11 April 2009

It was so contagious and I feel so kiasu


It was well documented that great influenza pandemics are sharp blades of disease that scrape masses of humanity from the earth. The influenza virus is believed to have first leaped from animals to humans a few thousand years ago, probably in southern china. The last major killer epidemic, the flu pandemic of 1918, was a unique scourge, killing more than 60 million people. That was 91 years ago and leaving a really big scar in human history.

And this week, our Southern neighbor Singapore, has reported another outbreak. Indian rojak has become a very popular subject in Kiasuland this week, simply because 2 people died of food poisoning after enjoying the food at a local rojak stall. With 137 rojak devotees became the victim of Vibrio parahaemolyticus within the span of two days, it really sends shiver through my spine as I've just come back from the island and feeling not so well. My body have succumbed with symptomatic ancient illness of running nose, light-headed, coughing and fatigue at the same time.

My wife reassured me there was nothing much to worry about. She said it was probably due to the extensive traveling I endured in a short span of time. It sound quite logical to me plus age is catching up too.

One thing about traveling, especially on a short distance flight, it requires more time getting ready than the actual traveling time. A flight to Singapore which normally takes less than an hour from KLIA, will require at least 3 hours of pre-traveling preparation. As the flight was at 8.00 a.m., I set my alarm clock at 4.15 a.m. but woke up an hour earlier and could not sleep afterward, spending time staring on the ceiling. By 6.00 a.m. I've already checked in and have to wait another 2 agonizing hours having early breakfast in the terminal - light headed. Any attempt to kill the time by gazing through a book, which I normally do was a futile one. Time really move very slowly if you constantly checking on the watch.

So this whole week I spent some interesting time visiting old friends in the Kiasuland, extracting some bugs probably exposing myself too long outdoor having dinner along the riverside and having ample of time dozing off at the airport.

Subconsciously, human is always terrified of any disease. A fear gene that is naturally encoded in our DNA. A gentle reminder from the Maker but I am recuperating well and very grateful that we are not living through an infectious-disease outbreak. Hopefully not during our temporary mortal lifespan.

52 comments:

gman said...

i hope you are okay, drSam.

if you have high fever, you better go for doctor. all other symptoms are neglectable if there is absence of fever.

=)

Unknown said...

Get well soon Dr. Sam.Hopefully the tossing and turning nites will be over soon. Corruption is incurable. Others, insyallah can be healed, can't they? Well, your significant half is right. Nothing to worry about. Have good rest and you will get better.

Anonymous said...

Get well Soon yeah!
sometimes illness comes from our unconscious mind..if we think we are healthy, then we are and we will..

Naddy said...

elo dr sam, selamat sembuh cepat. tengok orang putih kat gambar tu membuatkan saya tertanya kenapa nampak macam orang puteh yang suka buat kerja volunteer di tempat-tempat yang membangun? Tapi saya ada rasa pula mungkin sebab kulit dorang lebih cerah berbanding volunteer lain menyebabkan seperti mereka aje yang nampak rajin mengvolunteer. dieorang boleh ambil gap year sebelum masuk kolej untuk pergi volunteer sana dan sini. hmm....

DrSam said...

gman,
alhamdulillah, the temperature is normal. Thank you for prognosis doc.

Teacher
Thank you madam. Yes, there is many diseases that is incurable and hard to deal with.

Al-Mualim Shah @ Dino,
Staying in the subconscious mind for quite some time. A periodic reminder from the Maker is sometime good.

ASH said...

Salam,
dr Sam..hopefully you'll recover soon...
aiseh man..my hubby went to Singapore yesterday and probably will come back tomorrow.
I don't want him to 'catch' any 'KUMAN'. I don't want another OUTBREAK in my house..tolooonggg la. Nauzbillah!

ye lah..
flight dia pun seawal 8.05 am..
jenuh KEJAR ke KLIA pepagi!!

Mia's Mom said...

Hi Sam! It's less than 2 weeks ago when you advised me to take a lot of 100 plus to fight over my "bacterial" fever. Anyway, I am glad that you are recuperating well. Have a good rest, Bro!

DrSam said...

mizzy N
emmm...gap year. That is the term.

Memang dari dulu orang putih suka buat kerja sukarela ni, masuk hutan belantara dan menjelajah ke tempat baru. Biasanya kerja sukarela ni ada objektif disebaliknya iaitu untuk berdakwah. Jadi tradisi tersebut diikuti sehingga kini. Saya rasa ekspedisi Al-Muallim Shah ke Royal Belum tu pun satu permulaan yang bagus juga.

DrSam said...

ashley,
Pray and hope for the best and no foreign 'KUMAN' will ever invade our home sweet home.

Mia's Mom,
Once in a blue moon, our body needs some sort of natural cleansing I guess.

Are you fully recovered now?

patungcendana said...

u ok doc?

x said...

Get well soon, Doc! Banyakkan rehat & minum air!

DrSam said...

patungcendana,
bila baca soalan kamu, teringat satu poster iklan di sana. "I am okay, you are okay, We Singaporean are all okay"

Si Penconteng,
Thank you. Dah berbotol air mineral jadi mangsa!

pal7 said...

drSam..
moga cepat sembuh ye..amin

patungcendana said...

hehehe...

re:...cinta yang berinfeksi dari mata terus berevolusi ereksi. Cinta apaan itu?

aku quote aloy_paradoks...

'...gua klasifikasikan sebagai nafsu...'

DrSam said...

pal7,
alhamdulillah, sudah agak sihat. terimakasih.

patungcendana,
fenomena ketika hormon pra-matang sedang diuji :)

CAHAYA said...

Get well soon DrSam and have a nice trip to Kiasuland (as you put it)!

Yang Benar, Kakak Perkara Rawak said...

insyaallah tak ada apa2 tu..
kalau rasa dah tak ok,terus g check ye?
happy weekend!!

Inah said...

hope u're doing fine doc!!

vibrio parahaemolyticus :)..i love that microbe..hahahaha..opps :P

anyway, do take a good care of what u're eating..hygiene is the ultimate factor if u're travelling..

be safe :)

MariaFaizal said...

Almost everyone is under the weather nowadays.

But I'm glad that you're feeling better now. Hope for your speedy recovery soonest.

My children & hubby still being given with a spoonful honey each day & so far it has helped a great deal.

I like the way you see it each time you are not feeling well - gentle reminder from our Maker.

Happy recuperating..

Faisal Admar said...

diner along the riverside? that sounds cool. dim lights too? hm hm. i like cozy place like that.

did you eat indian rojak there? :) i heard its popular... but no idea how it is like... penang rojak and kl rojak is different you know?

kl rojak is what we called pasembur here.

Anonymous said...

semoga sentiasa sihat amin...

minum 100plus... banyak2 kalau tak silap fahmi dpt stabilkan imuniti sel... maaf yer kalau tersilap.. :)

omputih memang suka buat amal kan dr.sam... sambil menyelam minum air.. :)

heheheh gurau jer dr.sam..:)

Sally said...

Get well soon Doc..!!Have ample of rest n drink a lot of water..

I just got out of it..

Unknown said...

my mom always remind me, setiap penyakit yang ditimpakan keatas kitas kita ada kifarah bagi dosa2 kecil kita!

there U go, U've got less to answer in the afterlife, eh?

Ida BorneoLove said...

u know what else is contagious??

....... yawning..

LOL, sorry , trying to be funny la... menjadi tak??! ;p

Zendra-Maria said...

As old folks say, drown a cold and feed a fever. Drink plenty of water and don't forget to eat. Plus some gentle head and shoulder massage from the other half, you'll recover in no time, insya Allah.

jane said...

salam Dr,

moga sihat seperti biasa. take k!

Ida Hariati Hashim said...

Hi Dr. Sam,

I am new here.

I am prone to flu and all. Perhaps it is due to work stress. I hope.

It is good to know that you are recuperating. Take care, sir.

mad redo1 said...

demam jugak doc? I just recovered from one myself. take care, ya...

Unknown said...

dr.sam...take gud care urself... yoshh~~

"Time really move very slowly if you constantly checking on the watch." yeah..betul tu..
hehe...lebih2 lg bila dalam suatu masalah sedang melanda...

Memorable trails... said...

Hi doc,
Hope u re feeling better by now.My daughter was also sick.Her friend called me to pick her up from hostel.She couldnt even get up and walk on her own.Lucky she has many good friends there, just like sisters, to help her get into the car.I just sent her back today after nursing her for three days.And you know what the friends said..their class was so quiet because the chatterbox was not around.Rupanya baru lah I tahu yg my daughter to paling bising dlm kelas...
Take care doc, n drink lots of water.

vee_elviana said...

Dr Sam

Nowaday's many things are dangerous outthere? Becareful with what you eat.

DrSam said...

CAHAYA
Thank you. Came back last week.

penjenayah.merah.jambu
so far so good. TQ

Inah,
You are right. Have to be careful of what we eat, especially when we are in the strange land.

MariaFaizal,
I don't mind we, the adult to take the punishment. But pity when we see our kids and the small ones suffering.

My wife uses the same lemon and honey combination to relief coughing. It works very well.


FaizalAdmar
The subtle ambiance along the Riverside and nice view of people boating/cruising would've cheered me up, but alas I was almost shivering and in no mood even to laugh from my friends' dry jokes.

When I read the news, I stayed away from the stalls. But visited the famous Hj. Ashahari Nasi Padang in Jurong. Spent 20 minutes Queuing but it's worth. I think it is true when people Q, then it must be very good.

Anonymous said...

yea, lg kerap tgk jam
lg lmbt rse masa bjalan.

get well soon dr.sam
;)

Meen Eunos said...

get full recovery Dr.Sam.
have a nice day!

DrSam said...

fahmi latiff
Terimakasih sahabat. Sekali sekala badan perlu 'overhaul' juga :)

tchersally
Glad that your after effect has finally ceased!

VersedAnggerik
Yes you're right. A timely reminder to sit back and to reflect on whatever wrongdoings and ask forgiveness from Al-Mu'id.

Ida Athanazir
sometimes I yawn in the meeting, hoping others will yawn as well :)

Smile should should have the same effect as well.


Zendra,
thank you for the nice tip. I have been pampered well by my significant half and don't mind suffering a little bit longer (with that first class treatment) :)

Jane,
Salam, terimakasih banyak-banyak.

Nobody said...

Salam DrSam,

Alhamdulillah kalau Dr semakin sihat.. nowdays mmg musim org x sihat.. shida pun baru baik dr demam..now flu & cough masih x hilang..telan ubt dah macam mkn gula2..huhuhuuu ):

DrSam said...

Ida Hariati Hashim
Hi there, welcome aboard!

Your flu antibody must be very strong by now :)

I hope you enjoy being in a new place, new environment and new people (private school?). But I am sure, teaching is really close to your heart and shouldn't worried you too much.

Have a nice day!


mad redo1
My immune system need to refresh and got updated with a new version of antivirus.

Ejump
Thank you bro. Time move really fast when we're having fun!

madam gold
thank you. Glad to hear your daughter is recovering well. Having a really caring mother like you must have huge 'curing' impact on her health condition.

Your daughter is a chatterbox? I can imagine, her class mates sure to miss her very much. My first son is also a chatterbox. Wonder where he got that gene from. Surely not from me ;)

sailormoon,
Thank you. Many wolfs and vermins out there lurking for its preys too. Have to make sure not to let our guard down.

besi said...

dr sam...rojak mamak kat singapore bahaya ke?...ada beza ngan malaysia ke?..aku hantu rojak...setakat nie ok je...
semoga dr sam cepat sembuh.....

DrSam said...

philocoly
Thank you. Memang jam ni kalau keseorang dan kesunyian, bukan teman yang baik kot :)

meEn,
Thank you. Still 'hutang' you mengeteh at Titiwangsa ;)

ShiDa
Alhamdulillah. Ubat batuk dari klinik memang rasa macam gula-gula. tak minum. minum ubat batuk cap lemon dan madu aja.

besi,
Terencat selera bila baca berita, terus tak makan rojak singapura. Dengar cerita sumber kuman dari 'seafood'. Pergi juga melawat makmal yang buat CSI kes rojak. Tapi seperti biasa 'confidential', depa tak cerita sangat. rojak mamak pun tak sentuh, jadi tak boleh nak komen.

Saya pun suka rojak kalau letak kuah banyak-banyak.

Hidup KOKA said...

"Indian rojak has become a very popular subject in Kiasuland this week, simply because 2 people died of food poisoning after enjoying the food at a local rojak stall."

Just had Indian Rojak kat alongside Jalan Kucing last Saturday!!!! Best!!! nyam nyam!!!!

Alhamdullilah tak de apa apa so far!

Zue said...

vibrio?...tu macam kolera je bunyinya...

Zue said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Zue said...

Rehat secukupnya DrSam. Moga cepat sembuh.

Nin said...

Salam. Hope you're all sehat walafiat now. :-)

DrSam said...

Hidup KOKA
Bila mahu turun Kota Damansara untuk mengeteh?

Zue,
Memang adik beradik kuman ni, symptom dia pun hampir rasanya (mungkin vektor berbeza).

Madam markonah
Salam kembali dan terimakasih. Masih ada lagi sisa-sisa penangan kuman tersebut. Insyaallah beransur baik.

Sally said...

How r u today doc?? Feeling much better i hope..

Syed said...

Ay, no truer words doc.. age is catching up... I'm just so tired sometimes I just hit the sack as soon as I got home. It's not what it used to be and I'm getting grumpier and complains a lot too...haha. No siree, I'm not gonna be like one of those old man... hehe :)

~PakKaramu~ said...

Pak Karamu reading and visiting you

DrSam said...

tchersally
The bad bug is much stronger and resilient this time I guess and taking longer time to flush out from the system. I am feeling better now. Thanks.

Syed,
Yes tuan, grumpy old man needs some extra pampering from the beloved one.

PakKaramu,
Thank you PakKaramu. Bloghopping to your place - on and off, but did not leace my trace :)

Faisal Admar said...

20 mins queuing for nasi padang? hehe ask cahaya how long she waited for nasi kandar beratur haha!

DrSam said...

Faisal Admar,
nasi kandar beratur... where is the place?

DrKong said...

I've suffered that a few days ago. its takes some time to be fully recovered. as precautionary, i head to the clinic and got the influenza vaccination... just getting ready for the winter...hehe!

get well soon Doc.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...