Stubborn Lump begone

The stubborn lump on my shoulder has finally been removed. from what started out like a large pimple, it continued to stay for months, as i went on with my life, waiting for it to burst. of course, it never showed any signs of bursting. Only after half a year did i decide to get it removed once and for all - by surgery, as seemed the only way. Though its just a benign, painless growth, it sure isnt fancied by those who get to see it.

Never did i know that just to do a small surgery would be so troublesome, requiring me to go for consultation after consultation and an ultrasound scan. why cant they just see, scan and cut on the same day?.. saves us the waiting and saves them the red tape, ya?

So the time finally came to get rid of it. they made me change into a patient's uniform, consisting of a back-open dress, a front-open coat, and disposable underwear. after putting on the shower cap and all, you cant tell if patients are male or female.

a nurse led me into the operating theatre, and i was welcomed by a whole bunch of nurses and a doctor like some VIP.  they made me lie face down and proceeded to attach numerous monitoring devices on every part of my body, making me feel like a wired-up science experiment. they also heaped several layers of sheets over me to keep me warm. while the operating theatre is air-conditioned, i think it could give the patient a heat stroke instead, especially with a blower breathing hot air into the cocoon. i kindly asked them to remove the blower.

i was feeling pretty edgy. i wouldnt be put to sleep (literally). i was given only local anesthesia, where only the shoulder would be desensitized, and i would be fully conscious and alert to witness the entire procedure taking place. the LA injection hurt more than any ordinary injections - a prolonged, intense stinging pain, as the doctor made multiple injections through the same spot. but the pain soon died out as the drug set in.
the LA felt funny. i tried scratching the numbed area, and it felt like a thick layer of hardened skin.

when it was time to make the cut, i thought i was in for a great memorable show. instead, they covered up the right side of my head so that i couldnt watch as they operated. disappointed a little. but just as well... if i really watched them as they slice and dice, i probably wouldve flinched and caused some unnecessary cuts.
first up was the sharp scalpel. after drenching my skin with antiseptic solution that my numbed skin could feel as it evaporated, he began cutting around the lump. i could feel the movement on the skin as he sliced in many precise, short strokes; the sound of splitting flesh just beside my ears. i can still hear it in my head.

the nurses constantly asked me every few minutes if im uncomfortable or feel pain. but i was just feeling unnerved. the next steps were just as unnerving - to reduce bleeding after the lump was extracted, a blow torch was used to burn up the open wound. the strong pungent smell of burning flesh filled the room, resembling the smell of burnt hair. somehow i couldnt feel much of the heat, unlike how i felt the cooling sensation of the antiseptic. after that, the doctor stitched up the open wound with needle and plastic thread. i saw it being done on dead bodies after autopsy, and now its happening to me! - stitched up like Frankenstein.

in the aftermath of the operation, i realised the absorbent pad placed below my arm was soaked in blood, even flowing under my chin. in the deceivingly painless procedure i had lost that much blood. right after its done, no hospitalisation, i was set to go on normally with my life. i was told the anesthesia would wear off in 6 hours, and i was bracing myself and counting down till pain arrives. But what came was merely some soreness and itching - a good sign of healing. phew.

now i am enjoying a week of MC... enjoying at times, and feeling really bored at times, considering im not allowed to go out, and hardly anyone's free to go out anyways. but in any case, its better than slaving or rotting in camp!

I just had my last site duty ever this week. changed over, left the site without feeling too sentimental about it. it is quite a nice place i would say, and i might miss it. nowhere else in singapore can i spend days in the mountains like this.

supposedly, i had one more duty, but that is to be given away, to make way for my 2 weeks MC! .. or at least the doctor said i would get 2 weeks after they cut off my disgusting lump plaguing my shoulder for the past half a year.

so from now on, its just work in boring camp everyday, doing admin flight duties. (no more guard duty, i hope.) just waiting for the new toilet-brush-haired trainees to complete their training, take over us, and then... ORD LO!!!

Off the beaten track

Much is still unexplored by many in the remote Northwestern region of Singapore. An area far from civilisation, one would not be expected to go there for any other purpose than work in one of the industrial plants, warehouses, farms, or even secret installations amongst the shroud of undisturbed forests. Having gone by foot into the Kranji area a few years back; but turned around after i figured the road ahead to be a little too uncertain, im glad i did not continue on - for the road ahead was way too long for walking, and being stuck in such a place far from civilisation is no fun even for the curious explorer.

but this time i returned again on my trusty bike, for dual purpose of 'exotic' exploration and a good workout. I had to make sure i knew the route, carefully tracking the roads out on google maps and trying to remember any possible landmarks in the unambiguous landscape. sure, its not too easy to get lost in singapore, but its sure easy to make a wrong turn in a place like that.

First, i'd be taking it northwards on the long stretch of upper bukit timah road. due to a lack of proper pedestrian footpaths or cycling tracks; plus numerous construction works, the only way for a smooth ride was cycling on the main road, with cars, buses and lorries whizzing by beside.

i find, the drivers are more afraid of me than i am of them...

the first turn is into the Kranji industrial area, just past the last trace of residences at Yew Tee. this area has only warehouses, manufacturing plants and lowrise offices. makes for a rather un-singaporean landscape already.

A cement factory, i believe.

Out from the dusty industrial place, suddenly it leads to a serene mostly-natural environment at the Kranji reservoir. A land bridge separates the reservoir from the sea, with Johor in the backdrop, and connects the industrial area to the agricultural region on the other side. Theres even benches along the waters, like a regular park. as if honeymooning couples would come to this inaccessible place.

looks pretty good for fishing from a distance. even 'no fishing' signs are put up. but at a closer look, the water turns out to be green with algae, and you'd doubt if any edible sea creatures would survive here anyways.

This is a really intriguing facility, like some sort of a space station. no labels, no signboards, and surrounded by high security fences as seen around army camps. in the vast open field around the facility stands several 'alien antennas' like the one shown below. getting extraterrestrial signals?

Yes, this is in singapore, though it looks more like an european countryside. The northwest region holds many farms... vegetables, fruits, goats too. the smell of a farmville is not something we come across every other day - and especially for a goat farm, its a blessed relief we dont smell it everyday.

The roads in this area is also especially perilous - there are only single carriageway roads which are even narrower than regular ones at residential areas. they are barely wide enough for a truck to fit in, and needless to say, no footpaths. lorries and heavy vehicles would be constantly passing by. i tried to keep left as much as possible without falling into a ditch or having overgrown roadside shrubs slapping my face. the heavy trucks would have no way to keep right when another vehicle is oncoming, thus passing beside me by a few feet, feeling the strong wind resistance in its wake. sure freaks me out sometimes, but i guess the driver was a more nervous wreck.

I chanced upon the D'kranji farm resort, a unique of its kind in singapore. it has its own vegetable and fish farm! the rooms are like proper chalets. guests aint sleeping in a straw hut.
a friend who had his birthday party here said many of his friends and their taxi drivers got lost in the area, going round in clueless circles and raking up an enormous fare. such speaks of the inaccessiblity of this  natural retreat.

This is the straight, long freeway that spans from where my camp is until ama keng road. its time to simply go cruisin down! the stripes in the middle makes an excellent path to cycle on. however, in a large open space like this, one would better hope the wind is in his favor; or the wind resistance might prove much of an inconvenience.

Halfway through the freeway, dark clouds loomed over the sky. soon, tiny raindrops drizzled upon me, and steadily growing bigger. thunder cracked in the distance, echoing through the open air. a bolt of lightning struck just behind that chicken farm. in a large open space like this, i should be worried about lightning!
legend has it, though, that i made it through without being struck by lightning.

no more pictures were taken after this, of course. i only concentrated on turbo-ing my way back in the pouring rain. i was soon back in familiar territory anyways, and that concluded a good exploration trip.