uncomfortable vs painful

Would you rather have it uncomfortable than painful?
Or prefer painful to uncomfortable?

(Choices that are not under our control)....=(

A bloody affair...

It was late morning in a cold and bright lit room. A dentist and nurse were hard at work dealing with the hardest case the day has ever seen. Blood splurged from the wound. Overhead lamp, t-shirt, mask, spectacles, sleeve, gloves and forehead are all but victims of the reddish composition of haemoglobin and such. Never did this panicked the master surgeon and his assistant as they tried even harder to cut, slice, drill, pull, clinch and finally extract what was left in the severed gum - the wisdom tooth!

Case closed....

So you think. I headed as usual at 9am in the morning to the dentist after a big bowl of "pan mee" from a hawker centre that I usually visited last time. It seemed usual because it was just a week ago that I made the same visit to the dentist to get my impacted wisdom tooth checked. Well, it's only a minor surgery- so I thought; it wouldn't take long before everything is finished and I would be happily hopping home right after the short procedure in the dentist's clinic.

"I came for my appointment to surgically remove my wisdom tooth." I told the nurse as I registered my name. "Oh, have you had a big meal already?" "Because, you would not be able to eat at all after a few hours after the surgery." She told me so that I would be prepared. I happily answered. "Yes, I've taken a big meal before this and I am very full now." "Have you taken your medication before coming?" She asked again. "Yes, I have; right after my breakfast." I answered abruptly. "Make sure you take 2 antibiotics because it is very hard for the wound to heal later." She alternatively responded. I thought to myself, "oh, well; 1 more antibiotic should make the wound heal faster I guess." So another dose of antibiotic pill was my booster for breakfast that morning.

"Cuckoo, Cuckoo!" Clock strucked 10am. Dr. N and his wife (a medical practicioner) came leisurely and entered their clinic through the back door. "Don't have to worry! I can do this." I thought to myself. I stood there with my Archie comic laid aside and prayed again. It was very touching that some of the text messages I received that morning was full of encouragement. Knowing that there are friends concerned about me made my day better tremendously. "Well, I know that God is with me and they(my friends) are praying for me." "No need to be panicky now." I thought to myself again.

"Chak Sin!" came the nurse from behind the door of the office. In cantonese it means remove stitches. Well, direct translation would be dismantle string if you would ask me. Hmmph... Well, I guess I have to be a gentlemen and let all those "Chak Sin" people in first because their procedure takes much lesser time than mine. I didn't even know how long mine will take. Well, God knows how long and I'm sure he'll take good care of me. "Bou Ngar!" came the nurse again. This time she's asking those who came to do "filling" to enter first. Well, being the gentlemen I am; I smiled at the nurse and continued waiting. Almost fell asleep a few times while waiting but somehow there was a little bit of tremour feeling deep inside. This is going to be my first surgical procedure in a dental clinic!

"Boy!" "Your turn!" Hah, finally; I get to go into the office and get a look at the doctor.... and his nurse of course. Well, nothing to brag about. The only thing I should focus on is - my tooth...Sigh! After switching off my phone, I asked the doctor how long will it take. He answered in a calm manner that he does not work with time. "Omigosh! I might be in here forever." I thought. It was 10.50am and he made me bite a roundish plastic matter in my mouth and pushed a large suction thing right on my right cheek. What on earth is that you might think. Well, for those of you who thought that it is to blast my tooth to pieces so that it would be easy to extract out; it was just an X-ray machine =P

As, I looked at the slide; I felt sad as it is really proven that my wisdom tooth was impacted. It grew at a horizontal angle just behind my visible last tooth and would eventually push all my other teeth out of place. Hence, there was nothing that can be done except removing it. I took a deep breath as he motioned me to move to the other surgical chair where he injected anaesthetic into 3 different areas in my gum and asked me to wait outside for the medicine to take effect. Well, another 30 minutes passed as I waited patiently outside the office again looking at other patients going in to get their teeth fixed. Mine would be the longest of the day, I thought.

It was 11.30 as I was called once again into the office. This time, I was invited into a surgical chair full of instruments that I don't even know what they are for. The nurse placed a towel on my chest and tied it around my neck and adjusted the seat for me to lie "comfortably" so that Dr. N can start doing the procedure. (I'm still shivering as I write this down)

WARNING!!!! CODE RED!!! (if you consider yourself as fainthearted, please do not read on... Press alt, F4 and this window will close)

Dr. N started by using a sharp edged tool to poke into my gum to reveal the hidden tooth lying underneath it. (It was horrifying to know that the whole surgery did not involve using any knife to slice my gums.) He continued to poke and scrapped until much of the tooth was visible. (Well, I can only tell you what I saw from my point of view. If you want more visual details; you can ask Dr.N himself.) Just by poking and scrapping there was a lot of blood that gushed out from my wound. If not for the suction hose placed permanently in my mouth; I think there would be more blood splurged everywhere.

Then, the drill came. It was a healthy and strong tooth. The only way to take out the tooth is to drill it into pieces to ease the process of pulling it out. It felt like I was at the mercy of Dr. N as he forcefully drilled into the teeth causing me to shiver in my seat. (I was shivering as a normal reflex. It felt cold as the air-cond was above me and I just couln't control my wobbly legs from jittering). Altogether, the tooth was drilled into 4 pieces at different junctures because he pulled out 1 piece at a time.

After the drill, there was a tiny instrument that had saw like teeth at the edge that he used. That was really unforgettable. He pressed very hard on my tooth and started the instrument with a loud "BRRRRRRR" sound like sawing my tooth out. He pressed on my teeth so hard that I felt that my jaw was almost coming off. I had no one to call for help except Jesus. I thought in my mind " Lord, please let this tooth come out easily."

Then came another poking device which he used to screw right into the tooth. Dr. N had to place one hand on the other side of my face while pushing with all his might into my tooth on the other end. I made some noise wenn this was done because I could feel the pain. (He gave me more anaesthetic injection) He clenched the screwing device that functioned like a plier again and again until he got a good hold on the tooth and pulled with all his might. Twisting and turning and finally pulling out the first quarter of the damaged tooth. There were 3 more to go. (When is this going to end?) - 50 minutes.

Throughout the surgery, the dentist only made one conversation with me. "Your tooth is embedded very deep in your gum and it is very hard to extract it." I couldn't respond to tell him how scared I am. I couldn't even yell "help" for there were gadgets in my mouth forbiding me to move. I wanted to say that it was painful at some point but all I can do was to make noises such as "NnNgrh...Aaargh...mgggghhh". It was totally out of my control since the starting of the surgery. The only glimpse of how my wound looked throughout the surgery was only through a faint reflection on the dentist's spectacles.

I got out of the dental clinic after collecting my medicine and made my way back to my car parked some distance away and drove home to an empty house with no one around and tried to lie down to forget the horrible experience I had. I still had to fetch my mom from school and bring her somewhere that day. It was almost 1pm when I reached home.

I felt very alone that day. Knowing that the only one who was with me all the time was Jesus. I had to realize that Jesus was with me the hard way after sharing with my mom later in the evening...

Catch the recovery period in the next entry...=)

It can be simple but sometimes the hardest thing is to love...

Our songs....

These will always be songs of joy and encouragement to me........


Light of Joy
While I'm walking down the streets alone
A beam of light was clearly shown
I asked God
Is it you waiting for me

As I walked on to the light
My heart was filled with joy and pride
I said God
Take me to Your side

Being with the Lord
I'm filled with joy and pride
Standing on His side
In His word abide

Lest the body dies; I will never forget what we've been through........

You'll Never Walk Alone
My God, You're with me Lord
Even when trials soar
And now, in my search of You
Guide me Lord near to You

This is what I ask of You Lord
From this moment this very day
I know when I'm with You Lord
In Your presence I'll be safe

You'll never walk alone it's true
He'll be right there standing beside you
He'll never leave you nor forsake you
He will carry you through,
Yes it's true...

When you're down He'll be there
In your trials He'll be fair
All our hope is put in You O Lord
When You're there close to me
All my fears are set free
At that time I'll know this one thing....

Bon Voyage my dear friend, Anil... Anticipating good news from you...... Enjoy Newcastle.....=)

My song.....

(The sent off at KLIA with classmates...)

From the starting of our time
Till the moment where we stand
I see you
More than just a friend

Times when things were just not right
And we prayed and hold on tight
We believed that someday
It'll be better

And after all that we've been through
The moments we shared that money can't buy
The bond we have that cannot be replaced
May our friendship never die.....

The complication of the simplest decision...(cont'd)

Alas, it was a change from postpaid to pre-paid with the same number...=P
So, still can get me at the same dial yea....(Wink...Wink***)...hahahah

The complication of simplest decisions....

Maxis vs Digi
012 vs 016
Postpaid vs Prepaid
Heavy caller
Heavy messager

but low on budget

what would you choose?

Deceived by the 1st sign board that it's only 6km walk to Boh Tea plantation. Had to put up with 1 more km before really reaching the place. Well, it was worth it as some build muscles, some reduced fat and I obviously became slimmer. Hahaha.... Well, anything to do with "deception" ask Leslie (Yellow shirt guy). He says it's marketing strategy. Well, he's the man!!!

Sometimes, you just don't know how crazy these people can be. Well, it was really fun working with all of you...=P

Hope all of you learned a thing or two to move on to greater heights in the future serving faithfully.

2 are not in the photo. They are Byron and Su Ann...=/

From top left: Wee Vian, Aaron, Wei Way, Josephine, Christine, Andrew, Lily, Churn Haw

I wonder why there must always be people who exaggerate with whatever they see..... NO! We are not a couple.... Hahaha No "Brokeback Mountain" allowed.....

Jason is really full of "semangats". Will cherish the friendship we've made. Keep it up! Keep it up!

That's not all folks... There's gotta be more pictures than these right? Hahaha... Stay tuned...

Where art thou "Tooth Fairy"? Part II......

Phew... What an adventure of traveling to and fro hundreds of kilometres just to get my tooth fixed.
The truth came out today during the dental visit. I went early thinking that I'd be one of the first to be checked. The clinic opens at 9am but the doc only arrives around 10. So, I went about 8.40am wanting to be the first. Surprisingly, there was a lady earlier than me. WalaWe!!!
To my dismay; those who were there to extract teeth or untie the dressing were served first. Apparently, those who went for filling are served later because it takes more time for the procedure. I wasn't on a mission for extraction or filling; I just wanted to check up on my wisdom tooth. So, I guess I'm automatically grouped with the "filling" people. Well, I had my trusted "Archie" comic with me while waiting for my turn. Hah, I finished reading the whole comic book even before the doc arrived. WalaWe!!!
I went in finally, around 10.30am. Aiks... What a long wait! There were lots of gadgets around the chair that I sat. Immediately, thoughts came to my mind that maybe he'll use all the tools just to fix my tooth today. However, he just used 2 simple tools. (one to poke and one with a little mirror) Before long, he gave the verdict. I wonder why doctors have to use body language before really telling us about the situation. He shook his head and told me that I need to surgically remove that "lil buddy"(referred to as new wisdom tooth) because it is growing in an angle that pushes the other teeth. Aiks...WAlawe...Shucks....!!!
To cut things short; I'm going for "surgery" next Wednesday and will be having 2 days MC. So, would be spending most of next week in Kampar. So, I guess the gruesome details would be exposed next week in (Where art thou "Tooth Fairy"? Part III)....Sobs....='(

Till then folks...

There is more to come.... stay tuned to find out...=P

Where art thou "Tooth Fairy"? Part I...

I wonder why I have so much complications with my teeth. Having filled a few cavities for the past 22 years, they are not getting any better. My most unforgettable experience was getting a cap over an overly damaged tooth. The process is called "crowning". That explains a certain shine that you might see whenever I open wide.
Today, I woke up to a painful pressing feeling at the rear of my right jaw. I thought there was something stuck between my teeth. To my disappointment; it is my wisdom tooth coming out from the bottom. Yay, some of you might say - "Andrew is finally wise!" But the worst part is the wisdom tooth from above is pressing against the little buddy down there causing pain and uncomfortableness. I'm planning to go back to my dentist back home for consultation or get it fixed. Needless to say, it will be another unforgettable experience again. Soft food and diet for now...=(
Sigh! Where art thou "Tooth Fairy"?

Long Live Daddy!!!

I went back home last weekend. Wow, some might be surprised that I'm actually going back to my hometown. You see, I don't really go back often because it is time consuming and I usually don't study whenever I'm back. The reason being - Good Food, Get togethers with friends and Great house to hang out in. Hahaha... That's why going back would turn me into a very lazy bum. Or should I say lazy "Beluncas".
Well, usual Sundays in Kampar would be spending the whole morning in church and then Sunday school which would continue at home with lunch and lazing around the house reading newspapers, comics, listening to music and sleep. Hah.... this time I was on a tighter schedule because my bus to KL leaves at 4.30pm. Anyhow, that's not what I want to talk about now. Maybe later...hehe...
My dad preached in church on Sunday. I've sit through numerous of his sermons and never really can remember all his sermons. The usual response I get from people is that he speaks really long with comes to a conclusion that he's long winded. Hah... Now don't try to make connections about my long windedness =P
I wasn't in the whole sermon because I was preparing to sing "Mighty to Save" with Anil as the closing hymn in church. (I can't believe that Anil and I actually presented Hillsong's "Mighty to Save" to the church!). OKOK...back to the sermon. Hehe... I remember he was saying about being a universal church in the world. It really doesn't matter which church we go to as long as we are keeping our Christian walk right with God. Next thing, he mentioned about being chairperson of CF during his studies in the "Teacher's Training School". I paused...........
He has never told me about being the chairperson for CF back then. I only got to know through his sermon that day. I realized how I have not known my dad well enough. Although he has been through so much with me (coaching me in singing and schoolwork, making ends meet, and being supportive in the decisions I make and things that I do), it never came across my mind to actually get to know more about his past. I'm now heading the CF in my college too. There is really so much to learn from him and it never came across my mind. How stupid I am...=(
As I stood on the church pew thinking of how awesome my dad was last time; I come to realize that he never gave up. He continued to serve the Lord faithfully all throughout his life till now. Although he is not chairperson of any committee in church now, he really strived hard to earn a "Local Preacher's License". It's a license for a person to preach in church. I know it has taken many years for him to obtain the license and a great deal of objections on different occasions. He never gave up. He is still preaching and invited by other churches sometimes to preach too. I think he is a great preacher and I hope that one day I'd be like him preaching in church too.
A few things I've learnt just by listening to him on Sunday. First is to never overlook or underestimate the older generation. Second is not to give up even in the midst of the greatest trials. One of his great feat was that he took many years to realize his dream of pursuing a degree in university (He was 42 years old then). He just never did gave up. Hence, I really need to learn from him.
I know this might not be the best blog/essay that I could come up with about my dad. There are so many other sacrifices and good points to mention about him. Nevertheless, I would like to honour my dad and appreciate him all the more. He is the greatest dad of all. Thank God for giving Mr. Au Hoi Kiang as my daddy.

Still Fantasy?

1. Talented

2. Great Musician

3. Superb Song Writer

4. Tantalizing Rapper

5. Consistent Performer

Just who am I talking about? Hah... Sure most of you would have known already by the first 2 posters right? Well, he's none other than a person whom I really admire for his talents and ability to write songs and record in such a superb way. If you're a musician, you'd understand what I mean when I say that his songs and music is very full. Indeed, the music itself keeps me listening and listening to it.

It's been 6 albums now and in each of them he boasts of at least a song that has "Chinese" flavour and most of these songs are the most popular ones in his albums. Now with the latest "Still Fantasy" album out; there are more "Chinese flavoured" songs and for once he has tried to sing more slow songs which are quite nice too. Way to go Jay.....=P

Well, he talks a lot about his life in his songs. It is indeed touching to hear him sing about his grandmother and mother. This time is a song entitled "ting ma ma de hua". Translated is "listen to mothers words. I think he is very close to the maternal side of his family.

He has come up a long way and acknowledges that he won't be famous for long in one of his songs (hong mo fang). I believe he is on top of his career as a singer, song writer and musician now. So many people look up to him and I'm just amazed of what a person 5 years older than me can become. Haha...

In a nutshell, he is an inspiration to me as a song writer and music lover. I sure would like to do my own recording someday, hopefully. Lastly, his songs are indeed "STILL FANTASY"!!! Don't you agree with me? =P

Dazed....

Ever had the feeling that you are so enthusiastic about doing something but in the end don't get to accomplish it due to confusion or lack of information? That is how I'm feeling now with my newly set up blog. It came out of compulsion to try my hand at blogging. I'm sure you'd guess that I'm really just a newbie by the way I write and post my blog. Don't worry, I'll try to improve nonetheless with good tutors and hands on experience such as this.

The photo here is just for show. It really is actually me sometime ago in January this year, I think; taken at "Dome" in Jaya Shopping Mall. Well, it's just another attempt of a curious first time blogger trying out all sorts of "what nots" just to get use to the business of blogging. Any advice from anyone would really be appreciated =>

Searching me....

Indeed, it is a quest for every human being on this earth to search and know more about themselves in different junctures of their lives. One very unique way is writing about ourselves... hehehe... Whatever made me say that. Well... here goes...