank you for your du'a. We shall eat that K-lunch soon, insyaAllah.

To the stranger who reads and wishes to help the leukemia-stricken single mum with a child taking his UPSR this year, THANK YOU. You have no idea how grateful I am for your kind heart and generosity. May Allah swt bless you abundantly for your good deeds.

Life is worth living (cleanly and healthily). Please do not let anyone else convince you otherwise. I am telling myself this to stay positive and undo my own negative mental shackles.

May 4th.

Yes. InshaAllah.

Lots to settle between now and then. Bismillah.

Thank you, my lovelies.

The Chance Encounter

The annual pap smear appointment with Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian was made about 3 months ago and the appointed day finally arrived. Yes, I am  always excited to meet her.

The pleasantries were exchanged, Nurse Fiza remaining cheerful with Dr. Seri looking more radiantly youthful than ever (those air wuduq is a serious elixir of youth!).

Procedures then began as standard as it could ever be. Everything looked good in the ultrasound scan. No unplanned pregnancy, fully healed cervix, ovaries with normal follicles etc.

Kegels were good, I could even see my  pelvic muscles doing its round of exercises. Bladder control was neat. Passed with flying colours, so to speak.

The most comfortable pap smear was to follow.

Then, a little piece of surprise showed up.

Something "had casually grown on my uterus wall...something small and shiny...something abnormal like a cyst ripe enough to be pricked and its liquid contents withdrawn into a clinical syringe and had to be sent to the laboratory right away kinda something" caught her keen observation.

She advised for the pap smear to be done first, and it was noticeably comfortable as a small speculum was used, complete with a gentle swab which felt like an ant bite with no embarrassing or strong protests from myself.

With that agenda of the day out of the way, she presented my treatment options.

We decided very quickly as impromptu and quietly as the cyst had grown, to have it removed there and then with just local painkiller. Some light bleeding followed, sufficient to be taken care of by panty liner. No medications, no hospital stay, no antibiotic. It went as swiftly as it had come. I paid, then drove home with the rest of the day being up and about as if had nothing happened.

Life goes on.

No news is good news.

I am praying so hard it is benign, with nothing more to worry about. If it is malignant, I will have plenty to worry about with my family and children being so young. Thank you also for your kind du'a.

Moral of the story is: Annual pap smear. Please do not overlook this simple self-care step. Book your appointment already!

The Labour Story Part 2

Warning: Get comfy, this is a long post. If you are reading this because you are looking for reviews of the doctors in this post, hope this will find you well, but please make your own informed decision and not solely rely on my experience to decide on the best medical care that you so deserve.

Caution: If you are reading this because you are the doctor concerned and you Google-d yourself, go to the last paragraphs for the best bits! *big smile*

Maybe the last caution: If you are here because you are a PETRONAS staff, I'd say take a labour room and suite tour, meet and interview the doctors yourself for the best possible maternity benefit. Wish I was still with PETRONAS, heh! If you are wondering if PCMC is the best facility around KLCC, I'd say "YES!".

______________________________________________________________________

 

A much-delayed, heavily-edited post with grammatical errors everywhere...my sincerest apologies!

After dinner at The Flat Upstairs, we returned home to start the evening routine and put The Little Girl to bed. She finally slept at about 9.30 pm after a stack of bedtime stories and 2 bottles of milk.

By then, I was feeling some contractions and casually dismissed them as Braxton-Hicks. The Other Half wondered if this was the real deal but I shrugged it off, as it would be really embarrassing to show up at PCMC with yet another false alarm.

This time, I was going to wait for the show. The real deal. No more false alarm, please. I hate vaginal exams, remember?

So the evening wore on. We finished watching Bourne Identity and although I was feeling some discomfort, I enjoyed re-watching the movie. 

My bump looked like it was turning at one point, contorted itself into a funny crescent shape like it did a lot in my first pregnancy. My gut feeling told me it was a good sign. I had been "spinning the baby".

Honestly, we were quite glad that Bean had finally decided to turn and clear the occiput posterior situation for me. Bless this kid! I'd thought maybe now I won't have the reputed painful back labour?

When the movie ended, we went to bed. I replied all the outstanding whatsapp messages, made sure my side of the bed was lined and drifted off to sleep with a bit of grunts in trying to find a cosy spot, blessed by the thought that these were going to be last few days of the baby lying on top of me from within me.

Then at 2.50 am, I felt an urge to pee. I thought maybe at 39 weeks 3 days along, it'd be safer to have the lights on at the bathroom instead of fumbling in the dark. Our flat is always semi-lit as the other buildings surrounding us is always lit at night, and we can manage walking about at night without the lights on. Small fringe benefit for living in the city of lights...

However, on that particular night, I flicked the switch on, as I had listened to my better judgment. Just as well the lights were on!

What came after the pee was something I had not seen before!

 

A slug!! A firm, agar-agar, clear slug of me!!

 

From my vajayjay!! *GASP*

 

I was positively taken aback and double-checked online with Baby Centre if that was indeed my clear mucuos plug. There was no pain, the contractions were light and at the interval that I had gotten used to.

The results for my search was encouraging.

Hooray! It was a sure sign of early labour! My body is designed for birthing mantra played in my head and most importantly, prayers for forgiveness of all my sins started in my heart without prompting.

Quiet as a mouse (I am not a drama queen, obviously), I waddled back into the master bedroom to wake The Other Half up from his deep sleep. I didn't want to wake The Little Girl (who still slept with us then) so I was sure not to make too much of a ruckus.

"Dada (meaning my husband), we have to get to the hospital. I lost my mucuos plug! Call Dada (meaning my FIL) and Mama (meaning my MIL) to come here and sleep with her (meaning The Little Girl)", I whispered.

He rang his parents in his "semi-comatose state". I went to get the packed and ready to go hospital bag, added some dates into the snack bag and changed into my going-out-to-PCMC-to-birth-Bean outfit complete with headscarf and all.

Within a few minutes, my MIL and FIL were at our door. Kisses and salams were exchanged, the bags were loaded into the family 4WD and off we went to "greet our Bean".

It was not a quiet city at all, even at 3.15 am.

 

There was a car crash outside Wisma MCA which caused us some delay then followed by a road block conducted by Rela (for some undisclosed reason) at Auto Bavaria Jalan Tun Razak. 

When we got to PCMC, we couldn't find a park at the ER bays so The Other Half deposited me at the ER entrance while he went to park the 4WD, to save me from waddling under the dark, hazy skies.

 

By the time he came back to ER lounge, I was already "processed" and on my wheelchair, ready to be sent to Level 6 Labour Room. At 3.30 am, my hospital check-in to labour ward 6G-04 was completed. The CTG was placed and my monitoring began. A vaginal exam showed 2 cm. Sigh. Long way to go.

 

I was then transferred to labour ward 6G-07 as it was going to be a slow going early labour. We both discussed and decided to be admitted instead of going home to wait it out (did not want to risk the morning peak hour or worse, evening grid lock!)

The nurse came in again at 4 am for a much dreaded vaginal exam which showed only 2 cm. The Other Half and I communicated our decision to be admitted. The nurse verbally told me that Dr. Seri had been informed since my "check-in" and her plan was to induce me at 6.30 am, to which I agreed.

At 4.25 am, there were more dislodging and discharge of mucous plug but no sign of water breaking. I remember trying to relax by reading what I could on iQuran.

At 6.30 am, one shot of enema was given and although I was told to wait, I just could not. What came after was the second most painful  poo ever! I guess I grunted for so long and so loudly The Other Half must have been a bit concerned.

Relief came at 7.50 am when Dr. Seri came for her round. Vaginal exam showed 4 cm, show finally appeared and I was encouraged to eat some breakfast (yums!).

 

The birth plan was epidural and induce although by then I was a bit fuzzy-headed from all my negative chatter from inside my head and asked Dr. Seri if we should just go for C-sec and be done with it.

 

Thankfully, Dr. Seri stood firm on our agreed birth plan. She told me about my favourable cervix, body designed by Allah to birth naturally and that I do not need a C-sec. All I had to do was eat, pray, sleep and birth Bean. Sounds easy peasy, in retrospective. Dr. Seri reminded me of the recovery plan after birth and how I should look forward to all my urut sessions ahead. She is very good at mind games, and I needed it!

So, after a very delicious breakfast, I was transferred back to labour room 6G-04 where it had all started about 7 hours prior. At 10 am, I got my epidural by Dr. Syed Rozaidi. Love, love, love how detailed he was with explaining what I was going to expect next at every step of the way. 

What I could hear, I could imagine. What I could imagined, I did not fear. The Other Half did a very good job supporting me and holding the pillow for me.

 

The shaking, warm legs soon followed and I knew walking was over for until after Bean was born. I ate dates, drank water, peed into the catheter, life was good! Wifi and iPhone, Facebooking and iQuran kept me busy. I updated my notes as the labour progressed.

By 10.30 am, I was induced. Bean was asleep, and so was I! Not much "improvement".

At 11.30 am, Dr. Seri had ordered for increase of induction (Prostin - a form of oxytocin). I felt more contractions and could not really sleep anymore.

Ten minutes later at 11.40 am, my water bag burst and the bear down feeling came hard and strong. Bean was pushing himself out without any pushing from me! I updated the nurse and asked for Dr. Seri to be there pronto!

 

The nurse confirmed that Dr. Seri was on her way back to the hospital (she got every Wednesday morning off and it was her son's birthday that day - how special!)

The sweetest, good natured lady beamed into the labour ward at 12.20 pm with a team of midwives and we started "pushing".

 

I was not executing it as well as I had imagined it in my head and Dr. Seri joked that I had a "tayar pancit" situation. She told me to get a drink, air zam zam if I had brought some along, and to reconfigure my mind to order the right muscles. No joke.

The epidural was so good - no pain but all pressure could be felt. I could feel Bean's journey outwards! I knew when and how to "do a big poo" after that reconfigure/recompose break. Praying always works!

 

The great joy was the laugh sound/word "ha". There was no "push" word used, much to my delight.

We laughed ha, ha, ha all the way until Bean was safely delivered at 12.39 pm. We did, we laughed him all the way out. No mistake about that.

The first words he heard outside the womb were "ha, ha, ha, how truly handsome your son is". What better way to celebrate someone's birthday than this? All joy, happiness and love!

On the business side of things: Throughout the birthing, Dr. Seri massaged my perineum area to lessen the tearing. She then stitched me up neatly. 

She looked like she was enjoying her sewing session instead of stitching up a patient (the scene of someone enjoying an embroidery session with cuppa tea comes to mind). The whole time, we made small talk.

As I was being put together again, The Other Half was coaxed into cutting the cord (he had never held scissors that huge before!) and Bean was taken to be "processed" next to us. APGAR scores were good, and he was warmed up, cleaned, swaddled and handed to The Other Half for Azan and a fatherly cuddle.

At 1 pm, Bean was placed to my right breast for some milk. He nursed and nursed so naturally. After a good feed of colostrum, he was off to the nursery for his vaccinations and session with Dr. Anthony James Mansul. 

(The yellow boots reminded me of Phuah Chu Kang)

I bet Bean had the loveliest time there was he looked so happy when he was returned to me at Ward 6C-09 later in the afternoon.

Not long after that, The Little Girl came with The Grandparents and she kissed her little brother. From that moment, I saw her blossom from my first baby into an elder sister. 

Tears welled in my eyes as my pregnancy had served like a cocoon period for The Little Girl to hibernate into a butterfly of a sister. Hormones!

 

The rest of the story, is as you already know.

 

We became a family of four on 19 June 2013.

 

Bean shares the same birthday as my BFF, and Dr. Seri's son. How special, indeed.

 

Alhamdulillah! JazakAllah! Shukran!

 

Dear Dr. Seri, 

Thank you so much for your lovely heart-felt care that feels more like friendship than a doctor-patient relationship, passion in practice and total devotion to patient wellness. May Allah s.w.t. bless you and your family abundantly.

 

Dear Dr. Syed Rozaidi Wafa bin Syed Hussain Wafa,

You are so good at what you do, and we are so blessed to have a good doctor like you. Thank you for making my birthing experience an enjoyable one. May Allah s.w.t. bless you and your family abundantly too.

 

Dear Dr. Anthony James Mansul,

Thank you for accepting Bean into your already packed and slightly crowded practice - just goes to show that you have such a big capacity to care and love the little ones. The bit you called my son a "rascal" from birth, I'd take as a term of endearment you have for all your little patients. Thank you, you will be seeing us! May God bless you and your family abundantly too.  

Hospital Bag

I like making lists. One of the lists that I would like to share is the packing and checklist for Hospital Bag.

I did one for The Little Girl and kept the template. Fortunately, PCMC is a better equipped and generous in supplying some of these items compared to SJMC.

Here goes...just be sure to print it and place a copy on top of your bag so in the event that you are not "grabbing and go" in an emergency, someone at home can finish the packing and bring you the bag later.

The usual suspects:

Toothbrush - done

Toothpaste - done

Hair brush - done

Shampoo -done

(PCMC supplies these a la hotel size, not compulsory to pack. I brought my own hair dryer though!)

Facial cleanser - done

Facial serum - done

Body lotion - done

Nipple cream - done

Clothes for going home second trimester size - done

Nursing bra - done

(Bring your own)

Maternity pads - done

(PCMC supplies these. The pharmacy and shop sell them too. I brought my own for that extra relief, Puréen Maternity pads are more comfortable than Mothercare, IMHO)

Underwear - done

(PCMC supplies disposable ones, very comfortable and handy)

Bedroom slippers - done

(Bring your own)

Camera - done

Camera charger - done

iPhone charger - done

(Optional according to your requirement)

Snacks for labour (dates)

Snacks for postpartum (dates)

Surah Ar-Maryam. Need I say more? These dates are the best before, during and after labour! Instant boost of energy and comfort of knowing that both mother and child are getting the best nourishment.

I wish I had air zam zam with me during labour but unfortunately I had consumed my share much earlier at home. Dr. Seri permitted me a good drink in between pushes!

Baby clothes for going home - done

Baby hat - done

(PCMC gave us the cutest beanie for Bean to wear and bring home for keepsake!)

Mamy Poko Newborn Diapers - done

Bepanthen Diaper cream - done

(PCMC supplied them, and many promotional bags have them too but I packed my own. Never too little diapers for the early meconium discharge days)

Mittens - done

Socks - done

(Bean lost quite a few between ward and the nursery, thankfully I packed more than a few pairs)

Car seat - done 

Isofix base - done

Bugaboo - done 

(Never do without car seat. Period)

The Little Girl's spare change of clothes - done

The Little Girl's pull up pants - done

The Little Girl's snacks

Present for The Little Girl from Bean - done

(A mother will always love and worry about her firstborn!)

Breast pump - leave at home

Steriliser - leave at home

(Optional. I passed this time and left them at home with full assurance that The Other Half could have would have brought them in if I needed them. Thankfully not! Bean was pretty good at latching and suckling)

What do you pack? Do you have your own fancy hospital gown that is so en vogue? Do share!

The Labour Story

I am finding it difficult failing at finding time to sit down and recount the labour and birth story so piecemeal entries of this wonderful story is ever going to get told...

 

Chances are you may stumbled upon this entry if you are looking for Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian or Dr. Anthony James Mansul reviews. Let me just say they are both AWESOME.

 

If you are here because you want to know if Prince Court Medical Centre is any good, let me attest that my own experience there has been EXCELLENT and, so far, continues to be.

So here is my attempt at recounting my second birthing experience...

18 June 2013

At dinner preparation time, my MIL did most of the work and cooked while II sat down with The Little Girl and her new Duplo set of "Jake and the Never Land Pirates". 

Contractions came and went, interval not regular. Cramp. Like period cramp.

I do not recall what we had for dinner because my appetite was absent. My MIL felt the baby was coming soon as I was less helpful in the kitchen this time.

 

Told MIL The Wish: Not to share my bestie's birthday on 19 June. 

Right?

Wrong! 

<to be continued>

 

 

6 Week Check Up

Dismayed to see my weak pelvic muscles doing Kegel exercises (yes, I saw it on the display screen during ultrasound scan). No bladder leaks so far, but, oh, so much work ahead! Now focus, and Kegel those muscles correctly.

My uterus has shrunk to its original size (about 10 cm), and man, was I emotional over how empty it looks without a growing fetus inside!

Next up: The wait for pap smear in the second half of the first menstruation cycle. Turns out that I do not have to wait that long as it returned at the end of Ramadhan. From nifas to menstruation, no break this time...

End of Confinement

44 days served!

Celebrated by buying nursing tops (yay!) and feeding Bean directly instead of pumping (double yay!)

Second Pregnancy: Week 39

The Complete Illustrated Pregnancy Companion by Robin Elise Weiss states that, "Baby is settled into your pelvis and preparing for birth. Not every baby us perfectly ready at the 37 week mark, which is why there is a range given for due dates. The last to mature on babies is their lungs. In other news, your baby's weight gain has slowed considerably. Some babies will gain a few ounces here or there but the weight gain has pretty much stopped. On average, babies, babies weigh seven and a half pounds (3.4 kg) by this point and measures twenty inches (52 cm) long."

 

We had 24 June 2013 marked on our calendars as the estimated due date, and a weekly check up was scheduled for 19 June 2013 (Wednesday) at 2.45 pm.

 

As excited as we were to see what Bean was up to, we did not make it to the intended appointment.

 

For an extremely good reason, masyaAllah!

 

Hint: Birth story coming up next!

Second Pregnancy: Week 38 Check-Up

12 June 2013 appointment finally came and I remain pregnant.

 

Seems like Bean loves Hotel Mama (very much?).

 

The Little Girl stayed with her Grandma after play school to afford me some shut eye before the appointment. We left The Apartment at 4 p.m. for the 4.45 p.m. appointment via "the back route" going past our previous flat, park and neighbourhood lanes that are now congested due to over-development and over-crowding. What was once a quiet avenue is now potholed narrow streets full of cars and construction sites to house tall glass and steel office buildings and condominiums. How unsightly.

 

The car park at the hospital was not too full at that hour and we were glad to find a spot quite near the lift -  my pregnant body now appreciates shorter and cooler walks.

 

So up we went to Level 6, got my blood pressure, weight (I am 63.5 kg!) and urine sample taken. Then the short wait. The Other Half was sent to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaves at Level 1 for a cup of decaf mocha and came back just in time when my name was called.

 

Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian is such a cheerful doctor I feel like all my complaints of waddling like a penquin, nose bleeds from relaxin hormones in my body, increased pelvic pressure, increased bowel pressure etc. are all thrown out of the window the second we exchange our salam.

 

How not to when she acts out how a penquin waddles? Too cute, too real!

 

I am of the opinion that she does know her profession really well being a woman herself and has been pregnant 4 times previously with her own offsprings. First hand experience.

 

We discussed the pre-admission letter this time. I told her that after touring the junior suite and single room, I prefer the single room. My reasons are simple - I love the big glass windows that lets in a lot of view of KLCC and sunlight (just like home from a different side of the KLCC park!). The junior suite is bigger and comfortable but I cannot imagine holing up in there without sunlight and good view. I am spoilt that way.

 

We also informed her that just in case Bean has jaundice and needs UV sunbathing bunk, I will prefer to room in at the hospital to save time and energy on breastfeeding directly from across the hall/pumping if need be/cut down on travelling back and forth/lacking the privacy if I do not have a room. All practical reasons. All lessons learnt from the early days with The Little Girl.

 

Finally, a pre-admission letter was issued. Phew! Now that letter must remain in my daily handbag until the time comes when I need it.

 

We also rehearsed the flow once I go into labour. Call ER, inform them that I am coming, go to ER, ask for wheelchair and labour room, give them the pre-admission letter, get on with CTG, enema, vaginal exams, prostin 3mg and the midwives will call Dr. Seri once we mean business.

 

With all that concluded, we got to the treat of the week - the ultrasound scan.

 

Amniotic fluid index is relatively high, Bean is still facing sunny side up (occiput posterior - longer and painful back labour to be expected) and head is not engaged. The kind doctor advised me to sleep on my left side more now to encourage the turning. Spinning the baby methods may help too.

 

After the fundamental scans and measurements were taken, Dr. Seri switched it to 4D.

 

Bean smiled at us! We are so blessed to have his sweet smile captured. Syukur Alhamdulillah!

 

That concluded our visit on a high note, don't you think?

 

Measurements taken by Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian on 12.06.2013:

BPD: 8.94 cm (was 8.75 cm)

Head circumference: 32.15 cm (was 30.07 cm)

Abdominal circumference: 31.64 cm (was 31.73 cm) - Bean slimmed down?

Femur length: 7.48 cm (was 6.98 cm)

Estimated fetal weight: 2.93 kg (was 2.66 kg)

Second Pregnancy: Week 36

After the previous false alarm, we made it to Week 36, syukur alhamdulillah!. This is a big feat for me as The Little Girl arrived on Week 36.

Throughout this pregnancy, we have been praying that Bean stays in there at least until Week 38.

Evidently, and so importantly that Bean does stay put for at least two more weeks. Just look at how tiny Bean is, especially when it comes to head circumference size:

Measurements taken by Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian on 29.05.2013:

BPD: 8.75 cm (was 8.09 cm)

Head Circumference: 30.07 cm (was 28.43 cm)

Abdominal Circumference: 31.73 cm (was 28.30 cm)

Femur Length: 6.98 cm (was 6.71 cm)

Estimated Fetal Weight: 2.67 kg (was 2.1 kg)

I guess I have two new supplications to make.

Firstly, Bean to catch up on growth in the next two weeks until we see Dr. Seri again. She will be issuing the pre-admission letter only then, as over preparation may encourage Bean to think it is time *hehe, gotta love Dr. Seri*

The kind doctor did confirm that in the event Bean makes a grand exit before the next appointment, all we need to do is exactly as per what we have done during the false alarm.

1. Call the hospital, let them know that I am coming over.
2. Head towards E.R. and tell the staff that I am in labour.
3. Ask for wheelchair and be taken to the labour ward.
4. Get on with business while the midwife calls Dr. Seri.

Secondly, Bean is in occiput posterior position. Hope Bean turns to occiput anterior or else I will be in for so many variables which may include back labour and higher risk of c-sec. I guess I will try going on my hands and knees for 10 minutes daily for now to try turning Bean.

When we saw the ultrasound scan, my heart swelled a little more with love and affection. Bean was taking a gulp/yawning then rubbed both eyes with both fists before settling down for a bit. I presume it was a nap.

The Little Girl was as sweet as ever to Dr. Seri. Instead of giving a running commentary like she did last time, she occupied herself with the step ladder and blankets when the ultrasound was being conducted. The Other Half was too busy making sure The Little Girl was not disturbing the kind doctor that he missed most of the session.

Dr. Seri also hosted an intern this time. She, the intern, must have overheard one of the most robust discussions on, inter alia:

- dermatology of pregnancy (I look like I have a watermelon plastered onto my belly now)

- pain management (yes, epidural at 3 to 4 cm dilation pretty please. I want to enjoy birthing suffer less back labour, even if some say epidural hinders turning at the very last moment)

- allergy management (let's just stick to KY Jelly instead of Hexidin Cream)

- vaginal exams and how uncomfortable they can be if not done properly (choice, or the lack thereof when it comes to midwives on duty roster)

- external perineum massage using virgin coconut oil (Tanamera set)

- drinking virgin coconut oil to prime the body for labour (Tanamera set)

- breastfeeding support network (some cyber bullies out there, watch out!)

- breastfeeding flash mobs in support of nursing in public (I have nursing cover and seek out nursing rooms most of the time. More on this later)

- gentle birthing group (I am not really into an all natural home birth/water birth)

- home care for The Little Girl while I go into labour (The Grandparents, of course!)

Oh dear, I think I may have chat too much into the appointment time. I hope the intern didn't get the impression that all pregnant hormonal ladies give that much feedback...

In sha Allah, two more weeks, Bean!

Second Pregnancy: Week 35

"Not time yet, Bean!"

 

"Stay in there!"

 

"It is not June just yet!"

 

Alhamdulillah, I am leaking colostrum. Treatment for my cracked, dry and chapped nipples, I use Lansinoh and Medela Purelan 100.

 

Alhamdulillah I am still having Braxton Hicks (but sometimes it is a wee bit painful and I actually time the intervals - just in case). My body reacts to stress. When The Other Half and The Little Girl get into one of their many battles of the wills, I end up with painful contractions! Totally not fair.

 

Alhamdulillah I am taking enough fibres and manage to keep constipation and piles at bay.

 

Alhamdulillah the hospital bag is packed into my preferred small size black trolley bag (no heavy lifting required). Note with missing items have been handed to The Other Half so he knows what to buy if I need them.

 

Alhamdulillah the hospital route has been worked out and practiced for different traffic conditions/time of day.

 

Alhamdulillah work is almost complete with just a few more documents to draft. I do most of my work at night after The Little Girl has gone to bed.

 

I still have not gotten pre-admission letter from my ob-gyn (obviously it is still too early). Our next appointment is at the end of Week 36 and I may request for one. If anything happens now, I will just have to head to ER without any letters. I hope a credit card security for payment will do.

 

Maybe I should line my bed tonight, just in case my water breaks.

23 May 2013: False Alarm Episode

After dinner at The Flat Upstairs, at about 9.30 p.m., I started noticing contractions that were lasting 3 minutes or more, and totalled more than 6 in one hour. Rang the hospital at 10.30 p.m. and informed them that there was no show/no water bag leak or break but my contractions were within that frequency. Hospital staff said to go to in for monitoring via CTG at the labour room just to be safe.

Rang The Grandparents (who had left The Flat Upstairs and went back to The House, 40 minutes away) at 10.40 p.m. They promptly did a U-turn and arrived at our place at 11.40 p.m. to watch over (then, a sleeping) Little Girl.

Grabbed the hospital bag (see above, alhamdulillah!), went to ER, got wheeled into the labour room, changed, passed urine, got the CTG strapped on and the nurses rang the ob-gyn up.

A vaginal exam was ordered. No dilation, which was a good thing as we are still "premature". My most uncomfortable vaginal exam ever, I confess. I now know that I am allergic to Hexidin Cream 1%. It was like a ring of fire, burning and painful.

The first "school prefect" type of nurse tried giving me a vaginal exam without first propping me into the right position. She just went ahead and asked me to adjust my position as she probed when I kept saying, "No, no, no. This is not nice!".

I told her to stop.

She went out to get a second nurse. Her exact words before leaving the room were, "I will get you another nurse, maybe her fingers are smaller."

I was like #%*@!

In came the second nurse. The sweet, smiley, gentle but firm person.

She spoke gently and adjusted my posture first. Politely, she requested, "Lie back and relax, please spread your thighs this way. Can we straighten your back? OK, let's breathe in, breathe out, good, let's keep breathing. There. No dilation, we are done."

It was over in less than 2 minutes.

The only irritation left was from the Hexidin Cream.

Before we left the labour ward, the nurses took my urine sample for tests, just in case of an infection. As for the Hexidin, we were advised to request for water based gel next time since we now know about my adverse reaction. The immediate treatment for the irritation is to rinse as much as possible off.

My ob-gyn also asked the nurses to inform me that I need more rest. 

Needless to say, I am not allowed to handle any drama from The Little Girl whenever she insists on being carried in the haste of emotional meltdown or tantrums (she is a mere 13kg!) since then. Earlier that day, The Little Girl had a two hour meltdown (refusing to change her diapers, refusing to go on the potty, speeding on her indoor car, jumping up and down the sofa, running at top speed at home etc.) I had to carry her on my hips when "all hell broke loose" just to calm her down.

Oh what a long night it was.

I was discharged at 2 a.m. when the Braxton Hicks ceased. Amazingly, Bean was as cool as cucumber and stopped practising. Stealth mode on, I kind of looked like a complete idiot.

The bill came up to RM10.

Seriously.

Home we went, The Grandparents went to sleep at The Flat Upstairs. We went to bed. The Little Girl did not notice anything amiss. We showed her photographs taken at the labour ward the following morning before she went to school.

 

So.

 

Back to positive reinforcement.

 

"Not time yet, Bean!"

 

"Stay in there!"

 

"It is not June just yet!"

 

Question: Is your pregnancy this interesting/dramatic/memorable too? *hehe*

 

 

 

Second Pregnancy: Week 34

My BabyCenter app beeps every Monday to remind me how far along this pregnancy is a.k.a. how far away the EDD actually is.

 

The beeps make my manic Mondays a little sweeter to wake up to, I'll admit.

 

Nesting instincts have crept up on me, albeit a bit early.

 

Little pieces of evidence:

 

1. Planning to cook, store and freeze stocks for use throughout the 44 days confinement period in the next few days. This is because I do not like soya sauce and salt in my food. Commercially produced sauces and stocks laden with MSG and other replacements flavouring agent names of which I cannot even pronounce properly are out of the question. Some are IBS inducing, I kid you not.
 

2. Stock pile of red date tea ingredients, wolfberries, dried oysters, dried scallops, fenugreek, Manuka honey and Milkmaid tea. These are my trustworthy breastfeeding companions.
 

3. Fine tuning of the hospital bag - the packing list is done, some items have been put in. I am down to changing from a red bag to my preferred black mini suitcase. I just don't like red. Just like how some people don't like black *hehe*
 

4. Last fitting of nursing bras, and purchased enough to last me the wash and wear cycle for 44 days.
 

5. Decision on the Avent breastpump (new and improved model - the motor sits in its own casing and less tiring to hold when pumping) purchase, still waiting for discount. The Other Half knows which model exactly we want. No trouble at all for him to get out and grab one when the sale is on.
 

6. Decision on the Avent steriliser (new and improved model as well with square-ish instead of round shape to save counter top space) purchase, also waiting for discount. The Other Half is tasked with the same get out and grab mission.
 

7. Ironing as much clothes as I can to be rid of the pile of ever-growing LaundryMonster. Reality: It is a never ending task as more newly laundered clothes will join the basket on a daily basis.
 

8. Purchased The Little Girl's current size clothing (she grew taller overnight!), including her EidulFitr outfits. You read right - done. Let's just hope she won't outgrow them all come August!
 

9. Purchase of extra Corelle, Glaslocks and LockLock for Ramadhan frozen sahur meals. I am going to enlist some muscle help from The Other Half on this. Too heavy for me to carry.
 

10. Wrapped up outstanding work matters. I can now relax and not worry about work as my maternity leave is for 90 days starting 1 June 2013. I will still drop by the office to file papers as and when I can, and I still have access to work from home before labour starts. Not having to be physically in an office 5 days a week from 9 am to 5 pm has certainly improved my life-work balance in the last 2 years!

 

Having planned or done all of the above, I guess this tops it all:
 

11. Newborn diapers are home! I haven't seen them since The Little Girl last used them - aren't they the cutest tiny diapers?

 

Tick tock.

 

Stay in there until your EDD, Bean!

Footnotes:

Have yet to decide on expressed breast milk storage. We are not keen on BPA free plastic bottles and bags as they emit a strange plasticky smell when reheated. In our experience, Life Factory has the best glass bottles and we have some - maybe we need to get a few more...space in the freezer is not a problem as we have a fairly large freezer.

That brings me to the question of whether we need a bottle/baby food warmer to reheat the expressed breast milk, or will we just stick to sticking the glass bottle in hot water for a few minutes. We just feel that being "low tech" frees us up a lot when travelling!

Which brings me to the conclusion that direct breastfeeding is still best.

So, why would I need the breast pump, steriliser and extra bottles?

Mastitis relief? *pray not!*

Baby's un-ability to latch on? *pray not!*

Hmmh.

Here is more digress:

Pre-pregnancy weight: 48 kg
Current pregnancy weight: 61 kg
**gasp**

Last random share:
Stopped driving as of this week.
Low down chassis with hard suspensions on my car + potholes in the city = a very uncomfortable ride.
Luckily for me, The Other Half drives me around in a very comfortable 4WD. Traded some loss of freedom for comfort there, no trouble at all.

Toodles for now.

Second Pregnancy: Week 33

Check up date was on 8 May 2013. The Little Girl came along as it was a late afternoon appointment.
 

There was a landslide at Bukit Tunku onto Jalan Mahameru which caused a massive traffic diversion and jam in the morning. Black Wednesday gathering at Kelana Jaya Stadium had been confirmed for that evening at 8.30 pm so you can imagine the amount of "let's not get caught in traffic jam" planning that went into the first half of our day...
 

We thank Allah for making the day as smooth as possible. We couldn't possibly have asked for more. Shukran!
 

Good news: The Little Bean is growing well, Alhamdulillah!
 

The Little Girl asked the doctor upon seeing the scan image, "Where is Adik's hair?" to which the doctor laughed and replied, "Sayang, it will grow, don't worry! You will see some when Adik is born." Priceless!
 

We also checked if The Little Bean's head is engaged or otherwise. During the check up, it was not. Just head on down to my right. Phew!
 

Looks like The Little Bean is going to be handsome look a lot like The Other Half.
 

Not so good news: Purple veins on my lower abdomen despite the regimented application of sweet almond oil. The kind doctor said it stems from heavy weight of both the pregnancy and carrying The Little Girl (The Little Girl can now negotiate for 3 seconds carry carry). At the end of the appointment, Dr. Seri sat down with The Little Girl to explain that Mummy cannot carry her but Daddy can. The Little Girl fawned the most pitiful hazel eyes at Dr. Seri. It was one of those moments you can tell she is trying to melt the doctor's heart...and trying to change that "no-carry-carry-rule".
 

When asked about my Braxton-Hicks: my answer was that I have gotten used to them. If it gets too strong, I shift my position/drink some water/walk around/do an interval timing while resting. Anything more than 10 minutes apart in one hour is not worrisome. That said, I asked Dr. Seri how close she lives to Prince Court Medical Centre. After finding out the answer, I was quite assured of her usual record of timely response in case of an emergency.
 

My backache is also almost gone from having less stress, more lie down, back massages from The Other Half and light stretching. Pacing is important so I do not overload myself with groceries, shopping, house chores, laundry and cooking. I do what I can in piecemeal. I let slip what can wait. I delegate whatever possible.
 

With all that concluded, we set our next appointment at Week 36. Everyone is praying that The Little Bean will grow safely/healthily and stay put until the next appointment at the very minimum!
 

Measurements taken by Dr. Seri on 08.05.2013:

BPD: 8.09 cm (was 7.72 cm)

Head Circumference: 28.43 cm (was 27.63 cm)

Abdominal Circumference: 28.30 cm (was 25.07 cm)

Femur Length: 6.71 cm (5.49 cm)

Estimated Fetal Weight: 2.1 kg (was 1.4 kg)

Second Pregnancy: Week 30

30 weeks down, 10 more to go!

I pray The Little Bean will stay for full term and not pop too soon. I say this because my Braxton-Hicks contractions is a regular feature since 20 weeks. Although not painful per se, it can be uncomfortable.

The nightly leg cramps have not eased. In order to counter that, I have increased my daily intake of nano-calcium enriched fruit yoghurt. Combo of milk and banana work too when I am not able reload my supply of yoghurt at the grocer's. I wonder if there are that many pregnant women targeting the very same yoghurt in my area?

 

Light stretches before retiring for the night seems to lighten the frequency of leg cramps too. Hydrotherapy sessions are greatly missed. I wish I could attend more, but not with my current situation of not having anyone watch The Little Girl while I am in the heated pool...so I'd just have to make do.

 

Emotionally, I have been a tad sensitive/fragile lately.

 

Not responding well to nosy comments, unreasonable requests from people around me and harsh tone of voice. Maybe it is my hormones, maybe I am just exploding instead of imploding. So often I will catch myself holding back my tears. Or blame myself so being so fragile and easily bullied.

One recent comment about it being "better for me to breastfeed directly and to pump less" came from a mother of three who was herself "half-assed" about breastfeeding. She had admitted to giving up night feeds to succumb to sleepiness and substituting with formula etc.

 

Instead of letting it pass knowing that I will try my very best to do what I can, the statement provoked me. What made it worse was instead of retorting on the spot, partly due to respect for the elder person, I festered for days.

 

Until I could fester no more.

I then rang up a dear friend to just "explode" with "verbal vomit". Thankfully, I have very understanding punching bag to rely on. You know who you are, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for listening without judgment!

 

Now that the matter has blown over, I guess I made a mountain out of a molehill.

 

There were many other instances when I found myself losing my cool but I try to keep a cool head on my shoulders. You know the usual triggers, people in public lifts who squeeze themselves into an overcrowded lift and bump their bottoms into a pregnant bump? *rolls eyes*

On a positive note: Quite glad to "see" The Little Bean at the monthly check-up today - 18 April 2013. Big nose, cherubic cheeks, both salient features of The Other Half. Photocopy of The Little Girl when she was a newborn.

The Little Girl came along for the appointment and was only too happy to provide running commentary of what she saw on the screen. The Little Bean must have realised that The Little Girl was around as there were a lot of face shots compared to before.

Heartbeat was 143 counts per minute. All the other measurements are slightly on the small side, causing me to launch into worry-wart mode, praying incessantly that The Little Bean will be gestating for full term and not be born too small or too early.

Oh my sweet darling, if you only know how much we all love you since finding out that you are growing within me...may Allah protect and nourish you always.

Measurements taken by Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian on 18.04.2013:

BPD: 7.72 cm (was 6.54 cm)

Head circumference: 27.63 cm (was 24.01 cm)

Abdominal circumference: 25.07 cm (was 21.55 cm)

Femur length: 5.49 cm (was 4.89 cm)

Estimated fetal weight: 1.385 kg (was 906 g)

Light Urinary Leakage

I did not have LUL/bladder control problems during my first pregnancy. After the birth of The Little Girl, I had a slight reduction of control but that quickly resolved itself with Kegel.

Not all women have weak pelvic muscles. Bless those who don't. And please do not jeer at those who do. Everyone is built differently.

Luckily for me, my current ob-gyn is a specialist in this area as well. Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian referred me to a physiotherapist by the name of Neng at PCMC. Hydrotherapy was prescribed alongside the correct method for Kegel. Thanks to a quick troubleshoot and treatment with continued exercise at home, I have regained control over my bladders. Bye bye LUL for now.

 

Golden question: How to you manage pregnancy related LUL or incontinence?

 

From my personal experience:

 

1. A normal panty liner may be sufficient for the super light leaks. Hint: Poise.

 

2. A maxi pad may be called for if the volume of accidental leaks increase with the added pressure towards the second and third trimester. However, urine and menstrual discharge are not the same and as such, require different products. Hint: Poise.

 

3. An adult diaper may see you through a long sit down conference or seminar without any embarrassment, especially if you are also suffering from fits of coughs in your third trimester.

 

Which would you choose?

 

Do share.

Second Pregnancy: Week 26

I have been so sluggish with this update *blushing in shame* unlike during my first pregnancy when I was so free and diligent to update on a weekly basis.

 

Our last check up was on 21 March 2013.

 

Ooh, that is a long time ago and now my updates are not up to date *double blush in shame*...

 

Anyways, the Little Bean was quite quiet during the scan and evidently sucking on right arm when the scan was taken. Pretty much like how The Little Girl was as a newborn, peacefully sucking on a thumb or arm or fist to self soothe. Eventually after birth, the paediatrician is sure to recommend moving the thumb/arm/fist away to prevent sucking on germs and bacteria, sigh. We do not give pacifiers too for the same hygiene reasons which leave me as the human pacifier. Tsk tsk tsk!

 

Wishful thinking: If only there is magically no germs and bacteria on baby's thumb/arm/fist and The Little Bean can continue to self-soothe that way.

 

Estimated weight: 1 kg. Mummy's weight: 58.4 kg. Other measurements all look normal and at par for gestation age. That put me at ease somewhat knowing that The Little Bean has gained some weight and is growing well despite Mummy being down with bronchitis, alhamdulillah!

 

The flutters that progressed into kicks and punches have slowly changed into Mexican waves and softer but bigger movements, signifying a slightly bigger size of baby within me.

 

On a more interesting note, we went to one session of physiotherapy, and one session of hydrotherapy. The hydrotherapy session was really relaxing and I had Braxton-Hicks twice. Definitely will return once the dust settles at home (literally too!). Being in a heated pool calms and relaxes all my muscles. Next project involves shopping for a much more accommodating baby doll with shorts type of swimwear (and larger maternity wear), to accommodate my bigger build.

 

The leg cramps and pelvic cramps have all set in, with the occasional baby head down position resulting in added pressure on bladder/nerves. Every time I consume calcium with vitamin D tablets, I throw up. I have given up and just resort to consuming more nano-calcium laden yoghurt, milk, bananas and ultimately, some light stretching before sleeping.

 

My nipples cracked too, from all that rapid expansion but luckily, Lansinoh works well for me. The skin is so dry and thirsty it soaks up every drop of almond oil that I rub on in an instant. My pedicurist is pampering me with slightly more scrubs and heel balm too, bless her!

 

The fatigue? Let's just say I am so glad that most of the shopping for The Little Bean is complete. How else would I find enough time and energy to scout around for the right price and good deals? I took my own good advice/experience from first pregnancy, hah!

 

Perhaps I should pack my hospital bag, just so that I can tick it off my checklist of things to do.

 

Until the next check up in mid April, stay happy!

Measurements taken by Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian on 21.03.2013:

BPD: 6.54 cm (was 5.53 cm)

Head circumference: 24.01 cm (was 20 cm)

Abdominal circumference: 21.55 cm (was 16.94 cm)

Femur length: 4.89 cm (was 3.54 cm)

Estimated fetal weight: 906 g (was 444 g)

 

Weaning: Day 7

Yes, my duty as a Muslim mother is to breastfeed my offspring for two years. There are exceptions, also provided for in the al Quran but our topic today is on weaning *smile*

 

WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for at least six month from birth.

 

Now at 35 months and counting, we have slowly introduced weaning The Little Girl from the breasts.

 

The starting point was at 30 months.

The Little Girl started tolerating cow milk without vomiting and eczema. We introduced it via some cow milk with her morning cereal, and gradually increased her consumption to 4 oz/ 120 ml of cow milk before sleeping.

 

However, she would still insist on "mama's milk" to soothe her to sleep at night.

 

Somehow, our tummy to tummy posture got uncomfortable when The Little Bean hit 22 weeks.

 

My breasts also got overly sensitive when nursing (pregnancy hormones?).

 

The mild contractions from breastfeeding grew increasingly uncomfortable as well. Coupled with Braxton-Hicks, I felt unsure if it was Braxton-Hicks or just oxytoxin being released. Or a combo of both!

 

Either way, I was prepared emotionally to wean The Little Girl. I know we have done our best, and it is a wonderful sense of achievement.

 

How did we do it? 

 

Slow and steady. Many recommend going cold turkey but we just could not.

 

We kept to the "new" bed time routine for a few weeks.

 

Shower.

 

Pajamas.

 

Choose story books.

 

Brush teeth.

 

New: Milk time. Old: Breastfeeding time.

 

Sleep.

 

(I know, it is supposed to be brush teeth then sleep but brushing her teeth wakes her up! Is it the minty toothpaste?)

 

During day time, we practiced positive reinforcement.

 

Slideshow of her photographs as a newborn and early days of drinking from the bottle containing expressed breast milk. We also included her photographs during her toddler days directly nursing in public on holidays etc. We continued to explain how she has grown and can now eat with the adults, drink from a cup etc.

Slowly but surely, she stopped asking for the breasts except for the one time she fell ill. Once she recovered, so did her appetite for "milk in a bottle".

How is it like now?

350ml on nights when she is thirsty. Takes less than 15 minutes for her to chug that much milk then doze off.

 

120ml on nights when she just wants a wee drink then sleep.

 

Confession: I never knew how much she was drinking from the breasts, and it did not matter because her growth chart was spot on average. She also produced the 6-8 wet diapers and was regular with poo.

 

She still cuddles, holds my hands, shares my pillow on some nights and we are both enjoying this new found "intimacy". On other nights, she is more than happy to roll off to her toddler bed and zzzZZZzzz from 10 pm until 7.30 am *syukur alhamdulillah!*

 

How have my breasts reacted?

 

Left breast has a bit of blocked duct (needs massage) and dry nipple (Lansinoh really helps), but right breast is doing just fine! I am still going to talk to my ob-gyn about left breast during our next appointment.

 

Now, squeeze as I might, there is no milk oozing out like before. Just some thick colostrum (I am carrying The Little Bean at week 26 as I write this).

 

So, jazakAllah for the wonderful supply and journey with The Little Girl. He has been most kind in making this journey possible. Breastfeeding has taught me to be patient, resourceful and eat properly. It is a valuable lesson for me, for life.

 

Now may Allah bless The Little Bean with His rezeki, as we hope to breastfeed The Little Bean for 2 years as well.

Second Pregnancy: 22 weeks

The above is a snapshot of The Little Bean's heart.

The Other Half and I enjoy going to check up and ultrasound scans. As this particular session comes with full scan, both of us have been anticipating it as we were not offered one during my first pregnancy (different doctor, different hospital factors).

 

Well, the much looked forward to day for an anomaly scan finally arrived on 21 February 2013.

 

The Little Bean is relatively small for gestational age and weighs approximately 444g. I was a little disappointed as I have gained far too much weight in the last one month (4 kg! Are you kidding me? Blame it on the steroid for my bronchitis treatment?)...

... but it did not translate to a "bigger baby". Oh, well. I must still eat healthily...

We are thankful that despite the small size, heart action is present, fetal movements are visible.

At this stage, The Little Bean still has room to move about and is in a Breech I presentation (too early to worry about presentation at the moment so I am not the least bothered...)

 

The cord is also a normal 3 vessel, what a relief!

 

The placenta is anterior high and this I admit, this got me a little concerned. I had a "normal" placenta posterior with The Little Girl.

 

There you go, not every pregnancy is exactly the same.

 

Honestly, I pray and hope that as the uterus stretches and continues to grow, the placenta will not drop into placenta previa position *Amin!*

 

Both sides of the kidneys are normal. We saw head, brain, face, spine, neck and skin, chest, four chamber view and great vessels, abdominal wall, gastrointestinal tract, extremities and skeleton *Alhamdulillah!*

No wonder the scan session took up about 30 minutes from start to end. The cool KY gel on my abdomen had turned warm by the end of the session too.

 

We were also told that the amniotic fluid is normal, placenta Grannum Grade 1 with normal structure.

Dr. Tan Niap Hong was clinical, practical, precise and systematic. After we got the report and screen shots, we went to see Dr. Seri Suniza Sufian at her clinic and she did not comment much at this visit save for my rapid weight gain and my overdue physiotherapy session.

 

We look forward to our next appointment, as always.

 

Off to the physiotherapy session I go now, toodles!

Measurements taken by Dr. Tan Niap Hong on 21.02.2013:

 

BPD: 5.53 cm (was 3.64 cm)

 

Head circumference: 20 cm (was 13.03 cm)

 

Abdominal circumference: 16.94 cm (was 10.92 cm)

 

Femur length: 3.54 cm (was 2.52 cm)

 

Estimated fetal weight: 444 g (was 183 g)

Second Pregnancy: Braxton-Hicks

Like clockwork.

The Little Girl first gave me Braxton-Hicks with pelvic cramps when she hit 20 weeks on the dot. Right before a mini family getaway to Penang. At ER in SJMC, a Doppler was placed. No show, go home and rest.

Last week, The Little Bean gave me Braxton-Hicks with pelvic cramps at 20 weeks on the dot too. Right before a mini weekend break to a local hotel adjacent to a popular but ever jam packed shopping mall. At ER in PCMC, a Doppler was placed. No show, go home and rest.

Coincidence, much?

*breathe in deeply, three short puffs out*

B.E.D.   R.E.S.T.