Like father like daughter.
First of all, thanks for all your love, care and support.
Thanks for the kind words, encouragements and motivation.
Thanks for the recommendations, suggestions and help.
I'm holding up ok.
My dad isn't an expressive person.
My family members aren't, I'm the only expressive one at home.
I didn't know that my dad is cool with me talking about his sickness online.
Moreover, he really wants me to blog about his doctor because he thinks
the doctor in Columbia Asia is amazing and he deserves to be written about.
So, here I am to try to write a review about a doctor, lol.
It was the toughest week for me.
The process of finding out, from places to places.
After running a few tests, seeing different specialists,
it is confirmed that my dad got cancer on Wednesday, a severe, advanced, bad bad cancer.
He first did his CT scan at Columbia Asia Hospital in JB.
They found something on the CT scan, my dad came home right away that day.
As ignorant, naive, unconscious as we were, we thought it was just a growth.
Thank goodness, I didn't wait.
The next morning, I brought him to the hospital near my house and saw different specialists.
From ENT(Ear, Nose, Throat) to general to colon, we saw different doctors,
there wasn't any result, there was no answer.
It was rather stressful for me because I've been making the decisions for my dad.
In the end of the day, the doctor asked if I want to be referred to Sunway Medical Centre
or Columbia Asia in Kota Kemuning.
My dad looked at me, seemed like he was seeking for an answer from me.
I was under pressure, trying to make the best decision possible.
We'd never had much major medical problem in the family.
The most major case was my second sister breaking her leg.
We went with SJMC years ago but I personally think SJMC is a blood sucker.
With all the thoughts racing in my mind, I thought Sunway Medic would be the best choice.
It sounds reputable and to be honest, I hadn't heard of Columbia Asia before this.
I don't know what ticked in me, I saw the envelope of my dad's CT scans.
It's a Columbia Asia envelope.
So, I thought, let's just do the same hospital since he did his CT scan there.
I just blurted out "Columbia Asia".
I went home and I talked to my eldest sister, she's in Australia.
She told me that I should've chosen Sunway Medic because it's reputable.
I panicked and I couldn't sleep for the night.
I did try to call Sunway Medic the next morning but my guts told me to
proceed with Columbia Asia's appointment at 9am.
Dad was the first patient to see
Dr. Dharmendran Ratnasingam
He's an upper gastrointestinal consultant and a general surgeon.
Very tall man, well-spoken, serious, extremely intelligent-I assume cuz he a doctor yo.
He was the first one who broke it, broke the news, to us.
The doctors before kept telling me that the CT scans were too small to judge, bla bla.
The doctors before said it's not their specialty, bla bla bla.
Dr. Dharmendran said looking at the scans, it's cancer.
I lost it and I broke down right away.
Then, we got into the real talk.
Dad had to do an endoscopy.
I learnt about all of this the night before, reading online, internet is an amazing invention.
The doctor has to insert an endoscope into my dad's throat, into his oesophagus.
Then, the doctor will scrape the wall of the organs or the tumour, I'm not sure
to extract some tissues for examination.
The examination is to determine what type of cancer it is.
He told me he needed another CT scan from dad's throat to his bowel.
This is the third CT scan he has done, so I had my doubts, why so many scans.
The doctor's thoughtful and concerned, not commercial at all.
What do I mean by commercial?
I've seen a few commercial doctors before.
Commercial doctors just want to make money.
They squeeze and suck you dry, spend unnecessary money.
I asked him if it's necessary, he gave me a firm yes.
Then, I told him to proceed.
I know I'm supposed to tell the full story but I guess
I'm still not very comfortable about going too detailed, sorry.
I don't even want to talk about how he had to fast and go through the scope and scan processes.
It's just hard for a daughter.
2 days after, we went back to get the result.
I think we were supposed to pay for consultation but
Dr. Dharmendran didn't charge us for it.
I guess I just want to give this hospital a good review.
The staffs and nurses are very friendly.
The canteen food is so good, breakfast, lunch, tea time, the food are all good.
My dad can't take solid food now.
They cook delicious fish porridge.
Ahhh, I don't know what more to write about.
It's a hospital afterall, just making the best out of the unfortunate.
Medical fee wise......
It is expensive because it's a private hospital but I think the fee is pretty reasonable.
I just want to give thanks to Dr. Dharmendran for being ethical and professional.
We are not in Columbia Asia now.
There are too many complications, dad's condition is not good, not optimistic but
life has to go on and we need to fight this fight.
We are off to see another upper GI surgeon to be scheduled to see an oncologist.
I just know that there's no time to waste, I don't have the time.
I don't want him to go through this, I really hate it but I don't have a choice.
I have to put him through all the processes for him to get better.
Life, still goes on, I still have to work and do what I do.
Life.
This is a shit review.
My dad would be disappointed to read this, haha, I hope he doesn't read this.
Anyway, thanks, Dr. Dharmendran.
Glad I chose Columbia Asia because it was a good decision.
I went home and I talked to my eldest sister, she's in Australia.
She told me that I should've chosen Sunway Medic because it's reputable.
I panicked and I couldn't sleep for the night.
I did try to call Sunway Medic the next morning but my guts told me to
proceed with Columbia Asia's appointment at 9am.
Dad was the first patient to see
Dr. Dharmendran Ratnasingam
He's an upper gastrointestinal consultant and a general surgeon.
Very tall man, well-spoken, serious, extremely intelligent-I assume cuz he a doctor yo.
He was the first one who broke it, broke the news, to us.
The doctors before kept telling me that the CT scans were too small to judge, bla bla.
The doctors before said it's not their specialty, bla bla bla.
Dr. Dharmendran said looking at the scans, it's cancer.
I lost it and I broke down right away.
Then, we got into the real talk.
Dad had to do an endoscopy.
I learnt about all of this the night before, reading online, internet is an amazing invention.
The doctor has to insert an endoscope into my dad's throat, into his oesophagus.
Then, the doctor will scrape the wall of the organs or the tumour, I'm not sure
to extract some tissues for examination.
The examination is to determine what type of cancer it is.
He told me he needed another CT scan from dad's throat to his bowel.
This is the third CT scan he has done, so I had my doubts, why so many scans.
The doctor's thoughtful and concerned, not commercial at all.
What do I mean by commercial?
I've seen a few commercial doctors before.
Commercial doctors just want to make money.
They squeeze and suck you dry, spend unnecessary money.
I asked him if it's necessary, he gave me a firm yes.
Then, I told him to proceed.
I know I'm supposed to tell the full story but I guess
I'm still not very comfortable about going too detailed, sorry.
I don't even want to talk about how he had to fast and go through the scope and scan processes.
It's just hard for a daughter.
2 days after, we went back to get the result.
I think we were supposed to pay for consultation but
Dr. Dharmendran didn't charge us for it.
I guess I just want to give this hospital a good review.
The staffs and nurses are very friendly.
The canteen food is so good, breakfast, lunch, tea time, the food are all good.
My dad can't take solid food now.
They cook delicious fish porridge.
Ahhh, I don't know what more to write about.
It's a hospital afterall, just making the best out of the unfortunate.
Medical fee wise......
It is expensive because it's a private hospital but I think the fee is pretty reasonable.
I just want to give thanks to Dr. Dharmendran for being ethical and professional.
We are not in Columbia Asia now.
There are too many complications, dad's condition is not good, not optimistic but
life has to go on and we need to fight this fight.
We are off to see another upper GI surgeon to be scheduled to see an oncologist.
I just know that there's no time to waste, I don't have the time.
I don't want him to go through this, I really hate it but I don't have a choice.
I have to put him through all the processes for him to get better.
Life, still goes on, I still have to work and do what I do.
Life.
This is a shit review.
My dad would be disappointed to read this, haha, I hope he doesn't read this.
Anyway, thanks, Dr. Dharmendran.
Glad I chose Columbia Asia because it was a good decision.