With the Covid-19 pandemic spreading across the globe, causing countless countries to shut down, Malaysia is no exception. We implemented the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18 March. Cases of infection went up, then it went down. But then it went back up again and from the looks of it, this damn virus isn't going away anytime soon. Before we know it, the year is closing to an end.
This is the first time humans have encountered such a threat. We've had our fair share of infectious diseases throughout history but never to this extent. We will be talking about this event for many generations to come. It effected everyone and everything especially the economy. A lot of companies went out of business. A lot of hotels shut down for good as the country closes its borders. So many people lost their jobs and for those who get to keep them, they had to work from home. Thank god I didn't lose my job but I had to work from home for 2 months straight, starting from March until May. Working from home has its pros and cons. Then the office re-opened and everybody continued to work as usual. But just when everyone thought things were turning better, the infection rate soared up again on 14 October 2020 following a few new clusters including the one from Sabah that came into existence as a result of a political campaign held there. So since then, I have been working at the office on an alternate basis.
I had a 'gallbladder removal surgery' on 8 October 2020 at Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital. I decided to have this surgery because the pain associated with the gallstone attacks I had to endure became worse and worse. In case I haven't mentioned this before, I had 2 stones in my gallbladder. These stones were a result of my cholesterol levels being too high, causing crystals to form inside the gallbladder. Over time, these crystals turn into stones. From time to time, these stones would block digestive fluids from exiting the gallbladder, causing EXTREME PAIN and this is known as a gallstone attack. It starts with a mild pain below my right ribs which kinda felt like my stomach is too full. Then the pain increases into a very sharp sensation, spreading to the right side of my abdomen right onto my back. I swear to God, the pain is unbearable. On average, this pain would last for 2 to 3 hours and typically only happens at night for some reason. And I would get these attacks once or two times a month.
I first found out about having these stones in 2017 when I had my very first gallstone attack. In a panic response to the unfamiliar pain, I went straight to the hospital. An ultrasound session was called upon to further confirm the presence of these little devils. So 3 years later, during a family trip to Tambun, I was hit with the worst gallstone attack I've ever had. It lasted from 11pm to 7am and was too painful to even explain. Not to mention it was the 4th attack just in the month of September alone. The moment I got back to KL I surrendered myself to the hospital and demanded for immediate treatment, which involves surgery. And for this type of surgery, it is common that they get rid of the gallbladder altogether instead of just taking out the stones. Kinda like what they do for an appendix removal surgery. So now I continue to live my life without a gallbladder.
 |
| The surgery went well |
 |
| The gallstones |
During this whole ordeal, my father-in-law passed away. I actually heard the news during my stay at the hospital. He had been ill and bed-ridden for the past month from diabetes and a number of other complications. I missed his funeral which made me feel really guilty.
Amidst all the negativity that took place throughout what seems like a somewhat depressing year, there were a number of positive occurrences on the flip side. Especially in the month of November. On 14 November, I bought a new laptop which allowed me to install a new video editing software namely Adobe Premiere Pro. It was a much needed upgrade for my video projects on Youtube. Then on 25 November, I bought a new car. Also an upgrade, I transitioned from a sedan Proton Persona to an SUV-MPV Perodua Aruz. And some time next year, we will be moving to a new house in Cyberjaya. My subscriber count on Youtube is currently 940, just a tad bit shy of reaching that 1,000 mark. So taking a step back to look at the bigger picture, perhaps this crappy year is actually a blessing in disguise. To all this, I say "Alhamdulillah".
 |
| I finally bid farewell to this car after its 10 years of service |
So, with high hopes surrounding 2021, I do hope we overcome the virus, ultimately allowing the economy to recover, which will take quite some time. I miss travelling. I miss attending and organizing events for the organization I work for. I miss Ramadhan buffets. I miss doing my random mini-adventure trips around this country. I'm also planning to do a solo trip to the Malaysian-Thai border by train, but not really sure if it's a good idea for a person my age and health condition. Still looking into it. I've always wanted to see the border. But all that aside, I hope the infection rate drops down to zero because 1,000 new cases each day is just unsettling. I'll end this rant for now. Stay home, stay safe, stay sane and stay sanitized.
Comments
Post a Comment