Kal El

Have you heard the English proverb ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE meaning someone is dying - my case, one of my foot is really in the grave! Alhamdulillah sebelah kaki ku telah selamat dikebumikan disisi tempat bersemadinya Allahyarhamah ibuku di Tanah Perkuburan Klang Gates Baru Kuala Lumpur pada hari Jumaat 2 Januari 2009.


The amputated leg was treated like any dead body would, with honour and respect only sermons were not read and thank god the slot beside my late mother's grave was available - it was a wish came true. No wonder when I was very sick in Nov due to the renal failure I had often being reminded of my mother's grave. I thought I was going to die and burried beside her, indeed it came true - but of me died and had to be returned to Allah the Almighty. Thank you dear God for lending me this limb.

Warning: This entry is very graphical in nature, not for the weak at heart - Kal El is showing these photos hoping that those who read this blog would learn a lesson on the consequences of diabetes. So do take care of your health.

I thank well wishers. As strong as I am deep inside it hurts but I was left with no choice either this or it'll get worse. Alhamdulillah God still has mercy on me, insyaAllah I'll be on my feet again soon - I'll brag about it when the bionic leg is ready in two weeks time, just on time for me to start work at the new place. InsyaAllah.

The amputated leg was sent to the forensic department or mortuary to be exact - ahahah forensic macam bunyi CSI sket kan? My brother Sapit claimed it on the morning of 2nd January 2009 - about days after amputation - look at the yellow packaging, it reminds me of daging lembu sold on Hari Raya Qurban... the next time you buy meat like this, do be reminded of my amputated leg hehehe.


The forensics department had wrapped my dear leg like a Christmas present and according to Sapit there were many layers of 'gift wrappers' wrapping my leg and it was frozen stiff. As a Muslim, the amputated part of the body needed to be cleaned and later on sent to the grave. Just to note the toes that were earlier removed were given the same treatment.


Another layer and another layer and another. I didn't see all these of course as I was at the hospital. Seeing the leg made me feel awkward, that leg looks familiar and it was once attached to me - it was like losing a part of you (literally) and what's funnier, my leg has its own Permit Menggali Kubur given with my name on it. So next time when I die it would be the second permit issued under my name - huh I could die twice!


This was how what's left of my foot looked like. Scary huh? *(Below) - Look at the blackened toe, each and every finger turned black except the large toe but they all had to go, sadly.

Warning: This entry is very graphical in nature, not for the weak at heart - Kal El is showing these photos hoping that those who read this blog would learn a lesson on the consequences of diabetes. So do take care of your health.

The sequence of events:

04 December 2008 - This blister has been there for a month. I've been doing home dressing twice a day.


13 December 2008 - the blister had turned bad and foul smelling. The last toe had turned gangrenous.


15 December 2008 - The last toe and the blister affected part were removed.


25 December 2008 - A couple of days after the fourt and third toe were removed. Half of my foot were gone too. The second toe started to blackened.


29 December 2008 - Moments before the Below Knee Amputation - the previous week's wound was not healing well. The foot has died, the bone turned black and there was no way to save it. I had to say goodbye to it.


01 January 2009 - The amputated leg on New Years Day - an unforgettable new year...


06 January 2009 - The wound started to heal. Alhamdulillah.


11 January 2009 - The open wound trimmed and stitched after the doctors were sure it was clean and healed.


17 January 2009 - At the clinic for daily dressing. Healing beautifully.


04 February 2009 - Stitches off. Healed but skin a little dry - now I've just have to wait for the stump to mature in order to use a prosthetic leg.


06 February 2009 - 1 month and 38 kg lesser later - at the prosthetic leg maker. I'll be walking again in about 3 weeks time. Yeay! Urghhh forking out 7.5k for the plastic leg but it's going to be worth it.

Yes, whenever I am away for very long something bad must have happened. This time it is a real challenging experience that changes my life forever; nothing beats this, not even having to go for dialysis 3 times a week. This is far worse but again, I am Superman - always challenged but never defeated.

I have been around after being 'jailed' @ Ampang Hospital for a month but couldn't find the slightest interest to blog. As usual I would have everything within reach even the Internet. I tell you being on MC for 3 months is really boring. Before that, woohoo, I got that new job I was telling you guys about many months ago - finally the offer came and I gladly tendered my resignation at the current company. A week after the offer came - this offer from God came and I had no choice but to accept it. So I am currently serving my 3 months notice on medical leave - thank goodness! See, there's always a silver lining behind bad things that happens. Whatever it is, Alhamdulillah for what Allah has given me, whether good or bad.

After the landslide at Bukit Antarabangsa in December I fell terribly ill, I couldn't walk for most of the week after Adiladha after a real bad fall in the toilet at my dad's place in Melawati. I laid on the recliner for a week and a blister on my rright foot turned gangrenous on the weekend after Aidiladha. The blister has been there for about a month and I've been doing home dressing twice a day for that period but ever since I came back from Umrah I have been caughing none stop and the week before the landslide the caught just got worse. I turned to Ubat Batuk Cap Ibu dan Anak which has honey ( a real NO NO for diabetics) and swallowed 2 big bottles of it. On the day the blister turned gangrenous and foul smelling my suger reading was at 33 mmol.

I decided to go to the Ampang emergecy on Monday morning 15 Dec 2008 and as I expected I had to be admitted and the gangrenous part had to eb removed - the little toe had to go as it was right above the blister. I was okay and accepted my fate. The surgery to remove the little toe and part of my right foot was done the next day.

A week after that, as the doctors had suspected and continuously warned me during their rounds every morning that my wound wasn't healing well (partly because of the renal failure I was suffering from that the healing process couldn't take place) the fourth toe had turned black and must be removed. I readily accepted my fate and signed the consent letter. During surgery the doctor told that the third had to be removed too and I agreed. Again, the doctors kept reminding me that they had no confident my foot will heal and advised for a BKA (below knee amputation) - I disagree and told them that as long as my toe and the second toe are okay, I wouldn;t let them do anymore surgery on me.

And true enough a week later the second toe had turned black - I had to finally succumb to my worst fears of losing a leg. my right leg was amputation below knee on 29th Dec 2008, a mere few days before the new year came. I had lost hope and was devastated but I kept telling myself at least God had given me time to think and if I were in a motor accident for instance, I may just lose a leg and would have no time to even sign a consent letter.

About a month had passed. I am hoepful that life would turn better for me especially with the new jpb coming - thank God they are ever willing to accept me even after the amputation and my current company, no matter how bad it is, the bosses have been very unnderstanding and helpful. I owe big time to KN for taking care of me while I was in the hospital. Also to my borther who took care of me on weekends at the hospital and the most important thing about all these is the realisation of the love of a dear father. Papa came everyday without fail and whenever I had to go into the OT he would be there for me.

I thank Allah for what had happened, even though it was painful but good things turned out from it. Do pray for me guys.