With the change of social status from Miss to Mrs, Dr Kristal embarked on a new adventure: homemaker land. After tying the knot, she settled in Alabama, USA, due to her husband’s job posting—a place she would call home for the next three years. The transition was a significant one, as she went from being a natural go-getter with a strong interest in geriatric medicine, offered a path to specialise in that branch of medicine during her Basic Physician Training in Australia, to taking on the role of Home Minister.
Dr Kristal admits it was a jarring shift (emotional, mental, and identity shifts), adjusting to life as a homemaker while dealing with old-fashioned preconceived notions about being an Asian female married to a Caucasian male. However, she faced these challenges mostly with resilience and grace (it got very difficult some moments where meltdowns did occur), embracing her new role and the cultural adjustments it entailed.
First marriage, then a baby: Dr Kristal and her husband welcomed their eldest daughter, navigating the uncharted waters of parenthood. Many of our readers can relate to this perilous yet rewarding journey, appreciating the joy, growth, and trials that come with raising a child.
Dr Kristal had already started her Master of Public Health in Alabama before this good news, so she continued her programme until it was time for the baby to come. She changed her class frequency to one class per semester to juggle first-time motherhood with military family life. She also managed to follow the confinement practice after giving birth and Dr Kristal and her husband invited her mother over to the States to help during this time.
Alas, Dr Kristal’s journey into first-time motherhood wasn’t all peachy. She developed deep postpartum depression sometime after her 4th Trimester while having to navigate the daily discomforts of having Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER) every time she nursed her baby. But with treatment and support from a psychiatric nurse at the Army base clinic (whom Dr Kristal credits with saving her from the worst outcomes of PPD), Dr Kristal slowly recovered and continued in her classes and daily life.
Soon, it was time to head to a new place to call home—Germany. Dr. Kristal reflects on the grueling 30-hour journey she undertook with her 10-month-old baby and four massive pieces of luggage, all on her own, to reunite with her husband who had been posted to Germany earlier. This journey was not just a physical one but also an emotional and logistical challenge, demonstrating her strength and determination. She mused that her rigorous training as a doctor, with the long hours and the need to remain calm in the face of panic and chaos, mentally prepared her for this physically and emotionally challenging journey.