A Year After

September 16, 2009

I was in my oncologist, Dr Ang’s clinic this afternoon. He ordered a bone scan for me which I went for two days ago and now I was in his clinic waiting for the result. Under his arrangement, I also did a complete CT scan about a month ago.

I honestly hated both procedures. To do the bone scan, the clinical assistant had to inject some radioactive tracers into my body. It felt like I was being poisoned. After the scan, I went straight home and drank a few cups of Chinese tea, hoping that the tea would cleanse my body and flush away those toxic materials.

It was a similarly terrible experience during my CT scan. The assistant injected a special dye into my body and there was a sensational feeling after the injection. After that, my body went through a big, cold machine. I couldn’t help but think about the thousands of x-rays slicing through my body. I thought I would die faster after going through all those toxic treatments.

Thank goodness that everything is over now. Both test results were clear and there wasn’t any abnormality. Dr Ang told me that I did not have to see him until next January. While I was scheduling the next appointment at the counter, the assistants gleefully told me that since they would only be seeing me next year, they should wish me “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” now.

Coincidentally, two days ago, my TCM doctor also told me that I need not see her so often anymore. Wow! No more doctors for the next few months. It is such a wonderful feeling.

It is exactly one year after the mishap.

On the same day last September, I was innocently doing my routine mammogram and ultrasound check-ups at East Shore Hospital. I still vividly remember waiting for my number to be called while the LCD TV repeatedly flashed the breaking news about the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the near-bankrupt of AIG.

In the one year after these mishaps, the financial world went down and up. So did my life.

During Chinese New Year’s Eve while we were counting down, Mak, Ding, Wei and I were in such a relieved mood to be able to finally close the chapter for the Year of Rat and look forward to a brand new start. To me, I was given a new lease of life indeed.

劫后余生 : 一年以后

就像我的中医师所说的，经过这一劫，对人生，我应该看得很开了。是的，生命既由不得我控制，那就坦然接受上天的安排吧。