KUALA LUMPUR : Debra May is a regular viewer of the television programme, Extreme Makeover, but getting some work done on herself was just a dream. Until a search on the Internet brought her to malaysiahealthcare.com, Malaysia's one-stop portal for health tourism.
Last month, Debra went under the knife. She had a nose job, breast implants, a face-lift, neck-lift, brow-lift, her eye bags removed, plus a holiday package, at about a third of the price she would have paid at home in New Zealand.
" I've been considering cosmetic surgery for a while now, but it's just too expensive in New Zealand," said teh 46-year-old, who had booked a cosmetic surgery package for herself. Debra spent about RM60,000 on the package. She would have paid more than RM160,000 for the surgery at home.
" The last two years have been rough. My older sisters - identical twins - died and my husband left me. It's all taken a toll on me and my two children. " I reached a point that I decided to stop wallowing in self-pity and do something. " I'd met someone through the Internet, and I had botox before our first meeting but I wanted something more permanent.
" I was looking for affordable treatments, but I didn't want to compromise on the quality. I found Malaysia to be the obvious choice. " It's a huge bonus to have my privacy, and being able to tell people that I'm just here on vacation is what I wanted," said Debra, adding that she found the web portal very efficient.
The new and stunning Debra now finds herself shopping for things she never thought she would get, and especially enjoys bonding with her 16-year-old daughter. " This is our first trip together to Asia. We both love the shopping because the variety here is astounding. I'll definitely come back for a visit.
" My 19-year-old son doesn't know that I'm here for surgery, he thinks we're here for a holiday. " I suppose I'll give him a surprise at the airport," said Debra who left yesterday. She has also lost weight since the surgery and says she plans to lead a healthier lifestyle. " I eat a healthier diet now, I feel as if I've gone through a renewal, and I am very happy with the results."
So happy, Debra is considering the Malaysia My Second Home ( MM2H ) programme. But first she plans to use her transformation to promote Malaysia's health tourism to her friends, who are anxious to see her results. " They can't wait to see the new me, and I'm looking forward to telling them about the whole trip.
" Communication here is a breeze because people speak english."
" I also got to experience Thaipusam," said Debra who has even taken a liking to fish curry.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -> By Heidi Foo heidi@nst.com.my
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