UPDATE ON ABBY

JULY 4, 2015 (continuation from earlier blog post http://suesanctuary.blogspot.com/2015/06/mid-year-crisis.html)

Today (July 3) is a glorious day ... after 10 nights in ICU (and the earlier 2 nights in a private hospital) our sister Abby is finally transferred out from ICU to a normal ward.

As she had fasciotomy performed to save her limb (left arm), her entire arm is of no use at the moment.. the doctor has not ascertained the exact extent of the dead muscles but we are told she still has enough muscles left to regain most use of her left arm, if not 100%... the road ahead will be a slow and painful one for her as she struggle with relearning how to move and use her left arm. She can barely clench her fingers now and she cannot unflex her grasp without the help of her right hand.

She still needs to be hospitalised as the doctor needed to perform further operations on her and they are leaving the wound open, mostly unstitched as that is usually what fasciotomy is and it shall be a few more weeks for her at the hospital and then some more weeks of medical leave until she is fit enough to go back to work.. driving will be a problem.. but she shall have us by her side at every juncture of the journey.

We are thankful for all prayers and well wishes from all. We truly are grateful and glad we still have Abby with us and most importantly she is going to live to celebrate her 30th birthday in August.

Her internal organs are out of danger (hence the transfer out from ICU) and her blood levels are back to normal, well, almost normal.

And yes.. her initial diagnosis was dengue fever which she has contracted the second time in 6 years and neither of the remedies worked... not papaya leaf juice.. young papaya fruit sap.. crabs soup and flesh... not frog with bitter gourd.. not this not that.. we have literally tried everything up till her platlets dropped to below critical to dangerously low below 15.

What helped were constant blood transfusion alternating with platelet transfusions and lots of prayer and positive thoughts sent her way. She was drifting in and out of consciousness as her organs were under attack, especially her liver, which caused her blood to not be like us normal people hence causing compartment syndrome.

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/2058838-overview

If you see the link above.. it must be performed within 6 hours of it happening yet Abby only had it done after 2 days as her blood works were not good enough for surgery or else she will risk excessive bleeding to death. Hence the death of her muscles. She is very lucky in the sense that they didn't have to sacrifice her arm in order to save her life, i.e. amputation after allowing the arm to die. She saw the scar this morning when they were doing dressing and it was depressing  but she quickly forced herself to accept the scar and the still open wound as part of her now. We are so proud of how brave she is.

Doctors said her condition was very critical where mortality rate is high especially with an almost definite mortality for the very young or very old... and we were right to fear her death. She fought and won and for that we are truly thankful.

If she is to get dengue the third time it will be even more dangerous. She is renting with her husband at a landed property, single storey terrace house now. My parents are persuading them to move to higher floors, i.e. condominiums when she is discharged but we shall cross the bridge when we come there.

Her husband also contracted dengue at the same time and recovered quickly within a week with lots of 100Plus and rest at home. No need for the remedies, etc. We were quite taken aback by some well wishes who vehemently preached certain remedies and implied that our mother had not tried hard enough to save her. God knows how much we tried and to what extent our dear mother has tried for her youngest daughter to the extent of begging for the ingredients from the gardens of strangers.

At our most worrying and trying times, it got too much for our parents to even answer phone calls or reply to messages on whatsapp or even meet and talk with another person... each time they relate to an individual about our sister's condition, they will be sad and tears tend to fall.. imagine you have 100 enquiries and you need to cry 100 times... it was really emotionally taxing.. if your queries went unanswered during that period, we are truly sorry but for our sanity and to keep things together... we needed to shut out the world for awhile.

With Abby's life out of danger now, our family can now sleep soundly for the first time in nearly 2 weeks.

AGAIN, THANK YOU for your support and we believe every prayer counts in her recovery. With every worst scenario that was presented to us, many u-turns were provided that somehow our sister managed to scrap through with the slightest margin.. and we were met with much kindness, many sympathetic nurses and doctors, much support from every one, most who have never known Abby personally and many who donated blood to replenish the hospital's blood bank for the general good, and the many prayers and well wishes from everyone whom we may not be able to name one by one... from the bottom of our hearts.. thank you. We saw the true human spirit and have not lost hope with humanity. We are truly blessed. Thank you for the help and prayers rendered from people from multiracial and multireligious backgrounds or denominations. We saw religious tolerance at its best when it is a matter of life and death.

THERE IS STILL HOPE FOR HUMANITY.

THANK YOU.

p/s- Aedes mosquito breeding grounds must be eliminated... Dengue is very real and it really can kill.

I would not wish this upon anyone or for any family to go through the grief or heartache of this illness.. And there is still no medicine for this. Forget the traditional remedies.. seek treatment from the government hospital immediately and get your blood tests done. My sister was initially rejected a blood test from a 24 hour clinic near our are in Setapak, we are still contemplating if we should pursue further action with that clinic with two very sarcastic locum doctors (visited twice in two consecutive evenings). Go straight to a hospital if you display the symptoms of dengue which may include high or low grade fever with extreme pain on your bones and joints and a terrible splitting headache and lethargy.

May all beings be well and happy.

Sabbe Satta Bhavantu Sukhitatha.

First year death anniversary

19.03.2013 was when you left us when your youngest grandson was exactly 30 days old.

A year has passed, you are deeply missed and fondly remembered by those you left behind. 

While Fate may seem like playing a cruel joke on us, taking away a loved one just after we got our son... It serves as a lesson in life for us, one year on, we could see what lesson Fate was trying to impart to us.

A somber reminder of the fleeting nature of life. With birth there is death. With joy there is sadness. With every gain there is a loss. That's the balance of nature. Life....

 

RIP mommy. My only mother-in-law.

2014

Dear Baby Boy,

You will no longer be a baby in a couple of months from now. Gosh, time passes by too fast and you will be a toddler soon!

It has been awhile since mama dusted off her court shoes (shoes that cover up your toes)... It won't be long before mama is out there doing what she does best and brushing up on her skills and expertise... Only this time on her own terms and time. You are still my lucky star my precious baby boy.

Mama loves you more and more each day.

Jan 8, 2014

The Four-Way Test before we talk or do anything

The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the truth?

Is it fair to all concerned?

Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

**There are some things that money can't buy... Like manners, moral and integrity.

Relationship Expiry Date

People say I am too sensitive (as my weakness) and yes I admit it. If I am not sensitive I won't be the caring person that I am and I won't care so much and give so much. 

If they think it is not worth their time to accept that about me and wanna keep their distance then by all means do so. I have learned to desensitise myself from people who drifted too far away from my life over the years. 

A clap takes both hands to work. I am just tired. And it still hurts each time a clap doesn't work and I have to let go but the hurt dulls after awhile.

Some relationships really do have an expiry date. Sometimes when a bridge doesn't work, a construction is due for a wall.

Why is Life like this? Because it just is

Well, life throws some things that we may be unprepared for but usually nothing is greater than a loss, a loss of material things, loss of dream, loss of a dear relationship or a loss of life (death) of someone who know or even hold dear to our heart.

Yeah, death is inevitable. In between birth and death there is life and like a candle lit in the wind we never know when life will be snuffed out. We are just passing through this journey called life. 

In the past half a year alone, birth, illness, death have happened to many including myself. Just the past one month alone, people I know have witnessed the birth of their child, lost a child... Life lost so young RIP little angel, lost a pregnancy when your belly is growing with your anticipation, one got married, another broke up, And had someone dear falling ill (my prayers are still with you) and lost someone very dear to the other side, more than once sometimes in a short span of time. 

Such is life.

Celebrate life with its ups and downs.

However, life isn't all thorns without roses. Without these we won't appreciate the transient stuff because everything isn't permanent. Without the bitter we can never enjoy the sweet.

We will learn to treasure the present moments with our loved ones. 

Live like it is your last day on earth isn't cliche, it is very true. We don't even know what is going to happen the next moment so what right we have to claim that we have everything under control?

With birth there is death. It is what we make of the 'dash' in between that matters. What matters when you are lying down on your dying bed? Think about it and do something to reduce your regrets at the end of the day.

Stop the rat race and pause to enjoy the roses sometimes. Life is too short, too fleeting. Say I love you to your loved ones. Smile. Peace.

Pix by Jessica Coppadge, an admirable woman with strength and wisdom 

Missed Moment of Motherhood

Today my little one just rolled over for the first time from his back to his tummy and I wasn't there to witness it as I was at work....

I feel like I missed one important milestone in my baby's life and feel dreadful after that, I still feel awful as I am typing this so I feel that something's gotta give.... Hmmmm anyway, I digress.

Motherhood is not all bed and roses and taking a tip from one article directed at new mothers, I follow this one golden rule: Take time to look at the pictures of your little one when he is asleep. Looking at pictures of him is totally different from looking at your baby because when you are looking at him you are pressured to meet his needs and cater to him while you will appreciate the miracle your little one is if you look at the pix which gives you an overall sense of wonder at this little bundle of joy. 

I have been shielding my son from the virtual public world since his birth with his face mosaic off on this blog and now that he's over 4 months old, here's an unflattering pix of him with his eyes shut when he took a short nap in the car seat today, tired after playing for the whole afternoon at grandparents' house. He is so very much loved. We love you baby boy. Hugs and kisses. 

Feeling Emo

Long post ahead...

It has been quite some time since I last played any games on my iPhone or facebook, before Candy Crush became the craze for (almost) everyone.

Back when my late mom in law (MiL) was still alive and then diagnosed with final stage cancer, I was a regular in some Zynga games on mobile, and actually had some 'regular' game partners called 90tomh and worshipdrummer. Then I quit to attend to more pressing matters at home since my MiL stayed with us in her final days and left a message in our last game, to which worshipdrummer replied, giving me comforting words.

Now more than 200 days later, much have happened after my MiL passed away, had a baby boy, then attended my MiL's funeral, etc. then I checked out those games again and saw that it has been more than 200 days.

I checked back 11 days later and the game requests were still unanswered, I guess they too have moved on and dumped the game.

Some things can never be the same as time goes on. 

The only constant is change. This made me very emotional when I think about it. My baby will be a little boy soon and by the time he enters primary (elementary) school I will be 40. You can never return to all the 'good old times', that's why they inserted the word 'old' in everything nice and fine.

Am I scared of old age? A little... I will be lying if I say no. Am I afraid of death? Yes, sudden death especially, I wish to have some time to prepare myself and plan my 'exit' from this life.

It is the start of the 14th week for my darling son. He just turned exactly 3 months old last week, according to the calendar month. I was just looking at his newborn pix and I nearly teared up seeing how small he was back then. He has a little boy face now... I am torn in between wanting to see how he will grow up yet I am sad when I know he is growing and will never be as small and this way anymore. Human dilemma of not sure how to feel.

Guess everyone deal with grief their own way. I guess this is my grief talking. I haven't fully cried out after my MiL passed away as both hubby and me made a promise not to cry near her body. 

Having such precious happiness in my arms now in the form of my son and then losing my MiL seems like a cruel joke played on me by nature. 

I haven't dealt with the sadness or even the anger and frustration of the situation.

Yes I have busied myself with my baby for three full months and I was too tired to even think of anything on a daily basis. I do enjoy my baby tremendously.

But last night, my baby slept through the night and only woke up at 5.30am for his feeding, giving me a good night's sleep... 

As I woke up refreshed...which isn't a bad thing, and then these feelings flooded in, as I am only human. 

All these while fatigue helped me delay facing my grief. 

Now... Sigh. Mommy I hope you are happy where you are now, I know you are at peace now. Know that your youngest son and me don't feel the same without you around the house. We sorely miss you... More than words can say.

- end -

I miss you

It has been awhile,

I miss you...

So many things I wanted to say,
So many doubts I wanted to clear,
So many "if only you are here" moments
Then the crushing realization you are no longer here.

RIP Mommy

Your legacy lives on....

(In loving memory of my beloved mother-in-law who left us on March 19, 2013)

Little things that matter

In memory of my late mother-in-law, something written from Nov 2012 - A hand reaching out to touch her son

Reminder to self

When all seems bleak... there comes our Ray of Hope

You never know what is just round the bend/corner

Just because something isn't happening for you right now, doesn't mean that it will never happen!

You never know what is just around the corner!

Have faith and be patient. Good things come to those who wait!

My Mother-In-Law's 62th Birthday

It is mommy's birthday today, my MiL is 62 today, Jan 24, 2013... we cried last year when we thought she couldn't make it beyond 2012 or even live to see age 62, but now here she is, a living miracle.

Pix below shows mommy today, wearing her new hat to cover her balding head. She actually is clinically improving. We are glad she is still with us.

We don't dare to look too far ahead, we don't dare to speculate, we take one step at a time now and count our blessings every single day, thank you for the prayers and good thoughts sent her way!

Hugs,
Sue

GOOD TO SHARE: NEVER GIVE UP

The "Misunderstood" Kids - We are not stupid, we are just misunderstood.

This blogpost is an English translation from Bahasa Malaysia (Malaysia's National Language), also written by the same author, Sue - Versi asli dalam Bahasa Malaysia di sini

WARNING: LONG BLOGPOST AHEAD

The Malaysian national education sistem's core is based on one mission - that is for children aged 7 to 12 to be able stay in primary (elementary) school, which is made compulsory by law, and upon completing six years in primary school, the child should be able to achieve basic skills like Reading, Writing and Counting/Arithmetic. In Bahasa Malaysia, they are called the 3M - Membaca, Menulis dan Mengira, which translates to Reading, Writing and Counting - the '-ing' in English is equivalent to 'Me-' in Bahasa Malaysia.

As far as I know, the 3M concept has been incorporated in Malaysia's education stem since the 'Learning' era before everything was standardised to 'Education'.

I would like to share some anecdotes on the Malaysian education system, especially the primary (elementary) school education in Malaysia.

Not every student age 7 (on 31 December of that year or on Jan 1 the following year), who started Primary One (Standard One knows how to read or write. Despite the trend for children to start going to pre-school before their Primary School years start at the age of 7, there are stil some families who cannot afford to send their kids to pre-school. Hence, in some areas, there are teachers who have to deal with a big gap of the level of Mastery of the 3M skills among students.

I still remember, our teachers would beam with pride when their 'good' students could write all the 26 letters in the alphabets and pronounce all the syllables in the words without any flaws. When some students kept quiet, they will be called 'stupid' and ridiculed in many manners. When I think back, I shudder to ponder on the possible trauma and psychological effects on these students who are laughed at by the whole class just because they are labelled as 'stupid' or dumb. Some teachers (only a fraction, not all), tend to laugh and ridicule others who cannot fulfill the society's requirements of 'normal' which is the basic learning standards like reading and writing properly. If the students are slower a little bit in academic performance, they will surely be laughed at and called 'stupid'.

Why am I moved to write this article?

I HAVE A GOOD FRIEND, let's call her Madam A, who shared with me her tale of her son's 'predicament' not too long ago.

Her son, N, cannot talk as a normal 6-year-old.

"Trust me, Sue, we have sought out government specialist clinic, underwent tests and our kid is normal, he is not autistic. He is only delayed in speech. Many people commented that we are irresponsible parents, we fail to teach our son to talk. However, N's elder sisters had no speech delay. We do not want our son to be like this!

"The most hurtful is when people leer at our son when he uttered incomprehensible words like 'ya ya ta ta' while pointing to something that caught his attention. To add salt to injury, There was once when a doctor acted as if our son. N, is mentally ill," lamented Madam A.

Madam A is concerned that her son N will be labelled as stupid in primary school when he is 7 in 2013.

Some teachers (not all, perhaps only a fraction) are of the habit to be impatient at slow students, some even go to the extent of scolding the words "stupid and fools" in front of the rest of the class.

This brought back memories from over 20 years ago. There was a boy named Larry who moved to our school in Standard Four from a village school. Being a school in town, our standards of education were on quite on par with those from the city. We were shocked when Larry could barely read and write. At age 10, he only knew all 26 alphabets and could not string the letters together. It was painstaking just watching him read a single word, "S-A sa Y-A ya, saya". Of course he was laughed at and he laughed at himself as well. According to my classmates, Larry returned to his village after Standard Six and there is no more news from him after that.

There are always a small fraction of children like N and Larry, yet they are not considered seriously impaired that they needed to be classified 'mentally retarded'.

How can we provide equal education opportunity for these kids in Malaysia, or as a matter of fact, in the whole world? Like in Larry's case, the remedial teacher helped to nurture him to a certain extent where he could spell out basic words and make simple sentences in that short few years (age 10-12).

Teachers cannot afford to spend more time on slower students so the 'slow' are usually left behind while 'the normal ones' are focused upon by the teachers.

This post is NOT meant to lash out at anyone, just to share some thoughts.

Reminder to Self

This serves as a reminder to myself:

I may be stressed but if I compare the things that are stressing me out, others may have it worse than me, so I am blessed to be stressed by these things;

I may be irked with whatever or whoever now but others may have it worse than me, so I am blessed to be irked by them now, I know it could be much worse;

I may be aware of the growing fine lines on my face, but I have a face to look back at me when I look into the mirror, and I am comfortable in my skin, and for that I am grateful;

I may be fatter than those thinner than me but I am healthy (relatively) and fine, and I have all my faculties complete, mental, physical and emotional, I can walk with my fat calves, My stubby fingers are able, and I am me for all that I am worth;

I may feel lost or unloved but ultimately if I am not loving myself enough, how can another love me when I myself deem myself worthy of my own love?

I look back and count my blessings, I look around now and count my blessings and with a heart full of gratitude, I remind myself that I am grateful for all that has been bestowed upon me;

I may stumble in life and have low period of mood, but ultimately I have always picked myself up no matter how hard it was, and this time around, I can do it too!

There is a reason I am still alive, and until the day I really die, there is still a reason I am alive. Sometimes there are more than one reason, so REMEMBER THAT!

Sue* Jan 17, 2013.

Pix taken in April 2012, at Orlando, Florida, USA.

NEVER GIVE UP

All Things Are Possible, Only Believe

All things are possible, only believe. :)

May 2013 brings many wondrous things to everyone.

Happy 2013

2013 is at the door... REMEMBER life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, love truly and unconditionally, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013!

(Excerpt from a modified text message/SMS)

May the coming year be one with peace and harmony for the world.

Signing off,
Sue, Dec 31, 2012.

Pix below is in memory of an amazing woman, Nobel Prize winner Rita Levi-Montalcini. RIP Rita!

20.12.2012

Dec 20, 2012, a nice number 20.12.2012.

This year 12.12.12 took the first prize as the most special date for the year and the next one shall be today. Or maybe Dec 21 tops every other date due to the hype it is the end of the world according to the Mayans? I don't know. Doesn't matter.

Since it has been more than a week since my last update, this shall be another reflection post.

A living miracle is at my home in the form of my mother-in-law who is fighting cancer and I am reminded of how blessed we are in life each day.

She is still alert, still can talk coherently and she still can eat and drink a little although she is mostly bed bound. She can stand up with assistance and support, to transfer to a wheelchair so she isn't exactly totally weak, there is still hope as she is eating and she has energy, although not as much as we'd like her to.

There are ups and downs in the last few months. With each down we are tested again and again, all of us in the family, especially the three of us who are the primary care giver. The learning curve is rather steep. When you are only given weeks to live, suddenly other things in life, it pales in comparison and becomes trivial all of the sudden.

Nothing is more important than matters concerning 'Life and death'. When time is running out and you know the end is near, what will YOU do?

Thought for today, as according to the Mayans, the world will end tomorrow. *chuckle*

The pix is a memorable one taken on Dec 14, 2012, a personal note to self to never ever forget that day. :) A life changing day you can say. *smiles*

Happy Year End, Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013! If the world is really ending tomorrow then I can tell myself I have no regrets. :)

12.12.12

A post to commemorate 12.12.12, Dec 12, 2012, a Wednesday.

On this special date, a unique occurrence in our Gregorian calendar, many couples tie the knot and have their wedding today, some plan to deliver their baby today, maybe some plan to depart this world today? I don't know.

For me, I am counting my blessings and the living miracle in the form of my mother-in-law, she defies all odds and she is still alive today despite the bleak prognosis from doctor of her end-stage cancer.

Each day is a gift, an extension from the estimated end, we are living in the moment and taking it a day at a time, each day with her is a blessing. She is alert and can carry conversations with us. We feel blessed she is still with us. I know this means a whole lot to hubby and all at home, it means a lot to me too. We treasure and cherish each moment together.

There is always a silver lining in the clouds and through each obstacle and challenge the lessons gained are truly priceless, whatever doesn't break you makes you stronger. Yeah, I have found out that adage is true.

The past few months have been full of turmoil. Yup, it has been a bumpy ride with emotional roller coaster where we nearly lost Mommy three times but she pulled through each time.

We are all the same yet not exactly the same inside compared to a month ago, a week ago, a day ago... we are ever so growing and learning with each passing day, we are progressing spiritually and growing stronger inside, building our mental strength.

I like who I have become now compared to the me a month or two ago. More resilient and actually 'calmer', yeah, I surprised myself that I can actually be so calm. Conquered my fear of needles as we took turns to administer the jabs twice daily, we hardly cringe now when we see blood and pus oozing out from her sores, and they are improving much to our relief, we faced the Truth and open communication really opens many doors with closed doors, we learned to let go a whole lot and found that by doing so we are able to receive more blessings.

It is true that we don't ever stop learning in life. I am thankful for everything I have and look forward to everything I will ever have in life. Gratitude and humility go hand in hand. Happy 12.12.12 everyone!

Random pix below shows the newest addition to our aquarium/tank, meet Pearly the puffiest, roundest Goldie ever!!!

Quote of the day

Everything can be taken from a man except one thing: the last of human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way. ~ Viktor Frankl.

So don't ever ever say you "don't have a choice". Life is a matter of making decisions and choices about how YOU want to respond to Life.

Everyone has a choice, starting with think positively as opposed to think negatively.

Remember the choice is always yours. Quitters say it is impossible, winners go get it done without much excuses or even negative thoughts about how big the challenge may be.

All talk no action will only result in the below as depicted in the image.

Food for thought on Nov 22, 2012.

Dealing with Terminal Illness and Death

I was taking a video of the congregation of Catholic devotees praying while facing the Mother Mary image that appeared since last Friday, Nov 9, 2012 at Sime Darby Medical Centre, Subang Jaya, Malaysia, when another lady, Blonde haired, blue-eyed, a rare view of Caucasian in this predominantly Asian society, came up beside me and snapped a photo as well.

Her name is Tina, I introduced myself first as Sue and shook her hand and she gave me her name. Apparently this middle-age pretty lady is a teacher at an international school and she was visiting her colleague, a Canadian lady who is battling breast cancer which has spread to the bones.

Tina was actually heading to the opposite direction to wait for her husband to pick her up, unbeknownst to me, yet our short five-minute-conversation drew her towards my direction, heading to the parking lot.

Our conversation went like this (mind you we are complete strangers and I still don't know her last name):

Tina: I am a Christian and I believe in God but to grasp on to such an image, I just cannot believe it.

Sue: Yeah, when the world gets too tough, people tend to look for hopes in all the places, something to cling on to with the hope their prayers will be answered.

Tina: Exactly! They ask me, "Don't you believe in God? I said, "Yes, I believe in God but not like this."

At this point I kept my camera phone and I walked towards the opposite direction Tina was heading. That was when I extended my hand in friendship and said "I'm Sue" and she was taken aback before taking my hand and muttered "Tina", I had to ask for her name again so I can hear it clearer (early deafness in my ears *shudder*).

Tina: So you are here to visit a patient?

Sue: My mother-in-law is sick. She has cancer, terminal stage. (I didn't answer if I was there visiting or just getting meds or any other reason as that is immaterial).

Tina: I am here to visit my friend too. She has breast cancer, had both her breasts removed and now it has spread to her bones and she is refusing all treatment from the doctor. We went out for a movie last week and she was still fine and now she is back to the hospital as she has been vomiting.

Sue: Why is she refusing treatment?

Tina: She says she believes in the alternative healing and she goes for acupuncture and herbs which she believes really help her. She says she refuses to believe she will die of cancer. She quoted her own mother who removed one breast many years ago and now at 80, she is still alive, so she will be like her own mother, she said she will not die of cancer.

I shook my head while I think back of many personal experiences of people dealing with death and went into serious denial as that is their coping mechanism.

Sue: That is serious denial.

Tina: Yes, she is in denial. She is beyond counseling and we all know she is stubborn. She says she is planning to go back to Canada because that is where she is from, but not now because she cannot get all the alternative treatment there. She will only go back to die. And she believes she is NOT dying.

Sue: Of course we hope she will recover, there are cases where willpower creates miracles but if her condition deteriorates which they usually will, since her cancer has already spread, she will no longer be fit for a long plane ride back to Canada soon! Didn't anyone tell her that?

Tina: She is stubborn. If you tell her to fly back to Canada now that is like telling her you will die for sure. And she cannot get her treatment there (alternative healing) which she believes is helping her get better.

Sue: That is a difficult situation. Does her family know. Didn't they talk to her?

Tina: Yeah, they know. But she is stubborn. She hasn't even named the beneficiary of her EPF (Employees Providence Fund).

Sue: Is she married to a local then? How old is she?

Tina: No, she is single. She's 52. There's quite a lot in her EPF which she plans to give to her mother.

Sue: 52, So young. But someone's gotta go to her and 'shake her' to let her see the reality of the situation?

Tina: Yeah. I am going to talk to my colleagues at the international school.

I was about to pay for my parking fees when I motioned Tina to pay hers but then she realized she is way off her route.

She asked me how to get out from there to the entrance and I pointed her out.

In a spontaneous gesture, just like how I first extended my hand in friendship, Tina muttered "Thank you for the chat, you are so strong to care for another person" and she extended both her arms, wide open, and we hugged. I said "This can happen to anyone regardless of race. Cancer is very common nowadays. Good luck (with your friend)."

We smiled genuinely at each other, and I can never forget Tina's clear sky-blue-eyes.

Then we parted ways. Two strangers who crossed path just because we love taking photos with our phones. Nov 16, 2012, Friday.

You may be interested in: http://suesanctuary.blogspot.com/2013/03/30-days.html

When our best is not enough

"Sometimes it is not enough that we do our best; we must do what is required." ~ Sir Winston Churchill

What is required means what is needed and hopefully what is right, morally, ethically and socially.

Food for thought on Nov 14, 2012

View taken from my mother-in-law's ward when she was still hospitalized at Hospital Kuala Lumpur on Nov 11, 2012

http://suesanctuary.blogspot.com/2012/09/when-darkness-seemed-forever-first-ray.html