Suay is my middle name.
In Hokkien, ‘suay’ means unlucky.
Juli-Suay-Bun. (Okie, Bun isn’t my actual surname.)
On 27 May 2013, I was invited for a facial at a beauty salon. This event unfortunately became a tragedy, which led to me suffering a skin condition which terrified and traumatized me, and also to my inbox and social media accounts to be bombarded with hundreds and hundreds of messages – some of love and support, some, till this day, asking for the name of the salon ‘in private’.
Hello darling, there is nothing ‘private’ between you and I if I have never met you and may never know you. What if you’re actually a spy from the salon masquerading as a fellow prey of another salon, trying to suss me out, testing if I would loosely share the identity and then SUE ME? Think I’m stupid or what?
Many bloggers have asked me for the salon’s name and I have unflinchingly declined. Even my friends don’t know the name of the salon. Actually they don’t give a shit about knowing which salon it is because they don’t want to put me in a difficult position in having to choose between confidentiality and honesty in a friendship.
People who ask don’t know me, people who know me don’t ask (or are very smart people who understand why I have remain tight-lipped about its identity).
On 31 May 2013, four days post-facial, I wrote a post documenting my arduous journey from the day of the facial to Night 4. I mentioned that I had gone to see a doctor and he had given me expired medicine and creams.
This is the first clinic I visited:
On 05 July 2013, I received a lawyer’s letter from MedLife Clinic & Surgery demanding clarification. I am posting this in response to their demand for clarification.
Before I tell my side of the story and I will stick to facts, I wish to make known the following:-
It was never my intention to defame MedLife Clinic & Surgery, to question their competence or to raise any suggestion regarding their professional ethics. If this appeared to be the impression I have given, I apologise unreservedly to them for having given any readers this impression.
So here is my story, true, unabridged and factual:-
#1: WHO SAID GP IS DERMATOLOGIST? NOT I.
It was the people from the facial salon who brought me to this clinic. They said the clinic was recommended by a friend.
I never mentioned in my post that the MedLife doctor IS a dermatologist anywhere in my blog. I used the term ‘doctor’ in my first post. In all subsequent posts, I used ‘first GP’ to refer to the MedLife doctor. I never explicitly said nor suggested in any way the first GP was a dermatologist. If this was misread through no fault on my part, this I unfortunately cannot help as it has nothing to do with me.
#2: EXPIRED MEDICINE
(Excerpt from lawyer's letter)
'Smoke' is a commonly used lingo in Singapore describing the act of doing/saying something to cover up an error/truth. By the use of the word ‘smoke’, I did not mean to suggest any dishonesty on their part in doing so. In truth, I do not know why I was given a box of expired cream although I feel this clearly warrants an explanation without more.
The only fact here is I was given a box of expired cream, which was later replaced when the expiry date was pointed out. In retrospect, perhaps I shouldn’t say ‘smoke’ if it gave this impression. That was not my intention.
I guess I was upset and shocked at having been given a box of expired cream. I cannot imagine the consequences if C hadn't pointed it out and I had applied it on my itchy, pus-filled face.
Pills too.
When the expiry date was pointed out, I did not feel the nurse gave me an explanation which was acceptable, reasonable or convincing. That is my impression.
#3: ACNE OUTBREAK DIAGNOSIS
What made me conclude that the MedLife doctor made a different diagnosis was simply the fact that I saw the second GP within one hour of the MedLife doctor, and saw Doctor Joyce early next morning, both of whom had diagnosed my skin condition as an allergic reaction. Two other doctors, one of them a dermatologist, both gave a diagnosis of allergic reaction whilst the first GP at MedLife said it was an acne outbreak.
The MedLife doctor saw this face, I had told him it was incredibly ITCHY, and he diagnosed it as an acne outbreak.
I'm sorry I had to put you through this again, i.e., looking at my horrible skin. I tell you, it's not easy revisiting this ordeal to see how ravaged my skin was.
But this was what the doctor saw and said it was an acne outbreak. Again, it was not my intention to raise any suggestion the Medlife doctor was not ‘up to mark’ but in all fairness, if you had seen 3 doctors and the later 2 doctors disagreed with the first doctor, it would be reasonable for me as a layperson to draw the conclusion I did.
#4: SHARING BAD EXPERIENCE = DEFAMATION
It was a compounded effect of having experienced Point #2 (doubtful expiry dates on prescribed medication) and Point #3 (a diagnosis different from two other doctors) that had me take to my blog to share my unpleasant experience.
Defamation - The communication of a false statement that harms the reputation of an individual, business, product, group, government, religion, or nation.
Defamation - Any intentional false communication, either written or spoken, that harms a person's reputation; decreases the respect, regard, or confidence in which a person is held; or induces disparaging, hostile, or disagreeable opinions or feelings against a person.
In stating what I did in my initial post, I honestly was recounting what I had gone through, the trauma and shock. Throughout my entire post, I have never had any intention of defaming anyone. Honestly, I thought it was similar to reviewing, say, a restaurant or product. I am a blogger; I review things and happenings honestly (meaning UN-falsely); it's what I've been doing all along, I didn't create a blog out of nowhere to defame this clinic.
I have now learned to be wiser after this episode. Please be aware that recounting your negative personal experience may land you in the situation I'm in right now.
#5: BEYOND MY CONTROL
If you re-read this very first post and had first read it before 08 June 2013, you would realize that I’ve since taken down any mention of the clinic’s name.
I removed the clinic's name because the editors of some websites had twisted the truth of my story. They reported that I had the disastrous facial done AT THE CLINIC. I have never ever said this and let me clarify again: the disastrous facial was NOT done at the clinic and has nothing to do with the clinic.
It really isn’t my fault that certain websites misread or misquoted what I posted. It really isn’t my fault either that what they have published has become distorted. I can only be responsible for what I posted and I try to be accurate.
Now the clinic wants me to clarify. How should I do a correction for something I never wrote? I have NEVER said I had the facial done at the clinic.
If I have painstakingly remained tight-lipped about the identity of the salon despite many urging me to and hurling abuse at me for ‘not protecting the rights of other consumers’ and ‘being selfish for allowing the salon to harm more people out there’, do you think I would foolishly state MedLife Clinic & Surgery was responsible for the facial??
How other websites misinterpret and misrepresent my story is BEYOND MY CONTROL.
(Excerpt from lawyer's letter)
That makes two of us.
(Excerpt from lawyer's letter)
This is where they demand for clarification.
I shall repeat for the nth time:
I DID NOT HAVE THE FACIAL DONE AT MEDLIFE CLINIC & SURGERY!!!
MedLife Clinic & Surgery
Block 684 Hougang Ave 8
#01-985
Singapore 530684
Tel : (65) 63850836
Fax : (65) 63852463
That am I clarifying for other websites annoys me endless!! SHEESHHH!!!!
(Excerpt from lawyer's letter)
The weirdest thing is that even though the letter dates 18 June 2013, I received it on 05 July 2013. SEVENTEEN DAYS LATER!!
Let me repeat that I had no intention to defame; all I wrote was a true characterization of my personal experience.
I repeat that no facials were ever done at the clinic on me and it was external websites beyond my control that erroneously reported what I NEVER said.
Summary
- I have NEVER said that the doctor who attended to me at MedLife Clinic & Surgery is a dermatologist.
- I have NEVER said that the facial was done at MedLife Clinic & Surgery.
- The one statement which I apologise for is telling my readers that MedLife Clinic & Surgery 'really should not stay around in the market'. I made this statement while I was traumatized and in shock and I should not have said it.
Thank you for reading.
Sincerely,
Juli-Suay-Bun
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Traumatic Facial Experience Series:
Post 1: My Horrific Post-Facial Experience. You Need To Read This.
Post 2: Jipaban Blogger Bazaar Party This Sunday! + Quick Update On Skin Condition
Post 3: More Than A Pretty Face – Update On My Skin Condition #2
Post 4: You Know, I’m Still A Beauty Blogger
Post 5: A Day At The Beach With A Special Someone
Post 6: Lawyer's Letter From MedLife Clinic & Surgery Demanding Clarification
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