the day continues ...

3rd september 2005 has not ended yet for me after the run. we were instructed to be at serdang hospital by 2pm, and little did i know then how serious they were! there were people who turned up after 2pm and was sent home! for not being punctual!

i was all awake and fresh on my way back after the run. we stopped for coffee and i got home after 11am. i showered, got dressed and left for serdang hospital, which i had to find. and of course, on the road i miss the exit to the hospital and had to take extra time to turn back, and i got there a few minutes before 2pm! the hospital lobby was crowded with the participants, all in their seats, writing up an application form. then, we were taken to a lecture hall for a briefing. and this is when my first encounter with dr. zul happens. he's colonel dr. zul now. first expression you get upon being face to face with dr zul is, 'do not mess with this guy!' we've come a long way since that day, dr zul and i.
i take my seat and dr zul starts his introduction, about the program and what we ll be getting into and a little background on the evaluation process, firstly, a basic medical exam that will be conducted after the brief. during the brief, he tells us that one of the important requirement is good eye sight, and thats when a lot of the participants became annoyed. one of the guys, he had a high powered glasses on, stood up and asked the most obvious question. in that case, what about us who wear glasses? at that point, dr zul glanced at all of us, and said, those of you who wear glasses, please stand. there were more than 10 of them who stood up at his request. and dr zul says, everyone, give them a big round of applause for trying! as the applause died, he said, sorry guys, but thanks for coming. and you hear the frustrated groans from the faces with the glasses. they were not sent home immediately for the requirement is not a perfect 20/20. and guess what, i wear glasses. i am short-sighted and was prescribed back in 2000! i hate glasses, therefore i dont use them at all. most of the time, i dont need them. so, there i was, in that lecture hall, thinking the eye test will be the end of it.

what follows is a series of medical tests. full body check, for which i had to strip, stomach, breasts, neck, arms and legs. blood pressure, urine sample, height and weight, and blood test. i managed to say hello to some of the guys seated next to me while waiting for the eye test. i was told that only 3 girls made it, and i see the chinese girl there with us and she has contacts on, and obviously, was very nervous about the eye test. so were the guys with the glasses. i told this guy next to me that i have impaired vision as well. i was then called in for the test and to my pleasant surprise, i had no trouble at all in calling out all the numbers and alphabets on the board on the wall! as i read it, the examiner told me to remove my lenses. i took out my glasses from my bag for him to see and said i dont use lenses. i remember coming out of that room happy. mostly, for completing the day without passing out or screaming! after completing all the tests, on my way to the cafeteria, i ran into dr zul. i said hello, and asked about the third girl, whom i didnt see at all. he simply said, she didnt turn up, and walked away. i met a couple more guys at the cafetaria, chatted some over coffee, and left the hospital after 5pm.

two down, a hundred more to go! i didnt have a clue of what is to come next, what to expect or how to prepare myself. how does one prepare for medical tests? i decided then to take it one day at a time, and went home to celebrate completing the day! i was very proud of myself for passing the physical test, because that was all me and my effort. i was not worried even a tad bit of the medical tests, because there was nothing i could do to change the results. if my urine showed an infection, i was out. if my blood results came out positive for cancer or hiv, i was out. if my short sightedness was a problem, i was out. but, worrying about the results wasnt going to change it. one day at a time.

my blog has received it's first comment. and a positive one at that. thank you, malar. keep reading!