Khatam Al Quran

Sunday, 27 November 2011, 1 Muharram 1433, A new day, and the start of a New Year in the Muslim Hijri Calendar. In Bintulu, Sarawak and in the late afternoon, Shaffik and Mini held a "Completion of Quran Recital Ceremony" or "Khatam Al Quran", for his two elder boys, our elder grandsons, who are 10 an 9 years old.

In addition to the Khatam Al Quran, thanks-giving was also held for the purpose, and for the recovery from illness of the third boy, recovery from operation of their Grandma, for Shaffik's transfer to a new company subsidiary and appointment to a new position and others.

Shaffik informed us of the function. We could not be there, Ram having just recovered from her eye surgery, was advised not to travel too far. Although it was a small gathering of close friends and neighbours it appeared as a colourful ceremony, motivator for the kids and the younger siblings to do well.

The guests in attendance. The youngest, Hadeef, is the one standing in front

Preliminaries before the recital.....

The recital session by Hifzhan and Haziq

The Quran teacher is the one on the left.

Now that the kids have completed reading the Quran, we hope it will motivate them to understand the Quran better and to seek knowledge from it, not be contented by just having recited it. May the Almighty be pleased with their efforts......

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Ram's Left Eye cont'd.

Ram had to stay in the hospital for two nights. She was still vomitting on the second day, during the day time but by evening she was ok and was discharged the following day. The nurses had to administer several eye drops two hourly while other medicines were prescribed to stabilise her. I was with her all the time and slept on the couch which was quite comfortable for my purpose. Tessa and Amir came by after office.

At home she was resting alot, eye drops administering frequency were reduced to four times per day and she had to continue taking anti-vomitting tabs., anti-gastric tabs., steriods and pain killers, all adminisstered dilligently. Her two sisters, Siti and Rashidah came and stayed with us for a few days and Ram's niece sent her maid one day to help clean up the house and do other chores. That was a relief....

Then came an emergency. A scary one too. It was Friday. I had just returned from the mosque and was about to have lunch when Ram complained of pain in the eye. Her eye had become red. I applied eye drops, but it continued to get more red with the pain getting more prominent. I rushed her to hospital. The doctor on call duty was one who was familiar with Ram's condition, having assisted the regular doctor when treating Ram several times in the recent past. He found one of the sutures had burst and the loose end had poked the eye and lid causing the pain and also the redness. The loose ends were removed. Ram's eye was ok after that and the redness slowly subsided. Phew! It was scary and I was very nervous then. Thank you for His Guidance and Protection and may He be pleased....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Ram's Left Eye

Another repair (the fourth)of Ram's left eye was carried out recently. Tuesday 4th of October it was, and it was planned as a day care operation, which meant that Ram need not be hospitalised. A rest of a few hours soon after the operation was thought to be sufficient and she could have been sent home after the good rest. The doctor had to straighten the cornea (still with stitches on) and at the same time insert the new lens (a recent scan carried out showed that the cornea is properly settled and a good reading of the lens' specification could be determined). However, we found out later that what's planned and what's actual were two different things!!

Ram went in at 8.00 am and she was prepared for the operation. The prerequisite tests, like blood, urine etc etc were done earlier. Now her eyelashes needed trimming, her hair to be bundled, and many other little things that we take for granted in our daily life needed attention. She had good care by the operation theatre staff. I found one quiet corner in the waiting lounge, this ipad handy, biscuits and coffee in a flask kept aside in my backpack next to my comfy settee. There were other people in the lounge, family members of patients undergoing various operations on their eyes, most of them looking unsure of what to do, some reading newpapers, some magazines provided, but most not really reading.

1.00pm. I was half asleep when the nurse told me that the operation on Ram was successful and that she had been wheeled out of the operation theatre and resting in the day care lounge. I was allowed to go in and see her. She was a little dissheveled but otherwise cheerful and smiled when she saw me. I stayed for a while with her and went back into the waiting lounge not long after. A little while later a friend, Ghani and wife, Maziah came to visit. Maziah was allowed to go in and see Ram while Ghani stayed with me in the waiting lounge. They left not long after that. Apparently this visit cheered Ram up somwhat.

4.00pm. The nurse told me that Ram is ready to go home. After changing her clothes the nurse gave Ram tips on how to take care of the eye, showed her the medicine and eye drops with frequencies to be applied, and I realised then that the tips were actually meant for me, ha ha! Just then Ram started feeling nauseatic and soon after started vomitting. Suddenly there was a hive of activities around Ram, and not long after a decision was taken to detain Ram in the ward. She was not allowed to go home. Similar condition when she had the cornea transplant one year ago came flooding back into our minds. It was the vomiting bouts then that triggered all the setbacks on her left eye and necessitated several corrective surgeries including a rejection of the cornea. Phew! It was heart rendering for me. I was worried, scared, angry, disappointed, and all the negative thoughts that can happen at the same time. But i realised then that I have to be strong for ram's sake. I must think positive. She vomitting several times more while in the ward did not help my positive front. I was not good at acting and the teardrops in my eyes showed. Good thing that Ram could not see well with one eye bandaged and the other without her glasses!

More to follow! May the Almighty be pleased.

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Long Overdue Posting

Got this new iPad, a gift from my children and their spouses for my birthday. I was configuring the 'machine' and went into my blog. I did not realise that it has been almost a year since my last posting. I have been lost in Facebook that I neglected my blog. I will try to add posts to the blog from now on, ....... We shall see if it really happens.

There are a lot to write. Many things have happened in the last ten months or so, top of which is Mum's condition and Ramlah's left eye endless treatment and attention. Let me sort all these out and post as and when I get the lax time, which is not much really since I have to devote full attention to Ram. We shall see, with the Almighty's blessings of course.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya