When Organs Fall Apart.....(3)

The next morning, my trainee doctor, Amit Jain, visited me, and was pleased that the MRI had been done. I told him I enjoyed Hindi films and am a Bollywood fan. We compared notes on the varous moviews, and when I found out that he had even watched
"Haathi Mere Saathi" as a little boy I was kind of able to guess his age almost accurately! Dr. Amit laughed and was thrilled when I sang him a Hindi song. We both appreciate Amir Khan's move productions, as his movies are always block busters.
His movies had to garner the crowds year after year, because they were only produced on a yearly basis. Amir Khan seeks perfection in his production; he believes in quality, not quantity. Oft times, he would also direct and act in his own movies.

My relatives were early and insisted on talking to the doctor. Sister and her friend, Yeh Yan, were somewhat teary eyed when they learnt about the gravity of my condition from the doctor, but because I was cheerful and optimistic, their anxiety gave way to smiles. Three physiotherapists came to see me, and one them advised to keep a walking stick given out by the orthopaedic department. I joked with the Malay physiotherapist, "Ini lah tongkat betul kah? Bukan Tongkat Ali ya?" "Is this
really a walking stick, and not Walking stick Ali?" By the way, Tongkat Ali is a kind of aphrodisaic grown in Malaysia. The staff laughed and so did some neighbouring patients who saw the tongkat. As the MRI had shown two of the bones to have collapsed on my left leg and lower spine, the doctor wants me to have
more support from a walking stick. However, Dr. Tai was more worried that some of the
tumours might have spread to the spinal bones.!

"Aha! I wonder if I were to walk into a crowded MRT station, would anyone get up for me? "Aiya, you look too young with a walking stick, peope may think you are fake!" volunteered my friend. "Then I have to dramatise a bit, and I proceeded to cough and act old and pathetic." My friends laughed. However, if some evil-intentioned people think it would be easy to rob someone with a walking stick, I would do a Bruce Lee stance with my walking stick, and proceeded to demonstrate, to everyone's laughter.

Sister had brought me a sour sop fruit to eat and some tea to drink. She has grown a tree in her garden and plucked the leaves to dry them and grind them into powder.
I feel so loved; though I may be living in Singapore by myself, I always have my relatives with me in times of need. Am indeed grateful for them, and as the youngest I am loved but not spoilt.

Perhaps an unforgetable incident which I would never forget and which shows me the wonderful attitude of the nursing staff. My best friend, Soh Wah had visited me the previous evening, and asked if I needed money for she knew I had been warded without
much preparation. I told her my wonderful friend, Amu, had come to visit me on the first night to buy me toiletries and insisted on lending me $150/-. Just then, I realised I had put my money in the pocket of the hospital pyjamas, and had thrown them into the soil bin, together with the $150/-.! I immediately told an Indian nurse in Ward 64 where I was warded. She is a sprightly and agile nurse probably because she is quite thin, but somehow she reminds me of a strong bamboo tree. She was quite frantic and immediately went to the soiled bins to search for my money. She was so happy and relieved when she found the money and I thanked her profusely after washing the money with dettol. The following morning when the same nurse saw me, she reminded me not to put the money in my pocket again.

Now, you can understand why it was difficult for me to really nominate any staff. To me they are all so excellent with their work attitude and service. Everyone is a star at the Singapore General Hospital and how I wish I could give each and everyone a prize like I did when I was a schoolteacher at River Valley High and ACS
(Independent).

I feel so proud of the Singapore General Hospital which has improved by leaps and boounds, Nurses are always so alert, and things are done with almost clock-work precision. Truly, the nursing and medical profession is a calling, and it demands
dedication, love for the job and most importantly, love for the suffering patients and the desire to help them improve in their health. That is probably why SGH has come up with the motto: "Patients. At the heart of all we do."

As a Christian I believe God has blessed doctors with knowledge and wisdom to treat
and bring relief and cure, but ulitmately, He is Jehovah the Healer. He finetunes all that have been done and He is ultimately the great Physician.

Thank you Lord for putting me through this experience of pain and of the realisation
I must learn to take good care of my health.

Gan Cao