LASIK, to do or not to do?

My hubby loves to see me without glasses. He said I looked much prettier without them. If I wear contact lenses, I'm always complaining about having dry eyes. I can only wear contact lenses on special occasions. One day, he told me he wants to pay for LASIK for me and said that he will work harder to get better incentives in order to finance the treatment for me. I'm touched and really wanted to do it..well, of course wives want to always look good in their husbands eyes.. =)

But I hesitated because I read that if you are planning to get pregnant within the next 6 months, you are not eligible for LASIK. Furthermore, it's something to do with the eyes, if something goes wrong..it will affect the rest of my life. But what worries me the most is that my dry eyes will get even worse after LASIK. Some people say they have to deal with dry eyes for 3-4 yrs after LASIK and that's for normal eyes. For people with dry eyes like me, it might be forever and that's scary.

After looking through the internet for information on LASIK, I called up two clinics in Ipoh to inquire. 

1) Lee Eye Clinic in Greentown

- Usual price at RM6K for both eyes and now, they are giving a RM300 discount.

- Screening test is RM120, but now they are having promo, and it will be RM60. Need to call for appointment as the tests need 3hrs. 

- For contact lens user, need to be off from contact lens for at least 10 days. 

2) Chew Eye Specialist in Fairpark

- Promo price at RM3999 for both eyes. (Very good price, right?)

- Screening test at RM150. No need appointment for test. 

- Told the girl I just wore contact lens just 3 days ago. She said never mind, can do the test. I was puzzled over the differences of the 2 clinics.

Anyway, I went to do the test last Saturday at Chew Eye Specialist. The clinic was very full. I was told that the tests need 2hours. I thought probably there's a lot of tests! I was wrong.

First thing they checked was my cornea thickness. It has to pass a certain thickness. Otherwise, you will be eliminated as candidate for LASIK and it won't be necessary to do the other tests. My cornea thickness is good and I was checked on my eyes topography. After that, I waited to see the doctor. 

Once I was in the doctor's room, I told him I have dry eyes and that I need to put eye drop many times a day. He said he will do an extra test to check the tear production of my eyes. I saw him writing "Schirmer test" on my examination card. After he checked my eye vision, he asked me to wait outside because the other tests require to put some kind of eye drop on my eyes and will affect the dry eye test.  

Later, I was called into a room by a lady. Probably a nurse. She placed two strips with scale of 35mm on my eyes. I did this test at Dr Gill's in Fatimah hospital before and immediately I sensed that something is wrong. The strips were irritating me so much till I teared up. The strips were placed in such a way that my eyelashes could touch them. I think it's supposed to be placed pointing downwards as in this photo below. But it was pointing upwards. I couldn't even blink or close my eyes!

I couldn't find any google image that show the strips pointing upwards. The reading was between 8-12mm. I didn't believe the results and asked the nurse to fold the strips slightly so that they point downwards and so she did. Weird..she supposed to know what needs to do. And that results was 1-3mm for both eyes!!! I was puzzled because the nurse listened to my suggestion to redo the test. She wasn't even sure of what she was doing!

sorry about the eyes looking like vampire... =.="

When i was called into the doctor's room again, the doctor told me I'm qualified to do LASIK. The tears production was 8-12mm. I was full of doubt. I thought it was 1-3mm. They have taken the first measurements to conclude that I'm eligible for LASIK. But in fact, I think I am NOT qualified! 

See the picture below  I found on the net. It says that I might have severe dry eyes. But then, even at 8-12mm, I still have dry eyes. Shouldn't the doctor treat my dry eyes before conducting LASIK on my eyes? I'm so confused and lose confidence with this clinic. 

Another puzzling thing is that the doctor told me my spectacles vision power is overrated. I have checked my eyes multiple times at different places. All gave me similar results. How can there be a -1 difference? My right eye vision is -2.0 and my left eye is -3.0 but he said the actual power are -1.0 and -2.0. He suggested me to reduce my vision to -0.75 by LASIK due to my age as I might develop "Presbyopia" (nearsightedness). I'm thinking what's the point if my vision problem is not that high, only reduce from -1.0 to -0.75? And I have dry eyes problem? 

After all this, my decision is NOT to do LASIK. I need to confirm my vision first and treat my eyes dryness. I think they are more important at this point of time.

Btw, I forgot to mention that I have to pay another RM65 for doctor consultation and RM20 for the Schirmer test. So, in total, I paid RM235 for the pre-LASIK screening test! I thought she told me it was RM150. Should have just told me it costs RM215 in my earlier phone inquiry. All patients need to meet the doctor for consultation la! It's not even an option! Hmph...

Fun time with my nephew

Children are adorable. They grow so fast! Only a few months had passed since the last time I meet my nephew and niece, and they have grown so much! 

I was seated with the boy on the back seat of the car on a trip out for dinner because he always disturb his sister and they will end up fighting. Usually not long after that, one will be sulking or crying or yelling.. Haha.. sibling fight. 

So I sat with the boy while the sister sat with my husband. (it's a 7-seater car) We played, had some fun and took a lot of selfies. He's such a cute and handsome little guy. Missing his cheeky face and bluish tongue. 

Side Shields for Glasses

I've been searching for side shields from all our PPE suppliers, but none has this item in their list of products. It seems like it is not a common item in our local laboratories or workplaces. Safety goggles are very common but our workers complain of headache, dizziness, pain at the ears, discomfort, etc after wearing the goggles for hours. 

Some are short-sighted and need prescription glasses. We allow them to wear their prescription glasses as safety goggles as it is better than without wearing any glasses for eye protection. However, a safety goggles is still a better eye protection equipment. Someone recommended us to use side shields with our prescription glasses. 

I found some quite suitable side shields but they are actually quite costly to import from the US. It is because we are buying a small amount and the shipping cost is too expensive. If anyone of you know of a source, do recommend. Thank you! =)

1. From Tasco, USA, which cost USD2.70/pair. 

2. From Northern Safety, USA, which cost USD1.08/pair. 

3. From Amazon, USA. Price is USD4.00/pair. This is so expensive!

4. This is a more flexible version of side shield looking at the design. It can be worn for any type of prescription glasses! Selling at USD0.79-0.90/pair, seems like a good bargain.. if there's a distributor in Malaysia or nearby neighbors, it will be great. From Northern Safety, USA. 

A moment of silence and prayer for MH370

Since the missing of flight MH370 on 8th of March, it has been the topic of discussion among my colleagues, families and friends. We have been following the news updates everyday via CNN, BBC, local news media...you name it, I'll read any news related to the missing jetliner and hoping that there will be good news of finding the plane. 

Until last night..when our PM announced the fate of the plane that its last position was in the middle of the Southern Indian Ocean, I froze.. I listened carefully to each word the PM delivered to the world and he said MH370 ended at the Indian Ocean. I couldn't believe what he said in the beginning as there was no solid evidence, no debris related to the plane was found yet. The conclusion was based on data from a British satellite company. All hopes vanished. 

This morning when I was listening to the radio, the deejays were talking about last night announcement by the Malaysian PM. My heart sink..eyes tearing up.. I really feel for the families who lost their loved ones. Imagine the emotional torture they faced each day hoping their loved ones will return and yesterday, what they heard was "All lives are lost".

May God bless the lost souls and if there are survivors, may the Lord bring them back safely. Although it may sound impossible at this remote location, but with God, nothing is impossible. Let's have a moment of silence and prayer to those on board MH370 and their family members. 

Love while you can..treasure your loved ones while you can. 

2014 - New Year, New Role

2014, a year to look forward to. 

(Sorry...>.< this post is kind of late as it's almost March now)

A new life, a new beginning, a new role, a new house, a new car..

(haha..not entirely new as it's a 4 months old car)

Looking at my wedding ring, it is unbelievable 

how things have progressed and 

how God has brought us together. 

It is still hard to sink in all..  

I still find it amazing and hard to 

believe that I'm a wife now. (really?! I'm a wife now?! :P)

Our first Valentine's celebration at Missing Marbles. 

My darling arranged a dinner here with the restaurant manager. They prepared a special table for us and give us a pot of Sweetheart Hoya plant or Hoya Kerrii which I forgot to take photo. Below is a photo I found on "google image". This plant is so special! It has heart shape leaves. And I found out that it will bloom some kind of waxy flowers if we take care of it properly. Unfortunately, we put it under the sun and the leaves got burned...:( Maybe next year Valentine's I'll get another pot (?!) 

MaDly in LovE . . . . . .

I'm engaged. Yes.. you heard me right, I'm not joking! :D 

God is gracious to me. I didn't do enough to deserve all the blessings He has showered upon me. But His grace is ever loving and ever flowing in my life. He loves me and I know it, He understands and knows my heart's deepest desire. 

Each time I look at this wonderful man that God has put in my life, I can't stop smiling and give thanks to God. I said to my Lord, "If You are willing, I'd love to serve You and worship You with the man of my life... I'd love to build a family with him" and by God's grace, my prayer is answered, well..partly, because there's no children yet. On that part, I'll have to pray much harder! hahahaha...

At His appointed timing, I met the love of my life... in church. :P And I know instantly that he's the man whom God has prepared for me. Someone asked me "Are you sure he's the one? Are you certain to marry this man?" I said, "Yes, I'm very sure!" I don't know how to explain it, but I just know it. God's peace is with me.

By now.. You'll be asking who's this wonderful guy? :-)
I'll introduce him when the time comes. For now, I'll call him A. *wink*

The 5 Love Languages

Recently, I've discovered that love languages are actually divided into 5 different aspects. Well, sort of discover because I think I know, but I've never really given much thoughts about it and I've never really think about which of these love languages are my emotional preferences. These love languages do not have to be a romantic relationship, it is how we express love and affection with our loved ones like our families, friends, or special person.

The 5 love languages are :-

Words of Affirmation

Quality Time

Receiving Gifts

Acts of Service

Physical touch

Well..somehow, after realizing this, I have started to think about how I'll response to certain situations that will make me feel loved but still, I find myself a complicated person. LOL.. i don't really know what I prefer. So, I checked out "the 5 love languages" website and came to know that they have a quiz for you to find out your love language preferences.

All the while, I thought "words of affirmation" is my love language. But after completing the quiz, I realize I actually prefer quality time with my loved ones. ;D But yeah, our love languages may change at times depending on the situation. But all in all, I agree with what the author of the website is telling us - discovering our love languages will help us to connect with our loved ones and enhance relationships in our life. So, why not check out the quiz and find out your love languages too? ;D

Beautiful Ipoh

Took this photo from Kinta City, Ipoh, car park. 

It was a mesmerizing scenery showing Ipoh with its mountainous surroundings. 

Although it's not one of the best shot.. 

Yes, Ipoh is such a beauty. 

A friend who stayed in Hamburg most of his life visited Ipoh 

and told me that Ipoh is an exciting city, not boring and flat like Hamburg. 

It's true....

Driving to work everyday is not boring at all. 

I'm always in awe of the beautiful sky and clouds on the mountains top. 

Secondly, traffic is usually smooth. ;) 

Except for public holidays where tourists flock to Ipoh for good food la!

Talking about good Ipoh food, will try to update more on food post. *wink* 

Thank you..

Took a break from blogging though I can say that time was spent meaningfully. More time was spent with God though I admit it's not enough. :p God will never say enough too, I bet. Lol...

I'm so, so thankful to God for listening to my cries and prayers. One thing I'm sure is that the Lord I trust is a living God and will bless those who seek Him first. :D Because I'm really blessed! 

May all who seek His will be blessed and filled by His love forever and ever. 

Matthew 6:33 says

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well"

Beginning my walk with God

Miracles do happen.. and everything is in God's planning.

It wasn't long that I started attending sunday worship regularly again. And it was only since August, that I've joined a cell group regularly. I've liked this cell group ever since my first visit and I've never regretted it. I was hesitant in the beginning when Susan asked me to join her. She promised to call me on the night of the cell meeting. I missed her first phone call and I thought if she calls again, I'll have to go. It was a blessing and God's will to put me there. 

3 weeks ago, an ex-schoolmate contacted me from UK and asked me to bring her sister to church all of a sudden. She told me her sister had a sudden urge to attend church after talking to her uncle who came back from Canada. So, I contacted her sister and things started from there. A few eventful happenings and my friend's sister accepted Christ just last Friday. There was no coincidence I believe.. If i was still lazing around, not attending church.. if I was only attending church and not joining any cell group.. if I haven't keep in touch with this friend.. I won't be able to bring her sister to God. And so happen, my cell leader and my friend's sister are both doctors which make her feel at ease as they are in the same field! I believe this is God's planning indeed.

So, what to do after accepting Christ? You will begin your walk with God. But how?? I was given the responsibility to be her mentor. Not an easy task for me. But by God's grace and guidance.. I'll try to be the best mentor for her in guiding her to start her walk with God. Thank goodness that there are booklets and guides for us to follow. Bible verses, instructions, examples, applications to daily life, prayer..etc. I believe this is also part of God's planning to build me up as a Christian, to prepare me in my walk with God too as I've been long a 'sleeping' Christian.. and to prepare me to receive the blessings of God. hahahahaha..

What a day...

It was a very busy and hectic day for me today. Came in to work at 8:00am. Checked my emails..checked my work plan for the day and started the experiment at 8:30am. The experiment needed 7.5hrs, plus minus. I'm assuming I can finish it by 7:00pm. This include an hour break for an appointment with a supplier that I promised to meet today at 2pm. Experiment went well, worked non-stop in the lab..hardly have time to loosen up at the washroom. lol... Not even a drop of water for a few hours.. Didn't go out for lunch either. Colleague bought '老鼠粉' for me. Finished the noodle in 10 minutes! Gulp! 

But my supplier was late for 2 HOURS! He lost his way. First time travelling to Ipoh using a google map. I thought he knew the way to our office, so I didn't offer him any map. But after 45minutes late, there was not even a phone call from him. I called him instead and found him lost in Ipoh city. That was so way out from my office. 

How did he lose his direction? 

Shouldn't he make good preparation before he started his journey to a new place? Hmm... I was having doubt at him already. I wanted to offer help but couldn't since this is his first time here..all landmarks are new to him. Signboards are not very helpful here..so I texted him our coordinates though he said he didn't have a GPS. But he managed to arrive at 4pm. 

Well, forget about the lateness. I was actually looking forward to meet him and check out the instrument he'll be showing us. New technology not known to me and seems like a helpful instrument in solving some of our uncertainties in our analysis. Could be a breakthrough for us.. 

BUT...to our disappointment, he wasn't familiar to the instrument!!! Can't even answer some basic queries. OK..i know i'm demanding because i was so hopeful to this new technology. And he's new to his job, i should give him a break. But it was also not very professional to show 'potential' customers that you do not really understand your instrument's abilities. I prepared samples for him to test too! None of them was able to be tested. 

Well..even though impression was not too good..thank you for showing me the instrument and bringing it all the way from KL. My experiment was OK too and I left work at 7pm as planned. ;)

A dream came true

I dreamt about a friend, holding a baby and she's back in Ipoh to rest. 

I was curious the next day whether what I dreamt is true or not. 

You see..my friend is in the UK and I haven't seen her for awhile. 

But as far as I know, she does not have any children yet. 

So.. I asked her! "Friend, are you pregnant? Are you in Ipoh?"

And guess what? It's almost as accurate as my dream. She is pregnant but not back in Ipoh yet. How amazing can this be?! ;D

**Congratulations to Jennifer! :D**

Pray for our country

It was a sermon full of fire on Sunday. Maybe it's just me.. i felt a fire ignited in me. The speaker encouraged us to pray for our country, for wise leaders... Not only can Christians pray, he encouraged us to invite our friends and colleagues of different religions to pray and cry out to our God. God will intervene when we ask in unity. 

On Monday, I told my colleagues about this. I'm not sure if they will do it but message has been passed and I do hope that each and everyone of us will spend a short time praying for our country everyday. There have been so many unsolved issues. If you are a Malaysian, you will understand and know what is happening. 

So, let us pray in unity as Malaysians for our government and for our leaders. 

Juniel

Fell in love with a Korean song the first time I heard of it on the radio the other day. The voice sounded familiar..and i checked on google. True enough, it was what I thought..CN Blue's Jung Yonghwa's voice! ;D But the other female vocal, who is she, I wonder... who's having the privilege to sing a duet with Jung Yonghwa..? 

And it came out to be from a rookie soloist named Juniel. They were singing Stupid, a song which Jung Yonghwa produced for Juniel's debut in Korea.

Listen to the song here 

Unsure of who she is, I had a search and found out that she started her career just like CN Blue. She writes her own songs and can sing really well. She performed on the street in Japan too! Listened to a few of her songs...and they do sound really nice! Good that her senior is looking out for her. ;) I'm positive she has a really bright future with her many talents!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all ! It's a bit late but better late than never, right?

It's the end of Chinese New Year celebration too.. i know, i know.. I've been lazy since I'm back from my NZ trip. Just not up to it..mind is blank, and unsure of how to start back this blog.

Well, today I just want to pen in a few thoughts.. 2012 is passing by so fast cuz it's already February! I haven't set my new year resolution cuz part of 2011 resolutions are not well done, or may I say, failed? The fire burning inside me died down too fast, i'd say.. All the activities I've joined have ended..though not all of them are my will, like the Christmas choir. Making a lot of new friends, but hard to keep close. But the year has started with a few gatherings with old schoolmates. Those are wonderful time.. :) And i'm looking forward to our next gathering!

Guess my mind went blank again.. will continue in my next post. ;)

Posting no. 45

Will be starting my holiday this coming Sat and no blogging till next year. But i can't end with 44 posts for the year right? So, here i'm writing the 45th post. haha..just to get rid of no. 44, which is not a good number in the Chinese tradition. :P

Guess where I'm spending my holiday? hehe.. I'm going to Auckland! yeah!! Super excited about the trip. But too anxious thinking of what to pack, and if i've left out anything! Relax, girl... after all, i'm visiting my cousins there. They will probably have the things I need. >___<

Two more days of work and off I fly to NZ! Will update more about the trip when I'm back. Till then, see ya! Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year!

shanghai expo

Everybody is so excited of this expo and it was the topic during our lunch these days as one of my colleagues are going to visit Shanghai in June. I wish I can go..but..ya..but..my money is tight. I can't simply spend in order to save enough money for building a family. :P

What's interesting about this expo? Come visit this link..it's an interactive webpage. http://en.expo.cn/index.html#&c=home

You can browse through all the pavilions on the net. Haha..no need to go there personally, can view all the beautiful buildings already. Why spend so much? :P Which pavilion do you like? Hmm..if i go there, i definitely will visit China's, Poland, Iceland, Czech..Austria. But maybe only take a few pictures outside the pavilion. hehehe..the ticket is so expensive. Might as well spend some time visiting famous places in Shanghai!

Alright..so where should I go for my holidays? .....

frustrated

I just want to shout out! And there's no place, the blog came to my mind..

"what's wrong with her?! Why is she picking on me all the time?! Stop ordering and ask politely.. you want us to understand your life out there? show a bit of interest in our lives too! Don't act as if you know it all and point your finger, accusing people..very disappointing. I want to get out of here.."

be Happy

Never compare yourself with your subordinates.. if you can be compared with them, what are you? you are in a different level and should be able to understand the situation better. It's not their fault that your superior like them better than you. It's time for you to see yourself in the mirror and ask, what's wrong? You should be proud that your subordinates are showing improvement in their performance.

Do not be despaired on the harsh statements from your superior. He/she will dampen your mood and feed you with negative thoughts which eventually will make your life miserable. Working is part of your life. You spend more time at work than at home. So, make it enjoyable and be happy. I've heard so much complaints lately and sometimes, they do stress me out as well.

Being promoted never change a thing. You do the same work everyday.. everybody treat you the same. It's kind of funny the company treat promotion so secretive. Why? I don't understand. They should be proud they are able to find potentials. These people will not stay long unless they are appreciated and well-nurtured to be leaders.

random

Thank you LK for arranging the operators to clean up the process plant. :D

I like Google calendar. It helps to see the month's schedule easily..and sharing with a colleague ease our work arrangement much easier.

Dad needs to clean his house. Hope he's cooperative and let us do something to it. Newspapers are stacking high and it's dangerous for him to live alone like that.