The Year That Was..Goodbye 2009**

2009 proved to be a really challenging year for us.

It started with Abah falling down the stairs in January. Mufasa‘s passing on in April was followed by Mama’s cancer diagnosis and subsequent surgery in May. Then Anja was diagnosed with Chronic Renal Failure and passed on in June at home in my arms. We then moved to our new home in July and Awan appeared at our doorsteps in August! Things settled down for a few months then Mama’s situation got worst causing her to be hospitalised in November and yet again in December, a few days after Mama and Abah celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary. Mama’s condition has improved tremendously from the day she returned from the hospital but there is still so much road to cover for her total recovery.

On the financial front, all is good. My online business doing blog makeover and graphics work is doing very well and I even have a loyal client that is giving me work on a permanent basis.

Oh before I forget, I also turned 40 in 2009 which wasn’t a big deal but still just an end of an era for sure!

So that’s my 2009 for you. Am looking forward to a better and brighter 2010 with lots of love, prosperity, happiness and health! So Goodbye 2009 and hello 2010!

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca
Monica

Mama's Hospital Bed **

Since mama is much stronger and able to move small steps now, Azwaj and his siblings have come up with a routine that have me and Azwaj coming in the morning with breakfast for abah and mama, and then a sister would come by around noon with lunch and we would go home and then that sister would return home around 5pm to be taken over by another sister with dinner. The system works and everyone is happy especially the patient 🙂

Anyway, we were home yesterday evening after returning from our morning “shift” with mama when abah called to see if we were able to come again to the house and helped out with moving some stuff around. It seems mama’s cousin had come over and offered a hospital bed that she had in her storeroom. She, a nurse herself, bought it when her own late mother was ill.

So now, mama is on this fantastic hospital bed that makes her so much comfortable and so much easier for us as well since now whenever she wants to sit up, we just crank her up 🙂

Thank you to Chu Nani for this favor. You have our gratitude!

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca
Monica

Music Monday: Christmas Is All Around (Love Actually)**

Another Christmas song from the Love Actually soundtrack sung by Billy Mack. Merry Christmas everyone and Happy Music Monday!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca
Monica

She's Sitting On Her Own *

Usual routine in the morning is for Azwaj to carry mama from her bed, do a slight “tango” movement where he would position mama just nice for the wheelchair to come into position. This morning though, Azwaj was in the garden sweeping some dead leaves and abah said he would carry mama. I was on standby. Since mama is now strong enough, abah pulled her up from her lying position and then suddenly she was sitting up without support! Though wobbly, it was definitely a great achievement for mama. I rushed to call Azwaj in and we all had tears in our eyes watching the great moment.

We left the house in the afternoon and return later that night to Abah saying that mama has been sitting and trying to stand and that she has requested a walker for her to hold on to when she stands. I don’t think she is strong enough but since she is confident and wanting to be supportive, we went ahead to buy her a walker. Unfortunately the pharmacy are all closed due to the holiday so we will try again tomorrow.

All in all, a fantastic day indeed.. oh by the way.. Merry Christmas to all my friends and blog buddies who are celebrating this joyous day!

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca

I Can't Resist

Nothing beats year-end shopping and even though I already shopped in Singapore on my trip back, I can’t help but shopped more when I so called accompanied my mommy shopping when she was here last two weeks.

Mommy spent almost RM600 (I swear if she was not worried about the heavy luggage that she had to lug back, she’d be buying electrical supplies too) while me, a modest RM300! lol.. Modest indeed eh? I can’t helped myself, everything was going at a sale. Who can resist 70% discount right?

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets FCSB Point
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
**
Mariuca
Monica

Music Monday: Keep On Loving You (REO Speedwagon) **

Another song that my neighbour was blasting away a long time ago.. Enjoy and Happy Music Monday Everyone.. Thanks for listening and joining!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Monica
Mariuca

Slow and Steady

Mama is getting better with each day. From not being able to move her arms, she is now able to lift them up, slow but she is able to. Sitting up is still difficult and she needed to be propped up by pillows. She still needs to be fed as her co-ordination is still bad.

Her radiotherapy session is over and doctors wants her to rest off it for two months. Right now she is primarily on steroids to try to shrink the tumor. They would evaluate again in that time before deciding further course of action.

Expenses have been high. From medication to diapers to potentially a live-in-nurse, should mama’s condition becomes worse, what Abah really needs now is a Medicare supplement insurance. Unfortunately in Malaysia, even the term of medical insurance is something that people are still getting use. Even I don’t have one 🙁

Slow and steady… that’s what we’re all hoping for!

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets FCSB Point
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca
Monica

My Hidden Talent..**

Have you ever wonder what you hidden talent is? Well according to Blogthings quiz.. mine is…

Your Hidden Talent is Your Imagination

You are both very knowledgeable and creative. (knowledgeable, perhaps but creative? hmm) You tend to be full of new ideas and potential – big potential. (really? I should really voice out those ideas eh?) Ideas like yours could change the world, if you build them. (wow!) As long as you don’t stop working on your dreams, you’ll get there. (God Willing)

What’s Your Hidden Talent?

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca
Ane

Music Monday: For The First Time (Kenny Loggins)**

Loving the nolstagia…..Have a Great Music Monday everyone!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca
Gagay

Mama's Coming Home *

Mama is being discharged today though on trial basis to see how she would cope without the sodium chloride drip. She is currently still bed ridden but since there is no radiotherapy treatment over the weekend, Abah thought it would be nice if she spend some time at home with the family.

Abah also paid up for the hospital bed till Monday, just in case she needs to be re-admitted again during the weekend.

Yeay.. Mama’s coming home!

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Gagay

Getting Better*

I didn’t visit mama today as my mother was too tired to go and I didn’t want to leave her home alone. However, Azwaj told me that mama is getting much better. After a second round of radiotherapy, she is now able to lift her right hand (she wasn’t able before). She can even talk much clearer and managed to eat much more porridge than yesterday.

Yes.. thing are looking up for Mama!

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Monica

Hope is Burning Bright for Mama

Hope is burning bright… as bright as Murray Feiss lighting for my Mama. We went to visit her today and she is much stronger even after just one session of the radiotherapy which she had this morning.

Mama is even able to move her right leg and when the food arrived at 6pm, she had a few spoonful of porridge. After two days of no food, you can imagine how relieved we felt when she was able to swallow her food again. Yesterday, whatever we fed her would come out again as she was not able to swallow. Doctors were even thinking of feeding her from the tube if she couldn’t eat today. So yes, we were relieved.

Hopefully with more radiotherapy treatment, she would be strong again and be allowed to go home soon.

Today, everyone left with a smile on our faces 🙂

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets FCSB Point
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Monica
Mariuca

Mama's Hospital Stay

Mama’s CAT scan of the tumor in her brain came through last Thursday. It was stage 4 and her doctor wanted her to go to radiotherapy immediately. When we visited her on Friday, also Abah’s and Mama’s wedding anniversary, she was fine and was still strong. However, over the weekend, her condition deteriorated and she was not even able to move. She also can’t eat or drink and was badly dehydrated.

Today, during her examination before her radiotherapy treatment, the doctor found that she was too weak and so decided to admit her for observation instead. She was place on a medical equipment immediately. I believed the solution was sodium chloride as she was really in need of hydration. When I visited her with my mom in the evening, Mama was barely conscious and drifting in and out of sleep. She was not able to speak and movement was limited to her right hand only. I was literally fighting back tears when I first saw her because I know I needed to be strong for Azwaj and Abah.

Mama keeps touching her chest as if to complain about the pain there and then she would drift off again. We left that night with heavy heart and since she was in the third class at the general hospital (can you believe the first class was on going through refurbishment and all first class patients were being pushed to second class which also means they were lacking in beds), we were not able to stay with her.

We’re hoping for a better day tomorrow…

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets FCSB Point
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
? ? ?
Monica
Mariuca

Music Monday: Say You Love Me (Simply Red)**

Say You Love LJ people.. lol!! Happy Music Monday Everyone!

Lyrics | Simply Red lyrics – Say You Love Me lyrics

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

Powered by MckLinky

Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca
Gagay

Both are Home Sweet Home

One thing I love about having two homes, one in Singapore, where my mommy is and which is also my homeland, and the other in Malaysia which is the my country of residence with Azwaj and our five fur kids, is that at both homes, I know someone is awaiting either my arrival or my return. So if I’m Malaysia, I know my mom gets very excited and happy when I return so she plans our outings, shopping sprees and cook up a storm so much so I wish I was already on phentermine diet pills before I arrived. Then when I’m in Singapore, I know that Azwaj and the fur kids would miss me and welcome me home with open arms!

I love my two homes and I love that I’m loved by members in both and that I can call both my”Home Sweet Home”

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets FCSB Point
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
? ? ?
Mariuca
Gagay

Music Monday: Rainy Day (The Corrs)**

Here’s a dedication to my beloved so far away right now.. Miss you Babeh!!

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Cheerio…

Must Not Get Sick!

I felt a cough coming on from yesterday but thought nothing of it until my throat today started to feel dry and I have to keep going “ahem, ahem” all the while. Hope I won’t get sick or anything! What if they stop me at the Singapore immigration on Thursday because they think I have H1N1 or something? Oh my.. this is bad..

Must not get sick.. must not get sick.. and after all the online backup I’ve done to make sure I have my data with me while I’m away.. I’d be very upset if they refuse me entry to my hometown!

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets FCSB
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca

Music Monday - Knock Knock (Lenka)**

Another great song by Lenka for everyone today..

Don’t forget to visit my video blog for more of my favorite videos 🙂

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Cheerio…

First Two Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca
Monica

Just Knock It

I called my mom this morning around 8am before I went to sleep. We chatted a bit about my upcoming home visit, my frustration that this time around I would not be able to bring Miss Fly along and the trouble we’ve been having with the car and that we probably need to get new car accessories to replace the one that was worn off. After hanging up, I went to bed.

I woke up about 3pm and noticed a few missed calls on my handphone and it was all from my mom. I called her back immediately thinking that something was wrong as she would not call because she knew I was sleeping. Well something was wrong, her tv set does not have sound, as in there are pictures but no sound and she wanted to know if she had pressed some mute button accidentally on the remote.. lol!

 

I told her that the tv probably need replacing as even on my previous visit I noticed that the color was a bit off. I told my mom to knock the tv set a bit on the side or at the top and she laughed hysterically saying that won’t work. I told her to try it and she said.. “Oklah” .. that somehow told me she didn’t believe me..lol!

We hung up and just as I was about to go to the kitchen, my handphone rang again and it was mommy dearest.. again laughing hysterically on the other line saying…”I knocked it.. I knocked the tv and the sound came on!!”.. She asked me how I knew to knock it and I told her.. “well OLD stuffs are like that.. that’s why sometimes I have to knock YOU”.. haha.. and again she laughed hysterically before saying “kurang ajar” (rude girl) lol!!!!

Don’t I have the cutest mom?

Cheerio…

I Love Being ME! *

We went to Low Yatt today to send in a client’s laptop for repair for the second time. The first time was on 25th October and since it had a one month warranty, we sent it in again when the client complaint that the problem came back. The problem with returning it was.. A can’t remember where he kept the receipt and since shops normally want us to bring the original receipt, this might cause a little problem..

In came ME.. hahah.. I’ve always been known to get my way with suppliers and shop owners. Not sure if it’s my bitching or just my sweet persona ;).. lol! So guess what, A sent me to the shop today while he went to purchase my new desktop.. and guess what.. I managed to get them to take in the laptop just by being sweet and telling them that the last time I was there was on 25th October. He believed me and didn’t even check his paperwork! Am I good or am I good! Lol!

I love being ME!!

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Meow Diaries

Poor Darling Is Sick

My poor darling hubby is sick. He woke up this morning asking for the instant relief panadol as he was feeling all feverish this morning. He told he that he had feeling not a 100% since Monday but was in denial as he had tons to do. This morning however, he surrendered. After eating the porridge I made him, he popped two panadols and went back to bed.

Azwaj has never been a great fan of doctors and whenever possible he would self-medicate and try to get plenty of rest when he is down with something. I, on the other hand am a baby when I get sick. LOL! One day with fever, and if it does not improve, I’m off to see my family doctor.. lol! Speaking of being ill, I really ought to start looking for cheap health insurance. Medical bills are so expensive these days that we should really find ways to save in whatever way we can. I heard that there is even a medical insurance that covers you when you’re sick and reward you when you are healthy. Now that is awesome right?

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets FCSB Point
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Monica

Nature Can Call Anytime

Can’t sleep last night. It was so freaking cold that even snuggling close to A did not do the trick. In the end I had to put on my sweater and socks before I can comfortably float off to slumber land. Then when I was all nice and comfy what do you think happened? I got to pee! lol! Talk about nature call at the weirdest hour! It’s kinda like having to go for acne treatment when you’re about to go attend your prom or something right? Sucks big time!

Cheerio…

The Latte Art Test *

I love my coffee. It is probably the first and last drink of the day for me. I also love art on my coffee and this is my favorite design of the lot and it has to say this about me…

You Are Outgoing and Expressive

You love to communicate to and relate with others. Sharing stories and experiences is one of your favorite things in life. (True.. love to talk.. that’s me!)You are an open and easy going person. You don’t have many hang ups or inhibitions. You are who you are. (Definitely) Your energy level is pretty high. You tend to be fairly calm when you’re alone, but being in a group really makes you spark up. (I think so!) Your signature latte would have the works in it. You’re not above putting in a couple types of syrup and whipped cream. And heck, sprinkles too! (I love everything on my coffee)

The Latte Art Test

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca

Music Monday:Lovin You, Lovin Me (Chris Cagle)*

Don’t you just love country song?! Continuing with Chris Cagle Music Monday 🙂

Come join Music Monday and share your songs with us. One simple rule, leave ONLY the actual post link here. You can grab this code at LJL Please note these links are STRICTLY for Music Monday participants only. All others will be deleted without prejudice.

PS: Because of spamming purposes, the linky will be closed on Thursday of each week at midnight, Malaysian Time. Thank you!

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets Linky Love
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca

Mama Fell

Just found out that three days ago my mother-in-law fell after performing her prayer. My father in-law who was in the bathroom at the time of the incident. She was performing the prayer sitting down by the side of the bed when it seemed she just lost consciousness and landed on her side on the bed. My FIL didnt have any idea how long she was like that but when she came to, she complained of shoulder ache so which means it might have been a while.

She is ok for now but is being monitored closely by FIL and my sister-in-laws. Good thing too no one has to go on any LSAT prep courses eh.

Cheerio…

First Commenter Gets FCSB Point
Thank you for commenting. LJ Loves Ya.
***
Mariuca