Letter To Jessie Chung

Alhamdulillah, setelah hampir setahun, finally one of my dreams have came through. Dah lama sebenarnya nak tulis surat pd Jessie Chung ni tuk ucap tima kasih to her for changing my life...

Dear Jessie,    

I was born and grew up in Kuala Lumpur. Currently, I am staying in Bintulu. I am a fulltime housewife with a loving husband and three wonderful sons. For as long as I can remember, running nose and allergies were my constant health challenge. As time went on, after I gave birth to my third son, my doctor diagnosed me having acute bronchitis and prescribed me with several antibiotics and steroid medicine. I was in and out from hospital several times due to the sickness. To make thing worse, my husband just started his new job at Papua New Guinea shortly before I deliver my baby, which only put more stress on me and my immune system. I felt so sad because he was not around leaving me with my kids here in Malaysia. In addition to that, my baby also got prolonged jaundice and this makes me really worry. After I finished my confinement period, out of a bloom I had memory loss of many things amongst them was  I don’t remember where I put my baby, my body getting skinner and skinner because I lost my appetite and the worst thing was I couldn’t sleep for several nights because I had several nightmares being strangled by something. My physiatrist told me that I fell into post partum depression which he then prescribed me with anti depressant medicine that lasted for 9 months, from which I gained 20 kgs!

Then, I started to read more books to know what is happening to me. After months of searching, I came across one book title “The Postpartum Survival Guide” and I understood now that my post partum depression was likely brought on by stress emotionally and physically during the confinement period. During my recovery process also, I started to write my feelings and my daily improvement in my diaries as to give motivational support to me. Words like “I am stronger”, “I am feeling good”, “I want to be healthy”, “I want to continue breastfeeding my baby”, “I will not give up”, “I want to raise my children together with my husband” makes me better and better and had resulted to my speed recovery. I was so happy when my doctor had totally stopped all the anti depressant medicine upon my recovery.

            After that, I started my own quest for health because I knew that I had to be well for my husband and children. I am thankful that God lead me to various books, television shows, magazine and health journal relating to my condition.  Based on my readings, I found one interesting topic on “sea salt” and how “sea salt” can improve and recover lots of health problem including depression. It has been a blessing to me that I “discovered” you in November 2010 after my long searching for “sea salt”. In fact, I jumped happily after I accidentally found sea salt in your store. Ha! Ha!

Here is where I met with your lovely “angel” named Vanessa and we talked about my health problems which include prolonged coughing due to acute bronchitis. Ever since, she had become a great source of information and guidance to me. Vanessa is a very special and caring person who always smile saying “siti, don’t worry, be happy”. He..He.. Besides Vanessa, I also thanks to your other angels namely Alice, Chris, Perry, Mavies, Pearl, Francine, Berryl and others who had helped me as well as other people to regain back our health. Vanessa advised me on healthy eating plan and use natural alternatives to build up my immune system. She recommended vitamin supplements that could help my conditions and gradually my strength returned. So, I used your detoxification program as to get rid all the drugs medicine that I have been consuming for quite a long time. I began supplementing my body afterward with bio organix, probiotic, chlorophyll, multivitamin, b complex, omega 3, evening primrose oil, vitamin e, co enzyme q10, vitamin c, calcium, sea salt, seasoning and all created a perfect balance for me.

It has been two and half years that I have stopped taking anti depressant and I have rebuilt my health back with no longer coughing. As an added bonus, I have lost 10kgs! And now I have seen an improvement in my skin as well as my face. The most important thing of all is that I am happy and healthier now, my memory had improved tremendously, I can make better decision, I am no longer feeling depressed, I can take care of my children all by myself and I am able to cope with my daily stressful activity. If before this, I am afraid to have another baby due to my post partum depression experience, I am now no longer afraid to become pregnant again. Jessie, your journey towards recovery from dark depression really gave me strength and motivation. I believed God allowed me to experience my sickness so that I can learn from it and help others by what I learned. I am so happy that so far, I have helped others to start eat healthily by first changing to your sea salt and seasoning. I also advise others start taking supplements especially omega3 for those who had experience depression and prevent depression. Guess what, seeing my condition right now, no one believed when I told them that I was so sick before.  I am so grateful for this.  

In addition to that reading all your diaries really inspired me. I was so motivated to read all your stories. You know what Jessie, after I bought each of your diary, I always pray to God to let the traffic light turns to red so that I can read your diaries during the red light. So every time the light turns red, I will read your stories. I always believed that “everything happens for a reason”. Tears kept running from my eyes as I read your diaries “The Race of My Life”. You inspired me to realize that God had me on purpose in this life. As a full time housewife who had resigned from my good job to follow my husband being a mill manager in palm oil mill who travels a lot makes I finally realized that God wants me to help other people especially woman and children to succeed in their life. I am happy being able to teach the women and their children to learn English and also do lectures on various topics such as parenting, personal finance with them as to enhance their knowledge. Now, I am no longer felt ‘shy” for becoming a fulltime housewife or felt the ‘guilty” burden for letting down my parents who had sent me study abroad. Thank you Jessie!

You also inspired me to cherish everything in my life in your diary “The Power of Love”. I have learnt to let go everything to God. By doing that, I am no longer worry of everything and start to treasure everything that I have in my life. I have stopped worrying and start living my life to the fullest. There are lots of other people who are not as fortunate as I am. I am so touched with your kindness towards orphanage. I always believed “the more we give, the more we received” and I have already experiencing it throughout my life. God didn’t repay me back with money or material things that I gave instead god give me with a second chance to live after my post partum depression experience, more loving marriage, all my children performed really well in their studies, my husband climbed his career ladder quite fast, my mum was also given second chance to live after being coma in icu due to colon cancer, finding true friends  and lots of other things. Meanwhile, your story about “a tailor and his scissor” really changed me 360 degree. Since then, I will make sure that I ate my supplement first and now I have started to go to yoga class and do things that I like such as go to facial, massage, singing karaoke as to rejuvenate myself. I learnt to pamper myself first before I can pamper others. Just to let you know that before this, I will do my work until finish and then only I will take my supplements. What a wrong concept! Now, I am happy and eagerly sharing this with others who happen to implementing the same wrong concept like me before..Thank you again Jessie!

In my religion also, we believed that ‘kata-kata adalah doa” or “words are prayer” and you highlighted it very clearly in your third diary “Hearing a Blessed Voice”. It is like a reminder to me to continue to speak positively towards my children and also touch them with more love. The one thing that impacts me the most was how I learnt to understand my husband better. I have started to ask my husband what he likes and dislikes about me. I have finally accepted my husband for who he is. Since then, our marriage becomes more lively and meaningful. I am also impressed with how you manage your time wisely. Jessie, I always envy your achievement. You were so busy yet you still have time to pursue your degree and certificates in various field. Whenever I complain about not having enough time, I will think of you. Thanks to God, I already achieved some of my many dreams due to your motto “make every single second count”. Life is short and we do not know when God will take our life so I decided to just pursue all my dreams one by one and let the rest to God. If I succeed or not succeed, at least I have tried. Not trying is already a failure. One thing for sure is that I will keep on taking a good care of myself and my family. I will dedicatedly inspire people to look after themselves by eating healthily and start taking supplements. Thank you so much Jessie! You have made such a difference in my life. May God will keep on blessing you with all your lovely angels with more love and happiness.

Yours sincerely,

Siti Norkiah Mohd Ishak