Family Update No. 4

Another trip back to Malacca later today to check on Mum and Dad. Thanks to Pangkor and other commitments, I haven’t seen them in about 3 weeks.

The latest update from Dad has good and bad news. I’ll reproduce what Dad has written (in quotes) since I really can’t phrase it any better than him. Chest X-Rays have “shown no change in size for the opacity in left upper lobe, but the opacity in the right side of lung is now not seen.” and “Clinically she has not shown any serious side-effects from her chemo.”

That’s the good news. The bad news?

“Mum’s mood can be summarized in one sentence. The long-face spells are more and more frequent and prolonged whilst the smiley moments are few and far between. This, off course, runs contrary to the psychological reaction expected of one who is recovering from a physical ailment. But what worries me more is the fact that she is getting back her paranoia, and this time she is directing her delusion of persecution (people eavesdropping, slandering and bad-mouthing her again) at the only clinic-assistant that we have. The poor girl have been enduring her accusations and rebukes for quite a while now. Today, she has hinted to me that she might quit her job after Hari Raya. I used to tell her to ignore mum’s grouching and ranting, but I guess the pressure finally got to her. Honestly, I think mum has lost touch with reality. Should she resign, we would be left with no one to assist us at the clinic.You may say we can get a replacement, but the fact is no one has called the clinic to enquire about job vacancies despite the downturn in economy ( quite unlike the previous downturns). Mum, I am afraid, has got herself quite a “reputation” as far as her relationship with clinic-assistants is concerned. Basically, what I am trying to say is: if mum keeps up her pressure on her you may soon see the end of Malacca Clinic.”

I might have said this before. But you know those life-threatening situations that make people into someone better? Well, Mum isn’t one of them, as nasty as it sounds. But it’s the unfortunate truth. And for the past few visits, I already feel that I make the trips home more for Dad than Mum. Her cancer can be cured one day, but Dad has been going through his own mental and emotional turmoil for years.

The least I can do is check up on him and give him my support as best as I can.