Water melon

This transformation from fruit to plant only takes 1 week. The process is much faster when the fruit is planted together with the seeds.

Ladies Fingers

Can't wait to cook these from the garden. These plants are hardy and grow fast.

Asthma Workshop 2016

An Asthma Workshop was held on Saturday 19th November for nurses from various private hospital in Ipoh.  The workshop started at 9.30 am and ended at 12 noon.  There were 33 participants.  The nurses were from KPJ ISH, Pantai Hospital Ipoh, Fatimah Hospital and Perak Community Specialist Hospital.  There were also several industrial nurses from local factories.

The objectives of the workshop were to:
1. Improve the understanding of Asthma Control and how to achieve it.
2. Encourage the use of peak flow meters and the Asthma MD app in monitoring asthma control.
3. Encourage the use of the Asthma Control Questionnaire.
4. Demonstrate the proper use use of MDI, DPI devices and spacers.
5. Encourage the setting up of asthma counselling teams in the hospitals
6. Train coaches for the Asthma Friendly School workshops.

Dr. Leong Oon Keong and Mdm Leong Yee Leng RN (who is currently doing her Masters in Nursing) were the trainers.

All nurses were given a Certificate of Attendance after the workshop.  They each earned 4 CPD points from the Lembaga Jururawat Malaysia.

Fellowship

Food at the Limestone Restaurant is excellent. Taste even better with a company of good friends.

Asthma Workshop for nurses

Getting ready the certificates of attendance for the nurses and the CPD points from Lembaga Jururawat.

SMART approach in asthma management

Delivered an asthma talk to doctors in Limestone restaurant on 10/11/16.

Healing invitation

Come and be healed.

A sight to behold

Cardinal tetras during feeding time. Lovely fishes.

Mini Pomeloes

These fruits are sweet and from a medium sized plant which fits well into a pot. Pretty hardy plant.

A connection between the tongue and heart

When you get angry, your mouth just reveals what’s inside your heart. A harsh tongue reveals an angry heart. A negative tongue reveals a fearful heart. A boasting tongue reveals an insecure heart. An overactive tongue reveals an unsettled heart. A judgmental tongue reveals a guilty heart. A critical tongue reveals a bitter heart. A filthy tongue reveals an impure heart. On the other hand, an encouraging tongue reveals a happy heart, a gentle tongue reveals a loving heart, and a controlled tongue reveals a peaceful heart. - Rick Warren.

Sam Tet School

Fund raising dinner 2016.

PCSH Hospital

New extension in the works. When is it starting?

Diabetes Update

CME for doctors today. Always something new to learn.

PCSH Annual Dinner

Dato Lee Hau Hian the president of PCSH addressing the attendees. Theme for tonight Green Safari.

Photo blogger

This is a new Windows app. Looks good and handy to post directly from hand phone. Only Rm 7.50 for full features.

Light bulbs

These energy saving light bulbs sure make a very pleasant sight. Spotted at CoffeeTag at Ipoh Garden South. Café also has good sandwiches at a very reasonable price.
Published with Photo Blogger.

Microsoft Band 2

Now I can track my steps, heart rate, number of floors climbed and whether I had a good night sleep. Good analytics as well.
Published with Photo Blogger.

LED Lights

These lights are really attractive and bright as well. I am in Fatimah Hospital new lecture theatre.

60 Years On

 Dear Schoolmates,

Greetings and thank you for being my friends.  I have known some of you since Kindergarten days and I must admit you are special. Spending time together in school was different from time at work. Those were the care free days when only exams mattered.  But then there was still a lot of time when we thoroughly enjoyed our friendship be it in school or out.

My memory is beginning to fade and I think this is the best time to pen down some of the fond memories which we experienced together.

I attended the Wesley Church Kindergarten.  Regret to say I cannot remember who was with me then but some of you would.  So please tell me!  But I do remember the building which is now a multipurpose hall located beside the Horley Hall Gymnasium and Wesley Church. However I will always remember an European teacher who was very kind (unfortunately I forgot her name).  One day my parents came very late to fetch me from school and this lady attempted to take me home on her motor bike.  Well, we never arrived at my home because my travel guidance at that young age was horribly wrong!

My Standard 1 classroom was in the historic school building.  Beside it was a suspended iron rod which was used to sound recess time and the end of the school session.  I fondly remember Mr Foo Choy Wan, the senior assistant, who taught me how to make my first speech during school assembly. He would place / marks in sentences to tell when I should pause to emphasize a point.

Then there was Mr Seow the magician.  I was very enthusiastic about his tricks and even bought some magic potions from his shop in Anderson Road.  Mr. Seow was also in charge of the Projector Club and the first movie I saw was the "Return of the Mummy"; a rather frightening film for kids.  It was screened in one of the classrooms in the new building block and the admission fee was 50 cents.

I loved the swimming lessons taught by "Donald Duck" and Mr Henry Yee. Yew Thye, also known as "bamboo", had some difficulty learning to swim. But then bamboo can naturally float and so in the end he became a life guard with the award of merit. I only took on the bronze medallion under my student coach Chee Ngee On.

I never excelled in sports.  But, then there was this "tug of war" with a thick rope which my team and I won on several occasions for the "Eu Tong Sen" House.  We had numerous practice sessions below that huge "Angsana" tree near the Horley Hall gym.

Below is a picture of the Tuckshop Prefects with our cute sashes worn during duty time.  I loved the art sessions with Mr Lee Kah Meng and Mr Tye Chee Yin.  They were so creative.  Typewriting with Mr Yeoh Cheang Wah was fun. The typewriting lessons came in handy since we now type so much on our computer keyboards.  Mr Yeoh also taught commerce.  My current knowledge of credit and debit columns came from his classes.  Some of the other teachers who had made an impact on my life were Mr Mak Kim Yeng; the discipline master who was also very much into photography; Mr Lee Hoo Keat; the maths teacher who had called almost everyone a "stupid boy"; Mr Brian Foenander; the history teacher who called upon every student to score a higher mark in the history test than the previous test, with a minimum of 80 marks!  Anyone who failed to do so would be caned. We are all experts in history now! These teachers had gone the extra mile to make sure we students learnt what had been taught. I salute all of them. There are many others whom I respect but don't have enough space in this Anniversary Booklet to write about.

Tuckshop Prefects

The six years in Primary School passed by really fast ending with the LCE exam.  The results came out while I was in Bangkok on a trip organised by Mr Quah Guan Teik.  On returning to Ipoh by bus, I was pleasantly surprised by the good results which was posted below the staircases of the main ACS building. During this trip Mr Chan Chee Yin met his future wife. There was romance throughout the excursion.

Canning Garden Methodist Church

I was baptised by Rev. Richard Liew in the Canning Garden Methodist Church.  The founders of this church were Mr Fong, Mr Tye, Mr Mak, Mr Havelock and other teachers from ACS.

Bangkok

With Teh family in Cameron Highlands

The late Paul Teh was one good friend whom I can never forget. He broke his arm when I pushed him off a high wooden bench below the Tembusu trees during some childish play.  We often played marbles and spun tops together below these trees as well.

Mr Seow the Magician

The Magic Club

Secondary School

It was another seven long years in ACS. We were all becoming more matured both mentally and physically. According to the school motto we prayed well and studied well. But I must admit it was only towards the exam time.

As you can see from the photos below we all had great fun. We visited each other on our bicycles. We even cycled to Tanjong Rambutan for a swim. Music was in the air. We held parties not only with MGS girls but also with Convent girls.

It was also a time to serve in various Societies.  I was in the Science Society, Interact Club, Prefects and Librarians Board.  

ACS 1st Grand Prix - Slot Racing

Wong Chee Choong organised this Social

Letting the hot air out before an exam

Now Everyone Can Travel

The Guitar Man and Singers

Better than Friends

Mrs Liew and Librarians

Appreciating our Teachers

A Friendly Lot

I became the Head Librarian during Lower Six Form. Mr Oi Chee Hong was my mentor. The teachers in charge were Mrs Liew and Mrs Lee. The librarians were closely knit and we had many social gatherings together. We were like a big happy family and the library was our second home.

Looking back, I have this advice for students. Please do not get yourself involved in too many extra curricular activities. While in school, study well and score well in exams.  Join only 1 or 2 societies of interest and learn soft skills.  Success in life is not dependent on the number of distinctions one scores in exams but with good exam results there are more career choices and tertiary education opportunities both locally and abroad.

Why do I say this?

Well, I was one who was too involved in school activities. I often had to skip lessons in class because I had to attend meetings or to perform duties. I did poorly in my Lower Six exams. I remembered Mr Woon, my chemistry teacher, who warned me of impending disaster if I continued to neglect my studies and took on unnecessary duties in school.  I took his advice well and returned to my studies as quickly as I could upon starting Upper Six. I took private tuition with some of the brightest students then to play catch up. Truly, things went very well for all of us who studied hard.  For the first time in ACS history, five of us went into medical school, University of Malaya. Medical school was another 5 years of hard work and we went through it without much fuss.

Receiving the Baton

Passing on the Baton

After HSC Exam

Learning is life long. Life is short and even shorter when we reach 60. The questions then for me is what will be the best things to do before I fall "asleep"?

Revisiting ACS Primary

A Meal with Friends

The future is still bright for most of us who can still walk, run, swim, sleep and eat.  I am up and about after my cataract operation in April. I can see clearly now.

Here are the few areas I am heading into: 1. Be deeper rooted in Christ and to spread the good news 2. Building a stronger family unit and making sure my kids are adequately provided for. 3. Building up ESL Healthcare a social enterprise with emphasis on home care. 4. Continuing medical practice until my eyes go dim again. 5. Taking Perak Chest Society to the next level.  6. Establishing TO BE to train and uplift youths. I pray and hope to complete the race in this 3 score and 10 years (Malaysian life expectancy: Male 72 years, Female 77 years).

A heartfelt thank you to all my friends for all the encouragement and support throughout these years. May our friendship continues to grow and prosper.

Self Service Washing Machines

Something new in Ipoh. Now everyone can wear clean dresses.

Power Swim Goggles

My favorite powered swim goggles. -10 diopters. Without them I swim blindly. These goggles are very difficult to purchase as most companies only manufacture up to -6 diopters. Goodbye faithful goggles. You have made swimming so pleasurable for so long.

L Cataract Surgery

Cataract surgery scheduled for 16/3/16.

What I did before surgery was to find out more about the surgery itself and the after eye care.

Before surgery:
Applied Vigamox eyedrop 3 days earlier. Applied a drop three times a day.
Started on Zinnat and Ciprobay the day before.

After surgery:
Use goggles during bath and washing face.
Use wipes around the eyes.
No rubbing of eyes
No stooping or lifting of heavy objects or strenuous activities
No swimming.
No dusty environment.
Sun glasses.
Follow the instructions of doctor closely on usage of antibiotic and steroid eyedrops.

Thank God my L eye vision is now 6/6.  Will need to operate on the other eye soonest possible because the images from both eyes are different.  Difficult to drive at night.

The Doctor

Art in my Clinic Series:

"The Doctor" a reprint from the Tate Gallery given to me by the late Dato Teh Siew Eng many years ago. This painting reminds be that doctors should be passionate about their calling and compassionate in their work

PCS Assist Support Group Meeting

We are continuing this programme in conjunction with the Perak Chest Society. I shall be attending to the Q&A sessions. Cik Azmeera out physiotherapist will assist in the physical exercises and Ms Navaneswary our pharmacy assistant will help attendees improve on their inhaler techniques.

Please come and learn.

App helps asthma patients to monitor condition through action plan

The Star Online.
Article by Ms Amanda Yeap


TO BETTER manage asthma, the Perak Chest Society is encouraging patients to use a smartphone app called AsthmaMD.

Society president Dr Leong Oon Keong, who strongly supports the use of the free app created by medical doctor and researcher Dr Sam Pejham, said the app helps patients to track and control their condition through an asthma action plan.

“It is best for each patient to own a peak flow meter first to go with this app,” he said.

“A patient should blow into the instrument at least twice a day — upon waking up and before going to sleep — then jot down the results in the app’s journal to monitor their condition.

“Currently, doctors still chart meter readings on paper, but with this app, everything is instant because the patient can do it on their own,” he tells MetroPerak.

To the uninitiated, a peak flow meter is a calibrated instrument used to measure lung capacity and monitor breathing disorders. It is commonly used among asthma patients.

The AsthmaMD app allows patients to keep track of their asthma activity and action plan.

Dr Leong said the app will inform the user whether their condition is critical or under control, depending on the results of their meter reading.

“When the reading shows critical, the app will then launch an asthma action plan telling a patient what they should do to get it under control again.

“Now this is the important part of the app usage — you must confirm with your doctor the type of relievers you can take for this action plan beforehand so that you are taking the correct dosage of medicine.

“About 30 minutes after taking the first round of medication, the app will ask, ‘How are you?’
“If you feel better, the plan will stop. If not, the next step of the action plan will continue. Each round of medication must be keyed in by your doctor from the beginning,” he said.

Dr Leong points out that the one feature that makes this app essential for asthma patients is that once the user’s asthma activity is diligently charted every day, it can be easily shared with their doctor.

“The app provides a graphic chart of an asthma journal, which can be emailed to a doctor so they can easily learn of a patient’s progress.

“This saves the patient so much time, as they don’t have to make the physical trip to the clinic to find out their progress.

“If all is well, the doctor may extend the appointment date. But if things deteriorate, the patient can come in earlier to see the doctor instead of having to wait until the next appointment,” he said.

The app’s other features include recording data of asthma symptoms experienced (coughing, wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, waking at night due to asthma, the ability to do some but not all usual activities), asthma triggers (dust, fumes, exercise, pollution, pollen, strong odours, viral illness) as well as reminders so that patients do not forget to take their medication even though their condition is well managed.

Being a consultant chest physician himself, Dr Leong said the society has long been searching for ways to help patients with respiratory complications self-monitor their conditions at home.

“We’ve only managed to find this app to help asthma patients.

“Although this app has been in existence since 2010, and has been written about in international publications, I believe a lot of doctors here are not aware of this useful tool.

“As doctors, we can’t do everything ourselves for the sake of our patients, so if there’s anything free and beneficial to patients, we must share it,” he said.

Dr Leong, who believes that the app can pave the way to the age of telemonitoring diseases at home in Malaysia, said the society will be conducting formal lessons soon to educate nurses and counsellors on how to effectively use the app.

“This can then be passed on to patients so they know what to do after being discharged, while maintaining direct communication with their doctors by sending them the charts from this app.

“I must stress that it is vital for patients to go back to their doctors to confirm their asthma action plan, so that they know the dosage of medicine they should take every day to control their symptoms,” he said.

For more information, go to www.pcs.org.my or www.asthmamd.org.