More than 30 years ago, a loving couple got married. The wife was helping the husband in his business while at the same time taking care of the household.
Just when things were going well and fortune was buidling up from the couple’s business, the wife was diagnosed with late stage breast cancer.
The husband dropped everything to accompany the wife everywhere to seek professional medical advice. He was there all the time while she’s undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
He sobbed and cried to see her losing hairs and shedding off weight.
She left him and the children at the age of forty.
My sister and I attended a wedding dinner before the weekend on behalf of our grandparents. The man sitting next to me started chatting with me. He asked about my profession. And I told him I was doing my research degree in oncology. He raised his eyes brows and seemed to be captivated by my research field.
Man: What is the most common cancer for females?
Me: It’s breast cancer.
Man: My wife had breast cancer 20 years ago.
Me: I’m sorry to hear about this….is she doing ok now?
Man: She passed away.
Me: Oh…I’m sorry…
Man: I was with her throughout the whole medical treatment but she was suffering late stages of the disease. I felt so heartache seeing her going through all the terrible therapies. What other better therapies you guys have now?
Me: Surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are those common ones. But technology is advancing all the time. Hopefully we’ll come out with better diagnosis and therapeutic treatments real soon.
Man: After seeing my wife going through such a pain, I began to be extremely cautious with my living habit and living style. No smoking for me and I even stopped drinking because at one stage my physician told me that my liver was not doing too well. I had liver cirrhosis because I consumed too much alcohol. Since then, I just ceased all bad living habits and go for regular medical check ups. I go for regular medical checkups, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy and positive living attitude.
Man: My wife wasn’t that happy before she had the disease. All the time, we were just worrying and stressed about our lives and our business. What’s the point to worry too much? Life is too short and you never know what’s going to happen next. It is better to be happy when you’re still healthy.
I was sitting there most of the time listening to him. He’s a talkative person and an optimist too. He kept helping to serve food to my sister and me whenever there’s a new dish served on the table. Yeah, it was a Chinese banquet so we had to help ourselves. :)
I don’t know why…after listening to this man, I was deeply moved. I began to think about my parents, my grandma, my aunts, my siblings, my friends and even any strangers on the street. I fear seeing any of them suffer with any deadly disease. I know sometimes we have conflicts and arguments with our family and loved ones, and then we feel all upset and helpless about the situations with them. I am not going to deny the fact that there are certain things I can’t compromise and I don’t agree with the elderly in my family especially my parents on certain things. But what Miss D said earlier on from her personal experience is certainly right; “You should be glad that at least they are healthy enough to have the conflict with you. You won’t know how much pain it is when one day they can’t voice out their different opinion to you but all they can do is to lie on the bed barely inhaling and you won’t even sure was that going to be the last inhalation!”
After hearing this man’s story, it further inspired me that we really shouldn’t worry too much in general. Don’t take anything for granted, instead cherish and value those that we own now. Even when we’re lying on the bed making the last inhale, we can smile calmly and peacefully to see our loved ones with no regrets.
With this typed, I truly hope someday all my counterparts will come up with better advanced technology in curing all deadly diseases. Meanwhile, let us all just live every moment happily. I know this is very tough especially we are so much bothered with different kind of problems. But at least we shall try to take things positively, well at least not bury ourselves with negative emotions because this won’t help to ease the situation. Deal with it if we can, if not just let it be for the moment. Life still goes on regardless.
♥ every page of my imagination
