She Got Treated :))

This refer's to

http://lostsarawakdoc.blogspot.com/2011/01/unassuming-yet-interesting-girl.html

She went to Kuching and got treatment for her cancer,and she's feeling much better now.I think we should all be really happy for her....

Truthfully when i got the text from her i was relieved,she had her own feelings,opinions so i wasnt sure if she'd go ahead with it,but i'm really,really glad she did.I'm happy that i tried convincing her.It's true we can't force people to do things they don't believe in,and yes it doesn't always work out the way we want to,but the thing is if we don't try we woulnt know and it's not wrong to give some advice within our field,there is a reason we got trained,our profession's do not limit us to what we do at the hospital/at work,i feel it should be expanded out as well within reasonable reason's.

These day's we worry about legalities,"oh no i'm going to be sued if it doesnt come out right",and yes everybody take's care of our own need's first,but what happens to things like humanities,just caring or that little bit of help,not necessary to the less fortunate,it could even be a friend,our world needs that too sometimes.

:)

The unassuming yet interesting girl ....

This post is long overdue.It's about the girl i met during my speedboat adventure to mukah

http://lostsarawakdoc.blogspot.com/2010/12/relieving-mukah-speed-boat-experience.html

She was a very pretty chinese girl,around my age i guess,with her mum and dad.The nice people whom i met at the wharf.Said she just got back from KL,working and living in Mukah.

We started talking while waiting for the boat to leave.She was interested that i was a doctor.She said she was on TB meds for the last 6months for a chronic cough taken at the local hosp,despite the fact that it didnt get better.She was travelling up and down to Sibu private hospital to get second opinions,mind you the roads from mukah to sibu are horrible.could understand her predicament.

She said after the scans they found that she actually had lung cancer,i was truly shocked,in my mind thinking how is it possible for her to get it,she's so young.She continued her story saying she went to KL for a second opinion,at a very expensive private centre.Doctors confrimed the diagnosis with a biopsy,told her she had to do a lobectomy(removing part of the lung),but she was not keen

So after all that she tells me she had enough,she wants to try traditional medication,coz she's scared of the operations.Oh oh alarms start going off in my head,have heard this before so many times and contrary that miracles do happen i'v seen horrible outcomes.

I spent 2 hours trying to convince her that even though she doesnt want the op at least try the chemo or radio.Explained that she still had her whole life ahead of her,her parents and family to think of,she should at least try and not give up without a fight,there must be a reason god wanted her to find out early.Told her to come see me in the hospital so i can refer her to the oncology in Kuching.Even told her i understand the 5stages of grief and how difficult it must be.My mum went through the same thing when she was diagnosed with breast cancer and after all the surgeris,chemo and radio,she's back to her usual self.


I thought i was making progress,but she smiled very sweetly and said she'l try but she's busy.Looking at her i knew i was losing the battle,in desperation i gave her my number to contact at any time.Waited for her a whole week,even msgd to remind but she never came,said she was busy,I guess after this i can only pray for her.

In despair

Few issues here :
1.Again because of the distance and lack of facilities i feel the people are totally shortchanged,i mean if we(the government) have proper screenings facilities,better roads could her mind have been changed.She's terribly frustrated and i can understand she had to travel all the way from Mukah to KL for someone to tell her that she had a terminal illness,which i think is very unfair.After all the running around  she's just tired from all that.Dont get me wrong she has an absolutely positive outlook of life,if i were her i dont think i'l be half as strong,but it was so sad
2.People in Sabah,Sarawak and the rural areas deserve better
3.I'm still in contact with her though she still has not sought treatment yet,i will continue to try,just hope it would not be too late

Young mother's ........

Sometimes you wonder is there such a thing as the right age to have a child.I put this girl who is only 13years old under for generel anesthesia,her ceasarian was for a big baby and post date,thank god she didnt go in to labour.There is always a higher risk for GA in pregnant mother's but we dont have much choice when they're at this age.

Sigh she's barely a child herself,and she's going to be a mother .When we were going to put her under she started crying,was really anxious.Anticipated problems with her because she was overweight,true enough she developed bronchospasm,and little difficult to ventilate,although she's big,her physiology is still of a 13year old,plus pregnancy chnages has it's own problems.Even her op wasnt a very smooth one,a lot of blood loss,her baby was a whooping 4.15kg.

The reason i'm writting this is in many other places this would be considered as rape.When i first came and was in my O&G posting i was thinking what are this girls doing having babies at 13,14 the youngest was 11,but it is allowed here i was told as long as the village headman approves it.Maybe i'm just being skeptical but they're just to young.Even at 28 i think i'm not ready what more at 13.Plus the risk involved,any part of the labour process could have taken her life but of course who thinks of all that,childbirth genereally has no problems,but when it goes wrong,it goes really wrong,sigh.



Not sure where we should start in educating them,as i said before culture is a very delicate thing,probably this girl did not have a choice,or maybe she did,is she even old enough to decide if she wants a child,her next pregnancy will definately carry a higher risk,just hope it'l be alright.

Reminiscing.........

Been a relatively busy couple of days,tagging daily till late.Didn't feel like blogging about work or complaining coz it will never end,i still consider myself lucky enough to learn as much.

Something really unexpected happened today,went up to the orthopedic ward to do my pre-op rounds and i saw a familiar face,it was the guy i escorted to GHKL few months back
http://lostsarawakdoc.blogspot.com/2010/01/escorting-patient-to-klgh.html
He was so well,he said he'd even be able to partial weight bare in a few months,i couldn stop smilling,as i mentioned before he's exactly a year younger,we share the same birthday,but our fate is so different.He stayed in KL for 3months

He said when he was there his dad passed on due to a road traffic accident,i was so sad when i heard,but he said it's alright,it's all in GOD's hands.He actually thanked me,for what i'm not even sure,i didnt even do anything,but it's so nice to see him,so full of hope,smilling away,just like how when we meet an old friend,said even his girlfriend left him,but he was wasn't sad,said it's her right,cant force her to stay with a cripple.Told him if someone really loves you they will not judge you and would not leave you in bad times,sigh

It's things like this that happen to remind me that life's how you see it,positive or negative it's all up to you,even those who have less can still be so happy,so who are we to complain.....

An old man

Currently into my third week of my medical posting.I'm absolutely loving it,i guess if i didnt like paediatrics so much i would have actually done medical.It's really busy,but there's so many new things to learn,so stimulating.


Well just wanted to share a funny,sad case.

This old man,73yr old,from an interior of Kapit,was admitted to sibu to rule out a hemolytic blood disorder,as they couldnt transfuse him while in Kapit,his blood kept on getting hemolysed(self destructing).his hemoglobin(part of the red blood cell) was very low.


So when asking him about his social history,he said their really poor,only has one daughter who's unmarried,whom also is a farmer,wife also quite ill.His diet history is so poor,can only afford to eat rice with vegetables,they cant afford fish and meat.


During rounds my specialist was talking about probably need to send out some investigations to the private lab,because they cant do it in the hospital.But we all knew he couldnt afford that.So just for completiton sake my mo asked if he could pay about RM 60-70,we were quite surprised when he said smillingly "oleh"(can).


So he started looking into his bag,we thought he was realling hunting for money.but he pulled out this card folder,it was gold,my friend beside me said,"Wah is that a GOLD card",haha we both laughed....



Unfortunately it wasnt,it was an ex-army card,this old man thought that the card would also pay for the tests,bacause with it he doesnt need to pay the hospital bills.



Somehow that moment really tugged my heart,i mean in the first place i never actually thought he would be an ex-soldier,he looks like any normal slightly senile old man.To think he is so poor because he cant even afford a decent meal,would bring tears to anyone with a heart i think.



So many question's crossed my mind at that time,how much compensation does he get each month?how much should he get?Does the country,the government and the people forget them just because they're in the remote interior?Are there many more like him?does he deserve this?


This man probably helped us achieve our independence,but here he is so poor eating only rice with veg.


I'm sure it happens everywhere and everyday,but it's small things like this that jolts me from my comfort zone,thinking there is so much that can be done even in the smallest way.


As for his condition we're still looking for clues,and no matter what we'l find alternatives for him to do the tests.thank god there are still some good people around.


"Empathy is still very much needed in our profession,strive for it"