Why Manulife?

Let me first say that it does not matter what insurance you may choose in life, as long as you are insured. Personally, I do not support any one brand but I support the person.  

Dedication, honesty, trust and commitment are becoming more of a rare quality these days.  So let me introduce you to a lovely young couple Kevin Lau & Michelle Ng.

They were married in 2012 and Michelle has since then been part of Manulife Dream Union. Michelle is very committed to her work and is willing to go the extra mile because she truly believes in what she does.  If you need any guidance, advise or information about insurance, please do not hesitate to contact her (Mobile number is on the right --->)

Maybe you think I am getting something out of this but hey... as I mentioned in my earlier post, no insurance company will touch me.  So no, I do not have the license or capabilities to sell you insurance,  I am here to say, I believe in Michelle, regardless of which company she is attached to :P

Why be insured?

No one can predict what happens in life.  Besides the tremendous struggle it will save you from high medical expenses in cases where you do survive, think about your loved ones when you are gone. Especially if you have dependents.  Let's face it, even funerals these days are not cheap!

Maybe I am morbid but of all the things in the world you can be sure of.... we all cease to exist at some point so why leave our debts to be paid by the ones we love.  The hospital bills aren't going to pay for themselves even when you are gone nor any other loans you may have outstanding... cars, properties... even the cost of clearing out your stuff from a rented place.  Why would we want to burden the ones we claim we love?  I think its part of our duty to not make things worse for others.

I was also the skeptic in thinking that its just about the money.  Money may not be the only source of living or happiness but who can deny we require it live and who can deny that no one wants to inherit a financial burden from a passed loved one.

We will all leave this world one day, why not be prepared?

Not cheap to be ill

As a normal person with average weight and seemingly good health, one never expects any such major health issues to occur in their early 30s.  Prior to this, personal insurance or medical cards seemed like an additional expense and had been ignored.  The only coverage I had was from a group insurance and medical card from the company I was working at.  It's not just about dollars and cents but if you take that into account, this is what 6 months had cost me (bare in mind its an estimated cost of what I can remember, excluding all the Chinese remedies, therapies and supplements directly related to this even prior to surgery)

Even if the group insurance covered RM15K and SOCSO covered RM7K of the spinal fusion, there is still a whopping RM10K you have to cover on your own, while not being able to work and reimbursement from SOCSO does not come the next day.

2 years spent struggling to cover this amount was not easy especially when your immune system is weak from so much antibiotics, pain killers and muscle relaxants.  This means that prior to this I have hardly had any fevers and catch coughs or colds from anyone. After that it seems that even if someone sneezed in Singapore, I would have a cold!  I was lucky my former employer was willing to give me an interest free loan.

The most awful truth is that since I had no existing insurance coverage on my own, no insurance company will touch me now after the fusion.  Its not like they are willing to offer you a sick premium of 5K a month... they flat out reject your application.  So the one most important thing I have learned in life is that you should not neglect being insured when you are healthy because hey... no one expected a disc to collapse after 30 years without even being in a major accident!

Pay while you are healthy cause truly, you never know when the shit hits the fan.

Not so common knowledge

The 2 things my surgeon said on my last consultation before I was discharge for the spinal fusion op was that for the next two years I do not (1) get pregnant and (2) fall down.  At the point of heightened joy for being discharged, on my back for so long and gruesome physio therapy sessions, I just nodded without much thought and went on my way.

Obviously in just 60 short days I was back in the hospital and met my surgeon after the x-ray was done for the fracture on another bone of my spine.  There he was, looking at the x-ray and the report emailed to laptop.  He shook his head and gave me a very disappointed, "I thought I told NOT to fall down!" and so since I had failed 50% of my promise, I responded with a "Then I might as well get knocked up now and get it over with?" To which he burst out in laughter and said that since I still had my sense of humour, the fall may not be as bad as we thought.  

To get in line with the topic of the post, I have learned a few things about surgery procedures which they are not up front in telling you the full details nor did I have the experience enough to even ask.  On the last 2 days leading to the surgery, the pain in my back became so unbearable that pain killer doses 3 times a day was not cutting it and so at night, to help me sleep, the gave me a morphine jab in the ass.  Not that I have had that many jabs in the ass but this by far was crazy ass painful and it seems you can feel every drop of liquid being pumped in.  However, before giving me the jab, I was told

"Go and pee first.  After I give you the jab, if you need to go to the toilet again, press the button for the nurse and do not go alone"

After the dose was in though, it was like there was no pain at all and all I felt was sleepy, so I slept.  At some point during the night I woke up and felt like I needed to pee.  Of course, you know me... why would I ask for help? I stood up and instantly the world was spinning... literally and I was plastered on the floor, feeling like I was going to throw up cause everything is moving around, could not get my bearings and I laid there, eyes closed, panicked as if I were about to die.  

I could see the button beside the bed to call for assistance but it was like my body was not responding to move.  More like it was lagging but after what seemed like forever, I managed to press that button and the nurse helped me up.  After assisting me to the bathroom, she sternly reminded me to call for assistance and never attempt to get up on my own.

Even till today I wonder why people (not including those in severe physical pain) would seek to take such drugs.  How does feeling sick to your stomach, panic attacks, feeling like you are drowning from the breathing to hard because of all the dizziness and disorientation and not being in control of your own bodily functions such a kick? Bizarre!

"You will be on a solid food fast 24 hours prior to surgery"

I did this fast but was not told why nor did I ask.  For a week after the surgery and being discharged did I realise that I hadn't done number 2 all this while.  My doctor says it is common and something to do with the anesthetics effect that it may cause constipation. My mom tried giving me flex seed and even though I spend nearly 1/2 an hour of energy like a 2 hour gym session (sweating and feels like all the muscles in your body wants to die) I only manage a 5 cent coin drop.  The thing is, you can push all you want but when it comes to the critical end (closest to where the surgery was performed) one has no strength of muscle control AT all there which makes it near impossible for it to come out.  This is when the "do not get pregnant" portion of my surgeon's advise made sense.

3 days later, still only a few 30 minute 5 cent coin result, my friend suggested prune juice.  Like a hero, I drank the entire 750ml bottle in one go.  In about 2 hours, while napping, the majorest of major stomachache occurs.  It took a whole HOUR or so and the pain, sweat and tears felt like I was giving birth to a baby elephant through my ass (the actual size is like a big potato).  It was hard and crusty, like some sandy artifact and boy did it feel like a sandy artifact coming out too!

I was so so so tired that I didn't even manage a shower, just wrapped myself in blanket and laid on my bed. The amount of sweat cannot be exaggerated cause it looked like I just took a shower... my hair was so wet with sweat that it was taped down to my scalp.  My body felt like it was so drained of energy that I was even shivering!  I laid there thinking... the worse is over.  5 minutes pass and I sprung up racing to the toilet again cause it felt like round 2 was not going to wait.

Before my ass could barely be over the toilet bowl, Niagara falls with the force of a nuclear explosion came crashing down.  It was like that baby elephant was the cork, keeping Niagara falls in and now that the flood gates are opened... A moment of silence as we say a little prayer on how sorry I am to the bathroom for the unimaginable nightmare I gave it with a typhoon of "exit materials" splashing around.

If anyone with a very graphic imagination is reading this just before or after a meal.  Happy eating :)

Had I known the 24 hour fast was to prevent the baby elephant (it didn't really prevent it now did it) I would have fasted a whole freaking week!

2010

Contents may be too graphic for the weak stomach or too lengthy that you may fall asleep.  Proceed with caution!!

A summary of the dreaded year where 4 major health problems visits me in a span on 6 months.  Here is the list:

1. Spinal Fusion

Got this surgery done in June 2010 where we first found out that the last disc in my lower back had collapsed to 50% and because it was compressed, there was a portion that was swollen outwards and therefore pressing against some nerves, leaving some portions of my legs numb.

So after months of pain, agony and not to mention cash spent on acupuncture, specialists and therapist, finally it was time to face the music and get the lumbar fusion done.

Now, I have titanium screws, bolts and nuts in my spine for the rest of my life.

2. Bone fracture

2 months after my medical leave, I went back to work and at 9am, we had a meeting on the 3rd floor.  As I was walking down the stairs at 11am to the 1st floor, on te last flight, my legs just refused to cooperate and I fell backwards down the stairs. In panic as to NOT hit the area recovering from the surgery I just had, I raised my butt to avoid the stairs hitting my lower back.  As brilliant as it sounded in my head at the time, I managed to fracture a bone on my upper spine! Whoopiedoo... that was another 2 months of medical leave.

3.  Pancreatitis

After returning to work for the second time, I went in on a Thursday.  Both that day and the following day were such a blur and I was so tired by 5.30pm that by the time I got home, I just fell on the bed, work clothes and make up still on and slept!

On Saturday morning at around 5pm, I woke up like there was fire in my stomach and I vomited so much till just what looked like water was coming out.  I hardly drink a sip of water and 2 buckets come out in under 5 seconds!  I called a friend and asked her to take me to the clinic as I am sure I could not drive in that condition.  We thought it could be gastric as I had not been eating well and on pain medication for such a long period so the doctor gave me a jab.

This repeated at 5am Sunday and by Sunday evening, not only did my stomach feel like it was a volcano but my left arm could not move.  The doctor said straight to the hospital. From then, all I know is that I woke up in the middle of the night and I was in the ICU.  My poor friend had to get all the administrative things done for me as I had passed out.

3 days of IV, poking, prodding and shoving god knows what in every hole in my body, they said I had pancreatitis.  They gave me antibiotic shots straight through the veins and I think that hurt way more than the insulin jabs.

4.  Fungal infection

The very next day after I was discharged for my 14 days stay, I went back to work and that morning itself, I felt like Hell itself was let loose down there.  I went to the clinic behind the office and after a very embarrassing exam (I am used to my own doctor thank you) and even more embarrassing questions, she told me that the antibiotics kill good and bad bacteria so I now had a fungal infection down there and here are six enormous tablets and a stick thing to shove them up!  I shall not include any pictures cause even I will get nightmares.

That sums up the second half of 2010 for me. Many ups and downs but hey... nothing killed me, so here I am blogging strongly!