New Chapter of My Life 2.0

More than a decade ago, I wrote somewhat the same title for my entry "my new life". Back then it was due to the fact that I became a father just 5 months prior to my final year exam as a Medical student. And of course, without a  doubt, it was a huge change! Alhamdulillah, in 2008 I passed my degree, earned my MBBchBao (Bachelor of Medicine, Surgery, and Obstetrics) from University College Dublin, Ireland.

Fast forward, 12 years down the line, I am now blessed with 4 children ( A girl and 3 boys ) and a wife whose supports and love have always been second to none. Alhamdulillah. 

Right after coming back to Malaysia from Dublin, in June 2008, I started my job as an intern (House Officer) at Hospital Kuala Lumpur until 2010. I completed 6 compulsory postings which included Medicine, Obs & Gynae, Orthopedics, Surgery, Pediatrics, and Anaesthesiology following which I was posted to Negeri Sembilan for my MO ship. It was a memorable 2 years in Negeri Sembilan, in Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah (HTAN) to be exact.

At every level of my life, I came to the junctions where big decisions needed to be made. And without fail, I  put full trust in God in every step.  This is simply because I find it impossible to take decisions in life, based merely on our limited human knowledge. We have no knowledge of the future and let alone the unseen. Hence, I went on with the flow of my life, and pray to God to make it easy for me, should the steps are good for me, family, future, and the ummah.

In HTAN, Kuala Pilah, I was exposed to life as an emergency doctor for the first time which I then fell in love with. Though initially, I requested to join the Medical Department, after spending a year in ED, I took a big decision to U-turn and decided to stay instead. In 2012, I joined the Master's Program for Emergency Medicine, as an in-campus Ministry of Health candidate in the Department of Emergency Medicine, UKM Medical Centre. The 4 years period of training changed my life. I grew as a person, as an individual, and a clinician. Developed my early skills and interest in clinical research, having completed my own first research in the area of my interest; Cardiac Emergency. 

During the final year as an Emergency Trainee, I came to another junction. The offer to join as a Clinical Lecturer and Specialist was too tempting to resist, considering my passion to teach, to do voluntary works, and to the newly emerging interest in clinical research. I joined the Ministry of Higher Education from the Ministry of Health alongside another good friend of mine on the 1st of August 2016. 

I was once asked by a colleague, "Why did you join the University Hospital? What extra benefit did you get?" 

I answered her promptly, with a genuine answer that always wobbles in my mind. " I joined the University Hospital because it is not about what I get, it is about what I can give." I am not saying working elsewhere is less productive, but I personally feel that I could contribute more by joining the University Hospital. 

Thank you to Allah, the whole process of transferring ship was rather smooth. And at that same year, I received another unexpected yet huge news, that I and wife both were offered to go for Hajj. MasyaAllah, tabarakallah. It was a surreal moment for both of us. First due to the fact that we received the letter simultaneously. Secondly, knowing that our turn was supposed to be in 2027, we only had one word to utter; ALhamdulillah. And true enough, the journey had been one of the most memorable ones in our life. 40 unforgettable days on the blessed soil of Makkah and Madinah, and during the most blessed days in Arafat, we made the supplication to Allah SWT to grant us as a family to seek knowledge to the highest level we could get. I remember vividly the supplication, and the intention was only one, to please Him and to be more knowledgeable so that we could get closer to Him. 

Little that I knew, my wife's supplication was even more explicit which she only disclosed after coming back from Hajj; "Oh God, soften my husband's heart to consider doing Ph.D, and grant him the best university in the world, Ameen."

4 years later, Alhamdulillah. That supplication was surely answered. As I am writing this story, I am 5 days away from my flight to the United Kingdom, to pursue my DPhil (Ph.D.) in Medical Sciences at John Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford. It was a dream come true. Never thought this would ever happen. I believe that with clear intention (niyyah) and the eagerness to chase your dreams and most importantly  prayers from your wife and  kids, parents and parents in-laws, nothing is impossible.

In the next entry, i shall share all about the journey. How it started and what need to be done en route to Oxford. Till then...adiozz

my new life..:)

It has been more than 2 weeks since i last posted sth here, and that is on the 2nd of Jan.....the day my little darling Batrisyia was born. So today, is her 16th day, as well as my 16th day, as a daddy. Pre-Batrisyia period, i always wondered, how it might feel to be a daddy? How does it actually feel to hold your very own child in your arms?....Let me tell u now, it is absolutely WONDERFUL!!!!!!!!! If i could find more words or better phrases to channel out this feelings inside, i would..but no words can really describe it. Perhaps, tears of gratefulness and gratitude to the Almighty God, is the best way to express. Thank you Allah, for this precious gift. It is a gift, that changes your life, that alters your perception of the future, and of course completes you as a family. The minute she was born, i felt a very strong sense of relief and happiness. All because cikSHu n Batrisyia were both in good conditions, no medical complications whatsoever which substantially alleviated most of the worries i had earlier. I kissed Shu on the forehead and said, "U did very2 well honey, congratulations......and she is soooo beautiful," CikShu, mixed with super-exhaustion and slightly drowsy from the residual effect of the pethidine, can only manage to smile and asked, "Is she out yet?"...and few seconds later, the silence in the labour room was cracked by Batrisyia Safiyyah's first ever cry....."uweeek....uweekkk...uweekk" such beautiful sound of music in itself. They put her on Shu's tummy to have the first skin contact with the mother. The cord was cut, Tisyia was dressed and wrapped and later passed to me. I took her from the midwife, full with honour and full of love. Her eyes shut, I gave her my very first kiss and slowly i brought her close to me. The adzan and iqamat was recited to her ears, and gently, i applied few drops of zam zam water to her lips. She slowly opened her eyes, in a very3x cute manner, and looked deep into me eyes; and that was the first eye contact we had.so memorable indeed:) Being in the labour room that time was somewhat different. Having done few labours myself during my Obs n Gyne rotation, i thought i will be fine. But, seeing

4650 days later.......

(16th Oct 2020). 

I wonder...why the entry stopped there 😂, What did I see? Seeing what? Oh my goodness.

It has been sooo long since I last opened this blog. So much have changed. She was 16 days when I wrote the entry, and today she is already 12 years and 10 months old!!! hahaha...

In fact she inspired me to reopen my blog. I started the blog entry when she was only a little baby less than a feet long. And now she herself started to have a blog...here is the link tisyialanhelmy.blogspot.com.....

InsyaAllah  i will restart my blog writing again. After more than 12 years in idle mode. The blog started when I was in Dublin Ireland, as a medical student. Now, I have just started my DPhil journey. I will talk about more in my next entry......

This blog ended with the title 'my new life', and it will restart with the title 'my new life'....