On the Last Days of Life

Mr. XXX is a teacher in a secondary school in a small town in Pahang. 3 months ago, he had epigastric pain, and was admitted to the district hospital, scope was done, but nothing was found, and he was discharged, symptoms were somewhat relieved. 1 month after that, he developed pain and swelling in all four limbs, and he also suffered from difficulty in breathing, so he was admitted to a bigger general hospital. He was thought to be anemic, and was transfused 2 pack of blood. Another scope was done, and nothing was found. He was discharged after the treatment of his anemia. Finally, 2 weeks after that, he had a progressively worsening shortness of breath, and was referred to our hospital. CT scan was done, but it was too late. We were not sure where it started, but the tumor was so extensive that the whole right lung was filled up with the mass, causing some collapse; it metastasized to the spleen, the liver, and also infiltrated into the spine. He became so thin that you could basically see all the bones, he was so pale from the anemia of this chronic disease, his legs so thin due to spinal cord compression, and he had supplementary oxygen due to the lung collapse.

He himself wouldn't mind us examining his lungs or his abdomen or his legs. We were after all still studying and he's a good case to learn from. But his wife never allowed us to go near him.

When our professor finally picked the person who was in charged of him to present the case, we finally had the chance to go near him and look at him closely.

His eyes were full of courage. He was too weak to smile. But he was still pretty alert. He was very co-operative, and allowed all of us to feel the fecal matter in his bowels that presented as some lumps, nothing I've ever felt before.

His wife came back in the middle of our discussion, but since we were with the professor, she just waited outside at the corridor, with a stern face.

When we were finally done with the case, she quickly went to his side, didn't even thanked the professor nor even looked at us.

She should know it's a teaching hospital and there are medical students around learning. But stopping us from approaching her husband doesn't help at all.

But having said that, I totally understand what she's going through.

They're just in their late 40s. They still have 2 kids, the eldest being 12 years old, and the younger 9. They've got no malignancy history in their family. Her husband doesn't smoke, and the only dust he's ever exposed to would probably be from the chalk. She deserves the right to be angry. She has the right to keep us away from her husband. She has all the right to be uncooperative.

Her husband is after all, in the last stage of his life.

So yes, I understand. I don't blame her.

It came so sudden. Nobody wanted this. No one ever expected this...

She has every right to be angry...

I just wished there's something I could do...