Of Clogged ARteries and Eating Too Well

August 24th.

My Tiong family has a long history of cardiac problems medically.

One Ghost Festival I went under the knife not knowing that it was the exact day. I chose the day together with the Indian doctor because it was a day when he had only one other patient for the OT, otherwise I had to wait another six months for a good "window". What if I had a heart attack?

I met my relative Shirley Munjah who was the OT specialist nurse and felt comforted by her very much because the last time I saw her, she was just a little girl. I was really in good hands.

Early in the morning at 7 I was wheeled into the OT with dear Aunt Pick holding my hand and praying for me. My son and second daughter were there too and my mum and sisters.

Was it a farewell for me then? Would I ever wake up? I was given the anesthetics and as the wheels of the trolley turned round and round and loudly, I was lulled to sleep. I did hear the circular "saw" that cut through some bones or was it my sternum? Or was it all in my imagination.

the next thing I knew I saw faces of the nurses, Philip Assan who was in tears, and the doctor. It was 2.30 p.m. I was always a clock watcher.

They gave me a warm applause. It was like I was coming home and I had just landed at the Kuching airport welcomed by a big medical team!!

Photo by Kong Chung Mui (she was one of the PETEP trainers with me)

The hospital stay was short as so many patients were in the queue. Though I would like to stay longer, I was soon discharged.

I was in pain for the next three months because of the stitches and surgery but I had a great fish diet, from all the best fish my mother could buy from Pending.

Each day I watched the sunrise from the eastern bedroom of the Kasuma condo and breathed in the fresh air and read and watched TV.  I was only able to walk steadily after the second week.

I returned home after two months in Kuching. The doctor gave me 3 months' leave so the rest was really well earned. By then I was already worried about my son's form five or SPM exam and prayed that he would do well as he was cooking and nursing me together with dear Helen my carer and made. I am glad he pulled through all on his own.

When  I went to work, on the first day, a naughty colleague said that I must have eaten too well during all the training, seminars and conferences sponsored by the British Council/government for English lecturers. Well, I had a "good and new" hearty laugh with him.