Happy New Year 2009

Happy New Year 2009 everyone! Best wishes from Volgograd, Russian federation. Tonight is the time for feast and party. Haa...

A good news for Malaysian Housemen

Read about this good news on TheStar Online,

Day off after 24-hour duty for trainee doctors

KUALA TERENGGANU: Trainee doctors will now get a day off after carrying out their 24-hour on-call duty.

Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said the directive will take effect immediately.

He said it applies only to housemen on active call and at the hospital the entire time.

“We will not let these trainee doctors be overworked. We will look into their welfare,” he told reporters yesterday after visiting the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital.

Liow was asked to comment on grouses from trainee doctors that they sometimes had to work almost 24 hours and then report to their superiors the next day.

Some trainee doctors complained that they had to work seven days a week without a single rest day during their two-year stint in government hospitals as housemen.

Liow said trainee doctors should also be allowed to concentrate on getting the right exposure and medical proficiency by giving them off-days.

A trainee doctor at Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital, who only wanted to be known as Sally, said she was relieved to hear that the ministry would look into their welfare.

“Frankly, we are very exhausted as we have to focus on our training and also carry out clinical rounds frequently,” she said. “It is stressful.”

Sally said she and her colleagues were unable to pay attention during their stints due to fatigue and time constraints.

Some thoughts to share after reading ?Mine is just simple : Same pay, more time to study, less time getting scolded. Haha....Anyway, i was joking about the 'less time getting scolded' part.. I am sure the senior doctors scold the trainee for their own good rite. :-)

24th Birthday Celebration

1stly, thanks to my groupmates from Group 38 (Yat, Mozac, Ben, Cip, Cud, Ina and Diana) for celebrating my birthday with me at Yat'&Mozac's place on 13th Dec...Shall update the pics after getting them from Ina:-)...
Now i wanna update the pics taken during my birthday celebration in Kim hostel by my hostel mates, on 14th Dec(the exact day). Thanks so much! To Melvin, Bernard, Yhu Voon, Hannie, Yi Jia, Huey Yee, Tesini and Li Liang...I didn't expect all those, esp.ly a home made cheese cake..hehe...Since it' was a celebration at the hostel, somemore it was in my room, so it's considered 'informal',and we just wore like usual...
And finally, thanks to those who wished me, either in person or via internet/phone:-)

















Hostel mates (from the left) : Huey Yee, Hannie, Yi Jia, Li Liang, Yhu Voon, Bernard(in white ,with specs), Melvin (in black)..And i am the one in the middle,squatting...























Melvin's turn to be the photographer..Newly included in this pic is Ms. Tesini Nathan.


















Me with a home made cheese cake..It tastes yummy!Hehe...heard it was being baked 'illegally'.















Cake handing ceremony, by our guest of honour, Ms.CHN.

How to perform a perimortem cesarean section (c-section)?

Read about this in a newly located site : My EmergencyMedicine Blog.

Indications:

• pregnant patient in cardiac arrest who has not responded to resuscitation efforts within 4 minutes of onset
• viable fetus, generally > 24 weeks (but somewhat institution dependent)

Procedure

• vertical incision from 2-3 cm above pubic symphysis to 1 cm below the umbilicus
• extend incision through subcutaneous fat to rectus sheath
• grasp rectus sheath with forceps and carefully make incision through it with scalpel/Mayo scissors
• expose the uterus
• make midline vertical incision through uterus with scalpel/scissors
• deliver fetus

Sources

Reichman, E MD and Simon, R MD. “Perimortem Cesarean Section” Emergency Medicine Procedures. McGraw Hill. 2004.

Roberts, J MD. et al. “Perimortem Cesarean Section” Roberts: Clinical Procedures in Emergency Medicine 4th ed. Elsevier. 2004.

Happy Birthday!!

Found the presents...hehe! Love this doraemon!

Wanna wish my dear HAppy happy birthday =) ..

Have a wonderful year ahead! and stay healthy and happy!

Think positive....

Today finally we went back again to the slum..for a dental programme and health talk for the kids and distributing the used clothes..Thanks to all the members and the lecturers esp..Dr Annama, Dr Sateesh and Dr Vasudha who are willing to spend their precious time to help us out..THings went on well til the final part whereby the ppl there became a bit out of control when we started giving out clothes... chaos...ANyway.. we learnt a lesson from this first project and the juniors might benefit from it for their next project..Hope Huluran KAsih organisation wil prevail in MMMC...
Sunday night again...so fast... Yesterday called home....managed to talk to mum and bro..and just now talked to my dear awhile... My life is just so blissful and comfortable...nothing for me to worry... I should be grateful.. After seeing many kids who are ill, some came with nephrotic syndrome, some babies with thalassemia who required life long blood tranfusion, I resented myself to not living my life to the fullest and wasting time doubting myself and get anxious over some illlogical stuff... Recently saw a baby, grossly pale and looked limped, came in with only 2% Hb due to undiagnosed Thallasemia..all this while the mother thought the baby is fair.. after first blood tranfusion , the baby's condition improves so much..so energetic and cheerful, keep laughing , and we had a wonderful time playing with her...Hope the baby be strong enough to face many more challenges in her life ...sometimes I wil be thinking, why must god punish these babies who did not do anything wrong at all in their life... though i know everything that happens has reasons behind it.. At this moment of life, I have it all ..good health, wonderful family and loving & understanding bf.. but life is just too good til sometimes I feel so scared that all this wil be taken away from me one day due to my mistakes..mistakes that i wil never ever do in my sound mind... I am scared of dissapointing my parents...i m scared of losing him.. Til now, I still haven got the courage to say "Thank you" to Mum and Dad...I wil.. one day...
I wil be more confident of myself...have faith and trust myself...think positive always.. Be optimistic!

Posting in Udupi...

Time flies..so fast I am coming to the mid of my 3rd posting(OBG and Paed in udupi)..3 more months left in india..the first week spent in PAed ward in Udupi hospital was really fun..got to talk and play with the kids..the 3 musketeers...came to know bout a famous Cricket player.."Doni" from the elder boy..he got so excited when we asked him bout cricket..haa... His mother even wrote for me my name in KAnnada...so nice of her...:-) tml my group wil switch from paed ward to OPD..
My dear must be studying hard now for his paed exam tml... All the best to u darling!

On Sat night

So much to do, yet the time i have is limited. Last month of the year is coming, which just means that our exams coming soon too. Just hope time will be managed better. My aim for December : Cut down coffee and sugar-rich food! Lastly, a huge apology to my dear,as i can't give her company as frequent as last time . But i know i will be able to compensate it in the future.:-)

USD500 & 1 month practicals

Latest announcement : 1 month compulsory practicals in outskirt of Volgograd + we have to pay USD500 for that. I didn't hear that myself, but from friends who attended the prize giving ceremony this afternoon. At last our university is trying to do something good, to improve our practical skills. They had never been so efficient till the MMC team came to reevaluate our university. But then when we think deeper, is that the only thing they can do in order to improve our practical skills? USD500 isn't a small amount of money, and how can they be so sure that the doctors we are assigned to are willing and dedicated enough to teach.Even if the doctor is dedicated and i am willing to pay , i doubt if my command of russian language is good enough for me to survive in outskirt of Volgograd for one month, and learn from doctors who hardly speak english, and read from illegible case histories?Perhaps they should reconsider about this...

Update from Volgograd

Sorry guys for not updating from Volgograd for so long. Kinda busy on weekdays, and even busier on weekends. Huh....today had a joint Deepavali-Chinese New Year celebration (makan-makan) for our batchmates. Shall share some photos after i got them. So much to accomplish, yet time is so little. Perhaps i should learn how to manage my time better . After all, everyone gets exactly 24 hours per day.:-)

The Young Monk Who Saved The Ants
Once upon a time in the deep mountains forest there lived an old monk and a young monk. The old monk was a great practitioner of Buddha-dharma and was frequently in deep meditation. Normally when he started meditation, it could last for half a day or one full day. In addition, during his meditation he would know what was going to happen in the future.
One day, the old monk meditated again. Suddenly he found out that his little disciple was going to pass away in eight days. Therefore the old monk called the young monk and said,
"My child, I am going to give you an eight-day holiday so that you can go home to see your mother and father."
"Really? That's very good, thank you Shifu."
In fact, lately I have been feeling quite homesick too."
"However, you must remember to come back here by the eighth day."
"Okay, Shifu, please take care of yourself. I am leaving now."
"Go home now!"
Delightedly the young monk went down the mountains, without realising that in the eyes of the old monk, there was sadness and a sense of reluctance to see him leave. After a long walk, the young monk stopped at the bank of the stream to drink some water as he was getting thirsty. Then he saw there was an ant cave in which countless ants were going into and out of it. He stayed to observe for a while with interest. When he was just about to leave,
"Oh! Why is the water level of the stream is rising? Oh no!! The ants will be drowned!!"
The reason was it had been raining upstream for a few days continuously. Therefore the water level downstream was starting to rise.
He quickly took off his cloth and he put some hard soil in it to made up a protection wall along the cave. Not only did he managed to stop water from covering the cave, but also skilfully diverted the flow of the waterto somewhere else.
Hence he saved the lives of countless ants. Eight days passed quickly. The old monk was strolling in the mountains forest sadly. Suddenly from a distance, he saw the little monk coming back upto the mountains cheerfully. Happily he asked the young monk to recount what he has done in the pass eight days while he had been away. When he pondered on this story he finally understood that because the young monk had saved the lives of countless ants this has caused his fated eight-day life expectancyto lenghten into a long and happy life.This is the merit of cultivating good deeds, however seemingly insignificant they be.

Found this inspiring story online...

~yenny~

Do not pursue the past.

Do not lose yourself in the future.

The past no longer is.

The future has not yet come.

Looking deeply at life as it is.

In the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in stability and freedom.

We must be diligent today.

To wait until tomorrow is too late.

Death comes unexpectedly.

How can we bargain with it?

The sage calls a person who knows how to dwell in mindfulness night and day,

'one who knows the better way to live alone.'

Bhaddekaratta Sutta

Still searching for the meaning in life and the secret to happiness...

~yenny~

Truth...

SPEAKING TRUTH

By Jesa MacBeth

It is possible to speak truth in anger. When so done, people tend to hear the anger and not the truth.
It is possible to speak truth in arrogance. When so done, people tend to hear the arroganceand not the truth.
It is possible to speak truth in deceitful ways. When so done, people tend to sense the deceit and take the truth for more deceit.
It is possible to speak truth in loving kindness. When so done, people tend to hear the love and the truth.
Or so it seems in my experience.

Last day of Diwali holiday...

~yenny~

Boredom, loneliness, laziness...

A tough comment from Lama Yeshe in 'Becoming Vajrasattva, the Tantric Path of Purification':
"Why are we bored, lonely and lazy? Because we don't have the will to totally open our hearts to others. If you have the strength of will to totally open your heart to others, you will eliminate laziness, selfishness and loneliness. Actually, the reason you get lonely is that you are not doing anything. If you were busy, you wouldn't have time to get lonely. Loneliness can only enter an inactive mind. If your mind is dull and your body inactive, then you get lonely. Basically, this comes from a selfish attitude, concern for yourself alone. That is the cause of loneliness, laziness and a closed heart."

~yenny~

Story from the heart

EYES
There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend, who was always there for her. She said that if she could only see the world, she would marry her boyfriend. One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. She could see everything, including her boyfriend. Her boyfriend asked her, “Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?”
The girl was shocked when she saw that her boyfriend was blind, and refused to marry him. Her boyfriend walked away in tears, and later wrote a letter to her saying - “Just take care of my eyes dear.”

Saw this story online....wonder how true can it be in reality...

~yenny~

Freedom...

PRAYER FOR FREEDOM FROM SUFFERING
May all beings everywhere plagued

with sufferings of body and mind

quickly be freed from their illnesses.

May those frightened cease to be afraid,

and may those bound be free.

May the powerless find power,

and may people think of befriending each other.

May those who find themselves in trackless, fearful wilderness--

the children, the aged, the unprotected--

be guarded by beneficent celestials,

and may they swiftly attain Buddhahood.

The Buddha

~yenny~

Attachment...

An example to illustrate attachment that I love:
"In the South of India, people used to catch monkeys in a very special way. Actually they let monkeys catch themselves. What they did is cutting a small hole in a coconut, just large enough for a monkey to put its hand in. Next, you fix the coconut to a tree, and fill it with a sweet. The monkey smells the sweet, squeezes its hand into the coconut, grabs the sweet and .... finds that the fist does not fit through the hole. Now the trick is, that the last thing the monkey will think of is to let go of the sweet; and it holds itself prisoner. Nothing could be easier for a human being who comes and catches it. "

Saw this phrase somewhere..find it meaningful..

~yenny~

price to pay...

上了大学才知道，真心对一个人好不一定有回报，而你忽略的人往往有可能是最重视你的。
上了大学才知道，一个人要自己对自己好，因为真正关心你的人很少，有了事他们也不一定会在你身边。所以要自己照顾自己。
上了大学才知道，不要心情不好的时候对周围人发脾气，渴望他们谅解你，人家不是你的父母，现在你可以明白父母对自己多么重要。
上了大学才知道，太在乎别人了往往会伤害自己 。
上了大学才知道，原来上课，吃饭，上自习常常得自己一个人。

Came across a fren's blog recently and saw those sentences above..very much agree with it...prob those are lessons in life that we must learnt...a price to pay for growing up..

tonight attended our last chinese orientation in manipal organized by the juniors..they did a good job..rather lost recently..

We wil remember u always Ah kong...

Today 18 Oct 2008, our beloved Ah kong, a remarkable man, the one who holds all of us together.. left this world...But, he wil be forever in our hearts...Pray that he is in a better place now.. Rest in peace ah kong...with love..
yenny...

My Precious Gift...

Thank u very much dear...Finally i get the chance to use it..hehe..I wil take care of it carefully..:-)
Strive on..dun give up!!
Found an interesting quote...

"The past cannot be changed,the future is still in your power."

- Hugh White -

childhood memories...

Today is the last day of the introduction session.. Tml my group wil be starting the first posting in Karkala..Paediatrics and OBG.. we heard from seniors that having toys might help to make the children happy..haaha..so just now me and another 2 frens went around Udupi after class to look for toys! too bad.. we had to walk into few shops only managed to get the ones that we feel are suitable and safe for kids and can produce sounds..haa...above green block is the one i bought finally..

And today, i also got something else for myself and ppl i love...this SMILEY is the toy the shop assistant in the first shop showed us..it is soft enough but too bad cant produce sounds, so cant attract child's attention..Anyway, 3 of us ended up buying it too for ourselves coz it is so cute...

This SMILEY is for my beloved dad & mum, sis & bro ( kambate in ur pmr!!), all my relatives & frens...and of course not to be forgotten my dear..:-)..Hope all of u stay happy always!!

Faith...

When I'm with you,

eternity is a step away,

my love continues to grow,

with each passing day.

This treasure of love,

I cherish within my soul,

how much I love you...

you'll never really know.

You bring a joy to my heart,

I've never felt before,

with each touch of your hand,

I love you more and more.

Whenever we say goodbye,

whenever we part,

know I hold you dearly,

deep inside my heart.

So these seven words,

I pray you hold true,

"Forever And Always,

I Will Love You."

- Chris Engle -

no mood to study..came across this poem online.. simple yet beautiful..I always love such poems.. would like to dedicate it to my darling... ;-) sorry to make u upset many times...

A new beginning..

Finally comes saturday night..it has been a week since i started the clinical phase here in manipal..basically this whole week we are just being introduced to the subjects..proper clinical teachings wil start next week probably.. my group wil start with OBG and Paed.. quite a routine schedule everyday, guess it gonna be like this for our remaining 6 months in india... one hour lecture every morning at 8, then we wil be sent to respective hospital , either in Udupi( 15 min away) or Karkala( 45 min away) by college bus for morning and afternoon classes/clinics til 5...my dear said is like school children, bus sends and picks us up everyday..hehe..at least we dun have to worry bout transport.. :-) So far, met some really good and dedicated teachers..Now, i really need to start studying dy, cannot stay in the holiday mood anymore..haa! pray for assistance ..for me being able to study smoothly... All the best to all my batchmates in this clinical phase!

Euro 2008 - Vienna

1st dinner in Vienna, lamb kebab..the cheapest food we could get in Vienna..1st station , gotta 'ikat perut' 1st





















The giant Stephansdom features an 137 m. high church tower, and is adorned with coloured tiles. Inside, the stone prayer chair (dating 1514) draws the attention. It was made by Anton Pilgram, who portrayed himself on it.
















Another church
















Alot of people cycle in Vienna, as well as in many other European cities.. I thought of doing the same too when i start working in Msia in the future, but then thought of the weather , i think better not.hehe
















Schonbrunn Palace , a UNESCO world heritage site. Schonbrunn was the Hapsburg's summer residence. It has over 1400 rooms, of which 40 are open to the public. The exterior is baroque, and the interior is rococco. Schonbrunn is a great example of how the royals lived in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. The Palace and Gardens of Schonbrunn became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996.
















Part of the Schonbrunn Palace.

summer 2008....

My holiday gonna comes to an end..sobz..sobz... next week i wil be back to manipal.. This holiday, basically just staying at home.. lazying around in kopitiam..spending time with ah kong, mum& dad, sis , bro, relatives and all my beloved cousins...Initially spent some time in penang with my relatives there..then few days in KL with my "tough" sis...after experiencing her routine life in KL for few days, i feel sorry for her that she has to go thru her uni life this way, if compared to mine, mine is really a bed of roses...I dun have to worry bout anything.. I dun have to wait ages for buses, dun have to bear with those idiots smoking infront of u at the bus stop..dun have to wake up at 6 and travel 2 hours to the exam hall...and dun have to stay alone..all my frens are just staying nearby.. I really hope after her degree, she might be able to go to a better place that she likes..and experience a real campus life like how she always wanted.. i know how much she hates KL...
Brother...really proud of him that he got quite good results in his trial..though he always seems "lazy", but i know he did study hard.. though no matter what, there must be a slot for computer games period in a day for him.. His PMR is coming up soon, all the best to him... * feeling guilty everytime scolding him when teaching him math...keep reminding myself to be more patient...*
Ah Kong...the one who holds the family together..without him I might not be knowing many of my relatives..He is getting weaker as days pass by and memories start to deteriorate...In the past few months, many of his children, grandchildren and grangrandchildren came back from all over the place to see him...thanks to chea chea's wedding too..:-) for once everyone was back to lempang again in July...After such a long time some new family photos were taken but i wasnt in it..i missed it..sobz sobzz.. and now, me, and another 3cousins who missed the wedding are back at home.. Vanessa actually pointed this out yesterday..we are just coming back late..anyway..i stil hope one day all of us wil be together again though the chances are very much slim..is not easy to get everyone together at one time since everyone has their own families and commitments to serve...
Till then ..
yenny..in lempang

Youngest cousin

I met with my youngest cousin when i was back for summer holiday. He is so cute and chubby, and he isn't scared of anyone...And he certainly gave me a big 'welcome' by treating me 'tea' (urinating on me) twice, when i 1st hugged him and last hugged him before i left. Hee.. It was great to meet him though...Children are innocent and cute rite?;-)

Simple Quiz 1

What's shown on the picture?


















How are these 2 signs called?

Insanity - definition

Once came across such definition in a book , ' Insanity - when we do the same thing again and again, and each time we expect different results'. Well... today encountered another 'insanity'... And most people just decided continue to be 'insane'... haha....

An afternoon with Mr.R

Today at 2pm, i was supposed to get my document signed by Mr.R, so i went to the dean's office. Lucky! He's there....and that's how the whole story begins

Mr.R : What do you want?
Me : Sir, can you please sign this document for me?
Mr.R : No no... i am going out now,come back after 4pm.
Me : Sir, can't you just sign it for me now?
Mr.R : After 4pm...

Fine...At 4pm.
Me : Sir, can you sign this for me now?
Mr.R : (by looking at my papers) No no, you gotta pay full amount...I won't sign for you unless you pay full.
Me : But sir, the lady didn't mention about this when i was making the payment.
Mr.R: I don't care
Me : Fine (WTH, didn't they communicate about this before)

Ok...i got no choice, but to call my friend to bring me the money. And then made the payment
Me : Sir , can you sign for me now?
Mr.R : (By looking at the papers again) Ok....after this bring these papers to the control department, and then come back to me again
Me : Ok

Waiting for nearly 20minutes for that particular lady to come back to the office just to write the date and draw 'sth' for me. Wonder why can't others in the office do this simple thing for me? Perhaps they must have the 'diplom' to write date and name?

Me : Sir, it's done now.
Mr.R : Ok, now go to get the signature from the dean.
Me : (WTF, making me running here and there) Fine, i will go

After getting the signature.
Me : Sir, here is it.
Mr.R : No no....the dean must sign on the opposite side of this paper...
Me : But sir, aren't they the same?
Mr.R: No no, they are different.
Me : Fine!

After seeing the dean for the 2nd time.
Me : Sir, is it done now?
Mr.R: Yeah yeah..it's done.

The End

Well...i though i can come home and have a rest. Who knows i gotta spend my precious afternoon nap with Mr.R. It's not the 1st time such thing happened to me, and certainly it won't be the last. Wonder when those people in the dean's office will be more efficient? and will look after the welfare of students? Haih....doubt if i can see any changes in next feew years time...Whatever is it, just accept it. Btw, i just found out actually there's just 20/22hrs in a day, depends on how many lectures i have in a day!

Osler's or Janeway?

Q : How to differentiate Osler's nodes and Janeway lesions in SBE patients?
A : Osler's nodes are tender and nodular (swollen), while Janeway lesions aren't

Spotted this in a Taiwanese blog
It has been slightly modified as part of the post was in English.To read more, pls visit the link.

Steamboat on Mooncake festival

It's not a replacement for moon cake. It is just so coincident that today is my housemate's birthday too, so we had a small celebration at home. No mooncake served, but we had steamboat... Certainly you can't compare with the steamboats back home, where varieties of materials are available. What we have in Volgograd are just some basic stuffs, even the prawns and fish shown in the picture are frozen one (don't know how many decades they had been frozen, doesn't taste yummy). However, we had fun and chatted...Well, i guess that's the meaning behind it right? Not just eating, but sitting down to chat and share...What do you think?

Happy Mooncake Festival

Managed to grab a bite of it when i was in Malaysia for my summer holidays. For the past 5 years i had not been able to celebrate this festival with my family and my beloved one, and this will last for another year...Appreciate the time you have with your beloved ones now, otherwise in the future you may have to be apart from them for various reasons, work, studies etc...Enjoy the celebration!

Back in Volgograd!

Hi everyone....I am back to Volgograd again, didn't have the mood to blog at all while i was back in Msia...Just got my internet connection last week, and hope to blog more often. Really busy recently, having Clinical pharmacology ...A whole thick book on Clinical Pharmaco...Getting suffocated here..Stay tune ;-)

lost..

COuldn't study..since yesterday couldnt even force myself to finish reading a single question...hate it! just waiting the time to eat and finally chose sleep to forget everything temporatily.. my mind is not at peace, it is in a turmoil ..in a sea of emotion, full of hatred..anger..sadness...get irritated ..towards books.. my room..internet(which is of no use sometimes).... just wanna get out of the room and run run and run elsewhere..but nowhere to go..feel so lost without companion..of course frens have their own priorities.. i want myself back, want to be a person who dun scared of loneliness, a person who dun need other's ppl company, a person who can just spend her time on her own...courage!!

home..my refuge..

As i sit down quietly alone, a lot of things suddenly cross my mind...How my life has changed througout the years.. the most drastic change is from the moment i left home..from then onwards life is no longer as carefree , as happy as i was at home... probably that is the price that i have to pay for growing up becoming an adult.. I always feel i m a very lucky child...i was born in a happy family, having mum and dad who always shower me with unconditional love, a loving sis who wil always give me some inspiring words and pray for me for my exams..and a brother whom in my mind is always a small lil boy.. who wil send me online exclusively handmade bday card which made me laugh when i was gloomy and purposely cycle after school to The Store to buy me a pen when he knew that day was my bday.. and my ah kongs and ah pohs..my kuma, pek les, pek nins, uncles and aunties..who really care for me..who witness my whole growing years...now, though some of them have left us, but the memories of them stil remain vividly in my mind.. Now, away from home, many at times, i feel very much lonely, scared and helpless... i realise the difference not long b4.. i really couldnt accept it the first time i was sick away from home and i have to go to clinic alone, then i have to look for food myself and clear up afterwards .. immediately i thought of many things...if i were at home, mum/dad wil accompany me to clinic..then dad wil buy porridge/bread for me and tell me " if u cant finish it, nvm just leave it there..dun force urself"...stil remember once i had terrible gastric, almost the whole week, whenever i went out to uncle's shop, he wil make horlick for me and cook some soup stuff for me...hope he is in a better world now.. once i was having fever and mum and dad were at work, my uncles and aunties all take turn to see how m i doing , change the ice pack frequently for me making sure that my temp din go up higher...I have never feel scared that time coz i m very sure i wil be alright.. all those remain as memories though...As a person grow up, we are expect to fend for ourselves...u are supposed to learn to do everything urself, solve ur problem urself etc etc etc all by URSELF.. if u can be on URSELF, no one can hurt u....as time moves on, slowly gradually probably i am building up a shell surrounding me so tat i remain unhurt... in a lost recently..hope things wil get better...just wanna go home..

solitude

"The songs of the waves and the hymns of the streams
Are scattered, and the voices of the throngs reduced to silence;
And I can hear naught but the music of Eternity
In exact harmony with the spirit's desires.
I am cloaked in full whiteness;
I am in comfort; I am in peace."
- Khalil Gibran

loneliness

Poems on Loneliness
by Sri Chinmoy
~
Smile my heart smile.
You will see loneliness
Nowhere.
***
Do not blame Heaven
And do not blame earth
For your loneliness.
You are travelling the ways of loneliness
Because your mind has not tried to conquer
The darkness of frustration-frown.
***
A doubting mind
Is forced to live
In the prison of loneliness.
***
When our self-offering
Comes to the fore,
Loneliness Is bound to disappear.
***
My world-oneness-heart
Is a perfect stranger
To loneliness.
***
At times we can feel a sense of loneliness even when we are surrounded by many people. Sri Chinmoy suggests that we feel lonely when use our mind to separate ourselves from other people. It is easy for the mind to be negative and when we are in a negative state of mind our ego comes to the fore, this is when we are likely to feel more lonely. Furthermore loneliness does not help us in any way but only contributes to our unhappiness.
The cure for loneliness is to use the qualities of the heart to stop judging things and to cultivate happiness.

to those who care...

tonight was a bad nite...hp run out of credit...mind wandering..couldnt study..nothing go in..but time is ticking away very fast... outside was raining heavily , has been raining nonstop for the past few days, that's also how my feeling and emotion has been recently... He just told me i have to overcome this myself..prob he is right..noone can help me... i wont complain anything anymore...just accept watever consequences that wil happen..gulping everything down ...dun feel guilty ..and dun have to make any explanation to anyone...dun fear of anything..
thanks YW again...i knew i have been disturbing her too much lately..guess very few wil willing to spend their precious time during the study break listening to their fren.. during your time of needs only u wil realise who are those frens who really care...and to YL n LY( met her today , had a short nice chat)..thanks to veno for the help... may god bless all those kind souls...

thank u ..

Life wasnt so smooth sailing lately...everything doesnt seem to be falling in place...everything seems to be so harsh on me ..life full with anxiety and life has gone haywire... & my dear suffers because of me ...without fail he listens to me everyday...offering advices..jokes to make me happy...u have done a lot for me dear...
uni uni uni... 10 more days to go..dunno how my weak soul going to go thru this..so much more to cover and MEMORIZE!!.. could just seek for assistance from god, support from beloved mum and dad and my dear...without them i would have given up ..my body and mind would have given way..but for all my loved ones, i wil persevere...

Hi again!

Hi folks! Sorry for not updating this blog for so long..Just got back to Msia 3 days ago...Will update the photos we have taken slowly...Stay tune :-)

end of trip...

tonight my dear wil spend the last night of his trip in the airport ...to catch tml early morning flight back to moscow......hopefully i wil be able to contact him soon...:-) ..today has entered the 3rd day of study break..the stress slowly building up... the library is now full with my batchmates...all of us wil be having the same routine life in these3 weeks...breakfast-study-lunch-study-dinner-study-sleep..pathetic!!! deep in the heart, i hope all these end fast.... i just wanna pass and go home.....how i wish passing uni is as easy as passing spm/A-level.. haih..all these wil just remain a dream... seniors said 2nd year supposed to be less stressful compared to 1st year..but somehow i dun feel so, i feel i m coping with the stress of uni better in first year... HUh!! anyway wil tyr my best to cope with it now..god bless...dear come back faster...

end=beginning...

Today..this evening, i finished my patho practical paper..which means block 4 exam has come to the end..which also indicates the beginning of the most gruesome month of the year.."study break" starting tomorrow..this year we have 22 days in contrast to first year whereby we have 21 days for "study break"(wat an irony!! study can never be equal to break!!)..which wil eventually lead to uni..i m very sure the day wil arrive very fast without us realising it..
guess now my dear should be in Amsterdam already..few more days to go b4 we are reunited again...just now spend some time chatting with few of my worthy and true frens who really care for me..thanks YW and J for listening to my probs and help me to analyse my prob and try their best to help me.. thanks god for sending them to me...
gonna sleep dy...last day of rest tonight..god bless

separation...

finally, the day i dreaded most arrrived somehow... i thought i could handle it well..but today proved that i m completely wrong.. i m weak as usual ...prob the exam stress make it even worse.. he is away from me completely now.. phsycically.. but i miss him so much .. i stil hope for miracles somehow...I guess i have become very much emotionally dependent on him..
Hope tml wil be a better day.. God, pls stop me from thinking nonsense and worrying unnecessarily, and bless me with a clear mind to study...

1st day...

Now, my dear is on the train to Moscow..starting his first-ever backpacking journey.. leaving at about 5 pm just now....19 hrs journey..huh..the longest we took during our north india trip was just 14 hrs... ..hope u have a memorable trip dear...:-) miss u...

missing u...

Tonight came back earlier from library than usual...it wil be the last night i wil be seeing my dear..then have to wait 20 days later...the feeling is not right..mixed feeling..though i m supposed actually be mentally prepared for it..but when the day arrives, somehow...stil feel sad...this time wil be the first time we wil be totally lost contact..no phone..no sms.. just email if lucky.. within this one year..we practically see each other every day... :-) thinking back, really dunno how we can actually survive the whole first year without seeing each other...:-) and this wil also be my first exam without u being with me..wishing me luck every night/ morning..consoling me after each paper...luckily it is just block exam..i stil have u with me for uni.. really gonna miss u so much dear...take care ..take care n take care along the journey yea...have a safe journey to u all.....looking forward to see u at home... love..

Article : Is Competition Important in Medical School?

Came across the article : 'Is Competition Important in Medical School?' . I think it's a food for thought, especially in one of the most competitive fields in this world. Claimed by certain people, medical field has the most smart people. Before you gonna start scolding or backfiring me, i swear to god that i never said that in my whole life..Perhaps after reading the article, medical students or doctors out there would like to share few words about that?

Food hunting n last post

Today is the 1st day of my summer holidays...Since we are going to backpack in Europe for 11days, we went to Real (a hypermarket in Volgograd) to get food stuffs for our trip( after calculating how much we have spent for transportations and accommodations, we think it's wiser to buy food stuffs which are cheaper here n eat along the way, in order to save some money). I estimated that we have bought about 12kgs of stuffs ( biscuits, cakes, instant noddles, chocolate bars, tuna...) and i hope that would save us some money in countries which trade only in Euro ( 1 euro = rm5.13).. Wondering when the day which rm1=5.13euro will come? perhaps in my dream?haha... Our destinations will be Vienna (Austria), Prague (Czech Republic), Krakow(Poland), Amsterdam(Holland) and Cologne(Germany). We will depart from Moscow to Vienna on 7th July, and then fly back to Moscow again on 18th, and catch the flight home on 19th...Oh ya..i will go with 2 friends..Who they are? Wait till i update the photos when i come back k, then you all will know. Stay tune GUYS.(specifically, to the GUYS)
I guess this will be my last post, till i reach Malaysia on 20th...At the mean time, tiger will update this blog whenever she is free...All the best to you tiger, in your block 4 exam and uni. I will always pray for your health and success...

Histoplasmosis

I was asked by my dear what's the other name of histoplasmosis. Ok..i admit i am dumb, and before this, i jz knew histoplasmosis is a fungal infection which mostly affects the lungs,that's all. So i decided to find out more about it...(though i am having summer holidays now, my 'CME' still goes on ok.Haha!)

Histoplasmosis (Darling's disease)
Etiology : Histoplasma capsulatum

Epidemiology : throughout the world, and endemic in certain areas in the USA.

Transmission : It's contracted by inhalation of the spores from soil or guana. It isn't contagious!

Clinical picture : After exposure, the symptoms will appear in 3-17 days (average 12-14days).
Most patients show no apparent illnesses. The acute phase of histoplasmosis is
characterized by non-specific respiratory symptoms. Chronic histoplasmosis cases can resemble tuberculosis; disseminated histoplasmosis affects multiple organ systems and is fatal unless treated.
Severe infections can cause hepatosplenomegaly, lymphomegaly and adrenal
enlargement. These lesions tend to calcify as they heal.
Ocular histoplasmosis can result in loss of vision.

Diagnosis : Look for the fungus in the blood, sputum or infected organs. ELISA or PCR. It can also be diagnosed by a test for antibodies against Histoplasma in the blood. Histoplasma skin tests indicate whether a person has been exposed, but do not indicate whether they have the disea

Treatment : Antifungal medications are used to treat severe cases of acute histoplasmosis and all cases of chronic and disseminated disease. Typical treatment of severe disease first involves treatment with amphotericin B, followed by oral itraconazole.^[3] In many milder cases, simply itraconazole is sufficient. Asymptomatic disease is typically not treated. Past infection results in partial protection against ill effects if reinfected.

(Source : Wikipedia)

p/s : For those who laughing at my dumbness. Pls do it in private ok...Feel so bad now..Certainly have to study harder now...As my hsmate and i always say, 'have to turn into new leaves' next semester...But, after few semesters...i am still the same old leaf..Perhaps next sem?..Haha..

Pleural effusion : transudate vs exudate

Learnt about differentiating transudate and exudate based on Light's criteria.

Light's criteria :
1. Protein - pleural fluid : serum >0.5
2. LDH - plueral fluid: serum >0.6
3. LDH is more than 2/3 normal upper limit for serum

Twenty-five percent of patients with transudative pleural effusions are mistakenly identified as having exudative pleural effusions by Light's criteria. Therefore, additional testing is needed if a patient identified as having an exudative pleural effusion appears clinically to have a condition that produces a transudative effusion. In such cases albumin levels in blood and pleural fluid are measured. If the difference between the albumin levels in the blood and the pleural fluid is greater than 1.2 g/dL (12 g/L), it can be assumed that the patient has a transudative pleural effusion.

If the fluid is definitively identified as exudative, additional testing is necessary to determine the local factors causing the exudate.

According to a meta-analysis, exudative pleural effusions must meet at least one of the following criterias.
1. Pleural fluid protein >2.9g/dl
2. Pleural fuild cholesterol . 1.16mmol/l
3. Pleural ADH more than 60% of upper limit for serum

(Source : Wikipedia- pleural effusion)

Graduates 2008

Dang dang! Let me present to you the future dentists :-D...Got 2 leng luis here....Look by yourself...

















The most precious moment awaited by every student :-)


















The graduate, Dr. Chu Wooi Cheat. (profession: going-to-be dentist, status : unknown), pls let me know if interested.:-D

For more photos , visit Peanut...Today my summer holidays started...Dunno wat to do now..haha

luckiest...

Recently things din go as smoothly as i wish.. dunno whether is because of exam stress...or unneccesary fear of uncertainties and sufferings in life...having a hard time esp these few days.. but god stil loves me a lot.. by sending him to me.. Luckily i have him who listened to me all the time whenever i got stressed up ... whenever i m sad.. whenever i got angry at myself for having nonsense thoughts... with all the patience..again and again he is there for me ...though at times i already got fed-up at myself ..thanks dear.. :-) I promised i wil help myself too.. my dear is studying now..so I help him updating the blog.. tml he will be having last paper internal disease then holiday starts...all the best to the mouse n his fellow frens...:-) nitez...

Mnemonics : Risk factors for IHD & Complications of MI

Came across these 2 mnemonics in the book , Pathology SECRETS 2nd edition, by Ivan Damjanov.

1. Risk factors of IHD - has lipids

• H Hereditary
• A Age
• S Sex (male)
• L Lipidemia
• I Increased weight (obesity)
• P Pressure (arterial)
• I Inactivity (sedentary lifestyle)
• D Diabetes
  
• S Smoking

2. Complications of MI - appearance

• A Arrhythmia
• P Pump failure
• P Pericarditis
  
• E Extension of the infarct
• A Asystole (Heart block or VF)
  
• R Rupture (free wall of the ventricle, septum, or papillary muscle)
• A Aneurysms of the ventricle
• N Nervousness (fear of reinfarction)
• C Coagulation problems (mural thrombosis)
• E Emboli
  

p/s : all the best to fellow friends who have internal diseases and obstetrics exam tomorrow.

New site for medical students

Spotted this new site : Medicine for medical students. For those who like quizzes and questions, certainly this is a site not to be missed. :-)

almost the end..

today officially end of lectures for all 3 main subjects for 2nd year..remaining is forensic medicine and few lab sessions and revision...tiring day... 10 more days to block 4 exam...nearer and nearer..count down starts..

p/s: today my dear very charming :-)

Just a thought - post-obs...

Came across this article by Anna Burkhead : The Scariest Med Student of All. It remains me of kiasuism ( Kiasu - being afraid to lose to others, in Hokkien dialect) among people nowadays. It just exists at all levels of life, from kindergarten to school, then to work, even after retirement. I wonder if kiasuism is the sole driving force for the betterment of this world? As for the article mentioned above, it's about how medical students try to supersede their fellow friends in front of their residents in the US. There was a time, and even now a debate on quality of medical graduates from countries like Russia, Ukraine going on. I don't deny there are black sheep among us, but there are bunch of people who study hard, work hard, to become better doctors in the future. Other than looking down at these students / graduates, i think the doctors (MOs, specialists, consultants) in Malaysia have better things to offer.To the doctors, by training these graduates into better doctors, so that they can fit into the local health system, so that they can practice medicine safely and independently in the future. By sharing what you know, your experience, so the younger generations can benefit from it. After all, in the future, we will just be in the same boat. The quality of health care in the country doesn't just depend on just a small bunch of doctors,but on all of them...We may have House-like physicians, world-class surgeons,but i doubt the number of these doctors will be sufficient to care for the health of 27 million people? Since absorbing them into the system is inevitable. Why not just accept them , train them, teach them? If really wanna make thing harder for these graduates, common qualifying exam, is the solution , though i am fear of it too...At least this will make students to strive even harder.
Arghh...post exam state, the longer i stay, the more nonsense i speak...good night everyone :-)

p/s : sorry ppl, for bringing up this old boring issue again...

Invitation card for graduation 2008

Got an invitation to the graduation ceremony tomorrow afternoon, from the dentistry senior, Dr.Choo aka the Mouse ( the genuine one in Volgograd city, while i am the fake one.lol). This year the graduates come from various countries, total 24 in number ( Msia, China, India, Vietnam, Kenya....), flags are shown, you name them all.. Will update this event after tomorrow.

1 more down, and 1 more to go

Today had my obstetrics exam. Huh...finally it is over...Others i makan baby, tidur baby, hidup baby. lol...Even when sleeping, my mind was jz full of women ( i meant the mothers) and babies... Next exam will be internal diseases which falls on 28th. After that, officially, my summer holidays start. ( and officially, my 4th year ends). Will go jalan-jalan, makan-makan and tengok-tengok in Europe before going back to Msia on 20th July.

Modified version of 4Ts

Modified version of 4Ts as suggeted by Darren :

1. Tone (75% of cases)
2. Tissue (15%)
3. Trauma (5-10%)
4. Takes too long to clot / coagulopathy.

Modifications include :
1. Causes are arranged from the commonest to the least.
2. Thrombosis is changed to Takes too long to clot / coagulopathy.

Thanks Darren for his suggestion :-)

4 Ts - for postpartum hemorrhage (PPH)

To remember causes of PPH, just gotta remember 4 Ts

1. T - trauma - e.g laceration of cervix, uterus
   
2. T - tissue - e.g retained placental tissue, placenta accreta
   
3. T - tone - e.g atonia / hypotonia of uterus
4. T - thrombosis - e.g coagulopathy

Any1 wish to add, jz leave a comment.
Any mistakes, jz correct me.

Sony PSP for sale

Sony PSP for sale (only in Volgograd)

- Condition : Good, less than 12months old
- Accessories : Original earphones, charger, carrying case, protective cover, 4GB memory card and 40 games.
-Price : 6000rubles (negotiable)

If interested, pls leave your contact.

Thermal burns - by Dr.Chew

A post on Thermal Burns , by Dr.Chew...Managed to revise how to estimate TBSA (Total Body Surface Area ) , on adults and children. Below are a few Q&A from that post which i would like to share with you :

Is there any other formula to use to calculate fluid requirement besides Parkland formula?
You can use the Galveston formula, which is based on BSA rather than body weight. Although many pediatric burn centers believe it is more accurate than the Parkland formula, it is more time-consuming to calculate.
URL: http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC72.HTM

How about the use of Silver Sulphadiazine (SSD)?
When I was a house officer (HO), SSD was recommended for all types of burns especially for first aid measure in A&E and for daily dressing, as long as it was a burn case, the HO would order for SSD dressing daily and the staff nurse would apply the SSD every time a burn dressing was changed.

But increasingly there are published papers to say comparing SSD with other methods like using hydrocolloid dressing (Duoderm), and even honey and found that SSD has not been found to be superior; in fact, worse in terms of healing rate, repigmentation, etc. Click here to read a good review article comparing SSD with other agents.

Evidence exists that the use of SSD may place patients at increased a risk of
1. developing neutropenia
2. erythema multiforme
3. crystalluria, and
4. methemoglobinemia


For the complete post on Thermal Burns, please visit the following link.

favourite bookmark...

Friday night again...another week again coming to an end..anyway tml stil have lecture and lab to attend...

recently while choosing a present for a fren , a book mark in the gift shop attracted my attention..which give me a cheerful.. carefree feeling... love it so buy it and put on my study desk.. **SMILE ** :-)

While waiting...

In the middle of preparing for my obstetrics examination. While waiting for my dear to talk to me( she is now entertaining 10 friends at one time..Wonder what she is doing? haha), decided to write something abt the first delivery i observed.1st thought was : Terrifying! Remember the pain the mother going through, i felt she was experiencing the greatest pain in her life. After 20 minutes of fighting ( pushing ) hard, finally the new one came out. All of the sudden, the feeling changed.. Felt so great to share the happiness of the mother( imagine 9mths she carried the baby, now finally he is out), and the medical personnels around it. In Russia, usually the 1st thing they do after the baby was delivered, is to place on the baby on the mother's abdomen and let the baby suckling, 1stly is to stimulate oxytocin secretion (a hormone ) which stimulates uterine contraction, thus decreases blood loss, and 2ndly, is to bond the mother and the child. Wonder if the same is done in other countries, for the same reasons?
Be frank, i used to dislike obstetrics, as i thought it's a 'dirty job'...but as time passes on, i started to like it. Being able to deal with mothers and babies prenatally, perinatally and postnatally, i feel that it's a great job ( though it's also the field where doctors face most malpractice lawsuits.) . Ok..that's all for now ( haih....still wondering what they are doing ...)

Lower Risk of Heart Disease Death Among Coffee Drinkers

Spotted this article 'Coffee Drinkers Have Slightly Lower Death Rates, Study Finds' from Malaysian Medical Resources. Somehow the risk of heart disease death is lower among coffee drinkers (caffeinated and decaffeinated).
Perhaps i shall drink more now ? Hehe....

TRAP men after 60 ?

TRAP men after 60? Hehe...what do you people think it's? Just wanna share a mnemonics i thought of while studying Parkinson disease for my neuro exam.

Parkinson Disease is characterized by :

• Tremors
• Rigidity
• Akinesia / hypokinesia
• Postural instability
  
• and usually affects men after 60 y.o

That's why TRAP men after 60.

Books for sale

Good books at cheap price ! ( only for students in Volgograd )

1. Langman's Medical Embryology 9th edition

• Description: For students in 1st and 2nd year.
• Condition : 99% new and wrapped
  
• Price : 350 rubles

2. Harper's Illustrated Biochemstry(international edition)

• Description: Essential for students in 2nd year
• Condition : 90% new and wrapped
• Price : 300 rubles

3. PL Dhingra's Diseases of ENT 4th edition ( not shown here )

• Decription : Essential for 4th year students who will have ENT cycle and exam in 2nd sem
• Condition : 99% new and wrapped
• Price : 350 rubles
  

Why buy here ?
- Don't have to waste the luggage allowance to carry the same books from Malaysia
- The price quoted is very much cheaper compared to the original price
- Personal delivery

Any1 who is interested, pls leave me your contact number / contact me directly. And pls spread the words. Thanks :-)

-by mouse

Coming to the end...

Soon my 4th year of medical school is coming to the end (in less than 2 weeks time). Somehow i feel that i learnt nothing for the past 9 months here, or perhaps it's because too much to learn, that's why i feel that i learnt nothing? In 2 years time i will graduate and start working as a houseman in Malaysia. Hopefully in the next 2 years, i will strive harder to attain more knowledge and skills... No matter how tough is it, never give up. By constant acquiring of knowledge, skills ,experience and hardwork will always shape us to be better doctors, i believe. Anyone out there who want to share about this can always leave a comment after reading this post. Thanks

- a dedication to a friend :-)

huh..finally

Since last week, it has been raining nonstop here...hardly an hour without rain sometimes..once a year phenomenon...our beloved Dean always told us "enjoy the rain, u wont get the rain like this when u go back malaysia...Come we do rain clap!!( only batch 19 MMMC wil know this..heehe)" it is an indication for manipal-ians to start bringing umbrella/prob raincoat( useless anyway) anywhere u go..or else u gonna stuck somewhere for sure.. this sudden change of weather is really sickening..make ppl sick easily ...anyway, today got better dy..thanks my mouse for the recovery prayers ;-p
currently block 4 seems to be running at a tiring pace..today from9-4 classes with one SDL..all lecturers seem to be rushing to finish off syllabus so we have to join the marathon too..no choice..one week already over meaning 1/3 of the block is over.. ..the block 3 exam seems like just ending...but the whole cycle of new block begins again..lecs..PBL, SDL, tests..anyway deal with it!.. very soon block 4 wil come to an end...then few days study break..then block4 exam..then approx 3 weeks study break..then uni( the big monster which dreads every MMMCstudent..) It is the only monnster that can make even the laziest individual on earth to sit and study..otherwise u have to bear the consequesnces..meaning another 6 months here... ...time..money..etc. Now I just hope and pray that I m blessed with good health and clear peaceful mind all the tiem, so that i can study well and pass uni ( fingers crossed).. And, wanna wish my dear all the best for his neuroanat exam this thurs...will pray for u..kambate!

Congratulations !

Congrats to all the VSMU final year students who officially finished their final exams today. This year we have graduates from faculty of General Medicine ( 2nd batch) and faculty of Dentistry (1st batch). Here we wish you all the best and enjoy the path of healing...

Treating Your Throat

What comes to your mind when you having sore throat? Something to relieve the symptoms? and the next will be Strepsils ? Just wanna share with you 'Treating Your Throat'- by Strepsils.com (http://www.strepsils.com/treating.php)
Publish Post



Treating Your Throat

If you have a sore throat already, to make yourself and your throat feel better there are some options:

• Drink plenty of warm liquids to keep your level of body fluids up
• Try to breathe through your nose. If your nose feels congested, inhaling the steam from a bowl of hot water will help it to clear or look for a lozenge which also offers a decongestant
• Try to avoid alcohol. The idea that alcohol 'disinfects' the throat is unfortunately a myth! In fact, drinking alcohol is much more likely to irritate than soothe a sore throat
• Swallow - it might hurt but its one of the best things you can do because saliva is a natural lubricant so it helps soothe a sore throat
• Sucking an effective medicated lozenge can help lubricate the lining of the throat further bringing real, noticeable relief. And if you choose one from the Strepsils range, rest assured that it can keep working, even after the lozenge has gone. Check out the Strepsils range to find a suitable remedy for you.

Europe backpack trip

The mouse will be away from 5th to 19th July, as he will travel to few European cities before going back to Msia for summer holidays. Stay tune for the update :-)

Get Well Soon :-)

Let's pray for tiger for her speedy recovery. Thanks :-)

Happy Father's Day

Dear pa,
Through this blog, we would like to wish you Happy Father's Day. May you always stay wealthy, healthy and happy...You are always a great dad to us :-)...

From,
The 3 sons of yours


p/s : pls remember to wish your beloved father k :-)

The best mate (and its effects) !

Coffee is always my best mate, especially when i gotta study alone for my exams during pre-exam nights... I am someone who is seriously addicted to coffee, especially when exams are just around the corner, i can easily drink 3/4 cups of coffee in a day... The tiger always tells the mouse not to drink so much coffee....yet i fail to listen to her...sorry ya tiger ;-).. But then recently she is also addicted to MochaChillo right? Hehe...
What am i gonna share here is the effects of coffee on health (from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee)

Scientific studies have examined the relationship between coffee consumption and an array of medical conditions. Findings are contradictory as to whether coffee has any specific health benefits, and results are similarly conflicting regarding negative effects of coffee consumption.
Coffee appears to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, heart disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, cirrhosis of the liver, and gout, but it increases the risk of acid reflux and associated diseases. Some health effects of coffee are due to its caffeine content, as the benefits are only observed in those who drink caffeinated coffee, while others appear to be due to other components. For example, the antioxidants in coffee prevent free radicals from causing cell damage.
Coffee's negative health effects are mostly due to its caffeine content. Research suggests that drinking caffeinated coffee can cause a temporary increase in the stiffening of arterial walls. Excess coffee consumption may lead to a magnesium deficiency or hypomagnesaemia, and may be a risk factor for coronary heart disease. Some studies suggest that it may have a mixed effect on short-term memory, by improving it when the information to be recalled is related to the current train of thought, but making it more difficult to recall unrelated information. About 10% of people with a moderate daily intake (235 mg per day) reported increased depression and anxiety when caffeine was withdrawn, and about 15% of the general population report having stopped caffeine use completely, citing concern about health and unpleasant side effects. Nevertheless, the mainstream view of medical experts is that drinking three 8-ounce (236 ml) cups of coffee per day (considered average or moderate consumption) does not have significant health risks for adults.
An American scientist Yaser Dorri has suggested that the smell of coffee can restore appetite and refresh olfactory receptors. He suggests that people can regain their appetite after cooking by smelling coffee beans, and that this method might also be used for research animals.

p/s : the pic above is for u tiger , it's mochachillo! hohoho...