The World Of Tzu Chi(Vol.113)

2019 • 08 20 eature to be slumped towards one side. As he ate, food kept dribbling from the left corner of his mouth. Bee Leng suspected an onset of stroke, but Chong Chee brushed off the speculation and decided to postpone seeking consultation to the following day as he felt no pain and did not want to inconvenience Bee Leng. Bee Leng was only alerted to the severity of Chong Chee’s condition when his CT scan report indicated the possible presence of a cancerous brain tumour. They were also advised to transfer Chong Chee to a hospital staffed with a resident oncologist. Chong Chee was scheduled for surgery on March 17, 2014, coinciding with his 50th birthday. After spending a month in recuperation post-surgery, he underwent five consecutive days of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. He was on the verge of giving up as the treatment was too intense, when one of their customers heard of his condition and introduced him to a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon assessed Chong Chee’s condition and enlisted the expertise of Dr Ho Gwo Fuang, a TIMAmember who serves in the oncology department of the University Malaya Medical Centre. Dr Ho patiently clarified to Chong Chee that targeted radiotherapy would suffice in his case. He responded adversely to the previous course of treatment as the side effects were too overwhelming. Dr Ho suggested a treatment plan of 25 radiotherapy sessions over the span of five weeks focusing on the right frontal lobe of the brain, complemented by a 6-month course of oral chemotherapy. A tumour growth on the frontal lobe of the brain is likely to affect a patient’s emotions and personality, leading to uncontrollable mood swings and personality changes. Hence, support from family members and society in general is essential to a cancer patient. ChongChee’s faith in cancer treatments was restored after being reassured by Dr Ho, and he completed both chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens. Soldiering on through despair In the second year of treatment, Chong Chee had a relapse. After undergoing a second operation in March that same year, he was struck by the realization that his days were numbered. The anguish caused him to lose his temper at his beloved wife. The couple eventually collapsed helplessly in each other’s arms, drowning in tears. Chong Chee crumbled under the weight of his own expectations of his children, causing an emotional breakdown and another relapse. “We might appear strong and resilient to others, but no one saw the tears we shed. Life must go on despite the sorrow we had to bear,” Bee Leng confessed. After undergoing his third operation in April 2015, Chong Chee was hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for three weeks. His condition gradually stabilized, and he was discharged after regaining the ability to feed himself and perform some rehabilitative exercises. Besides handling the household affairs, Bee Leng was now tasked with the additional responsibility of maintaining Chong Chee’s personal hygiene and tending to his wounds. But help came in the form of Dr Chan Kim Hong, a member of the Cancer Support Group support team, who personally attended to Chong Chee’s wounds three times a week to ease Bee Leng’s burden. Meanwhile, Liew