Eight-month old’s only hope lies in a liver transplant

TheStar Online (June 25, 2009)

EIGHT-MONTH-OLD Loke Kai Xin is in need of a liver transplant.

Kai Xin, born on Oct 22 last year, was diagnosed with biliary atresia after developing jaundice when she was only three months old, and her parents have been advised that she should undergo liver transplant surgery at the National University Hospital, Singapore (NUHS).

Biliary atresia is a condition in which the bile produced by the liver cannot flow from the liver to the gall bladder, resulting in liver damage and ultimately, liver failure.

According to Kai Xin’s father, Eric Loke Lee Ping, the only place in Malaysia where liver transplant surgery is carried out is the Selayang Hospital, where the waiting period is a year.

In need of a liver transplant: Lee with Kai Xin. The baby has jaundice and a bloated belly, both signs of liver failure.

“In February, Kai Xin underwent a Kasai procedure (surgical treatment to allow bile from the liver to bypass blocked bile ducts) at the Sunway Medical Centre in Petaling Jaya but it was unsuccessful, and we were advised that a liver transplant was her only remaining option.

“As she was underweight, we were advised by the University Malaya Specialist Centre (UMSC) to seek medical help in Singapore,” said Loke, who was with his daughter and wife Lee Huey Jing at the UMSC in Petaling Jaya on Saturday.

“The doctor at NUHS told us that my wife is the most suitable donor.

“However, the medical team at NUHS has not scheduled any tentative date for the operation because Kai Xin’s weight has not reached the minimum requirement of 8kg.

“Kai Xin now weighs about 7kg, and only when she is at least 7.6kg will NUHS arrange a date,” he said.

To help Kai Xin gain weight, she has been warded at the UMSC where she is fed less milk volume but at increased frequency, using a feeding pump at night.

Loke said the liver transplant operation was estimated to cost RM500,000, inclusive of medical treatment like pre-surgery assessment procedures, post-operative care and follow-ups.

It is a sum that the couple cannot bear in full, and as such, they are appealing for help from the public.

A fund has been set up for Kai Xin under Yayasan Sin Chew.

Those who would like to make a contribution may issue a cheque to Yayasan Sin Chew, with the beneficiary’s name, donor’s full name, IC number, complete address and telephone number written on the back. The cheque should be sent to Yayasan Sin Chew at 19, Jalan Semangat, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.

Yayasan Sin Chew opens from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.

For enquiries, call 03-7965 8888 / 03-7965 8675.

All that Twitter is not gold

TheStar Online (June 17, 2009)

KUALA LUMPUR: Spammers are diversifying their reach to popular social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Network security company Symantec Corp said it has observed that Twitter, in particular, has become a target for phishing activities.

In these instances, it said, computer users are misled into logging into fake Twitter accounts or providing personal information and credit card details.

It also said spam attacks have leveraged on Twitter via two spam campaigns: Make Money Fast (MMF) and one that targets the Twitter dating site, Datetwit.

Symantec warned computer users to watch out for these e-mail headers; Twitter Guru Reveals All On Video; Use Twitter To Make Money; and Teenagers Are Playing Online And Making Grundles Of Money.

For Twitter, it said, the spammers creatively evade antispam filters by obfuscating e-mail messages with legitimate content.

According to Symantec, spammers continue to harvest e-mail messages and personal information by promoting a wide variety of products that include diabetes-related treatments.

The World Health Organisation has said that there are at least 170 million diabetic patients worldwide and that the number will double by 2030.

These diabetics, said Symantec, are potential targets for spammers taking advantage of those seeking cheaper treatments or medical products online.

Symantec said its State of Spam reports are a means of educating the public, as well as businesses, on the evolving challenges of keeping the Internet secure.

A full version of this report is available for download at
http://go.symantec.com/spam_report.

The fun and serious sides of blogging

The fun and serious sides of blogging by Vaneetha Sagadevan

BLOGGERS and those interested in sharing their thoughts on blogosphere are invited to the PJ Challenge ‘09 Bloggers Karnival: Feel Green in Knowledge City June 20.

The event, held in conjunction with the third anniversary of PJ becoming a city, will take place at the Jaya 33 shopping centre, touted to be Malaysia’s first hyperoffice and community mall.

The event, from 11am to 5pm, is being sponsored by Kaspersky Lab with the support of the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and the Association of Backpackers Malaysia (ABM).

Come all: Dr Wong (fifth from right) and association members with a poster of the PJ Challenge 09 Bloggers Karnival taking place on June 20.

Bloggers and non-bloggers alike are invited to join in the fun which includes classes on how to set up your own blog, sharing session with established bloggers, a treasure hunt, colouring contest for the kids, face-painting and even an opportunity to find your match.

Former Kelana Jaya MP and ABM president Datuk Dr Wong Sai Hou said charity associations and Chinese organisations in Petaling Jaya were now linked to one another through blogs.

“Now is the right time for such organisations to connect to one another through blogs not only to ensure the public are aware of their existence but also that they step forward to help them,” he said during a meeting with representatives of several charity associations and Chinese organisations.

Dr Wong said he had invited welfare officers to the meeting because he was concerned about the poor in Petaling district.

He said an outreach programme called “Projek Cari” had been launched to identify those in need of welfare aid.

The welfare officers will collect comprehensive data on the poor and the information would be sent to the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry for further action. He added that the outreach programme’s deadline had been extended until December this year.

Petaling district welfare officer Sunarni Mastury said RM300 monthly would be given to those who earn less than RM720 a month.

“Before aid is given we need to investigate to make sure the help goes to the right person. Due to a shortage of welfare assistant officers, we need members of the public to inform us of those in dire need of help,” she said.

At the end of the meeting, Dr Wong presented cheques worth RM2,000 each to five Chinese associations and organisations.

The total donation of RM10,000 was from the Prime Minister’s Department to help the associations in their annual activities.

WHO declares swine flu pandemic

TheStar Online (June 11, 2009)

GENEVA: The World Health Organisation told its member nations it was declaring a swine flu pandemic Thursday - the first global flu epidemic in 41 years - as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.

In a statement sent to member countries, WHO said it decided to raise the pandemic warning level from phase 5 to 6 - its highest alert - after holding an emergency meeting on swine flu with its experts.

The long-awaited pandemic decision is scientific confirmation that a new flu virus has emerged and is quickly circling the globe. It will trigger drugmakers to speed up production of a swine flu vaccine and prompt governments to devote more money toward efforts to contain the virus.

“At this early stage, the pandemic can be characterised globally as being moderate in severity,” WHO said in the statement, urging nations not to close borders or restrict travel and trade. “(We) remain in close dialogue with influenza vaccine manufacturers.”

WHO also told countries it was in “close dialogue” with flu vaccine makers and it believed the firms would work “to ensure the largest possible supply of pandemic vaccine in the months to come.”

Flu vaccine makers like GlaxoSmithKline PLC and Sanofi-Aventis have been working since last month on a swine flu vaccine.

GlaxoSmithKline spokesman Stephen Rea said the company was ready to start making swine flu vaccine in large quantities once it finished its regular flu vaccine production in July.

On Wednesday, WHO said 74 countries had reported nearly 27,737 cases of swine flu, including 141 deaths.

The agency has stressed that most cases are mild and require no treatment, but the fear is that a rash of new infections could overwhelm hospitals and health authorities - especially in poorer countries.

Still, about half of the people who have died from swine flu were previously young and healthy - people who are not usually susceptible to flu.

Swine flu is also continuing to spread during the start of summer in the northern hemisphere. Normally, flu viruses disappear with warm weather, but swine flu is proving to be resilient.

The last pandemic - the Hong Kong flu of 1968 - killed about 1 million people. Ordinary flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people each year.

Many health experts say WHO’s pandemic declaration could have come weeks earlier but the agency became bogged down by politics. In May, several countries urged WHO not to declare a pandemic, fearing it would cause social and economic turmoil.

“This is WHO finally catching up with the facts,” said Michael Osterholm, a flu expert at the University of Minnesota who has advised the U.S. government on pandemic preparations.

Despite WHO’s hopes, raising the epidemic alert to the highest level will almost certainly spark some panic about spread of swine flu.

Fear has already gripped Argentina, where thousands of people worried about swine flu flooded into hospitals this week, bringing emergency health services in the capital of Buenos Aires to the brink of collapse. Last month, a bus arriving in Argentina from Chile was stoned by people who thought a passenger on it had swine flu. Chile has the most swine flu cases in South America.

In Hong Kong on Thursday, the government ordered all kindergartens and primary schools closed for two weeks after a dozen students tested positive for swine flu - a move that some flu experts would consider an overreaction.

In the United States, where there have been more than 13,000 cases and at least 27 deaths from swine flu, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the move would not change how the U.S. tackled swine flu.

“Our actions in the past month have been as if there was a pandemic in this country,” Glen Nowak, a CDC spokesman, said Thursday.

The U.S. government has already taken steps like increasing availability of flu-fighting medicines and authorising US$1bil for the development of a new vaccine against the novel virus. In addition, new cases seem to be declining in many parts of the country, U.S. health officials say, as North America moves out of its traditional winter flu season.

Still, Osterholm said the declaration was a wake-up call for the world.

“I think a lot of people think we’re done with swine flu, but you can’t fall asleep at the wheel,” he said. “We don’t know what’s going to happen in the next 6 to 12 months.” - AP

Eats You Can Afford

Eats you can afford by Richard Augustin

Suffering a case of tight wallet syndrome doesn't mean you have to forgo delicious meals. Here are easy thrifty recipes you can try at home.

The current economic slowdown has gotten everybody in a pickle resulting in consumers being not as frivolous with the ringgit as they once were.

Prices of goods are on the rise and as people find a common ground in trying to taper their spending, more and more of us are – for the lack of a better term – tight fisted with money these days.

Food is one of the first things that seem to hit most of us during this economic slowdown with the majority of the public now changing their eating habits and have gone so far to opt from dining out in order to save a little cash.

Restaurants are realising this too as more eateries and franchises, even fast food ones, offering special "value for money" offers in order to make up for this current deficit.

But if you want something a little more substantial, nutritious and tasty compared to salted fish, soy sauce and steam rice on a daily basis, then do take heed of these meal suggestions (from RM5 to RM30) you can attempt at home. We guarantee they'll satisfy your hunger pangs without putting a dent into your wallet.

Best for RM5

Although the omelette is widely considered as a breakfast item, it's also versatile enough to be had at any time of the day especially with a wide variety of ingredients added in.

A three-egg Spanish omelette, for example, is perfect to satisfy that hunger pang or as a quick snack. To make the omelette more appetising and fulfilling, use chopped onions, sliced bell peppers and mushrooms with a little shredded cheddar cheese for the filling.

If you're the carnivorous type, some sliced sausages, chopped ham and bacon bits will definitely work a treat.

Start off by heating the pan with a little oil, sweat the onions and add in the peppers, mushrooms and meat items. Cook for a minute and add in beaten eggs into the mix, cook until eggs are set and add in pepper and salt to taste and cheddar cheese before folding. Set into plate and add in a dash of Tabasco sauce before serving. (Serves two persons)

Best for RM15

Spaghetti is a cheap option as it's easier to store, cook with and most importantly saves you time and money.

Plus, pasta sauces these days come in all sort of flavours, which you can also easily modify on your own.

For added variety and a bit more of a kick, do consider adding in canned tuna or meat items like sliced chicken fillets or minced beef for a meatier option to the dish.

A quick boil of the pasta and a saucepan is all that's needed for this hearty pasta meal. A dash of pepper and salt with a sprinkle of rosemary herbs to the meat and a quick stir-fry in a little olive oil (before adding in the pasta sauce) will add a little depth to the dish. Throw in chopped peppers and sliced mushrooms.

For a more Malaysian flavour, feel free to sprinkle in some dried chillie flakes to the dish as well. (Serves three to four)

Best for RM30

Nothing is heartier than a roast chicken meal and even though it takes a little preparation time, it's easy enough to do on your own.

All you need is a whole chicken (patted dry) marinated with butter or olive oil, thyme, rosemary or basil, a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a tablespoon of Montreal Chicken Seasoning.

Marinate the chicken with the ingredients – especially inside the cavity – and tie the bird up around the wing and thigh area before placing in the roasting pan.

Preheat oven to about 180 to 200 degree Celsius and place a few potatoes (wrapped in aluminium foil) into the pan as well. Roast the chicken for approximately one hour and 15 minutes or until done; you can tell by the golden brown skin colour.

To make absolutely sure, prick the side of the chicken thigh to see if there's a clear juice oozing out of it. Once you're sure it's done, remove the chicken and leave it aside to cool.

Cut the chicken into quarters and serve with a portion of baked potato. Last but not least, toss in a few salad leaves or a scoop of baked beans to complete your meal. (Serves four)

A healthy snooze

THE DOCTOR SAYS By Dr Milton Lum

Sleep is needed for the body to rest and repair.

SLEEP is something none of us can do without. However, the reason why everyone needs sleep is not well-elucidated. During sleep, the brain is more responsive to internal stimuli than external stimuli like sound and light. The metabolic demand of the brain is also reduced and this is reflected in a general decrease in the blood flow to the brain.

Most of the knowledge about sleep has come from sleep deprivation experiments. It is generally accepted that good sleep is crucial for optimal intellectual performance and helps in realising a person’s mental potential.

Sweet dreams are made of these: REM sleep, which is also known as ‘dream sleep’, has tonic and phasic components.

Normal sleep comprises of cycles of non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. NREM sleep consists of progressively deeper stages of sleep. As NREM sleep progresses, stronger stimuli are needed for awakening. REM sleep, which is also known as “dream sleep”, has tonic and phasic components.

There are no rapid eye movements in the former. There are rapid eye movements, muscle twitches, pupil dilatation, increased heart rate variability and increased breathing rate in the latter. The muscle tone is decreased throughout REM sleep. The length of REM sleep and the intensity of the eye movements increase throughout the sleep cycle.

NREM sleep is followed by REM sleep, which occurs four to five times during the usual eight hour sleep period. The first REM period of the night may be last less than 10 minutes, while the last may exceed an hour. The NREM and REM cycles vary in length from 70 to 100 minutes initially to 90 to 120 minutes later in the night.

During the first third of the night, deep NREM sleep is present more whereas REM sleep predominates in the last third of the night. REM sleep takes up 20 to 25% of total sleep time. Light NREM sleep is the transition between sleep and awakening.

Infants sleep more than any other age group. The newborn baby can sleep 14 to 16 hours in a day. As the baby grows, the sleep time decreases so that by about six months of age, there is usually an overnight sleep period with at least a nap during the day. There is more REM sleep in an infant.

Senior citizens take a longer time to fall asleep and have more frequent awakenings. This sleep fragmentation may be aggravated by medical problems. There is less deep sleep and the total time in bed may increase leading to complaints of insomnia.

How much sleep?

The need for sleep varies with age. A newborn may sleep 16 to 20 hours throughout a day and an infant 12 to 14 hours with most of the sleep at night. Toddlers may sleep 10 hours or more. Primary school children need nine to 10 hours of sleep. Normal adults need six to 10 hours of sleep. It usually takes an adult about 10 to 20 minutes to fall asleep. Most of those who have less than five to six hours of sleep are probably not getting enough sleep.

After a good sleep, a person would feel refreshed on waking and is able to be alert throughout the day, without the need for naps or sleeping in on weekends.

The body has a “biological clock” called the circadian rhythm which is set by the hypothalamus in the brain. It is set at about 24.2 hours and the body is used to a regular routine of light and darkness at certain times. Light is called zeitgeber, a German word meaning time-giver, because it sets the clock in the hypothalamus.

A practical explanation for the circadian rhythm is that the brain is analogous to a battery charging during sleep and discharging during the time a person is awake.

It is believed there is a downswing in the circadian rhythm from evening till it reaches the lowest point (nadir) in the early morning.This makes it possible for a person to remain asleep overnight by preventing premature awakening, which is facilitated by the morning upswing. The upswing peaks in the early evening after which there is a downswing. This explains the stable cognitive function during the time a person is awake.

The body temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus. It is increased during the daylight hours and decreased at night, thus mirroring the sleep rhythm. Melatonin, prolactin, testosterone and growth hormone also have a circadian rhythm with maximal secretion during the night.

Sleep deprivation

Much knowledge about sleep has come from sleep deprivation experiments. Studies of individuals deprived of sleep for more than 24 hours have shown that there is a decrease in the brain’s metabolic activity by up to 6% for the whole brain and 11% for specific areas in the brain. There is also a decrease in body temperature, release of growth hormone and immunity as well as an increase in heart rate variability.

As sleep has a restorative function, deprivation leads to short and long term serious consequences. There are significant effects of sleep deprivation on brain functions like memory, concentration and mood.

Higher order cognitive function like language and numerical skills is affected early and disproportionately. There may be memory lapses, blurring of vision, slurring of speech, disorientation and poor co-ordination of body movements. Mood changes like depression are common.

Short term sleep deprivation has been reported to contribute to obesity and poor control of type II diabetes. Chronic partial sleep deprivation is the commonest cause of daytime sleepiness, which can impair performance at school or work and increases the risk of accidents especially when driving or operating machinery.

Long term sleep deprivation decreases the quality of life and leads to increased morbidity and mortality. There are effects on cardiovascular, respiratory and endocrine function. Coronary events have been found to be more common in those who have less than seven hours sleep compared to those with eight hours or more.

The subtle cognitive changes with small amounts of sleep loss (less than an hour each night for many nights) may not be recognised by the affected individual. Sleep loss for a week leads to marked cognitive deficits which may also be unrecognised by the affected individual. Research and education is ongoing to address this lack of recognition of the effects of sleep deprivation.

Sleeping well

Getting a good night’s sleep is vital for everyone. There are several ways of achieving this and they include:

• Having a routine facilitates sound sleep. This means going to bed and getting up at about the same time every day.
• Having an early dinner is helpful. The digestive system goes to sleep at about 7pm. A light dinner is helpful.
• Avoiding caffeine after lunch is helpful as caffeine keeps one awake.
• Avoiding alcohol is helpful as its breakdown produces chemicals that stimulate the individual. It also increases the likelihood of snoring as it relaxes the muscles. This leads to lighter and less refreshing sleep.
• Avoiding naps. The afternoon nap may be what keeps one awake at night.
• Avoiding light can be helpful. Not going to bed immediately after turning off the television. This is because melatonin, which is the hormone that helps a person sleep, is produced in the dark.
• 
  

Dr Milton Lum is a member of the board of Medical Defence Malaysia. This article is not intended to replace, dictate or define evaluation by a qualified doctor. The views expressed do not represent that of any organisation the writer is associated with.

The Law of the Garbage Truck

Here is a story which I received from my friend which I would like to share with you.....


One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us. My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us.

My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean he was really friendly. So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you.

Don't take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.

Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks takeover their day.

Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so...

Love the people who treat you right.

........... Pray for the ones who don't.

Life is ten percent what you make it .........

.............and ninety percent how you take it!

So I am wishing you a garbage-free day! 


Warm regards,
Sany Woo

A Suitcase Full of Love

A Suitcase Full of Love By Rachel Leung (June 7, 2009)

Leaving home to study taught a young woman that some things never change.

I was studying in London in the late 1970s. That was the beginning of my four-year journey, during which I discovered the most amazing love I have ever known.

I bade a teary farewell to my family at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Airport. With tears still in my eyes, I boarded the plane, knowing that I wouldn’t be able to hear from them for almost a month.

My flight was delayed for 36 hours at New Delhi. My parents were spared the agony of knowing this news because there were no cell phones for instantaneous communication then. I arrived at Heathrow on a chilly Saturday evening, lugging a large suitcase with one hand and a 1.5-foot long radio-cassette player with the other, and a carrier bag on my shoulder.

Fast forward 28 years and I see my eldest son embarking on a similar journey on his own.

We bade each other farewell at the KLIA, fondly and sadly. There was a lump in my throat, and my eyes were misty. But on the whole, it wasn’t like the separation I had years ago. My son, who had a 3.5kg laptop hanging from his shoulder, a backpack on his back, and a large suitcase, waved me goodbye.

Things change, but the only thing that never changes is the large suitcase that every student carries overseas. It is filled with warm clothing and food that a parent knows her child will miss. Daily essentials like clothes pegs, washing powder, toothpaste, and a rice cooker are carefully packed inside. These are things that the parent knows her child will need during the first few weeks in a foreign land, when he still doesn’t know where to shop. It is a suitcase that contains all the love a child can carry.

Upon settling down at my college dormitory, I set off to write my first letter to my parents. The letter would take more than a week to reach them and I had to wait another week or so before I could hear from them.

Every letter from my family was hastily opened and each word read and re-read. My father replied to every one of my letters without delay. He never said that he loved me in his letters. But through the lines, I knew he must have read my letters umpteen times, trying to make out whether I was happy or not. Was I eating well? How were my studies?

He had many questions to ask me but had to wait for at least three weeks before he could get my reply. In the meantime, he kept reminding me about what he had said before: eat well, put on more layers of clothing, and so on. As a daughter, I called it nagging. Now that I am a mother, I understand that it is called love.

When my son arrived at the Perth airport in Western Australia, he was met by his friend. We heard his voice again eight hours after bidding him farewell. During those hours of being incommunicado, I was agitated, not knowing whether he went through customs alright or not. What if his friend forgot to fetch him?

I thought of my parents and wondered how they could have put up with weeks of uncertainty before my first letter arrived. How did they go through their lives when every minute of their days was spent worrying about me, not knowing whether I had arrived in London or not? And, was I able to find my way to the college?

I only called my parents once a year, during the Chinese New Year. I made the international call at the main post office at Trafalgar Square. When my call was put through, I quickly delivered my prepared message. After all, a three-minute phone call at that time cost me almost a quid, so there was no time for nonsense like, “Mama I miss you”.

We Skype our son at least once a week. We can see each other through webcam. We talk for hours, not only my son and me, but the whole family, at the same time. It is like chatting at the dinner table, except that physically we are miles apart. I am spared the agony of uncertainty, like what my parents went through years ago, when news only came with the postman.

When I graduated, my parents were unable to go to London and share my joy. I sent them my graduation photo which I took at a studio. It’s still hanging on the wall of their living room today. This photo signifies all the sacrifices they had made to give me the best education possible.

Last September, we went to Perth to attend my son’s convocation. Compared with my parents, I had a much easier time when it came to sending children overseas.

I discovered my parents’ love during my four years in London, a love that I never realised was always present until I left them. It is an endless love which is passed from one generation to another.

My sacrifices for my children are insignificant compared to my parents’ for me. I thank them for giving me this endless love, which I can pass on to my children.