Secret Garden

Feelings

2008-02-26T05:57:00.004+08:00

It's surprisingly amazing how Nickelback's music can be one of my favourites these days. Maybe it's due to the fact that a horrifying ordeal is near, and I need something to sooth my nerves (quoting Mrs. Bennet from Pride & Prejudice, ha.)

Far Away by Nickelback

This time, This place

Misused, Mistakes

Too long, Too late

Who was I to make you wait

Just one chance

Just one breath

Just in case there's just one left

'Cause you know,

you know, you know

[CHORUS]

That I love you

I have loved you all along

And I miss you

Been far away for far too long

I keep dreaming you'll be with me

and you'll never go

Stop breathing if

I don't see you anymore

On my knees, I'll ask

Last chance for one last dance

'Cause with you, I'd withstand

All of hell to hold your hand

I'd give it all

I'd give for us

Give anything but I won't give up

'Cause you know,

you know, you know

[CHORUS]

So far away

Been far away for far too long

So far away

Been far away for far too long

But you know, you know, you know

I wanted

I wanted you to stay

'Cause I needed

I need to hear you say

That I love you

I have loved you all along

And I forgive you

For being away for far too long

So keep breathing

'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it

Hold on to me and, never let me go

Keep breathing

'Cause I'm not leaving you anymore

Believe it

Hold on to me and, never let me go

Keep breathing

Hold on to me and, never let me go

Keep breathing

Hold on to me and, never let me go

Vanessa-Mae, my idol!

2007-12-26T00:52:00.000+08:00

This is superb! Just look at that. She has marvellous fingers! And she doesn't seem to be using much strength. How nice if I could play this song. But to reach this level, it will cost me (only me) a stiff neck, stiff shoulders, rough fingertips, 'tangled' fingers, and lots of lots of hard work. And uh, I don't even have the score. :(

Vanessa-Mae playing Contradanza, live at the Royal Albert Hall

Darn.

It's easier to just listen to it...and imagine. You know, like lip sync. Well, at least I took the 1st step, although I am a million steps away!

Probably someday. Yes, someday. (Procrastinating again. Ah.)

Nothing beats this!

2007-11-29T00:23:00.000+08:00

This too. You can't get such good music now. Ever. This kind of music is evergreen!

The Archies singing Sugar Sugar

Sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.

Honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.

I just can't believe the loveliness of loving you
(I just can't believe it's true)
I just can't believe the one to love this feeling to.
(I just can't believe it's true)

Ah sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.

Ah honey, ah sugar sugar
You are my candy girlAnd you've got me wanting you.

When I kissed you, girl, I knew how sweet a kiss could be
(I know how sweet a kiss can be)
Like the summer sunshine pour your sweetness over me
(Pour your sweetness over me)
Sugar, pour a little sugar on it honey,
Pour a little sugar on it baby
I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
Pour a little sugar on it oh yeah
Pour a little sugar on it honey,
Pour a little sugar on it baby
I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah
Pour a little sugar on it honey

Ah sugar, ah honey honey
You are my candy girl
And you've got me wanting you.

Oh honey, honey, sugar sugar ..
You are my candy girl ..

The cartoon (funny) version can be found on YouTube, just click here to see the music video.

I'm not even going to mention about The Beatles...yet.

If this doesn't make you dream, what will?

2007-11-28T00:49:00.000+08:00

This is what I call real music. Whatever happened to music nowadays? It's just so saddening, you can't even hear the lyrics properly in modern music anymore. Music nowadays just give you another headache, rather than relieving one. This is certainly a real masterpiece! And look at how young they were! True musicians, I would call them :)

Gosh, the melody is just so soothing that it takes ones (=my) breath away. Lovin' every single bit of it.

Everly Brothers singing All I Have To Do Is Dream

Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
When I want you in my arms
When I want you and all your charms
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

When I feel blue in the night
And I need you to hold me tight
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could die
I love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam

I can make you mine, taste your lips of wine
Anytime night or day
Only trouble is, gee whiz
I'm dreamin' my life away

I need you so that I could dieI love you so and that is why
Whenever I want you, all I have to do is
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

FADE
Drea-ea-ea-ea-eam, dream, dream, dream

Really, where can you find such nice songs nowadays?

Boohoo. The Colon Story.

2007-10-16T18:33:00.000+08:00

This article somehow reminds me of stoma care & ostomy. Anyway, I've just completed a survey regarding colonoscopy. Big time.

Removing Colon Polyps Cuts Death Risk
First Colonoscopy to Clear Colon of Precancerous Polyps Cuts Colon Cancer Death Risk by 90%
By Charlene Laino

Oct. 15, 2007 (Philadelphia) -- An initial colonoscopy during which the colon is cleared of precancerous polyps significantly reduces deaths from colon cancer -- even if there are no follow-up exams, researchers report.
In a 20-year study of more than 2,500 people, the risk of dying from colon cancer was about 90% lower if people underwent both the initial and follow-up procedures than if they underwent neither.
But over the first 10 years, 90% of that effect was due to the initial exam, says Ann G. Zauber, PhD, a biostatistician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
Over the next 10 years, 55% of the effect was still due to the initial procedure.
“Removing [potentially precancerous growths] has a huge effect on reducing colon cancer mortality,” Zauber tells WebMD.
“The surveillance colonoscopies had more of an effect in the second decade than in the first, but the initial procedure still is the major effect,” she says.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG).
Colonoscopy Plus Polyp Removal Cuts Colon Cancer Deaths
The researchers analyzed data on 2,602 men and women in the National Polyp Study, the landmark trial that showed that an initial colonoscopy during which the colon is cleared of precancerous polyps with regular follow-up exams significantly cut the risk of developing colon cancer by up 90% and of dying from the cancer by up to 92%.
Using sophisticated mathematical modeling, they found that:
Failing to do a colonoscopy and remove precancerous polyps is associated with a 5.5% risk of death over 20 years.
Doing only an initial exam with removal of precancerous polyps is associated with a 2.5% risk of death over 20 years.
Doing both an initial exam to remove precancerous polyps and follow-up exams is associated with less than a 1% risk of death over 20 years.
ACG President David A. Johnson, MD, a gastroenterologist at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, tells WebMD that the findings could influence guidelines, lengthening the time between exams for people who have had polyps removed to six years or more. Recommendations now call for a follow-up colonoscopy in three to five years.
“Once you clear the colon, maybe you can wait a longer time depending on risk. That first removal of polyps is the time when you make the biggest impact on risk for colon cancer incidence and colon cancer death,” Johnson says.

{Reference: WebMD (http://www.webmd.com/colorectal-cancer/news/20071015/removing-colon-polyps-cuts-death-risk?src=RSS_PUBLIC)}

Food Allergy - My Biggest Enemy

2007-10-16T17:54:00.000+08:00

Food Allergies: Tips for Eating Out
Whether you're trying to avoid peanuts or dairy products, experts offer strategies for dining safely at restaurants.
By Colette Bouchez WebMD Feature

Having a food allergy used to mean dining out was limited to carrying your plate from the kitchen to the porch or, at best, eating at the home of a close friend or relative who could guarantee your food offenders were nowhere in sight.

Today, however, eating out is a lot easier -- and safer -- for the 2 million Americans who suffer with a mild, moderate, or even a severe food allergy. One reason: Restaurants are more aware and more prepared.

"The awareness of food allergies has definitely increased within the food service industry, and many restaurants now take steps to not only train their staff about the need for accommodating those with a food allergy, but also train them on what to do if an allergic reaction occurs," says John W. Fischer, associate professor and restaurant manager of Escoffier Restaurant at The Culinary Institute of America.

Among the most important steps in this direction is a training program for restaurants introduced by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) and The National Restaurant Association several years ago.

Developed as both an educational and informational tool, the program not only helps make restaurants more aware of food allergies, but also what to do in the event that an allergy-related incident occurs.

Medical doctors caution, however, that greater awareness on the part of the restaurant doesn't mean you can let your guard down completely.

"The level with which you practice vigilance is obviously linked to the severity of your food allergy -- but everyone who is allergic needs to personally take steps to ensure their safety when dining out," says David Rosenstreich, MD, director of the division of allergy and immunology at Montefiore Medical Center and professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York.

Where do you begin? Experts say it starts with a good understanding of your food allergy.

Food Allergies: Know What to Avoid
Clearly, the most obvious way to avoid having a food allergy reaction while eating out is not to order the offending food. But that's not always so easy. Sometimes you can’t fully see what you're getting on your plate.

"You really have to be aware of hidden ingredients. Your allergen could be lurking in breading, a salad dressing, baked goods, or sauces, then it might not be obvious when your meal arrives," says Jonathan Field, MD, director of the Allergy and Asthma Clinic at NYU Medical Center and Bellevue Medical Center in New York.

You should also know the other names for your offending foods. Sometimes, Rosenstreich says, products used by chefs -- such as mixes for sauces or dressings -- list ingredients by alternate names. That means if you're going to request that something be left out of a dish, it's vital to know all the terms, including derivatives under which your allergen may be listed.

The FDA considered this step so important it instituted the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act in 2004, which mandated that all food manufacturers clearly label product ingredients as they relate to eight major food allergies by 2006. Before the law, people with a dairy allergy, for instance, may not have realized that the ingredient labeled "casein" was really a protein from milk. Now the product must say "milk."

Still, experts caution this law only pertains to the eight most common food allergens: milk, eggs, wheat, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, and regular fish. These are responsible for more than 90% of all U.S. food allergies.

Food Allergy Surprises: Hidden Sources
Here are the most likely places key food allergens may be lurking, according to the experts WebMD interviewed.

Allergy: Milk/Dairy
Hidden sources: hot dogs, canned tuna, some chewing gum, margarine made from corn oil (skim milk powder), granola bars, chocolate chips, desserts containing caramel coloring, brown-sugar flavoring, coconut-cream flavoring, natural chocolate flavoring, grilled steak (many restaurants rub steaks with butter after grilling).

Allergy: Eggs (YOU CULPRIT!)
Hidden sources: Milky Way or Snickers bars (nougat contains eggs); any baked good with a shiny surface, including bagels and pretzels; the foam on some coffee drinks; the pasta in prepared foods such as soups.

Allergy: Nuts
Hidden sources: Barbecue sauce, bouillon, chili (nuts are used sometimes as thickener).

Allergy: Wheat/Gluten
Hidden sources: Hydrolyzed wheat protein is sometimes listed only as a flavor enhancer or binder in prepared foods and sauces, alcoholic beverages, hot dogs, ice cream cones, licorice, soup mixes, coffee creamer substitutes (grain based), butter flavoring, caramel coloring, some brands of butter, couscous.

Allergy: Seafood
Hidden sources: Caesar salad (anchovies); caponata (Italian relish/anchovies); foods fortified with omega-3 fatty acids (fish source), including some orange juice, baby cereals, and soymilk.

Choosing a Restaurant
While what you order is important, where you order it matters, too. That's because some restaurants are more likely to not only accommodate your food allergy, but also be better educated on how best to do that.

Not surprisingly, Fischer says that the larger and more established a restaurant is, the more likely it has dealt with food allergies in the past. So the staff is less likely to be surprised or thrown by your requests.

Other good alternatives are corporate chain restaurants -- places like Olive Garden, Applebee's, or Ruby Tuesday. Fischer says chains often have tighter controls on their menus and ingredients than independently owned restaurants, so the staff is more likely to know exactly what's in each dish.

Field agrees. "While a local mom-and-pop restaurant may be more likely to veer from the norm in an effort to please you, there is also more variability in these places, so the dish may not be cooked the same way twice, and that can be a problem," he says.

And while not every restaurant staff can tell you exactly what's in every dish (many chain establishments use precooked foods that are only heated on site), most of their corporate web sites provide either a menu listing major ingredients or an email address where you can access specific recipe information. Some, like Olive Garden, provide recipes online so you can find out exactly what is in the food on the menu.

Food Allergy: Preplanning Strategies
Phone the restaurant ahead of time and find out what its policy is on serving people with food allergies. "Ask if they have accommodated other people with food allergies and ask what they ordered, and how they went about letting the restaurant know about their problems," Field tells WebMD.

Tell the wait staff about your food allergy when you arrive. Having an allergy card to hand to your server may help, too. These small business-size cards feature your name and food allergy and all offending ingredients with a request that the kitchen leave them off any dish you order.

You could also try "Allernotes," preprinted sticky notes detailing your food allergy that the server attaches directly to your order. Allernotes sell for $8.50 for 100, while printable allergy cards are available free online.

If you'll be traveling to a foreign country, for $10 you can create a food allergy card in your native language that is then automatically translated into the language of your choice. While they cards won't replace a discussion with restaurant staff, they can help you get your message across.

Make sure to have your food allergy medications with you such as injectable epinephrine and an antihistamine. A severe allergic reaction can be life-threatening, so it is important to have your emergency medication with you.

{Reference: WebMD (http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/food-allergies-tips-for-eating-out?src=RSS_PUBLIC)}

Cravings, rantings, and thoughts.

2007-10-12T17:28:00.000+08:00

I can get hooked on to a song easily, and stay hooked on it for a long time. Just yesterday, the guys were singing Emil Chow's "Flowery Heart" while we were doing packaging in one of the packing rooms. We were in the midst of packing Betaton syrup when Hoon Hing suddenly mentioned this song. Andy then proceeded to sing a few lines and I was instantly reminded of this song in my hard disk, which I haven't been listening to for ages.

Woohoo! Now I'm totally hooked on to this song. I've been listening to it non-stop since last night, and still haven't got bored of it yet lol. Plus, I haven't found another song to replace this yet. I even went to YouTube to search for the video of this song, and was lucky to find a few videos.

I don't usually listen to Mandarin songs (not a fan of them) but I like a few Mandarin artistes, especially the "older generation" ones, like Jacky Cheung (only his old songs), Emil Chow of course, and Sally Yeh. I don't know why I prefer old songs to the modern ones, like for instance songs by artistes like Jay Chou & Wang Lee Hom. Both these newer artistes just don't strike my fancy, although I enjoy a couple of their songs.

Anyway, talking about packaging, we did a total 4 days of packaging (the 1st day was on a Saturday. Yes, a Saturday, when our other colleagues are off. Boohoo.) during our industrial attachment. The 1st day was quite fun, as we get to have hands-on experience, and sort of like be "part of the team" since we have a chance to be involved in the packing of some of the products manufactured by the pharmaceutical company we were having our attachment at. However, as time went on, we felt tired as we had to stand the whole day, and the work was simply m-0-n-o-t-o-n-o-u-s.

We got to help out in shrink wrap and on-line packing. On-line packing wasn't so bad, as you get to sit down in a chair and pack blisters into a unit box in a COOL room. However, packing speed is crucial and full concentration is required as you have to scan the blister for any defects (scratch marks, lines, black spots on the blister, empty pockets, compressed pockets, blisters without batch number printed on them etc.) as well as the tablets for any white spots/sticking (usually for coated tablets). There is a particular system for on-line packing and it is important to follow the steps to ensure that you can keep up with time. I remember packing 2 products: Clofenac (diclofenac sodium) & Famotidine. Other products which I observed but did not get to pack are Buprol (ibuprofen), Felxicam (piroxicam), and Cosamine (glucosamine).

Shrink wrap is a less stressful job but the working environment is horrible, depending on which packing room you're in. Some rooms are terribly hot (because of the shrink-wrap machine) and it makes you feel so uncomfortable that you just don't feel like working anymore. The cooler rooms are alright, and you can actually chat while doing work. Shrink-wrap is bascially packing 10 unit boxes together. I was involved with the packing of 2 products in shrink wrap: Diabetmin (metformin) and Felxicam (piroxicam).

Besides shrink wrap and on-line packaging, we got to help with bottle packing as well. This task was pretty simple, as it only involves sealing the cap of the bottle, pasting the label to the bottle, putting the bottle into a unit box together with an insert, and passing the bottle through an auto-scanner (to scan the barcode), and transferring the unit box into a carton. However, easy tasks have a higher probability for making mistakes (as proven in our case). 2 bottles without labels were put into the unit boxes and transferred to the carton. Luckily the mistake was detected upon performing a reconcilation after finishing a roll of labels. The product that we were packing on that day was Betaton.

After 4 days of packing, all of us couldn't stand it anymore, especially those who had to go into the stuffy rooms to help with shrink wrap. Besides, one of the supervisors treated us as if we were the workers! She ordered us around like nobody's business. The following day, I really couldn't stand packing anymore (since I feel that I'm not learning anything there, except training my eyesight, or more like straining my eyes), so I went on my own to observe the production of other pharmaceutical products in the plant. The guys preferred to stay in packing as they were rather lazy to walk around.

I was glad I didn't stay in the packing rooms on the last 2 days of my industrial attachment. I would have wasted my time there doing nothing but packing. During these 2 days, I got to observe the production of other products and the functioning of other machines, and appreciating how these machines work.

Now that my attachment is over, I kind of miss going back to the place. How ironic it is right? On the 1st day of the attachment, I was dreading to go to work, and was always looking forward to the end of the day. Now that it has ended, I'm actually missing that place! I miss the tabletting machines, the encapsulation machines, the coating machines, the blister packing machines etc. I even miss the sound of the punches of the tabletting machines, as well as the sound of the blister machines! I miss wearing the lab coat, the shoe wrapper, and using QuicKlean (the hand sanitizer) before going into the production area! Even the friends we made there! I just miss everything!

I think the guys miss the place too. Today we were supposed to go over to the other production plant to pass something to the senior production manager over there, but was told that all the workers have left. Everyone agreed to go back to see the senior production manager, and was disappointed when we were informed that he isn't there. Even the guys, who were complaining about not getting to go home earlier, were eager to go over to the other plant on our last day (today)!

I'm glad that I got into this pharmaceutical company for my attachment. I'm even happier since we have allowance (grins). Not bad for a company who has a ****** boss right? Hahaha.

Pharmacy Assistants & Dispensary Aides

2007-10-07T17:31:00.000+08:00

PHARMACY ASSISTANTS TO PROVIDE PHARMACEUTICAL CARE?

While the profession will face pressure over the proper education of undergraduate pharmacists, there is another issue at the horizon, or perhaps already present. There are already a number of colleges conducting courses in the so-called Diploma in Pharmacy and these students graduate as Pharmacy Assistants.

A search on the web on how they market this course reveal that a number of them do not provide specific details on what is the function of the pharmacy assistants, and they seem to leave this to the imagination of the prospective students. These colleges would, for example, just provide a definition of Pharmacy and leave it as that. Another college say that their program is approved by LAN and the Ministry of Education. (However the Pharmacy Board nor the MPS was ever called in to look into the course.)

However there is one college that seems a bit more daring. The Universiti Kuala Lumpur Royal College of Medicine Perak brochure on the course states “… enabling students to provide to develop skills in providing pharmaceutical care to serve the nation”. So perhaps in future the pharmacy assistants will be providing pharmaceutical care ?

To be fair, a few of them are quite open, for example for AIMST they state that their Diploma in Pharmacy is to prepare trained Pharmacy Assistants to provide a support service to the fully trained Pharmacists in Hospital and Clinical Pharmacy and also be trained to assist pharmacists to manage community pharmacy outlets.

INTI official website state that the Diploma holder can assist the Pharmacist in Community Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy or Industrial Pharmacy and are known as Pharmacy Assistants or Technicians.

How will pharmacists handle the situation of pharmacy assistants providing pharmaceutical care? It would not be untrue to say that pharmacists are already delegating this down to these assistants, or in some instances even to the sales promoter.

What if, one day, these pharmacy assistants put up a paper to the Bahagian Farmasiand demand that they be given Type A licence?

{Reference: i-bulletin of Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society (MPS)}

Will comment on the above when I have time. I strongly agree with the opinions in the article above, and have told Gian Wan about my views on this matter, and she agrees with me too. It's a good thing Mr D feels the same away as we do.