Dr. Robert P. Jalleh, my dad's saviour, advised him to do an operation to remove his stomach & spleen. My dad then called my mum to inform her and they both made a quick & wise decision to follow the Dr's advice.
My dad, being his practical self, then called our insurance agent to come over to discuss about insurance and his last will.
My dad was then admitted into the hospital on that very evening. The surgery was scheduled to be on the next day.
My first thoughts when I heard the news, "Oh Lord, please help us."
Han came back that night from PD and I thank him for doing so. He is a very loving husband who understands my need. I took the rest of the week off and Han was on emergency leave for a day.
We slept in fear that night. Praying for the best.
3rd February- The Surgery Day & Day 1 at HDU
At 1pm, my dad was wheeled into the operation theatre. Tears fell from his eyes and so did mine. There were plenty of mixed feelings. We put our trust in God but at the same time we were fearful.
I texted my friends, in-laws and family to pray at 2pm. That's when my dad's surgery started. I believe in the power of prayer.
7pm- Our prayers were answered! My mum received a call from the hospital and was told that my dad came out of the OT safely. :)
The surgery was successful! The Dr removed my dad's stomach & spleen & as many cancer cells as he can. However, there were some left that he could not remove. He told us not to worry as my dad will undergo treatment once he has regained his strength. The Dr told us not to think about Chemo just yet. We should just focus on helping my dad regain his strength.
My dad was admitted into the Highly Dependancy Unit (HDU). He was conscious when we met him. Making jokes, talking. After a while, he was tired. So we left him so that he can catch some sleep.
My feelings: My dad is a HERO! :) He made it through with God beside him and all the Saints protecting my dad from any harm. After the surgery, we know, God is here with us to go through these tough days and my dad will fight this battle with God's guidance and with God & our love and care. :)
4th February 2009 - Day 2 at HDU
We were only allowed to visit my dad at 11am-1pm & 5-8pm. My dad had some post operation pain on his left shoulder. Told the Dr. and he explained why there is such a pain. The Dr gave 2 reasons:
1) During the operation, my dad's hands were lifted up high so that the Dr could see everything clearly. His hands were in that position throughout the operation which lasted 5-6hours. Therefore, the pain.
2) The Dr removed the spleen as well. The spleen is located below the left side diaphragm. During surgery, there may be blood clod at the diaphragm and the nerve is connected to his left side collar bone.
The Dr recommended pain killers. My dad was a little reluctant to take it initially but the Dr told him not to reject the idea immediately. He then gave in. The drug made him drowsy and he couldn't feel his limbs. He don't like that feeling. He then told the nurse not to give him anymore. He will just bare with the pain.
My feelings: It was heart breaking to see my dad in pain and helpless lying down. I know he will fight through this. I pray every day that he will be stronger and that he will progress.
5th February 2009- Day 3 at HDU & Day 1 at Room 6051
By this time, my dad was B.O.R.E.D! it' understandable. For a person who is always active, suddenly stuck on the bed 24 hours with nothing to watch, nothing to do. He eventually fell into depression. He told us he felt like vomiting cause he is so freaking bored.
We of course, told him to hang on in there. When the Dr came to check on him and said that he'll be moved to the normal ward, the news immediately brighten up my dad's day.
However, the hospital took nearly 8 hours to locate a vacant ward for him. His spirits went down again.
When we visit him in the evening, he was still in HDU. We went there to cheer him up. He said he can't take it. He felt like vomiting. Then the nurse came with good news : "The room is ready. We are going to push you up to Level 6 soon."
We had to wait for about 30mins before the porter came. Then my dad told us to go up first and ask us to switch on the tv. He wants the tv to be switched on before he's there. haha. Yup, that's how depressed he was.
The TV saved my daddy! Immediately, he tuned in to CNN and Barack Obama was on. He didn't even answer us when we spoke to him. His eyes & ears were glued to the tv.
My feelings: I'm happy to see my dad to go back to being himself the moment he was moved to the normal ward.
6th February 2009: Day 2 at Room 6051
My dad had some discomfort because he has been lying down too long. His left shoulder is still giving him pain and also the left diaphragm. It is also the day that they removed the epidural. My dad can now feel the surgical pain.
Progress! My dad was asked to drink more water. From 10ml to 30ml.
When my mum & I visited him, he was still glued to the TV. My dad received a lot of messages from his friends, sending their regards & wishes.
He also received a basket of flowers & fruits from his company. :) His company HR is very nice. They wanted to visit him but my dad is not comfortable to receive guests at the moment.
We have a visitor! My mum was just walking around outside the room and she bumped into my dad's treasure hunt friend, Carol! She came by to say "Hi!". However, my dad was struggling to talk because of his surgical pain.
He was also struggling to find the best position to lie down as he is afraid of getting any bed sore.
At night, my parents' neighbours came by to say HI!. They brought along a basket of fruits.
My feelings: I'm glad that my dad is progressing well day by day. Praise the Lord for healing my dad. I was in pain when I saw my dad struggling to control his surgical pain. Immediately, I prayed to the Lord to give him strength.
7th February 2009: Day 3 at Room 6051
We did our routine, going to the hospital in the morning after breakfast.
My dad received his 2nd bouquet of flowers from his Treasure Hunt mates. :) It was very nice and the nurse told my dad: "Uncle, your flowers are all shining so bright. You must be strong & cheerful like the flowers."
Suddenly, a guy walked in. He introduced himself: "Hi, I'm Carol's brother-in-law." Carol told him about my dad and he decided to walk in to motivate my dad. He is a cancer survivor for 10 years. He reassured my dad that medicine is so advanced these days that we don't have to worry. At whichever stage my dad is, it doesn't matter. The most important is for my dad to keep praying and receive the treatment like his friend. Don't allow other people to bully him. He then told us that he wrote a book on his journey and has a website that we could view : www.geocities.com/ejsoo
We then found out that he is a journalist for the Star and his name is Soo Ewe Jin. (His name sounds familiar, perhaps from the articles that he wrote for the Star.)
My dad was very happy to have him. He was very thankful to have such a person just dropping by to give him one push of motivation!
In the evening, our insurance agent (one of my dad's close friend), came with her family. My dad knows her husband too. Her husband came and it put a big smile on my dad's face. He cheered my dad up and I was so happy to see my father, talking (i mean whispering) and laughing (though he had to control himself).
My feelings: Very thankful to have the two surprise visits. Thank you so much for cheering up my dad. :)
Photos:
My dad watching TV. He has now switched to watching more channels rather than just CNN, ESPN & Discovery Channel. :)
The messages & best wishes from his Treasure Hunt mates & his company, AIG.
The flower bouquet from his Treasure Hunt mates.
The flower & fruits basket (the fruits were removed when this picture was taken) from his company, AIG.
Special Thanks & Appreciation:
To Uncle Kien Ping & Aunty Lilian: Thank you for coming by every day just to say a prayer for my dad. Thank you for touching my dads' heart and for guiding him through his journey in Christian faith.
To Susan (our insurance agent): Thank you for handling the financial matters for us and for being there immediately when my dad called you. You have been of great help & we are glad that we don't have to worry about financial matters. Thank you for bringing Uncle Simon & your children over. It was indeed a cheerful day for my daddy.
To those who have prayed for my dad: I thank you for your prayers and for keeping him in your daily prayers. May you continue to pray for him.
To my relatives & in-laws: Thank you for being such a supportive family. The sms-es and calls touched my heart and I am truly blessed with such a wonderful family. Thank you for your encouragement and for praying for my dad every day.
To my mum-in-law and dad-in-law: Thank you mummy & papa for taking care of Han when I had no time to. And I thank you for praying for my dad every day. I thank you for asking me every day how my dad is doing and also your care & concern.
To Syaza, Sulo & Tuty: Thank you for coming over on Friday. It was indeed a good "break" for me. I'm sorry to have canceled our plans on Monday. I hope that Friday made it up. Will see you girls soon for a drink/catching up!
To my husband: Thank you for being so supportive throughout these tough times. I'm truly blessed. No words can describe how much you mean to me and I thank God every day that I have you in my life.
To my mum: Although she won't read this, but I would like to thank her for being such a strong woman. She was there to tell me to hold my tears. She was there to tell me to be strong for daddy.
To my friends, my mums' friends & my dads' friends: Thank you for motivating us to be strong and for praying for my dad. There is no chance for us to be weak with such strong support from all of you.
To my Saviour, Heavenly Father: I thank you for blessing me with so much love and care. I pray that you will bless these beautiful people with love, joy & peace and all that they have been praying for.
Note: This post is written for my dad and my sister in Japan. (I will continue to publish post on my dad's daily progress.)
My dad, so that he would read it when he is well enough to go online. May he be reminded of the support that he has when he is fighting this big battle against cancer.
My sister, it's tougher for you since you are far away. May the posts on daddy's progress keep you updated and assure you that daddy is in good hands. Your prayers are the strongest support that daddy can have. Just be strong for him and keep yourself healthy. When you are home, you will be able to contribute more. :)
As Liverpool Supporters would shout & sing:
"YOU'LL NEVER WALK ALONE!"
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