A Sunday breakfast...

UPDATE, 3.31PM: Sunday lunch was another success, though perhaps not as spectacular as breakfast. But Dad had clear chicken soup (IJN-style, looked like it had little worms in it ;-)), some taufoo fah and then some fruit. Pretty good, even if I had to play a few tricks just to get a few more mouthfuls.

Leaving IJN just now, I stopped at a Raya cookie counter they have set up in the lobby area. Shazz Delights are selling all sorts of cookies and hampers and 30% of proceeds will go to the IJN Foundation which helps poor patients get heart treatment there. So if you are ever in the area and would like to contribute,do drop by the Shazz Delight counter and stock up on Raya goodies. Also for more information on the IJN Foundation, go here.

ORIGINAL POST:
Sunday breakfasts (outside of Ramadan) are always special family treats, no? That's when we go out for our special nasi lemak, roti canai, dim sum and is always something to look forward to at the weekend.

ICU breakfasts aren't quite as delicious but they can be just as exciting when the patient is eating properly again. And this morning was no different. This is what Dad had for breakfast: TWO pieces of bread, TWO boiled eggs, ONE cup of Dadeh, COFFEE!!! If we weren't fasting we'd all tuck into the same thing just to celebrate.

Mum had sms'd us the good news today.She thought she saw that typical Dad half-smile after that, what we call the 'sengeh'.

We are constantly thinking of what else we can do to perk up his appetite. The doctors say that the first two months after a heart op is the 'honeymoon' period when the patient can eat anything they want because the priority is to bring up their strength again. They also had some creative suggestions so we are thinking of surprising him with a few treats the next few days.

It's all due to his determination which we have boosted through some strategies we had up our sleeve. But it's also due to lots and lots of prayers from us and especially from you. Terima kasih tak terhingga kepada semua untuk doa-doa. Insya-Allah, that wave of prayers are going to carry him through this next phase on the road to strength and recovery.

Have a good Sunday!

p/s We got another shipment of dadeh from Kubang Pasu yesterday. So please don't trouble yourself to send more to IJN.

p/s2 for those who were asking why I don't comment on other topics in this blog right now, it's not that I haven't been thinking about them but it takes up enough time just to update you about Dad without also having to talk about other things. Anyone who blogs knows that blog maintenance is time-consuming and I've been updating every day, which was not my habit before my Dad went into IJN. And as far as service to the country in terms of raising issues, I think I try and do that in my Star column every two weeks. And somehow you all give me the impression that ensuring Dad gets well is also a form of khidmat negara.

You can Take the Boy out of Kedah...

..but you can't take the Kedah out of the boy!

I have been appointed 'Head Nurse (Feeding)' for my Dad. This is because it's just been discovered that I have a special talent for making him eat. I don't quite go 'ummmm' when I spoon something into his mouth but somehow he eats.

Anyway yesterday was a good feeding day. I managed to be there at dinnertime and got him to eat some pudding and ice-cream. Now I know you all have reservations about ice cream but I figure if the doctor himself encourages it, mostly because it has high calories, then I should be OK with it.

Then after I came back to see him around 10pm, he felt hungry again.(Hunger is good). Someone then had an inspiration. Upstairs I had just had some dadeh after dinner. For those of you not from the north, dadeh is a type of local yoghurt made form either susu kerbau or susu kambing. It's delicious with its own special taste. It so happened that someone had brought it to us all the way from Kubang Pasu, my Dad's old constituency.

So I asked him if he'd like some and he said yes. And what's more he wanted some hot Milo. So off the nurses scurried to find the dadeh and make the Milo. Perhaps they took a tad too long because we got a growl, "Where IS that Milo?" Erp! Coming, coming!

He finished the entire glass of Milo and then the entire cup of dadeh, all fed by spoon by me. When he swallowed the last bit, we all - Mum, my brother, the doctors and nurses - actually clapped! You should have seen the look on Dad's face! There was that old "I'll show you!" look, you know?

This may seem like a very small thing but we need to have him consume as much calories as possible in order to build his strength. Hence, every little episode like this is celebrated with great joy by all of us.

Now, where do we find more authentic all-the-way from Kedah dadeh?

Post-Op Day 6 (Again)

UPDATE 5.32PM: Came home to change and rushing off to IJN again before our infamous pre-buka jams. Here's the latest IJN statement:

Institut Jantung Negara, 28 September....YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad continues to be warded at the Intensive Care Unit, five days into a second surgery for wound debridement last Saturday.

This is to allow doctors to closely monitor and observe his overall condition following admission for a second coronary bypass surgery on September 4.

While it may seem time-consuming, doctors’ focus will be on improving his nutritional status and gradually strengthening his muscles.

IJN doctors are also concerned about ensuring that all his major organ functions remain stable for continued post-surgical rehabilitation.

IJN will continue to issue statements on Tun Dr Mahathir’s progress periodically.



ORIGINAL POST:
Dear folks, I apologise but am just going to hurriedly post this. Nothing much is happening but it's all OK. I just wanted to tell you that I may not post as regularly as I have been simply because sometimes it's hard to find the time (and my oh-so-canggih Blackberry isn't all that canggih after all!!). So please don't worry. I'll update you when I can.

Thank you for all the lovely messages. They are an enormous help to us all. You can still keep posting messages and I will try and keep publishing them.

Have a good day.

p/s am wearing red today in solidarity with the brave people in Burma.

Post-Op Day 5 (Again)

UPDATE 10.18PM: We gave Mum a little treat today. We actually took her out of the hospital to go and buka puasa with some of us and her grandchildren.Thought she needed a change of scenery for a short while, and besides the grandkids adore their Tok and miss her a lot.

We had some nice food for buka at my brother's house, then did Maghrib prayers, followed by dinner, then Isha prayers and terawih. In between, the seven grand-daughters and two grandsons who were there gave her as many hugs as they could. I hope it did Mum a lot of good just to be away from the hospital for a few hours.

Earlier I had gone to sit by Dad's bedside again. He's still understandably cranky because it's hard to get comfortable. But we keep reassuring him that it will get better day by day. We also told him that not only are his grandkids waiting eagerly for him to come out of hospital but also so many other people, Malaysians from all walks of life all over the country. I'm hoping that that will encourage and motivate him.

In the car going over to my brother's, I read out to Mum some of your comments especially those that mentioned her. She's very appreciative of your kind thoughts.

That's all folks, goodnight!

ORIGINAL POST:
Hi all, sorry for being late but actually got up early for a change and organised enough to go early to IJN. They are being super-strict in ICU so we now have to sterilise our hands, wear a mask AND a gown. And our long tresses have to be held back. All precautionary. But follow or get banned! (Mum's orders, more effective than doctors').

Not a lot to report. Here's another exciting IJN statement:

Institut Jantung Negara, 27 September....YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad continues to make significant progress four-days after his second surgical procedure on Saturday for wound debridement.

He is now breathing on his own since 2pm yesterday and doctors are now focusing on post surgical rehabilitation.

These include physiotherapy to his chest to optimise his respiratory function as well as exercises to his arms and legs to build muscle strength.

Tun Dr Mahathir continues to be warded at the Intensive Care Unit.


Yes he is making good progress. I thought he looked pretty good, for someone in ICU. Apparently he spent time last night grilling the doctors! I'm not sure many patients get to do that but as he sometimes like to sniffily remind us, "I'm a doctor too, you know!". Isn't there some adage about doctors making bad patients?

Anyway I prefer to think of a patient with personality as one who's definitely on the mend.

Meanwhile we are heeding all your advice and paying close attention to Mum and how she's doing. She has been in IJN for as long as Dad has and has been remarkably well all that time. And unbelievably strong as well. But we're trying to focus on her for herself, as Mum and Tok as well.

That's all for the moment. Hopefully, more updates later.

Post-Op Day 4 (Again)

UPDATE 5.36PM: Good news! As of 2.30pm today, Dad's off the ventilator! Alhamdullilah! That means he's now breathing on his own again. Yay!! And what's more, he can even speak a few words. Double yay!!

So now we have to really encourage him to work on recovery and building his strength. That means doing his best during physio. Those of you who have been heart patients or who have had relatives who have been heart patients know that this means he has to cough. Not fun at all but has to be done to clear any phlegm in his lungs.

Think Mum is going to treat him to some ice cream tonight...


ORIGINAL POST:
Hi folks, I finally had a long uninterrupted sleep and feel so much better today. I think it was all the worry and lack of sleep that was getting to me. I don't feel as warm as yesterday but I think I'll stay home for one more day before I venture out to IJN again. Thank you for all the kind get well messages.

Today, according to Mum, Dad is making progress. The doctors will say 'strong and stable' again (ho hum). They are hoping to get him fully off the ventilator by lunchtime today. Since a positive attitude is essential, Mum is thinking up ways to bolster his spirit. She's asked for photographs to be sent from home of the grandchildren to cheer him up.

Meantime Bobob/Buti has done another video:



Thanks again Bobob!

With all the happenings last weekend, I managed to squeeze in at the last minute my column in The Star which came out today. Suffice to say I wasn't thinking of just rumours about Nurin's family when I wrote that.

Post-Op Day 3 (Again)

UPDATE 6.13PM:

I have spent all of today leisurely sitting on my sofa doing almost nothing except post your comments! It's OK. I don't feel worse though still a bit warm. Thanks for all the advice. I think I am not allowed to puasa when I'm unwell so have been trying to drink as much as possible to get better.

Anyway, Mum has faithfully updated me by sms. Dad's general condition is better and he's alert and cooperative. (That means he's not giving the docs a hard time...). His heart is ticking away strongly as is every organ in that wonderful ecosystem we call the body. Still trying to build energy through nutrients.

Meantime the physio terrors...sorry, ladies, have started work and giving him deep breathing and muscle toning exercises to do. Not exactly lifting weights but the post-op equivalent of it.

So it's all good. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Meantime my brothers get to visit Dad tonight. Waaahhhhh!!! Hope he growls at them and saves all the winks for me.;-)

By the way, MH, thanks for the joke. It is so baaaaadddd. But it made me laugh.


ORIGINAL POST:
Hi folks. Well it had to happen I guess. I came down with a temperature. Still slight at the moment but enough to get me banned from IJN. As my Mum puts it in her sms to me, "The worst biggest enemy is INFECTION!!!". Hmmm...guess it's not personal. ;-) Anyway it's rather annoying but I'm hoping to get better quickly so I can get back to Dad's bedside soon.

Anyway it's exactly three weeks since the first op and three days since the second one. The docs say that he's stable which is good but of course sounds like neither here nor there. Still, as long as it's good. Here's the official statement:

Institut Jantung Negara, 25 September.... YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad continues to remain stable into the third-day of his second surgical procedure on Saturday for wound debridement at the Intensive Care Unit.

IJN doctors are happy that his vital parameters continue to be stable. Tun Dr Mahathir is also conscious as doctors gradually ease on his support medication.

Tun Dr Mahathir is able to receive visitations confined to his immediate family members.

IJN will continue to issue statements on Tun Dr Mahathir as and when there are significant changes to his condition.



I was thinking that perhaps one of the reasons for the nasty rumours was the use of the word 'support' in IJN's last statement. To most lay people, that would mean 'life support' which has dreadful implications. It implies that without it, the patient cannot live.

'Support' in this case means the use of the ventilator or respirator.After a major operation like the ones my Dad has undergone, the patient is often too weak to be able to breathe enough on his or her own. They can breathe but not enough to fully oxygenate the lungs like we all do without thinking about it every day. So the ventilator supports them while they need it.

Meantime the patient is fed with high-calorie nutrients that makes him stronger so that he can breathe more fully on his own. As this happens, the ventilator contributes less and less to his breathing and eventually they take it off. How long this takes depends on how fast the patient gains strength but being on it is not to be taken as a bad sign.

This is exactly what is happening with Dad. Today he is breathing more on his own than yesterday. Yay!! And he is more awake and according to Mum, more alert too. She holds his hands and tells him to try and break hers and "he almost did!". As another positive sign, she says he is displaying signs of impatience.Good old cranky Dad!

Meantime I sit at home connected to everyone through the Internet (God bless the Internet). Your messages gave me a runny nose this morning. I have to say that I do enjoy being able to talk to you through this blog and getting the feedback. I feel like you all have become part of my extended family, a loving, exceedingly affectionate and caring one. Thank you for enveloping me and my family in your warmth.

I got this get-well card via email from Wynton Choo today. Thought I'd share it with you.



Meantime, last night, was informed by the Mufti of Perlis Dr Asri Zainal Abidin that from today onwards, all mosques in Perlis will doa for my Dad at every prayer time every day. Kami amat berterima kasih kepada Kerajaan dan warga Perlis. Juga kepada semua yang sentiasa membuat solat hajat di masjid-masjid ataupun di rumah. Insya-Allah, semua doa-doa kita akan di restui Allah SWT.

Post-Op Day 2 (Again)

UPDATE 8.03PM: Dear folks, just to tell you that Dad remains in ICU, heart beating away and very slowly mending again. It's still early days after a major op but he is doing fine according to the doctors.

I know there are wild rumours about but as I said, please check here. We would never hide anything very major from you.

Please do continue praying for him. He needs all that love to keep him going. And we are always telling him that all you folks are willing him on.

Thanks.


ORIGINAL POST:
Dear folks, thank you for all the kind messages. They have really touched me and my family. We will make sure that every single message will be printed out and shown to Dad when he is well enough to read them. I'm sure he will be just as touched to know how much love and support there is for him.

Some of you have asked where to send cards and emails. Of course, putting comments on my blog comes directly to me already. But if you want to send cards or letters, you can send them c/o Institute Jantung Negara, 145 Jalan Tun Razak, 50400 Kuala Lumpur. For those who prefer email, please send them c/o Sufi Yusoff at sufi71@gmail.com.

I know that yesterday and last night, there were many rumours circulating about my father's condition, some of which border on the sensational. Please be assured that my blog will give you the most accurate report on him. All the media are getting their information only from my family and from this blog. So anything that comes from elsewhere at the very least needs to be checked.

I know I said I downplayed his condition last week but I wasn't being untruthful. IJN doctors will give out the medical statements while I will do the human story behind the statements if you like. I know their statements tend to be dry and full of terminology but that's the way doctors are. What I report here will take off from there but I don't embellish. I may downplay sometimes partly so that I won't cause you undue worry but also because things go up and down all the time. Last week he would be great in the morning but not so great in the afternoon, and then great again in the morning. So I tell you about the great parts.

But it would be foolish to pretend that a heart bypass, followed very soon by another operation, are not major things to subject anyone to. So it is a big deal. Having said that, Dad is also a very strong person and the doctors weren't bluffing when they said his recovery progress is better than a lot of people. Right now they are pleased with how he's doing but they are being super-cautious because it is a day-to-day thing. We are optimistic but we also don't want to celebrate too early.

I just looked in on Dad. It's the first time I've seen him since the op. He's still very much sedated because he needs to rest. (BTW this is VERY different from saying he's 'unconscious'. They can bring him out of sedation if they want but not yet.) But he does wake up from time to time and he can hear us and respond to what we say. I told him I was there and he did a typical Dad thing: he winked! I wanted to both laugh and cry.

So, I can't thank you enough for your prayers. Once again they have helped us a lot and definitely him a great deal.

Post-Op Day 1 (Again)

UPDATE 9.59PM: At 5.30pm, after their usual meeting today, the doctors walked in to brief us smiling. Apparently they'd noted my comment about them being glum yesterday. ;-)

But they were genuinely smiling because Dad is doing well. He's still under sedation but everything is ticking along nicely. Which means that the op last night, even with the risks, was worth doing.

Still, recovery is recovery and we start again that long slow process. Patience and more patience. But hopefully, many more steps forward than backward.

Thanks for all your kind thoughts and prayers. We are relieved beyond relief.


ORIGINAL POST:
Dear folks, sorry I didn't post anything yesterday but there's a good reason for it. I walked into IJN about 5pm yesterday with a shopping bag full of fruit jellies to give my Dad. I went to ICU but nobody was there. The doctors are having a meeting, said the guard, so I thought I wouldn't disturb them and headed up to the 5th floor to my Mum's room. There I found her looking a bit stressed, with the physiotherapist who had come to convey a message that the doctors wanted to see the whole family. We set about calling all my siblings (one had just arrived from overseas) and headed downstairs for the meeting.

I've never seen the doctors look so glum. They explained that they finally found what was causing Dad to be so slow in recovery and to constantly feel weak. There was an infection at his wound (where they had cut him to do the bypass) which is quite normal for operations of this type. But to get rid of it, they needed to operate again. It was the only option. And they wanted to do it last night itself.

Imagine how we felt! Eighteen days after his bypass, he had to go through another operation again. And this would be tougher in some ways. When he went in for his bypass, he was fit and healthy. But this time he was considerably weaker. And his age is a factor.

They wheeled him in at 10pm. Before that we were all gathered around him praying and willing him on. It was hard not to get emotional but for his sake, we had to keep a brave face. I think it takes enormous courage to agree to another operation when you've only just had one and feeling weak. But Dad is nothing if not a trouper. And he's a doctor who understands what needs to be done.

I have to say that the surgeons and doctors were exceptionally kind to us, knowing how fearful we were. The same team that operated on him on Sept 4 (with the exception of Dr Schaff) also performed this operation. Right up to the door of the operating theatre, they continued to assure us that they'll take care of him and he'll be fine. We were completely confident that he was in very good hands, but we couldn't know what God had planned for him.

Five hours of nervous waiting followed. We prayed, we talked, we ate and we dozed off. The hours ticked by so slowly. At first we heard that he would be out by 2am. But that hour crept past without any news. At 2.30am I saw one of the doctors (not part of the operating team but who regularly cares for him) and rushed up to him for news. They should be done any time now, he said, but he didn't have details.

At 3am, Tan Sri Yahya Awang came into the waiting room with the other surgeons. Everything went as planned, they got the source of infection out! What an enormous relief! The following is the official IJN statement:


Institut Jantung Negara, 23 September....YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad has successfully undergone surgical wound debridement yesterday (Saturday, Sept 22) because of wound infection.


The surgery commenced at 11.30pm and ended at 2.30am. The procedure was undertaken by the same surgical team that performed the second coronary bypass surgery on Dr Mahathir at the IJN on September 4.

He is currently stable and has been put under routine post-cardiac surgery support.


He is expected to remain on support for at least 36-hours for post-operative care and will be put under close monitoring and observation by IJN doctors and nurses at the Intensive Care Unit.


The next 72-hours will be the crucial period in his post-operative care.


Tan Sri Yahya just came this morning to brief Mum. What a change of face! He looks so much better, and that's because he's really happy with Dad's parameters, ie all the stuff they measure to monitor his recovery. Syukur syukur Alhamdullilah!

So....please don't worry. He got through the operation OK. His heart is fine. Now it's a matter once again of recovery. For that I need to humbly once again ask for your prayers so that he will get through this well and as speedily as possible. Thank you so much.

Tolong jangan bimbang. Ayah saya telah berjaya melalui pembedahan kedua untuk membersihkan infeksi di bahagian pembedahan yang dijalankan pada 4hb Sept lalu. Sekarang hanya menunggu untuk dia pulih semula. Oleh itu, saya dengan rendah diri terpaksa meminta sekali lagi supaya anda semua berdoa supaya dia cepat sembuh.Terima kasih tak terhingga.

I have to say that in the past week I did downplay his condition and made it sound better than it was. I didn't want to worry anyone but the doctors were trying to figure out where the source of infection was. On Saturday afternoon they finally figured it out and hence, the reason for the decision to have the operation quickly. It's not been easy but it was the right decision.

I thank you in advance for your doas and prayers. Stay tuned for more regular updates.

Fruit Jelly...

I woke up this morning to find a message that Dad was 'much much better' today. What a great way to start the day. Then another message came: he's chirpy today. Chirpy? Ok, I'll take chirpy.

Didn't get to IJN til the evening and he was asleep. The doctors said he's been doing fine all day but was a bit tired.The main thing was to get him to eat. By the way the doctors kept repeating this to me, I took it to mean that we the family had to encourage him to eat.

He didn't wake up until after we had buka puasa, did maghrib prayers, isha prayers and terawih. So dinner for him was only at 10pm. But boy, did he eat. Five spoonfuls of Hungarian goulash, six spoonfuls of apam and curry and to top it off, one whole cup of fruit jelly. Yay! And two slices of fruit afterwards. Wow! It might sound like minuscule to us, especially during Ramadan, but for Dad that was A LOT.

If he continues like this, it will be very very good. He needs to build his strength and that comes from eating.So we have to be there cheering him on.

One thing that did cheer him was this note from students at SMK Tunku Sulong in Jeniang, Kedah.







Sweet huh?

In Search of Nurin

UPDATE: Nurin's uncle has posted in his blog about what happened in the last 24 hours to clear up the whole DNA issue. Nurin's funeral will be held today probably after Zohor prayers. Al-fatihah.




UPDATE: Heartbroken...that must be what Nurin's parents must be feeling. The latest news is that the girl in the bag is Nurin after all. See The Star.

Dear God, why? If this is the same Kampung Baru molester that has been molesting little girls for some time now, why was no alarm raised earlier? Why did this little girl have to die first?

Dear God, bless this innocent soul and let her rest in peace. Al-fatihah.


ORIGINAL POSTING:

Folks, little Nurin Jazlin has been missing for 28 days now. There's a blog dedicated to news about the search for her.

I have a little girl the same age as her so I can only imagine how much her parents are suffering while she remains missing.

Please do dedicate some of your prayers to Nurin,that she may be found safe and sound very very soon.

(I've put the date as Dec 31 2007 so that this will stay at the top of my blog every day until she's found.)

Sad day

Dear folks, this has been a horrible day. Already bad enough that there was a little girl murdered and another missing, and then to find that they are one and the same. I really really hope that they find the killer and bring him (or her?) to book. Meantime keep all our children safe!

I guess this emotional mood didn't help me much when visiting my Dad. He was asleep back in ICU and I thought he didn't look good. The doctors tried to reassure me but I just felt that things weren't going well. Then he woke up and had some dinner and really he looked a lot better. Not very chatty and still very tired and sleepy but definitely not as sickly as I imagined him to be. So it was just me.

I must learn to be patient and be thankful for what progress Dad is making. Last time in 1989 he was in hospital for 3 weeks. Now 18 years later, it's only been 2 weeks and 2 days so I really should not expect too quick results. I suspect he's not feeling too patient either. The impatient patient...

But I should not complain. There's another patient in ICU who had a bypass 3 days ago and still hasn't really woken up yet. The doctor says he started off with a weaker heart than Dad's so his recovery will be more difficult. I hope that his family will not be discouraged. Would be good to donate a few prayers his way too.

I guess I (and all of us) should remember to be thankful for what we have. There are so many people who have things so much worse. That's not to make us feel happy that others are worse off but to remind us to be humble. So we should be grateful for every little sign of progress, every little step that someone we love makes towards better health.

But tonight I will think of Nurin Jazlin's parents and send them a prayer and love and support, from one parent to another.

Photo Show...

Sorry for the late update. Went rather late in the day to see Dad and what a surprise, he's up on the 5th floor! No, he's not really out of ICU but they thought he'd like a change of scenery so he spent the day in his room on the 5th floor but went back down to ICU for the night.

But Mum said he had a good day, listening to music, reading some magazines and chatting quite a bit.

I brought my computer and did some slideshows of photographs for him, mostly family holiday photos and he seemed to enjoy them. Asked me to bring my computer back tomorrow for more slideshows!

Thanks for all the book suggestions. I'm going to make a shopping list and go to a bookstore and see what I can get. OFF, thanks for lending me Sabres of Paradise. I started reading it and now I'm engrossed! Might not pass on to Dad just yet...!

Bagi pelawat baru ke blog ini, terima kasih atas ucapan-ucapan dan doa-doa untuk ayah saya. Kami sekeluarga amat menghargai semua mesej-mesej dan doa-doa yang ditujukan untuk ayah saya.

Thank you new visitors to this blog for all your kind messages and prayers. All much appreciated by me and family.

Until tomorrow, goodnight!

Two Weeks Ago...

Two weeks ago, my Dad got wheeled into the OT and four grafts were put in in a successful operation. Today he is recovering from that in ICU slowly but surely. Two weeks plus one day ago I couldn't have been more nervous about it. It was hard to imagine the day after tomorrow, let alone two weeks down the line.

Dad is certainly much better today. Some of my more sensitive readers detected me feeling a bit down yesterday. Actually I was just tired, probably from fasting, so perhaps that was why. But I don't have much reason to be because according to the doctors, he's really doing well. All the indicators and numbers that they fastidiously track every day are coming out right.

Now it's a matter of him getting stronger and that means eating well. Which is a bit hard because he doesn't really have much of an appetite. Every day we ask him what he'd like to eat and he rolls his eyes as if it's the most tiresome question anyone could ask. We're wracking our brains trying to think of interesting food we can make him.

We're also trying to think of books he might like to read. Before surgery he finished reading Khaled Hossein's A Thousand Splendid Suns. He really liked that, as well as the author's previous one, The Kite Runner. So any suggestions of similar books?

Someone had asked me about the use of stem cells in heart treatment. One of Dad's doctors was kind enough to explain it all to me. Everyone's talking about stem cells these days but the thing is, there's no way right now to predict what stem cells are going to grow into when you inject them into the area you want to treat. They have tried it at IJN but the positive effects were only temporary (although there were no long term ill effects). So in short, the technology is still being perfected but we're not there yet with stem cells.For more information about whether stem cells repair a damaged heart, read this.

Meantime, my assignment for tomorrow is to bring in family photos for Dad to look at. He can't see his grandchildren yet but obviously misses them. So the photos will be the next best thing. Actually I think I'll just bring in my computer and show him my iPhoto albums.

Almost Two Weeks Later...

Tomorrow it will be two weeks since Dad's bypass. As predicted it is taking a bit longer to recover this time than he did in 1989 but even so, he's doing well. He's still in ICU which is not fun but the doctors want to make sure he is really OK before letting him out. The other day he got let out but then had to go back in again with a little infection. So they're not about to do that again.

I have to say that the doctors have been so dedicated. They meet every morning and every evening to discuss his case and then discuss with my Mum and any of the rest of us who happen to be around.

I'm sure everyone who needs it gets the same level of care but I guess Dad is considered a special patient. For one thing, they'd have to answer to all of you if anything goes wrong, not just to us. But I really think that they're caring for him this way because they really do care for him. Last night one of his surgeons slept in the ICU with him just to make sure he was OK. The entire team that operated on him pretty much didn't go home for the first few days after the surgery. All of them seem to know everything that's going on with him so they can all give us the same answers whichever one we speak to.I can't help but be impressed by their professionalism and also touched by their concern and care. I know some of them read this blog so thank you, doctors!

To all of you who asked for more photos and even videos, sorry but I still don't have any that I can post yet. Dad likes to look spiffy for photos and he doesn't feel he looks spiffy enough yet...nak kena stylo sikit, baru boleh post...;-)

Otherwise he's still slowly getting better. Sometimes it feels like two steps forward, half a step back. But it's always moving forward, that's the important thing. Much of it has to do with the mind and attitude. He's not as grumpy, got his sense of humour back which is good. I go to the ICU, put on my mask, sterilise my hands and go and sit next to him and hold his hand. We don't say much,sometimes he falls asleep and today I dozed off, right next to him. It's OK.

I really should get back to doing my regular blog stuff, along with these updates. So in between these, you'll find me posting on things that interest me. Those of you who only recently came to visit my blog, well, you're more than welcome to stay...

Happy 44th Birthday, Malaysia!!!

Hi folks! Almost forgot...it's Malaysia's birthday today! Forty-four years ago, our country Malaysia was formed comprising Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. Now it's just Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak but still, a great country nevertheless.

Happy Birthday folks!

Getting better...

Just went to see Dad. He's doing fine even though he's back in ICU. Ate a little bit and then asked for the melon I brought back. But I think he'll only get that tonight for dinner because it needs to ripen a bit more. He's a bit more chatty than before so that's a good sign.

The doctors say they are really pleased with his 'power of recovery'. That means he gets better faster than most people his age. But they are being as cautious as possible. The body is a delicate ecosystem. If one bit goes a bit funny, every other bit has to be watched in case they react. But so far all ok. The heart especially is beating strong.

Still no visitors allowed but there have been a few who came and signed the visitors book. Plus various people have sent letters and emails. Among them were VIPs like former President Fidel Ramos of the Philippines, Prime Minister Surayud of Thailand, Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, President Gadaffi of Libya and The Sultan of Brunei. Also lots of sweet little notes from ordinary people. And some from children. Here are a few:





Adam and Fatimah are the children of one of my Dad's former bodyguards, Adnan.

Coming Home...

UPDATE: I'm home! And yes I was in Hong Kong. So pandai you all.

Anyway...I didn't want to tell you all last night because I didn't want to upset anyone but yes, last night Dad had to go back to ICU again. I had to wait til IJN issued a statement today. But he had a slight fever so had to go back in there so that he wouldn't be at risk of more infection.

Tapi jangan risau, hari ini doktor kata dia semakin pulih tapi masih perlu diawasi.

Please don't worry!! But do continue praying for him. We all want him 100% fit again.

Anyway, got the persimmons and melon so that should perk him up!

More tomorrow...

ORIGINAL POST:
Me I mean...not Dad yet. Just a short trip to fulfil a promise I made a friend and to support a good cause. Flying off this afternoon but trying to rush out to the shops to buy some persimmons and melons (order from you-know-who).

Meanwhile, here are the views (!) outside my hotel window. See if anyone can guess where I am:





(Yes it's hazy...)

News from Afar :-)

I called my hubby's handphone today and guess who came online? Dad! I never heard him sound so good. His voice is so much stronger and we had an actual conversation, instead of the one-word answers we were getting in ICU. "I am getting stronger," he said, "But the doctors want me to get stronger faster!!" I wonder who's the one who's really impatient!

Can't post a photo of him yet but here's one from 1989:



Look at that shock of black hair!!!

Best News in a Week!

I wanted to update you this morning before I left but the broadband at KLIA was soooo slow...

Anyway...Berita Hangat!!! Dad's out of ICU!!! He's now up in the ward, eating normally and beginning to feel more of himself again. We couldn't be happier!

Up there though he still can't receive visitors because we still need to control infections. And it's so hi-tech these days that they've got his room all wired up so that the docs can monitor him from wherever they are!

Fitting that he's moved up on the first day of Ramadan. Thanks to all your prayers and doas.

One week + 1

UPDATE 10.06pm: Managed to see Dad this evening. He's been eating pretty well and walking a bit so getting stronger every day. The doctors tell me that they've treated lots of old folks, some younger than my Dad, but he's really doing well comparatively speaking. The difference is his immense willpower to get better, even though it's really not much fun. Recovery really does depend on the patient's own attitude, along with support and encouragement from family and the people involved in his care.

Today he greeted me with a smile. Which is nice because it's not easy to smile when you're stuck in ICU. I brought another card from my daughter ShaSha who's inviting him to go horseriding with her when he's well again. Insya-Allah.

For those who are hoping to see him at open house this Raya, let me tell you frankly that I don't think he'll be ready for that so soon. He needs to rest for a while yet, even after getting out of hospital. I'm sure you all will understand. But I'll keep you posted.

I'm off out of the country tomorrow for two days to fulfill an obligation made a long time ago. But I won't be out of contact so I'll try and keep updating you as much as I can.

First day of Puasa tomorrow!!! Selamat berpuasa!

ORIGINAL POST:
Real life (paying bills, child's school matters and homework, work) has been intruding hence the reason I haven't been able to find decent time to post anything substantial these past few days. But it's a good sign when life can get back to normal though.

I meant to write something on the multifaith event the other day. But seeing as there was nothing about it in the mainstream press, decided to write an account for my column in The Star today.

Here are some photos from the event courtesy of Jinggo:





(From left to right, Mr Lee from the National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is, Malaysia, Archishop Murphy Pakiam, Christian Federation of Malaysia,Mr BS Tan, Federation of Taoist Associations of Malaysia, Swami Samyam Ananda, Divine Life Society, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf and furthest right, Ven K Sri Dhamaratana Nayakha Maha Thera, Chief Buddhist Monk of Malaysia)



(Me trying not to blubber while I said thank you to everyone)

There is also an article by Joceline Tan today in The Star about Dad's surgery. Funny that she should quote so much from my blog...heh, heh...

Anyway, Dad's doing well. I saw him yesterday and he was again sitting up having lunch ( char kuey tiaw and mango pudding). Earlier he had walked a few laps around his room on his own. Yay!

Talking about formidable women around him, besides the two physiotherapists, there is another one who is equally gentle but determined, his nutritionist. Her job is to get him to eat firstly, and then to eat the right things to gain strength and to heal. Not an easy job when post-op patients don't really have much of an appetite. That's why she's always asking him what he'd like to eat in the hope that it would stimulate his appetite. Every time Dad sees her come into the room, he'll close his eyes as if to say "Oh no, it's that woman again! Asking me what I want to eat!!". I must say, she does her job with a big smile but is relentless nevertheless. And for those who are wondering if the roti canai and kuey tiaw are really good for him, please don't forget that these are hospital-cooked food,under the watchful eye of the nutritionist, and not things we ordered out from the nearest mamak stall from. So let's say, they are the healthier version of these foods.

While we are talking about food, or eating, tomorrow is the beginning of Ramadan. It's a time for restraint, forgiveness and goodwill. May I take this opportunity to wish everyone Selamat Berpuasa. Juga saya memohon maaf jika saya ada berbuat kesalahan, baik yang tidak di sengaja maupun yang di sengaja, semoga kita dapat menjalani ibadah puasa dengan khusyuk, diberkati dan dirahmati Allah S.W.T, insyaallah. (Hope you don't mind if I copied your words, Ahnis, but they were so nice...)

One Week After....

Buti or Bobob sent another cute video that I just have to share.

Imagine how tense we all were one week ago! Alhamdullilahh, we can now smile and laugh.

More later. Meantime enjoy Strawberry Shortcake's little song...!

Post-Op, Day 6

Ha...ni dia, gambar yang di tunggu-tunggu....semakin kuat, semakin baik. Nampak segar, kan?

Menu hari ini di restoran ICU: roti canai, kari (er..kari apa, tak tau...), Milo. Doctor kata nak makan apa pun boleh asalkan makan supaya kuat semula.

Now, don't all rush to the mamak stalls to eat roti canai in solidarity, okay?

Post-Op, Day 5

Dear folks, sorry for not updating you today but I was running around getting things ready for the multifaith doa selamat this evening. I will talk more about that tomorrow but it was a really beautiful and moving esperience.

Meantime Dad is doing OK, progressing steadily. I don't have big things to tell you because it is a matter of baby steps towards getting better. The physio ladies are spending a lot of time with him and he's cooperating. And we try and cheer him on.

Once again, can't thank everyone enough for the good thoughts that keep coming our way.

Maaf tak ada berita hangat hari ini. Saya sibuk mengurus majlis doa selamat petang tadi. Besok nanti saya akan bercerita dengan lebih panjang mengenai majlis itu.

Sementara itu ayah saya semakin pulih tetapi dengan langkah-langkah kecil. Masih menjalani fisioterapi yang amat susah tapi perlu. Kami sentiasa menggalakannya supaya dia dapat kuat semula dengan lebih cepat. (Maaf kalau Bahasa saya agak kekok. Dah terlalu penat dan mengantuk.)

Terima kasih sekali lagi untuk doa-doa dan ucapan-ucapan selamat.

Until tomorrow, goodnight, selamat malam!

Post-Op, Day 4

UPDATE 6.58PM: Anyone who's ever had a heart operation or has had relatives who have had them will know that the patient's most hated person post-op is the physiotherapist. My Dad still remembers the formidable Mrs Fung from 1989; whenever she entered his room, he said, he would feel fear. Now that's saying something!

Physiotherapists know this so before the op, they will visit the patient and 'brainwash' them into accepting that their relationship will be severely strained afterwards. So it was this time with the two physios who are taking care of him. He knows both well and in 'normal' life, they are very nice gentle ladies. But when it comes to doing their job, boy, can they be tough!

But they need to be. The key to recovery is to get moving as soon as you can. No room for manja-ing and pampering here! It's no fun, it's tiring and sometimes painful but it's got to be done. So we family members just have to be as encouraging and supportive as we can.

Last night my brother Mokhzani shocked us all by turning up looking like this:


He had made a niat (vow) that if Dad got through his operation safely, he would shave his head. And he's got a lot of hair to shave! So yesterday he got Dad to snip the first locks (yup, right there in the ICU!!) and then Mum did the honours of lawnmowering the rest of it. So far, his children's reviews are: 4 approvals and 1 disapproval. ("It better grow back, Daddy!")


ORIGINAL POST:
Hi all, it's Day 4 and things are marching along smoothly. It has to be said though that nobody leaps out of bed immediately after a major heart operation so if anyone thinks that Dad's recovery is going slowly, it's actually not. The old ticker is going strong but operations take a toll on the body so we need to get him physically fit and strong again. Tough for someone who's used to being on the go but then Dad's not one to back down from a challenge. So we rah-rah-rah him on...

Speaking of which, tomorrow night's event is shaping up nicely. Besides Imam Feisal, Archbishop Packiam and Swami Samyam Ananda, we also have Mr BS Tan, President of the Federation of Taoist Associations of Malaysia. Still awaiting a few more confirmations. If you have the time, do join us and do bring whoever else would like to come.

Post-Op, Day 3 --late Update

Fri night : Just came back from the solat hajat/doa selamat at Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan. More than 300 people turned up and the food ran out so very sorry to those who didn't get any. Nice to meet some of my new commenters, especially Teliung. Really very nice of you all to travel all the way there to be with us.

Coming back to IJN to spend another night with Mum, I bumped into one of the surgeons. He's very pleased with how Dad is doing, says "all the numbers are going the right way". Grin from ear to ear. Same with me...

Since today we got to meet some of the Muslim wellwishers at the mosque, my family and I would now like to invite the non-Muslim wellwishers to a special multifaith doa selamat we are having on Sunday Sept 9 at Blog House, 66, Lorong Setiabistari 2, Damansara Heights. the programme will go as follows:

7pm Arrival of everyone who'd like to come

7.15 pm Maghrib prayers for Muslims led by Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf

7.30pm Prayers by representatives of Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and Baha'i faiths.

8.15pm Dinner is served.

Thus far, Archbishop Murphy Packiam representing the Christian community and His Holiness Swami Samyam Ananda representing the Hindu community have confirmed they will recite their respective prayers. Am still waiting for names of those representing the other faiths. It'll be very simple, just to say thanks to God for bestowing His blessings on my Dad with this successful operation, and for us to say thanks to everyone for praying for him too. So if you're free, please do come.

My thanks to Rocky and All-Blogs for the loan of Blog House.

Post-Op, Day 3

Bobob made this video and it's so sweet that I thought I'd post it here so everyone can see it. Thanks to those who alerted me to it.

Can't report anything yet because I haven't seen him. Am waiting for my brother to send an iPod and noise-cancellation headphones for Dad. There's quite a bit of noise due to construction here which is making sleep difficult. Wish all the ICU patients could have same the headphones!

Post-Op, Day 2

(Me and Dad holding hands, 3.30pm)

UPDATE 10.54pm: Well Day 2 has passed by very well. Dad is doing as well as anyone after a coronary bypass could be doing. I keep being asked by the press when he's coming out. Well, I don't know. We'll leave it to the experts. When they say he can come out, then he will.

I just need to explain a little bit about the ICU. All post-op patients have to be in there so that not only can they be closely monitored but to avoid getting any unwanted infections. That's why no visitors are allowed because obviously the more visitors there are, the higher the risk of infections. It doesn't matter who the visitor is, for the good of the patient and nobody else, visitors cannot be allowed.

Immediate family memebrs are allowed of course because we can help encourage the patient and cheer him up if he feels a bit down. But even we have to careful, so we have to disinfect our hands. This evening I started coughing for some reason and my hubby virtually threw a face mask on me!

As for VIP visits, they get to come up to a visitors' room we have set up and sign a visitors' book. My Mum is mostly with Dad so it is me and my brothers who have to talk to them. We are very appreciative of the concern and the kind words of encouragement that everyone gives us and definitely do not turn anyone away. Also all the cards and flowers. But no, we do not bar anyone from ICU for any reason other than for the protection of Dad's health and successful recovery.

Bagi sesiapa yang boleh meluangkan masa malam besok, saya dan seluruh keluarga ingin menjemput anda ke majlis doa selamat/ solat hajat pada waktu maghrib , Jumaat 7hb September, di Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan, Jalan Duta, Kuala Lumpur. Kehadiran anda amatlah di hargai.

Thanks again for all the kind wishes. Insya-Allah, when I get the time I will make sure Dad sees them all, promise.

Goodnight.


ORIGINAL POST:

Berita Hangat!!! Pagi tadi Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad kelihatan berpegang-pegang tangan dengan dua wanita amat lawa....!!!

Ehh...jangan excited sangat, dua wanita itu adalah isteri dan anak dia lah...

It's Day 2 folks and things are humming along nicely. Here's the official IJN statement:


MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Institut Jantung Negara, 6 September.... YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad has continued to make good progress into the second day of his post-bypass surgery treatment at the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN).

Since 2.10pm yesterday Tun Dr. Mahathir has been breathing on his own without respiratory support and is fully conscious, alert and able to converse with his family members.

Tun Dr. Mahathir has been started on liquid diet since this morning.

After 48-hours of close monitoring by doctors and nurses at the Intensive Care Unit, doctors are satisfied with his progress. He is currently undergoing intensive physiotherapy to optimise his respiratory function. In addition Tun Dr. Mahathir is also doing light exercises of his arms and legs. His vital parameters continue to be stable.

However, Tun Dr. Mahathir will remain warded at the ICU for continued observation.

IJN will issue updates as and when there is significant change in Tun Dr. Mahathir’s condition. Visitations continue to be confined to immediate family members only.


-ENDS-

So, Alhamdullilah, things are progressing nicely. The incredible team of doctors and nurses at IJN are doing a great job. It's really amazing how many people make up a team, until you realise that the body is an ecosystem that needs to be always well-balanced so you do need specialists for all the different parts. It always makes me think of a restaurant kitchen with the chef, sous-chef, pastry chefs, soup chefs and the washer-uppers. (Can you tell I just saw 'Ratatouille'?). You need every single one to make a great restaurant. Although I don't think in a heart hospital, 'anyone can cook'!

It's interesting to observe the doctors here (or in the case of the surgeons, the Misters). In a specialist hospital, something like race is completely irrelevant. It's all about your knowledge, your training and your skills, honed over many years and many cases. Did you know that IJN handles 3000 heart operations a year? If the surgeons were pilots, that's a lot of flying time. No wonder, foreign surgeons come here to also hone their skills, according to what one of the doctors was telling me. That says a lot about IJN. When the new extensions are ready some time next year, they'll be able to handle 4000 ops a year.

The other thing that I realise is very important for the specialist doctors at this level is competence in the English language and the ability to articulate what is happening clearly. You need English just to keep up with the developments in the medical world. And you need to be able to explain what you are doing to the lay people, especially the families of patients, in language that is simple but accurate. Perhaps because my parents are doctors themselves, the doctors are happy to use more technical terms than usual but even so, I am impressed by the way they can explain things to us clearly and straightforwardly. And they are so patient and tolerant of what are probably dumb questions from us.

So we really cannot turn back from teaching our kids science in English because otherwise we will never be able to turn out the world-class sort of specialists that we need.

Anyway...we did have a bit of hand-holding this morning. Some talking but not exactly a discussion on world politics or anything like that. More like " what day is it?", "Thursday, Dad." But doesn't take much more than that to make us all happy.

Our prayers are of course continuing, and we thank you for your continued love and support.

Terima kasih sekali lagi untuk semua ucapan salam dan doa.

Post-Op, Day 1

UPDATE 10.52PM: End of Day 1 and everything going very smoothly. Dad came awake and we told him that the op was successful and told him what day it was. But he's spent most of the day asleep which is what is best for him. Mum's happy. And she also read all your comments so thanks again.

Hari 1 berjalan lancar. Ayah sedar sebentar dan kami sempat memberitahu bahawa pembedahan berjaya dan hari ini hari Rabu. Tetapi dia masih berihat dan sentiasa tidur. Ibu saya amat lega. Saya sudah sampaikan salam daripada anda semua kepadanya dan dia ucapkan terima kasih.

OK, goodnight.

ORIGINAL POST:
Hi all, well it's Day 1 and he's doing very well. The doctors are very happy with his progress thus far though of course he's being watched closely, as they would for any patient post-op.

I did get to see him this morning and talked to Tan Sri Yahya and Dato Rozali. We were comparing this experience with his first bypass in 1989 and how things have changed since then. The technology has improved by leaps and bounds and everything is computerised now. For example, his medication now is controlled by what we jokingly called the Twin Towers which regulates doses and timings etc without literally missing a beat. And to Srazali who was concerned about whether he could see the sun when he wakes up, he definitely can. In 1989, he woke up in a windowless room and was totally disorientated as to what time of day it was. In IJN the ICU is full of light with big windows and all the patients get to see the sunshine when they wake up. Isn't that great?

My Mum and I were admiring the nurses in ICU who go about their (what looks to us) complicated work with quiet assurance. I don't know how they know which tube is what but that's what training is all about.

Many things are different from last time for us too. In 1989 he had a heart attack which we had not expected. Several of us, including me, were out of the country so there was that anxious race back home. Then we had to decide on the bypass which had to be done within a week. All of that was very distressing.

This time we were much better prepared. In fact we knew of the possibility of surgery for about two weeks and it was confirmed a week before. It was hard to keep it under wraps especially when we had to cancel various appointments with not-very-truthful reasons. (My apologies to the UKM Gender Studies students because I had to cancel out on speaking at their workshop yesterday. Now you know why...). For me, last week, life only extended as far as Sept 4. Everything beyond that didn't exist. Now, Alhamdullilah, I can talk to people with some certainty again, instead of constantly being evasive.

Anyway, of course it's only Day 1 and he's still being monitored. But Tan Sri Yahya said something interesting. Dad may be chronologically 82 but he's got the body of a man in his 60s. That's partly due to really good genes ( he has an older sister who's in her 90s who climbs up and down stairs with no problem and reads without glasses) plus of course good discipline. So folks, eat right, exercise and all that!!

Bagi mereka yang bertanya samaada jagaan yang di beri kepada ayah saya hanyalah untuk VIP saja, sebenarnya semua pesakit IJN di beri rawatan yang sama. Hanya bagi ayah saya, pakar-pakar disini memberi penjagaan yang mungkin lebih rapi sikit kerana kalau tak, nanti anda semua juga yang akan bertanya-tanya dan mungkin marah pulak kalau apa-apa yang tidak dikehendaki berlaku. Betul tak?! :-)

Sekali lagi, kami sekeluarga mengucapkan terima kasih kepada semua atas doa-doa yang telah diberi. Syukur kepada Allah SWT kerana pembedahan telah berjalan dengan lancar dan selamat. Sekarang kita mendoa supaya ayah saya terus memulih dengan baik.

Boleh saya minta supaya doa-doa ditujukan juga kepada pesakit-pesakit lain di IJN. Ada ramai lagi pesakit selepas pembedahan di ICU dan juga di CCU (termasuk seorang sepupu saya sendiri).

Thanks again for all your prayers. We still need a bit more so his recovery goes well.

May I also ask that you all also spare some prayers for other patients in IJN. My Dad's not the only post-op patient in ICU plus there are some people in CCU (including a cousin of mine in fact) who could use some prayers and good thoughts sent their way.

Thanks very much.

p/s very sorry of these updates aren't as often as you would like. But I am also busy answering smses and calls and some visitors etc. Also the need to spend time being with Mum. As it is, I got interrupted three times just trying to post this!

Update on Dad

UPDATE 11.00PM: Sorry for the late update but by now you all must know that the operation went smoothly according to plan. Here's the official IJN statement:

MEDIA STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Institut Jantung Negara, 4 September... YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad has successfully undergone coronary bypass surgery at the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) today.

Currently Tun Dr Mahathir is warded at the Intensive Care Unit of the IJN where his condition will be observed for the next few days as is routine in post-bypass surgery. The next 48-hours is the crucial period in his post operative care and hence he will be under close observation in Intensive Care Unit by a team of doctors and nurses. Overnight, he will be fully sedated.

Earlier, Tun Dr Mahathir was taken into the Operation Theatre Complex at 8.45am where immediate family members were allowed to see him before he was brought into the Operating Theatre. The operation commenced at 9.40am and was completed at 3.05pm. He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit at 3.30pm.

Doctors are happy that the procedure progressed as anticipated and his vital parameters thus far are stable.

Tun Dr Mahathir was operated on by a panel of surgeons led by Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang. The other members of the surgical team are Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery of the Mayo Clinic, Prof Dr Hartzell Schaff, Dato Dr Rozali Wathooth, Dato Dr Azhari Yakub, Dato Dr Venugopal Balchand and Dr Mohamed Ezani Mohd Taib.

The anaesthetic team led by Dato Dr Mohd Hassan Mohd Ariff included Dr Sharifah Suraya Syed Tahir, Dato Dr Syed Abdul Aziz Syed Zain and Dr Nor Azlina Abdul Jalil.

The panel of doctors is headed by IJN’s Medical Director, YBhg Dato Seri Dr. Robaayah Zambahari and includes consultant nephrologists Dato Dr Zaki Morad Mohd Zaher, Dr Ghazali Ahmad and consultant gastroenterologist, Dr S Ganeshanathan.

Tun Dr Mahathir had been admitted to Institut Jantung Negara on Sunday for the elective coronary bypass surgery.

IJN will continue to issue updates as and when there is significant change in Tun Dr Mahathir’s condition. Doctors have also advised against Tun Dr Mahathir receiving visitors apart from immediate family members.

-ENDS-

I really had to go home for a quick nap this afternoon after we saw him in the ICU. I'm now back in IJN again to keep Mum company. We just went down to ICU again to see him and the doctors are very happy with his progress.

I've told my Mum about all your messages and will try and print them out so that she can read them now and Dad can read them later when he's awake and better. Meantime once again, my whole family thanks you for your very kind thoughts. All the prayers were much much appreciated. They comforted us enormously and gave us hope.

Post-op recovery is of course another process which will take time. But Insya-Allah, under the most able care of the wonderful doctors and nurses at IJN, Dad will recover well and be back on his feet again.

Until tomorrow then, goodnight.




UPDATE 12.54pm: Not much to update really. Just wanted to thank everyone for their kind wishes. Also wanted to request that those of you in KL please do not try and come to IJN to visit. Nobody will be allowed to visit Dad, doctors' orders. And we'd like to give my Mum a break too because she's tired. And so are we too actually. So thanks for the good intentions but please do stay away for the moment.

ORIGINAL POST:
Hi folks! Well he was wheeled into the OT at about 9am so now we're just sitting around waiting. Should take about 4 hours or so. But he was fine, calm and relaxed before he went in and we all got to give him big hugs.

Dad Goes in for Surgery

Dear folks, as you must have read by now, my Dad will undergo another bypass operation tomorrow. His first one was in January 1989 so it's been 18 years since his last one which is really good going. The operation tomorrow will be performed by the same team that performed the first bypass led by Tan Sri Yahya Awang and Datuk Dr Razali Watooth. Additionally they will also have the expert hands of Dr Hartzell Schaff, Chief Cardiac Surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in the US. Dr Schaff has operated several times with Tan Sri Yahya at IJN before.

In December 2005, my Dad had a check-up by the IJN team led by Datuk Seri Dr Robaayah Zambahari and the decision then was that he did not need surgery again. However after three episodes in fairly quick succession since, this decision was relooked at. Hence two weeks ago, he went in for some tests and an angiogram to determine the next course of action after which this decision to redo the bypass was made. At 82 he is probably the oldest person to have a redo in Malaysia although Dr Schaff has done plenty in the US. But as Rocky says, he's tough so God willing, all will be fine.

I am going to be holed up at IJN for next 24 hours or so and may not have access to the Internet so please forgive me if I can't update you very often. But any prayers sent our way will be very much appreciated.

(Pic shows my Mum, Dad and my daughter ShaSha at IJN yesterday, Sunday Sept 2 2007)

Thank you.

More on Merdeka

If any of you live or happen to be in KL, do drop by at Bangsar Shopping Centre and visit the Unity through Diversity exhibition in its concourse. I'm not usually inclined to praise the NST but I must say they did a good job with this exhibition which comprises huge blow-ups of the front pages of the (then) Straits Times when the negotiations for Merdeka were going on right up to and past Aug 31 1957. You get to read not only what was agreed on and what was controversial at the time but also an idea of the excitement of those days when people were so eagerly anticipating freedom from the British. There are also videos including the actual proclamation which you can listen to on headphones.

Much of it centres of course on the then Chief Minister of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman and his enormous role in the negotiations. But there is a great photo of some of the negotiators descending the airplane steps when they returned home, including (then) Dato Abdul Razak Hussein and Mr VT Sambanthan. There were were also stories on how to resolve the issue of who is to be King with the Tunku first proposing that there should be yearly rotation at first and that the Sultan of Johor was first invited to be Yang DiPertuan Agong.

Also interesting were the other news on the front pages. Violence against women was the same then as now (including one story where a 'pirate taxi driver' was being sought for the murder of an old lady, and another where a little girl was abducted). There were several stories on Royal marriages, one between a Johor prince and an English girl and one between the then Sultan of Pahang, aged 56, who had just returned from a honeymoon with his newest bride, a 'joget girl' aged 19. The scandal was that he already had four wives and nobody, including the wives, knew which one of them had been divorced!

Perhaps a bit disconcerting is a photo of the Tunku holding up an unsheathed keris. Didn't note down the caption to that.


There was a board put up where everyone was encouraged to put up sticky notes on their wishes for the 50th Merdeka. My daughter ShaSha (also a blogger, by the way) put up a little note saying Happy Birthday Malaysia but after I told her that it's actually the 50th anniversary of independence for Malaya, she amended it to Happy Birthday Malaya.

But reading the notes, it is true that most people do not realise the difference between the independence of the Federation of Malaya and the birth of Malaysia which occurred on Sept 16 1963. It is however very clear when you read those old front pages. What was being negotiated then was only about the eleven states in the peninsula and not anything else. There was some mention of Singapore being merged but Tunku brushed it aside at that point. Perhaps next year, for the 45th anniversary of the formation of Malaysia, the NST can do another exhibition of the front pages from that era so we know the thinking that went on in the days leading up to it.

We in the peninsula may think these are small questions but as in my previous post, these are big and important questions for East Malaysians. Blogger Clemfour over in Miri has a posting on this issue. Meantime in Kota Kinabalu, Stan Yee published an article in the Daily Express which was censored somewhat. I think he has important points to make which we Westies should take note of so am posting his article in totality here:

Reflections on August 31

The nation celebrated what was officially called “Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka Anniversary” last Friday, 31st August, 2007. It was an occasion overflowing with sentiments and emotions and rich in spectacle in KL and elsewhere in the country. The country was ablaze with flags; there were marches and parades, and there was pomp and pageantry. It was a Merdeka extravaganza on a scale never before seen.

The great jubilation was about turning 50, that magical half-a-century milestone. Sabah joined the rest of the nation in the celebration and did so in the spirit of togetherness. The celebrative mood is likely to last for sometime. While it lasts, it is an opportune moment to look back over half a century of nation building, of our national efforts to develop the country, to adapt to changing times, to accommodate and accept differences, to forge unity out of diversity and to move forward together as a nation. It is also a time to take stock of both achievements and failures. We have had both of those in plenty, which make up half a century of learning curve that offers valuable lessons to be learned if they are not lost on a nation prone to forget.

As the country celebrates, a fact of history may not escape those who have half a century of memory span to recall the time when it all began. It might have occurred to them in the privacy of their thoughts, that the celebration was really about the 1957 Merdeka achieved by the country once known as the Federation of Malaya. Last Friday, the country by that name would have turned 50 if it hadn’t ceased to exist on 16 September, 1963 when the Federation of Malaysia was formed to replace it.

History does not lend itself to twists and turns after the fact. The events of history are immutable, although certain parts may be glossed over or misrepresented in their interpretation. Malaysia does not have a “Merdeka” to its name, if by “Merdeka” is meant gaining freedom from colonial rule. The 1957 Merdeka had nothing to do with the formation of Malaysia, which was created by the Malaysia Act, 1963, preceded by an enabling agreement called the Malaysia Agreement entered into on 9th July, 1963 by the United Kingdom and an already fully independent country called the Federation of Malaya on the one hand, and by self-governing Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore on the other, which gave their consent to federate with the states of Malaya. The 1957 Merdeka did not anticipate and had no direct bearing on the formation of Malaysia 6 years later.

Some may brush these facts aside as unimportant, arguing that whether the country’s age is 50 or 44 years, it should not detract from the tremendous gains that Merdeka has brought to the country. Others maintain that historical correctness should not be compromised by considerations of post-independence progress and development, which are expected as a matter of course, not as a trade off or excuse for ignoring history.

A great many people in Sabah object to having the nation’s age count from 1957. This is because they hold on to what they consider to be a historical fact: that they did not join, were not incorporated or admitted to an existing federation that began in 1957, but were partners in the creation of a new one on 16 September, 1963, whereupon the former then ceased to exist. In 1963 the participatory path to Malaysia was what the people thought they would take, something that was stressed repeatedly by Semenanjung and local campaigners, and by British officers as well, when they tried to sell the idea of the Malaysian federation to the people. Now 44 years later, many Sabahans find it hard to accept being told that the federation made up of 13 states that they believe they were partners in forming in 1963 is being presented to the nation and the world as having started in 1957 when 11 states became independent within the Federation of Malaya. The numbers do not tally; the facts do not tally. They regard it as a blatant misrepresentation and an affront to the people of Sabah and Sarawak who are passionate about the way they became part of Malaysia. Calling last Friday’s celebration “Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka Anniversary” is as unfair as a man who has remarried telling his new wife that they should count their wedding anniversaries not from the date of their marriage, but from the date of his previous marriage. She is unlikely to be overjoyed! Unless she is the kind of woman who can persuade herself that it’s perfectly alright, considering the amount of jewellery she has been given and the good life she now enjoys!

But there is another, far more important reason why many people in Sabah object to have Malaysia’s age count from August 1957. If Malaysia is deemed to have begun on 31st August, 1957, it could only mean that the two Borneo states were not regarded as partners in forming Malaysia, but were incorporated or simply annexed by the Federation of Malaya in 1963, like Hawaii was annexed by the USA.

That would have been a much less dignified way of becoming part of Malaysia. It is sad that some leaders in Sabah appear to see no difference between the two ways of ending, or even not ending, our status as a colony or, sadder still, do not care. It is also sad that federal leaders have not been altogether mindful of these sensitivities. For sure, Sabah has achieved much progress in the 44 years since it became part of Malaysia. That is indisputable and few would want to speculate how we would have faired, or what the British would have done, if the two Borneo states, along with Brunei, had held back and refused to be part of Malaysia.

Our state leaders led Sabah into Malaysia with their eyes wide open. The Malaysia Bill was annexed to the Malaysia Agreement to let them know what they were leading their people into, assuming they understood it all. On entering into the Malaysia Agreement Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore gave their consent for the Federation of Malaya to table the Bill in Parliament to include provisions for the three territories to federate with the existing states of Malaya. When the Bill became Act of Parliament and assented to by the Yang DiPertuan Agong on 26th August 1963, the legislation abolished the Federation of Malaya as a country and replace it with the Federation of Malaysia on Malaysia Day, which the Malaysia Act stipulated as 31st August, 1963, but this was later changed to 16th September, 1963.

With that, let it be said, “Malaysia Day” has a place of honour designated by an Act of Parliament. Yet in the last 44 years, Malaysia Day has no holiday to its name and has not been observed as such anywhere in Malaysia in its own right, except some once-off token gestures some years ago. Every year it is hardly mentioned in a country with a penchant for celebrating and observing other dates that are far less important.

Perhaps all this while the federal government has been on a different wave-length. Perhaps it has in fact regarded Malaysia as merely a new name for the Malayan Federation. That seems to be implicit in the commencement date of Malaysia’s membership of the United Nations. As from 16th September, 1963, the name “Federation of Malaya” was substituted for the “Federation of Malaysia” to note the “admission” of Sabah and Sarawak (and Singapore) to the federation. Significantly, the commencement date of membership of the renamed federation remained 17 September, 1957. The change in the UN record must have been done at the request of Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, which seems to indicate that KL may have all along considered Malaysia as just the new version of the Malayan Federation with a new name and two large territories to boot.

It is unlikely that the federal government will ever shift its stand or break silence on the matter of the country’s birthday. If it ever says anything at all, it will probably make the usual, trite political statement, as some local UMNO leaders have done, stressing one nation, unity, peace, progress, development and prosperity, and telling those who raise the issue not to make a fuss but to simply enjoy “the fruits of independence”.

Granted, the proclamation of independence by Tunku Abdul Rahman on 31st August, 1957 was a psychological moment for the people in the Semenanjung states, and an historic day the memory of which they would want to re-live and preserve for posterity. That is understandable, but they could have done so without confounding history by simply celebrating August 31st this year as the “50th Merdeka Anniversary”, and refraining from calling it “Malaysia’s 50th Merdeka Anniversary”. Sabah and Sarawak have no problem celebrating Merdeka day on August 31, as the two Borneo territories were given self-government status on 31st August, 1963 as a prelude to taking part in creating Malaysia. As long as Malaysia’s existence is not by implication or otherwise construed to count from 1957, but from 16th September, 1963, it is historically correct and the 1957 Merdeka can be celebrated in its own right with relish by all.

In some ways the organisers of the Merdeka celebration in KL were not unmindful of history. According to news reports they went to great length to re-enact what took place on the day Merdeka was proclaimed, down to minute details: the same black Nash Rambler Custom Convertible used by the Tunku was brought back at considerable expense to give the Merdeka re-enactments an authentic look, and some functions were carefully choreographed to depict the event that took place 50 years ago, including the period attire won by the Malays, Chinese, Indians and other races of those days. One wonders if the use of period items had gone far enough to have included period Jalur Gemilang as well. It would be interesting to find out if the plethora of Jalur Gemilang that emblazoned the landscape in the re-enactments had 11 stripes (as it was in 1957) instead of the 14 stripes now.

That leaves the question: what is in a date? When it comes to marking the country’s National Day, the choice of date means a lot. There have been two contenders: August 31 and September 16. If the nation’s birthday is also the National Day, which it must be, then 16th September (Malaysia Day) is adjudged the winner by none other than the Malaysia Act, 1963 itself. Under this statute 31st August should not even be in contention. Amazingly, ever since Malaysia came into being, 31 August has been observed as Malaysia’s National Day every year. This has been a bone of contention by many in the Borneo states, but after 44 years the matter seems to have resolved itself, on the one hand by acquiescence on the part of the people of the two Borneo states and, on the other, by fait accompli in the celebration of the pre-Malaysia Merdeka Day as National Day year after year regardless of the opposing views.

Today, with the mammoth celebration of August 31, it seems obvious that 16 September will remain just “Malaysia Day” in the book and will not see the light of day in its own right. It seems a sad commentary on our political culture when the country’s leaders have no qualms about glossing over historical facts. What kind of legacy such an attitude will leave for the young in this country? Truly, ignoring 6 years in historical data is incompatible with the scholarly integrity that we would like our students in institutions of higher learning to strive towards. It will surely reinforce the dreaded “tidak apa” third world mentality. There is also an even more serious danger: if a perception is formed that the government is not very particular about accuracy and is seen as misrepresenting historical facts, its credibility will become suspect right across the board, including the accuracy of the country’s official statistics. That will have dire consequences. Perhaps it is precisely to prevent that kind of political culture from taking roots that we must try to put the records straight.

But I must end on a different note. The 50th Merdeka Celebration was a great occasion to showcase the country’s progress both within the nation and to the outside world. As a nation made up of such a diversity of ethnic and religious communities, what this nation has achieved in half a century is truly remarkable, more so seeing what chaos other nations in similar circumstances have descended into. And we have made just as amazing material progress as well, to the extent that we are confident enough to be talking about acquiring a “developed nation” status just some distance into the future. The televised celebration on Merdeka Day portrayed an exuberant scene of a country throbbing with life and vitality, and a profusion of ethnicity all sharing a place under the Malaysian sun. These are good imageries on which to cast our sights in the horizon ahead as we continue the journey.