CMV

The transplant coordinator called me on 28 Jan to inform me that my blood is tested positive for CMV and asked me to be admitted so for the injection to bring the virus down. Initially i thought i will only be hospitalised for 1 - 2 days for the injection but it turned out otherwise...

Cytomegalovirus, or CMV, is a common virus that infects most people worldwide. CMV infection is usually harmless and rarely causes illness. A healthy immune system can hold the virus in check. However, if a person's immune system is seriously weakened in any way, the virus can become active and cause CMV disease. Because i am taking immunosuppresants, my immune system is weakened and according to the doctor, almost zero, henceforth the CMV becomes active. After i am admitted, the doctor immediately reduce my immunosuppresant dosage and the eye doctor also came to check whether my eyes are affected by the virus. Everything turn out to be ok except that i am positive for CMV.

So everyday i have to be on the ganciclovir (anti-viral medication) drip for 1 hr at 8am and 8pm. The rest of the day, there's nothing to do and its so boring staying in the hospital. Although there is TV in the room, watching TV all day also bores me. I finished all the 5 megazines which i have. In the end, i asked my brother to bring my laptop and story books for me. Thanks to hongguang too for bring 4 storybooks for me while i was warded.

Dr Angelene Goh came to see me when i was warded and inform me that she will be taking over from Dr Roger Tan to see me in future. She told me that she can only let me be discharged when the CMV is complete negative, i.e when the level falls to 0. But the CMV is really stubborn, it falls to 10 then to 3 then to 2 in the 2nd week but not 0. The worst thing is the CMV blood test is not taken everyday but every 2-3 days and the test takes 1 day for the results. So everyday is waiting, waiting untill fedup.

This year Chinese New Year i still have to stay in hospital although Dr Goh allowed me to go on home leave. I went home after my morning drip on new year eve and the first day of CNY. Home sweet home :) CNY this year is special to me as i really treasure the time i went back home and spend with my family. Staying in the hospital has brought me closer to my family as i know they really cares about me.

I was discharged on 16/2/10, the 3rd day of CNY as my CMV is tested negative. Thank god!

Dr Roger Tan is leaving

I went for my medical follow up with Dr Roger Tan yesterday on 04/01/2010. This is my first medical follow-up at M clinic after my transplant.

The blood tests done yesterday were quite good except that FK506 concentration and potassium level is high. Dr Roger Tan again reduce my dosage for FK. He gave me the appointment for the next follow up to be 2 weeks later. He said that that will be the last time i see him. Huh? What does he mean? He explained that he will be going over to Gleneagles/East Shore hospital next month.

For a while, i was shocked and asked him why the sudden decision but he said that he has actually planned 2 months ago but as i was going to China, he kept the plans from me. He is leaving... i feel sad. I'm going to miss him, he is such a nice doctor. On the other hand, i should support his decision because going to private hospital will always be better for him in terms of prospect and development. He is too nice a doctor and don't go by the books, government hospital is not suitable for him.

He is one of the 过客 in my life that i will remember always. I appreciate all that he has done for me and hope that he will do well in his future endeavors.

Last day of 2009

Today is the last day of 2009, another few hours more and it will be the New Year 2010.

How time flies, one decade has passed. I was just reading my diary yesterday and realized that since i graduated in 2001, so many things has actually happened. I have since learnt, experienced, grown up and become wiser. No longer am i the 21 year old girl fresh out of school. Haha... does that mean that i have grown older? Though i cannot denial that i will be approaching 30 next year, i'm glad that my build is small so still look young to some. Wonder if it is good or bad?

New year is coming and its time for me to come up with the New Year resolutions. New year resolutions are a good way to allow us to set goals for the year and of course provided that we adhere to it. I'm proud to say that my resolutions this year were all met.

Year 2010 is a new life and a new challenge to me. Hope the new year will be a good year for me. my family and friends.

A precious gift for Christmas 2009

Today is Christmas Day and also the 8th day since i came back from Tianjin...

Christmas this year is very special for me because i have a new life due to a successful kidney transplant. Though i have to be on medication forever, there are a lot more things i can eat now, water i can drink now and can go without dialysis.

阿弥陀佛. 感恩! 还有要感谢我妈妈一直陪伴着我, 照顾我, 煮给我吃 etc. Mother is a very great cook. She bought a rice cooker from Carrefour the second day we were in Tianjin when she went shopping with Patrick. And marvelously she can cook everything with the rice cooker: rice, porridge, meat, steamed fish, fried vegetable, soups etc. Of course, thanks to William who left us a humidifier, kettle and some bowls and utencils as well.

China packed food are very salty and oily. They also come in very big portions. The first day when mum and me are there, we ordered in and my god, we ordered rice, 1 vege and 1 meat but they come in 6 packets - 2 packet of rice, 2 packet of meat and 2 packet of vege. I think the portions were enough for the day's lunch, the day's dinner and following day's lunch. The vege and meat were very oily even though we said less salt and oil. Ok, once bitten twice shy, from the second day onwards, mum would cook whenever possible. And hey, maybe the ingredients in China is fresh, whatever she cook, its so delicious.

The 金钱菇 we bought at Formax Supermarket is also vey nice no matter if cooked with chicken, meat or vegetables. The apples in Tianjin is also very sweet compared to Singapore. However, after my surgery, i feel bloated most of the time and don't have much appetite, hence food don't taste as nice anymore.

We were there in Tianjin for a total of 23 days.

Departing for Tianjin on 23rd Nov 2009

I will be going over to Tianjin on 23rd Nov 2009. Since i called Dr Song 2 weeks ago and he gave me the go ahead signal that i can go over at the end of Nov, everything has been busy busy, buying air tickets and all the preparation etc.

Lucky, William is already there at the hospital and he provide us a lot of info and advice. Thanks to him. Blessings, received an email from him on wednesday (14-Nov-09) that the nurses alert him to prepare for transplant that evening. That was fst, he only waited for abt 2 weeks. I hope i am as lucky as him.

Next sunday night i will be departing for Tianjin, taking the midnight flight. Preparations are almost done but of course there's a lot of last minute things to do. Anxiety and fear are gone at this moment, too busy and just looking forward to it. Now Beijing is very cold and snowing. Hope everything goes smoothly for us. I pray...

等待是慢长的...

I went for my M clinic appointment on 7th October and got all my pre-transplant test forms from Dr Roger Tan. Thank god and blessings! He is willing to do all the tests for me. I'm so relieved that i got all the forms in hand, have been bothering about it since my plans are defined. Dr Roger Tan is really a good doctor, he supports me in my plans to go china for transplantation.

Next week i'll be doing all my tests that require fasting, then just have to wait again for the results. 等待是慢长的, 尤其是当你在期待的时侯...

Steamboat Dinner at Yumin's House

Yesterday we went to Yumin's house for steamboat dinner.

We met at Marina square with the intention to go bowling before going to buy the food. However in the end, we decided that we all don't feel like going bowling so we proceed striaght to Carrefour to buy the food. We bought mostly meatballs, cuttlefishballs, fishballs, misc. balls, pork shabu shabu, mushrooms, veges etc. Healthy and simple food. Liyan say she is on diet and on low carboh food, hence the food that we choose are all quality, low quantity food. Thank god, becasuse i also can't eat most foods an too sinful foods.

Yesmine and Yumin prepare the soup base with corn and some dried prawns. Hmm, the soup taste good and sweet, esp. after we add more food inside, the final taste is good.

This is really a homely and healthy dinner. Hope we'll have more of such gatherings in future.