Assalamulaikum

Hello to all:

According to my doctor, Kedah has the highest number of oral cancer cases in Malaysia which is quite puzzling. Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah in Alor Setar has performed about a hundred major oral cancer operations within 8 years. During my stay in the hospital for about 3 weeks, I witnessed 5 patients who had the operation. I was the only one who was able to take in food orally.

Being quite a young patient for oral cancer, I was able to communicate rather effectively with the doctors and nurses by using my laptop and handphone. However, many other patients had a hard time to tell what they needed or the problems they had. There was one elderly patient who was probably about 70 yrs old and had partial glossectomy, meaning part of the tongue removed. He tried so hard to speak but no body understood. He could not write either. He was taken care by his daughter. Because of the difficulties in communication, both father and daughter were constantly at loggerheads. The daughter's inability to understand her father irritated him so much.

10 days after my operation, an appointment with an oncologist was set because the lab report was ready. I was informed by the oncologist that the operation was successful and the tumour taken out had a clear margin and the cancer was only at stage 2. Therefore, following treatments are not necessary, meaning that I am spared from radio therapy and chemotherapy. I was so relieved because the side effects from both treatments can be horrendous. Thank god.

"Syukur Alhamdulillah"
"Life is too short"