Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #37

 Morning shift, time to pick up where we left off, but first, hor fun soup...

    Today isn't too bad, I had a nice long conversation with a doctor. I mentioned to them recently I've been thinking of doing freelancing editing but I don't feel like charging, due to hard times and because...I don't know, I just don't think I'm alright for the job. They told firmly, "You've been writing books for a long time, and you have been knocking down your book prices so cheaply (The local books I have in stock, not the US-based books). Isn't it time for you to start charging a little bit for the effort you have put into?" I know, it's like a relative of mine who charges high prices for their handcraft work. It's not about the materials they have explained to me, it's the effort. For example, a cloth bag pack made from scratch would cost high due to the duration and service it cost to make, roughly six months. It's the same reason why luxury goods like Gucci and LV are ridiculously high, because there's only one craftsman who will create that particular piece. Once it's gone, it's gone. They mentioned it's a little the doctor's side as well, it's not about feeling bad, sometimes you need to recognize your worth, and I've been writing since 2008, but I self-published in 2012 because at that time, resources are extremely limited and I have no experience in publishing. You know what's tomorrow topic going to be...

    No beds again, so strike hard and fast, meaning if it's a good case, to the waiting list. Not good cases, call 999 or head to the nearest government hospital emergency department. Do not delay, just hurry up and get help, please. 

    I'm sincerely tired, because I gotten yelled, screamed at just because I can't meet demands. I'm sorry, I'm sorry that we don't have enough beds to accommodate everyone, I'm sorry that we can't take heavy cases due to the fact that everywhere the ICU beds are at maximum capacity. I can't tell you how many times I have to apologize because we can't take the cases in. It's pretty much a fight for survival now. There's nothing much we can do anymore, and once again, don't depend fully on your health insurance. It's hard to claim fully back, I once had to go back and forth regarding a claim, trust me, it takes a toll on the mental health, I was willing to throw the amount to clear off my debt but my doctor was willing to fight for me to get full coverage, which I'm grateful. 

    You know I screwed up a lot of times, and I tend to beat myself down a lot, and my doctor told me it's high time to recognize my self-worth. This is why I pity the artist I admired, because everything he does, people tend to bash him. At the same time, I respect him as a small, indie writer (me) to a huge content creator, because he kept going despite all the hardships. So, kudos to you, sir, you keep doing you. I enjoyed your music, they kept me going during my lowest lows and night shifts. 

    Sorry this post is a little short. I'm really tired, and I'm feeling down. Tomorrow I'll be off duty, so at least I'll get to edit my manuscript while turning up the volume of my favourite music. 

*Today's case: 7,097 (A friend of mine joked there's a lot of 7s. 7,777? I'm joking...)

     

Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #36

 Evening again, please let today be bearable...

    I thought when the pandemic came upon us, we're supposed to be more understanding and tolerant with each other, yet I see people screaming and yelling all sort of verbal abuse and name calling. Look, life is hard, everyone is facing hardship, we're trying to be civil, but you're not helping if you are screaming at us and refuse to listen. You can see why I prefer books...

    At least this round people are willing to take my advice. Due to the huge surge of covid admissions, we're all maximum capacity. So what are your options? For severe cases, call 999 or head to the nearest government hospital. Or if you can afford it, try private sector hospitals. What irks me...again and again, are some people who just can't comprehend what we're trying to say... One person was being weird. I ask several times for the patient's details, somehow the conversation turned to money which makes me go, "Look, I want the patient's details... Please give me the patient's details, or if they are not fit, please give me the family's contact so that I'm able to get the patient's medical history." Nope, for some reason, they keep talking to me about the money on how everyone can afford it until I got tired and said, "I don't want the money. I want the patient's details, please give me the details." We went back and forth till I finally got mentally drained and said, "Look, there's a lot of people in the waiting list. If you want, please give me the patient's details and I'll slot them into the waiting list." Nope, somehow the conversation went elsewhere until they decided to try their luck elsewhere. I don't understand, you managed to get into private sector, and you wanted to come to another private sector because you don't like that private sector area? Things are getting weirder by the minute. 

    Another person demanded me to take a government sector case, which I can't take because the case is critical, and we do not have the proper facilities. Let me tell you a little something, if you get offered government sector and you refused to take it when it's offered, if you go into private and the bills skyrocket... And you want to transfer to government sector, it's going to be difficult because the government sector is also overloaded. 

    One person make me feel like screaming internally because I repeated about four times, I do not handle insurance  I don't know how in between I'm trying to get the patient's info, the caller on behalf keep bringing up insurance coverage. And again, I'm go to be honest, do not rely on your insurance too much, because most covid cases are not covered by insurance. You have to at least prepare some cash on hand. Worse case scenario, you have to consider government sector, because as I mentioned in my previous post, not many people can afford six figures and above. Even hundreds is already making us ordinary people sweat, because it's true. Covid had forced all of us to be frugal and careful with money, because at the end of the day, let's be realistic, if you don't have money, you can't afford private health care... I'm sorry, but that's reality. 

    All in all, stay safe and practice your SOP guidelines, and please get vaccinated.

Wagakki Band / "Sakura Rising with Amy Lee of EVANESCENCE" from Japan Tour「TOKYO SINGING」, published by Wagakkiband, on Jun 29, 2021

If you think the studio version is good, listen to the live version. It's astounding, but then again, this is Wagakki Band we are talking about. Their performance tends to be super impressive. 

*Today's case: 7,654 (Hell's bells)

    

Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #35

 Evening duty, this should be fun...

    Plants nearly died due to the heatwaves. I had to water them regularly, and maybe I may have to invest in some fertilizer for nutrition... I have to put them near the sun because plants do need some sun to grow. Problem is I noticed people tend to knock my plants over... 0_0 My dad told me to bring some double sided tape to stick it at the pots bottom. We'll see...

    Afternoon means running after everyone, because we only have three hours before the end of office hours. By the way, if you can't do an appointment online, please, I beg you, call the clinic. It's not that difficult. None of us are man eaters. Stop thinking there's only one way to get an appointment. You can also opt for sending an enquiry online, which I used to receive stacks of back in the clinic, and it's so straightforward. Just choose your specialist, fill up the relevant details and just give 2 - 3 working days to get an answer. I can't stress how many times it is so weird to go through 4, 5 different channels just to get an appointment. One person really amazed me because they called to make an appointment, and they can't remember which doctor they called. Um, a name would be nice. Nope, they can't remember at all. I felt like a fool running through several channels before finally finding the right person. Thank God it was still office hours otherwise I feel like I'm going to have a migraine.

    Cases are on the rise again, and it's like back to square one again. I wish people would stop screaming at us because we really do not have enough beds. We're not magicians for God's sake. Bed capacity is limited, and not everyone can accommodate. Before this we used to get a couple of people getting Miss Rona, but now people are coming in by the droves. It's so tiring when we tell them politely we have no more beds and people tend to be so nasty to us. "Why are all the private sectors full?" "I demand a bed now!" "Help me now, it's urgent!" "I don't want to be in government!!!" "Can't you provide a bed now?!" Again, we're not magicians. 

    Regarding government sector, please stop expecting things to be the Shangri-La. You are going in mainly to get treatment, not a hotel. People scream and shout at us, but when we tell them the rough figures required, they back out and go silent. You can't expect covid wards to be the same as normal ward prices, not to mention the amount of PPE and equipment used. I was just talking to a doctor, getting a minimum of five figures, we can scrape by somehow after years of saving, but no one can carry six figures in cash, not unless you are seriously wealthy... At the end of the day, if you are fully treated, great, but then who's going to fork the final figures of the bill? It make us looks like villains chasing people for their bad debts.

    I got tired after seeing a certain name on the enquiry list. Difficult patients are forever ingrained into my brain, and not in a good way either. I know this person well, because they hounded me regarding weird issues, and asked me to buy food to deliver to the person in question during their assessment test, not to mention the person was covid positive. They even went as far as to complain how the room wasn't nice, that there's no hair dryer.... Refer to my above paragraph....When they demanded for something out of my accessibility (Well, I'm not superhuman, I don't have access to everything), I politely told them to email to the relevant department as it was after office hours, and they can reply me this: "I don't know how to send an email." This gives me Fifty Shades flashbacks on how the protagonist was unrealistic. She is a 4.0 student in English Literature but she somehow managed to get through Uni without a working email... Granted, I didn't have internet till late, but I have to learn fast. I'm still a technophobe, but I have to learn how to navigate technologies because like it or not, it's a sink and swim situation, especially during the pandemic when most things are now going digital and cashless. Back in the day, I used to go to a friend's house to use the internet (Good times), that's how we get things done, and when I was in school, I have to run to the computer lab a lot just to get things done. I got so mentally drained that I took screenshots and shoot it off to the relevant department. Hopefully, they will be able to get things done.

    At times like these, we try to help the people, but for some reason, people seemed to think of us as villains because we do not have enough rooms. I'm sorry, but our resources are limited. Once again, we're not magicians. We are just trying to help everyone to get through the pandemic, if you're going to keep shouting and screaming at us for unrealistic things or unreasonable demands, then again, I'm sorry. There's not much we can do.

    You can click on the link if you want. You see how dire our hospitals are. Majalah 3 (2021), published by Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, 30 minutes ago on Facebook.

*Today's case: 6,387 (Good God in heaven)

Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #34

Off duty today. Happy 4th July to my American friends... I hope you all are staying safe, and not taking Achmed's advice on fireworks safety... 

    Ever heard of Calmoseptine? I've been trying to find it but it's really hard to find it here. It's an ointment based in the US which is really good for dry skin. Most hospitals don't carry it (It's really expensive, a tube cost more than a hundred) but I finally managed to track a seller in Shopee that sells it in a tub (less than a hundred). I'm planning to get that when I saved enough, it really helps if you have dry skin, super cooling and effective, but extremely pricey. You don't have to use a lot, you can just take a small fingertip and swipe it around, it's good coverage. I still have half a tub balance of it which are samples that I have saved for a rainy day. That's the best thing about working in the hospitals, you usually get samples to try, and usually some of us have to be guinea pigs because if you don't test it, you wouldn't know how to explain the products to your customers. Believe me, I have volunteered getting chemical peels (First experience is like a burning sensation due to the glycolic acid peel, but once you do it a few times, your skin gets used to it), laser treatments for acne scars (It should not hurt, but for first timer, you tend to wince, but I would say it mainly it depends on the machine settings and power used), and let me tell you, if you don't experience it, you won't be able to explain the feeling to your patients. Kind of like if you didn't went through certain things, you wouldn't be able to know the pain we go through.

    You know, things have been depressing lately, so we're not going to wallow in it. Let's see...I've been making effort to run on the treadmill during my off duty days, because I do have old ladies' bones, and it's good to sweat things out. I like zumba, but doing it alone it's no fun... I used to do it for few months, but it gets boring fast. Running you can do it on your own with your favourite music on your mp3 player. I'm not doing anymore sit ups for a while, after the last time I sprained my back quite badly...Don't laugh, it's painful. I can't even bend at all, but I'm better now. I stuck to planking to train my core, because according to the physiotherapists, they said most people have a weak core, they just never realized it. If you are planning to do planking, do it safely please.  

    Still patiently waiting for my books to arrive. I ordered them since last month, but I'm not worried, my mailroom friends will help keep my parcel safe. If I ever order things from overseas, I always ship them to the hospital, because I do not trust things to be left outside. And most of the packages comes in cardboard boxes, which are nice, but it's not nice when the rain comes. I can't tell you how many times I heard friends and families complain how the items are ruined, but I'm lucky so far that most things I order comes in waterproof packing... Otherwise we're going to have some serious problems.

    I wish the lockdown can end, because I really do want to go out and get ramen and sushi, but no dine in. To eat Japanese food, you have to dine in to get that authentic taste. If I plan to eat sushi, I rather go to the shop to get takeout directly, that way you more or less know that you're getting the sushi rolls fresh. I have experienced not fresh salmon sashimi before, thank God I never had food poisoning, but it does leave a bad experience. I also want to go to the bookshops, which is my safe have, because there's nothing that makes me happy than inhaling the crisp, fresh, pages of book, and I do need to get art supplies from time to time. I also like going to DIY shops to pick up inexpensive craft supplies and spoiling my dogs with treats and toys. I'm still waiting for the sports section to be open because I really need to get those hard, tennis balls for my big boy outside. My little ones like the squeaky balls.  

    Other than that, there's really nothing much going on, except for the usual tropical heat. Last I checked we are at 31 degrees Celcius, but we're used to it, although I heard now Vegas is around 115 Degrees Fahrenheit (46 degrees Celcius). Stay hydrated everyone, and if you are going for your vaccination, go right ahead. Stop dilly-dallying, and if you really need help, put out a white flag. Whatsapp the community at 013-938 4728 for assistance.

*Today's case:  6,045 (It's a start...)

Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #33

So there's a creator I followed who wanted to start something consistently to keep the creative juice flowing. I say, go right ahead. It's a fun way to keep things going, just like these diaries. The initial goal was 2 weeks, because that's the period where the lockdown was supposed to end, but after our government said that if the cases do not go below 4,000, then the lockdown won't be lifted. So as long as the lockdown is going on, these lockdown diaries are going to keep on coming. Don't you worry, I'm still working on my manuscript, I mainly work on it during my day offs because working days are mentally stressful, I stick to music or comedy skits, strictly no series as I will end up being too invested, especially the new Shaman King anime which looks awesome (The song is great, I'm glad Takei Hiroyuki fought tooth and nail to make sure the original Shaman King cast and crew were involved in the latest remake, because I can't imagine Hayashibara Megumi not being involved, it's almost like not having Utada Hikaru involved in Kingdom Hearts...You get my meaning, right?). Unpopular opinion, I was actually happy with the new Sailor Moon reboot (Haven't watched the latest Dream Arc yet because...you know...Nor rill I finish writing) because they were trying to be faithful to the manga, but a lot of people disliked it. Okay, I get it, because the manga is rather fast-paced, and seeing the new Sailor Moon anime following the manga route is like adapting each chapter into an episode, but I like it. It's an interesting take. 

    It seemed like someone opened the floodgates, because guess what came without stopping: Covid admissions. There's so many that I feel like mentally throwing up. There were so many complicated cases that we didn't have enough hands on deck. I feel like literally waving a white flag because for the love of God, we're trying our best to sort out the cases one by one, there's only two of us, and there's so much we can take. When we don't get back to people on time, people start shaking the whole building. Just so you know, there's four, five phones ringing at the same time, there's only so much we can take, oh, and we're full, yet people still make demands to take them in. When I clerk their cases and they ended up being severe, I have to direct them to the government sector, but then they go: "I DON'T WANT THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR, THE SERVICE IS TERRIBLE! AND I DON'T SPEAK BAHASA!"

    Speaking of that, let me tell you a little something. I am always treated as a black sheep in my own community. Simply, because I'm not exactly your typical Malaysian Chinese... I always get looked down on because the first language I speak is English, second Bahasa Malaysia, I don't really speak Mandarin, in fact, most people thought I was a banana... It's because in real life, I have gotten in a lot of trouble whenever I speak Mandarin, I do mean...a lot. It made me mentally sick to the point where I don't really speak Mandarin unless it's necessary. In fact, the only time I ever speak Mandarin is with close friends whom I have known for many years or when I'm forced to, usually with elderly folks. Even till this point, I still get, "Oh, you're Chinese? Why don't you speak Mandarin?" You do realize we're in Malaysia right? I'll admit, when we're outside, it's either English or Bahasa Malaysia first...Even going to my local kopitiam, I don't speak really good Cantonese, but I can hold my own...broken Cantonese and Japanese (I haven't spoken the language for a long time, but I can speak basic, broken Japanese - I try to watch Japanese anime/ dramas without subtitles to see how much I could understand...) I guess...I used to be hurt that people treated me like the oddball out, but I got used to it, and I couldn't be bothered anymore. When people found out I wrote books in English, most of the things I get was: "You're Chinese, and you don't write in Chinese? Why do you write in English?" Seriously, it's so draining that I don't really engage much anymore. Besides, as I have mentioned several times, when you are doing anything official, you need to go to the government offices, where most of the people converse in Bahasa Malaysia. Like it or not, you do need to be able to converse in basic Bahasa.

    Sorry for that rant, back to the topic, let's clear this up. Government sector and private sector are more or less the same treatment wise, I went to government sector before, it's actually more or less the same, maybe better, depending on what you go for. I'll admit, the government sector is usually the no-nonsense type, and the queue can be really scary, but you pay as little as a dollar for a treatment that can cost nearly a hundred, and they do a more or less good job. I mentioned it several times, if I do not have health insurance, I would never go to private sector, it's expensive, and most people can't afford paying cash upfront... Not unless you're really rolling with money...And I don't really use my health insurance much because I try to save it for a rainy day... I have seen people's insurance bounce and situations become dire that they end up in bad debt...I know, I know, money is king, if you have it, you don't have much worry, but for us who do not have that privilege, we do what we can to survive... People tend to brag that they have insurance, but when it comes to covid admission, you really are going to need cash on hand because most insurance do not cover... Sorry, but it's true... 

  But - but, the customers are always right! Yes, within reasons, but when people tend to demand unrealistic expectations (Eg. No more covid rooms yet demand for covid beds), that is when we have to put our foot down. Nothing is more scary than having your hopes crushed to bits. 

    Lord, you know what, the creator I look up to is right. We're already halfway into the year and yet people are still stuck in that same mindset. Please, no more vaccine shopping, stop being nitpicky, if you can't afford private, just please consider the government sector, yes, the place is not exactly the St Regis, but the treatment is more or less on par to the private sector. You only have one life, don't waste it. And if you got our vaccination date, just go for it. Please, stop asking what vaccines are going to be given. You're getting vaccinated, and that's what counts.      

*Today's case: 6,658 (Where's a black hole when you need one?)  

Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #32

 Morning again, brand new day, tons of enquiries and calls. What else is new?

    My tummy feel much better now. Just some cramps. No, please don't say it's Rona, I don't want to put everyone around me at risk. I finally got down and overcome a little of my technophobe (I'm genuinely terrible at technology) and figure out the whole Paypal thingamajingy (Thanks doctors and friends who patiently explained to me regarding the process) because I do need to set up one because I  have to settle some things in the States. I'm surprised on how Malaysia is not recognized by a lot of countries that I had to go through different channels to get things sorted out.

    I'm tired, not due to lack of sleep, but mentally stressed out. For the love of HOLY, please call the clinic to reschedule your appointment, it's not that difficult. Lord Almighty, we spent nearly an hour running back and forth just for one appointment. This is what my co-workers/ friends were trying to tell me: "Sis, you do realize that just for the sake of one person's appointment, you are bending backwards so much for them..." This is one thing I try to point out. Yes, we can help to a certain extent, but please don't keep going back and forth for ONE appointment. It's tiring, and it's silly. Yes, let's say if I want to see Doctor A, I'll just hop onto the Doctor A's clinic extension, or you can send an online appointment query to Doctor A's side. The most offensive ones are the ones who demands things last minute... If you do it during office hours, usually we'll run through hoops and hurdles to try to get things done, but if you do it after office hours...I don't know what to say. You see, most of the time when we try to accommodate the patient's time, either they can't make it, or the doctor's appointments slots are full. This is why if you plan to reschedule or if you know the doctor, please call them directly so that you can go straight to the source to get your appointment directly.

    People seemed to put unrealistic expectations on us. Please stop doing that. I can't tell you how many times people chase us just because we don't reply within one minute. Please give us time to get back to you. Sometimes the reason why we can't get back to you soon is because we have so many enquiries, calls and emails coming in. We have to juggle mundane, medical-related, general related, life-threatening enquiries... We try our best to tackle everything as fast and as accurate as we can. If we can't get back to you on time, it's not that we are ignoring you. Sometimes the questions are plain weird that we need time to find out and get back to you. 

    I bumped into a doctor whom I still kept in touch, they said I looked mentally drained. They're right. I feel like a walking directory, at times I also feel like a doctor, even though I am not one, because people expect me to have all the answers, to diagnose them over the phone (No sane person would ever do that, lest we risk our license)...At the end of the day, I'm human, none of us know everything. As the doctor told me: "If we know everything, we are not human anymore. We're Gods." If we don't get back to you, please be patient. 

    I don't understand why people keep thinking we're an all-you-can-eat buffet. Inpatient-related / operation-related has nothing to do with us. It's like back in the outpatient again. In outpatient, we handle mainly the beginning, when the patients come to us on the beginning of their journey. Then they go to the ward, where the middle of the story take place. The inpatient part has nothing to do with us, because whatever goes on in the ward stays in the ward, just like whatever happens in the surgery stays with the operating theatre... After the tough mid-journey, they come to us for the end of the journey. My current side is now mainly to coordinate and guide, most of the time I feel a little like Cupid, matchmaking my patients to the appropriate doctors or to the relevant department. That's how we do things, because we want you to get the best care as possible with minimal problems, but at the same times, you need to manage your expectations, meaning do not expect us to get back to you within a minute. Oh, and if you are asking something illegal, I'm sorry, you're going to have to look elsewhere.

    Tomorrow is my last morning shift before a day off. I'm not tired due to the long run, I'm tired of people putting unrealistic expectations on us, and please...If you are going to travel, please, I beg you, check your flight policy before getting a ticket. I'm nearly having a nervous breakdown because everytime I have to count the days to make sure that the PCR Tests are valid, and in case there's an interchanging flight, I need to make sure the PCR Tests stay valid throughout the journey. Otherwise, there will be trouble brewing. 

      Thank God I follow some comedians on social media, because this makes me laugh after an exhausting work day.

Source: Who Would Take Firework Safety Tips From Achmed The Dead Terrorist? | JEFF DUNHAM, published by Jeff Dunham, premiered 8 hours ago 

Achmed giving advice on fireworks safety? He gives solid advice, but um, Achmed, as much as I like you, you're the last person I would take advice on regarding fireworks safety. 

*Today's case: 6,982 (Please get vaccinated)

Lockdown 3.0 Diaries #31

Happy July. We made it. 

    Great, my tummy is acting funny, but I managed to take breakfast because morning is the time where the action is. Not as bad as yesterday though, I crashed early, couldn't bear it. 

    Today is a little subdued, but not too bad. I did a little black and white sketch. I wanted to do a Sharpie only colour, but my silver and black Sharpie went to heaven. I'm very sad right now, but it's okay. I'm going to save up and get some... Can't go to the bookshops, cases are on the rise again.

     Recently the areas around me are having breakouts. Oh GOD. No more going out, no more takeouts. Home cooked, cafeteria food from now on. I'm also scared to order food online. To be honest, our policy is your food have to get dropped off on the table, no contact, bur rarely, but it happens, someone may end up grabbing your food as well (Don't laugh, it happens!) Chances are very slim, but do not take any chances, and don't give me "It will never happen to me", you'll end up digging your own grave. Oh, in case you haven't realized it, we tend to use dark humour to cope with our current situation, nothing personal.

    I feel a little happier today, because yes we do get the occasional weird enquiries from time to time, but I managed to make a few people's day happier. I attended someone who was upset about something. Basically I do not know what happened, but it was basically someone had pressured this poor person on which doctor to see, and they were frustrated, so when the call came to me, the person was unhappy and was telling me about their experience. I apologized and asked regarding their enquiry, and you know what, they feel happy afterwards after I clarified several things with them. Yep, it makes me happy to make someone feel better. 

    There's another one which wrote a long essay, I mean really long, explaining regarding their situation. It's not too bad to be very honest. Pretty straightforward. I directed them to the right place and they were grateful... You know, the last two weeks alone had been really stressful, but a lot of people had been seeking mental help, and as I have said several times, there's nothing to be ashamed of. The lockdown is stressful, some people have lost their source of income, most are suffering in silence. The problem is...mental health is still stigmatized as something that is shameful. You know...sometimes it's okay to ask for help... It's okay to admit you're sad, depressed or vulnerable, because how can you expect others to help if you don't say it...At least, that's what my doctor told me last time I saw them, but everyone is different. That's what makes medical field fun...in its own way, because you never know what to expect. 

    Cases are on the rise again, and it's really sad. Some places were under lockdown, with soldiers and barbed wires surrounding the area. Yet you still see people flaunting the SOP. Now people are also waving the white flag, and it's sad... As I always tell myself - I used to keep a grateful diary during my therapy period, but it can only help so much, because it all comes down to you... At least I still have a job, if I hated it I would've left long time ago, I get to do what I love, and at least I can support my family and help contribute. 

    I've finally got the latest Shaman King and Loki series, but I already swore to myself, until I finish writing, I'm not going to watch anything else. The only thing I allow myself to watch are music contents, because I'm a music addict. 

*Today's case: 6,988 (Where's SWAT when you need them?)