Assessment

20032012.0746

The doctor came in just as I was stirring from my sleep. He came with an entourage of younger doctors and didn't say much. But he was kind, caring and soft spoken when he did speak. Contrary to what he said to us about not being here this week, he was here after all. I guess he only said it to put us off waiting for him and being seen by him, but in the end mum's desperate plea moved him.

The surgeon lifted mum's clothes to feel mum's belly. I felt it before, and there is clearly a hard lump there, which with my rudimentary knowledge of medicine I can only imagine is the culprit tumour that has caused all this vomiting and mum's dramatic weight loss. The surgeon said he could operate on mum as soon as tomorrow.

"Tomorrow?" both mum and I were surprised, but the surgeon said her condition is good enough to operate, and the surgery shouldn't be too difficult. It has to be done soon though, otherwise mum will continue to get dangerously thinner and thinner.
A few moments later, after hearing the medical team converse in the corridor, the surgeon came back to say perhaps it's best to wait a bit, while in the mean time they can further assess mum's condition and review scans that were taken to better plan the surgery. They should have a "game plan" soon.

Mum's spirit immediately brightened up after the surgeon paid her a visit. It is the kind of confidence and hope she needs to undergo another surgery and to have a speedy recovery. Other than being physically fit to operate, the patient should have faith in the medical team and faith in getting better. And with this surgeon, mum has it. Perhaps, if mum does not get irreparably weak, it is all worth the long wait.

Perhaps, it will be worth all the wait and pain of all that vomiting, and all those sleepless nights worrying and wondering whether mum will make it...