+ Son | SunPlaza Park

Was a lazy Sunday afternoon 17 July 2004. Remembered after morning task of tending to the garden, I had nothing interesting to do. So was my son. Nothing good on TV either.

He suggested going to the park instead. A good opportunity for me to practise my photo taking with my Lumix. My wife stayed behind to catch on some beauty sleep after a hard day's chores around the house.

Packed with some tit bits and a bottle of water, away we went to Sun Plaza Park at Tampines Avenue 9 on our bicycles.

There, the sun was already blocked by the clusters of flats, so it was s clear and breezy day.

Lots of kids riding bicycles and roller blades. Lots of kids with their parents and some with their nannies at the children's playground.

Lots of folks jogging on the asphalt trail, meandearing through the park.

The flowers were exceptionally blooming as if boasting and waiting specially for me to take pictures.

Once there, my son went straight to the playgound where the tight rope webbed all the way to the top of the 3 metre pole.

He went up in no time and poised to ask me take a photo of him triumptant after concuring the peak. Should be a cool view from up there. It was fun being a kid.

The park was blooming with lots of flowers, most of these were not local species, but brought in by the Parks and Recreation Board.

While taking photos I spotted a lone Tom cat resting under some bushes taking a breather under the cool shades. Sleepy eyes but it tried hard to keep virgil of a flock of birds on the ground catching insects.

I remembered that it was just like in the Kampong days, where things moved slowly, at a tranquil pace. You get to watch the entics of your pet cats. Cool afternoon indeed.

+ Parents | Stage 3

Took leave off work today to accompany my Dad for consultation at SGH Clinic D with Dr. Ooi Boon Swee, the Colorectal Consultant and Surgeon.

My brother-in-law fetched him from Woodlands, while Mom stayed home. My wife and I met them at Clinic D. The appointment was at 10:05am, but we got our turn to see him at 11:10am in Room 1. Our queue number was 1009.

The review went well for my Dad's recovery as the surgery wounds have healed nicely and Dad's bowel movement were back to normal since he was discharged from hospital.

While he was laying on the examination table waiting for the Dr. Ooi to examine, I asked him the result of the biopsy done on the tumor.

It was cancer at stage 3 or T3 as it was termed. The cancer has penetrated the wall of the colon into the abdominal cavity and invaded his lymph nodes.

Treatment cannot be done to him due to his age. He is 79, the common mode of treatment was to go for chemotherapy and drugs, but Dr. Ooi figured that he would be worst off as the side effects of the treatment on his old body will make him even sicker than he is now.

No drug or suppressant to slow down or eliminate recurrence. Just let him live his life to the fullest and be healthy. Eating healthy food, avoiding especially red meat and barbecued or grilled food.

He is at his critical 3 years of a recurrence of a tumor growth. Since there is usually no symptoms, the only detection early enough is a monthly blood test to detect cancer presence in his blood.

If all is good for 3 months, the blood test will be spaced to between 6 months apart and eventually to once a year. After 5 years with no traces, he should be cured off cancer.

Half of the patient after surgical removal of the cancer will have a recurrence because there would be cancer cells still present that are too small to be detected, and those that are outside the colon walls where no test are currently available.

Survival rate of Stage 3 Cancer patients with no treatment given is about 60% who survived to 5 years and beyond. Many patients have lived beyond 5 years.

Dad and Mom are not being told of Dad's condition. We as their children have decided to spare them the anxiety and burden if they knew, but to focus on living their lives with us to the fullest.

We will be there every step of the way and make their lives both meaningful and happy as humanly possible, as the time has way passed for us to take care of them.

We will be with you Dad and Mom, all the way! You can count on your children, guaranteed! We love you Dad and Mom.

May Allah bless you both for the wonderful things you have given to us and the sacrifices that you have made for us.

+ Mars | 2 Years Late

Man! I am 2 years late!

What I read in the NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab website was indeed true that the Planet Mars being closest to earth was in 27 August 2003! But I kept hoping that the email was right.

The email I received from a friend was a mistake made by someone who forwarded the email thinking it was this year.

I guess the date 27 August was enough to excite him to spread the news excerpt since it did not contain the year within the article.

It got me excited too when I read it. It got my son all excited to fix his telescope to view it up close. It got both of us ventured into the night "stalking" at the night sky to catch a glimpse of Mars since it would have been as big and as bright as the moon.

After several nights, I decided to SMS him for more details as he was checking with his Astronomy Club Pesident-cousin when we talked a week before.

He replied an email to me today confirming of the mistake. Man!

How on earth did I missed the once in a human-of-this-lifetime phenomenon past me unnoticed? It must have been big in the newspapers and media, and maybe the TV news before and after it.

How on earth was I so oblivious of the whole event? How come no one at work or family members not talked about it? Was there actually coverage on this in Singapore?

What a wasted opportunity for me as a human to witness one of God's greatest wonders! My son will be very disappointed when I break this news to him tonight.

Now, our best sources of information and pictures would be NASA's JPL and Hubble Site websites.

Anyway, the positive side of it was that I get to spend some time alone with my son sharing same interest, and got excited with the same things. Cool!

+ Mars | Third Watch

For the 3rd straight night, my son had been bugging me to check the night skies for the elusive Planet Mars that was stated to be visible to the naked eye as being as big and as bright as the moon since it was supposedly closest to earth this August month.

He made me promise to wake him up if I spot the "second moon" for him to also witness this phenomenon as "no other human being in this live time will ever see it again." My wife wants to see it too.

For the past few nights, since I did not have any luck spotting it, my son thought that I was not actually standing guard for star gazing in his place since it will always be past his bedtime for him to do so.

Tonight I made sure I have proof that I did stand guard in my effort to spot Mars. I took pictures of the moon that rose behind the blocks of flats and the Poi Ching Primary School nearing almost midnight.

The sky was cloudy, but the moon was kind enough to show itself for the photograph.

And yes! I discovered another function of my digital camera using instead of the usual, no-fuss auto-focus setting to select A/S/M dial as manual and Exposure to ISO 400.

The results were stunning to me. Though a little shake is still evident from the photos, the night condition was transformed into bright surrounding.

A little grainy, but so impressed with the camera's function that I never gave time to read the manual to learn since I bought it.

Well son, these are the photos of the moon, but no Mars for now. We will have to keep virgil till Saturday, 27 August 2005 when Mars should be at its biggest and brightest as mentioned in the email.

Good luck to us the next round!

+ Mars | Star Gazing

Well, all set-up and ready to go star gazing. Planet Mars gazing to be exact.

That was what my son and I did yesterday, 21 August 2005 Sunday night at 8:30pm.

At first we went to an open field beside Pinevale Executive Condominium at the cross roads between Tampines Street 71 and Street 73.

The night sky was pretty bad for star gazing. It was very cloudy. The stars went in and out of sight blocked by the passing clouds. After a few minutes there, with high hope, my son had the best idea ever.

He suggested that we went up to Block 703A roof top of the 5-storey carpark. Brilliant idea!

More height and open space away from the passer's-by curious stares at what we were doing. Perfect!

Ashamed to admit, but I have lived in Tampines Courtview for almost 10 years, and yet yesterday was my first time up on the top floor of the carpark. Guess it was simply because I do not own a car.

Yet it gave me a new perspecive view of the whole neighbourhood from up there. I felt re-introduced to the surrounding area all over again.

At the far distance I could see the new factory FPLD, manufacturing LCD screens, and the almost-complete Civil Defence Building alongside Tampines Avenue 10, just across the open field we were before.

At the back were the block of flats 730 and 731. Just hope the neighbours did not get any misunderstood feelings the they were being watched instead.

Towards the right was Street 71 where Pinevale Executive Condo, block 737 to 742 forming Tampines Greenvale precint.

We set the telescope up on the roof and aimed at the first bright spot we saw in the night sky.

Not many could be seen though. Only 3 dots in the sky with the moon nowhere to be found.

We had no idea the bearing to which Mars would appear in the sky, though we knew that it should be a little later into the night.

Still it would be interesting to view a star throught the telescope.

While waiting for the sky to clear, my son started talking about another family he saw came up there a few months back having some kind of a rooftop-carpark picnic.

The family of 4 had two telescopes, sitting at the centre of the carpark on a mat with a picnic basket. He thought it was "cool" family time they had.

It sounded "cool" to me too. That family made the best out of their surrounding other people take for granted and never even thought about. Doing something together as a family is always worth it. An intangible bond.

After about half an hour on the rooftop, we decided to call it a night. It was almost my son's time for bed. He had to wake up bright and early for school tomorrow.

Did not turn out as we expected, but a nice time with him sharing the same interest up the rooftop. Well, hope it will be good condition tonight.

+ Mars | Second Moon

Have always been intriqued with the night sky since my childhood.

Lived in a village sandwiched between a rubber and coconut plantation. The sky as I remembered was very clear and bright at night, except for the scheduled loud noise made by the commercial airplanes landing at the Paya Lebar Airport.

Yes, all that tranquility marred by the noise polutions from the airplanes flying past the village which was very close to the airport. The airport soon moved to a much larger location in Changi, well reknowned today as Changi International Airport, a few years after the whole villagers moved to the Tampines.

Would sit in front of my house outside the verandah with friends talking about nothings and stare at the night sky. I would dream of being a cosmonaut with space station and rockets docked very right above my home.

Would always see shooting stars and dreamt of alien spaceships hovering over earth, mimicking one of the many bright dots in the night sky.

In those recurring dreams, those dots would suddenly move from its position in the sky to another strategic location and stop.

Some would move slowly like in convoys and dissappear from the sky. All these were oblivious to us except me, but could never explain to anyone, as no one would believe me.

Wonder what brought about those dreams and what actually my subconscious mind was telling me. Until today, I have yet to find and answer.

I am not sure if I will start to have those types of dreams again when I receive an email from my friend David, stating that Planet Mars will be closest to earth this August month in 2005.

This news gets me all excited again about the cosmos and would not miss to witness it, since it is a once in a life time phenomenon. The next one would be in year 2287. My dusty remains would have already disintegrated by then.

Sharing my excitement is my son. He brought out the telescope I bought him last year from the store and started to assemble it again.

This time he assembled it all by himself without a manual. He figured which part goes to where first time right. Bright boy, independent and resourceful. Proud of him.

We are going to watch the night skies starting tonight, though it is not as promising we will see anything since it has been cloudy and rained for the past few days. The forest fires raging in Sumatra Indonesia may also get the skies hazy.

Nonetheless, will try to get a view and take photos of the "Two Moons" if they do occur to be seen from where we are.

Anyway, below is the email excerpt I received with exact details of the phenomenon. I guess it would have originated from NASA's site, though the info in that website mentioned that the closest both planets got was in year 2003.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN.

The Red Planet (MARS) is about to be spectacular!

This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history.

The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky.

It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide.

By August 27, Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot.

At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.

By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m.

That's pretty convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressivelybrighter and brighter throughout the month.

More info from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab. Click logo below.

+ Parents | Dad's Home!

Received a call on my cellphone quite early in the morning. It was barely passed 9:00am and I was busy at work.

Heard a frail yet happy voice at the other end of the call. I was my Dad telling me that the house doctor who checked on him in his morning round informed him that he was well enough to be discharged.

Dad's going home!

He could not wait to tell me more. He had a good and long walk around the wards' corridor before he was told of the good news. I think I felt as happy as he was when I received the news from him.

Applied for an afternoon day off and counted the hours to noon, could not wait to fetch him home to Mom. She would be so pleased.
Reached the hospital about 15 minutes by taxi from AMK where my office is. Saw him happy talking, panting a little, but happily talking to the other patient, Mr Omar who has a very bad case of gout attacks and was hospitalized for more than 3 weeks.

When he saw me entering, he seemed proud introducing me to Mr. Omar.

With zest, I admit I packed his belongings from his bed No. 3 locker and drawer, and dashed to the Nurse's Station. There they were expecting me and preparing for the paperwork for his discharge.

Dad changed to his own clothing. Off with the sad-looking light blue pajamas! His face lit. I was excited for him inside.

The staff nurse came in first and took the canular or "plug" they call it, off his frail right arm. She was cheering him on, saying that he was a strong-willed person to quickly recover from a major operation. They were thrilled for him as well.

He was full of smiles and expressed his gratitude numerous times to her and the other nurses who greeted him when they came in and out of the room.

The nurses were telling me that Dad was the most pleasant patient with hardly no complaints of any kind. He did not give them any difficulty or problems at all. He was one of their favourite patient.

Then again, they may say this to all patient that was going to be discharged, but this time I truely believe them. Dad is so obliging and has high tolerance for anything.

My brother-in-law fetched us and drove us to our parents' home. Greeted by my youngest sister and my niece at the void deck with a Mom's wheelchair.

Mom greeted Dad at the doorstep of their home. Her face showed her happiness that Dad's home. The home is again complete. I can only guess how much happiness both of them were feeling at that very moment. They have been together, never separated, for almost 55 years.

Dad smiled quietly sitting in the living room, and with Mom's cane, he went straight to his favourite place, his Garden. There, his Hibiscus welcomed him home with big bright yellow flowers blooming and swaying in the wind. He sat there for more than 10 minutes. That corner of the home always brings him relief and gives him tranquility.

He went to the kitchen, his other favourite spot, he missed doing chores in his kitchen too.

All that excitement made him tired. He retreated to his bedroom a nap. I could see his calm face as he shut his eyes from the dining table where I was sitting with my sister and niece.

After some coaching Mom on the medicines for him to take in the mornings and evenings, we left. Felt sad and helpless not able to stay longer, or stay with them to help out around the house.

Mom bid farewell. I could see her face saddened, but definitely relieved that much of the unpleasant things have passed the family by, and Dad was finally home.

We love both of you, Mom and Dad!

+ Parents | Dad's Getting Better

Its National Day today. Singapore celebrates 40th year of independence. The whole nation is in joyous mood.

One part of me to celebrate with it too, to attend the first off location fireworks right out my doorstep in Tampines, another was moody and sad right a the back of my mind with what is going on with Dad and his condition.

I received a call on my cellphone in the moring. The programmed number I did was for SGH Dr. Ooi. I was shocked and anxious about what the news is about to unfold on the other side of the call. It was Dad! Alhamdullilah!

Frail sounding, yet with a tinge of happiness in his voice, he told me that he was served warm Mila drink for breakfast. That was good news.

He told that his IV drips has been taken off him. He is now free off any tubes. That was even more good news! Alhamdullilah!

This eposide has opened my Dad emotionally. He seems no longer afraid to show his affection. He has started to make calls personnally to almost everyone in the family with the phone list I wrote to him in bold letters and numbers of the whole family.

Had a good breakfast this morning and got to clear up some emails from work till about noon, rearring to go to see Dad.

I received another call from Dad. This time he was given lunch - porriage and a drink since he did not vomit out the Milo drink he was given in the morning. That was a very good sign of him recovering. That was a very good news to me, personally.

A speedy recovery for Dad, Insha'allah. Guess now he is calling the rest of his children breaing that good news.

I am proud of him. His determination, his high tolerance for pain, his patience with not a squeek of complaint out from him. All was left to Allah for His mercy to bring him back to health.

I am coming to see you Dad! I am celebrating two things simultaneously after all.

+ Parents | Turning Point

As per normal, had another visit to the hospital on Thursday afternoon, 04 Aug 05 after work in AMK.

Was surprised to see Dad with all the IV and a tube in his left nosril with dark green liquid in it.

My eldest brother was alreay there by his bedside. Dad was half asleep. My brother was watching the overhang TV quitely. Seemed to know someones approaching him, Dad opened his eyes and I saw his welcoming face upon seeing me.

Gasping slightly and with faint words, he told me he had pains in his stomach that morning. It was bloating and felt hardened.

Dr. Ooi noticed that when he came to check Dad in his daily morning rounds. He immediately instructed Dad be stopped from any liquid intake by mouth and the rass tube be inserted to pump the accumulated liquid out of his stomach. "Nil by mouth" again.

Dad had a relapse.

His condition was progressing well after he got out of the HD ward. From "Nil by mouth" instruction, he was given sips of plain water a few days later. Then he proceeded to have some warm Milo drink for his empty stomach.

He had one in the morning and another in the evening. All was well until that morning. His stomach was distended. Everyone seemed to notice that Dad's stomach seemed a little bloated than when he first came out after surgery, but no one said anything since Dad had never complained of anything he felt abnormal.

Than again, that was Dad, always hiding his condition with his high tolerance with pain.

Back were tubes for urine and another in anticipation for him to pass motion and that rass tube from his nose to his stomach. A cold patch on his forehead due to fever.

Noticed he was weaker that evening from the past few days. Was a sad sight. More nights of close virgil and anxiousness.

The whole family turned-up, giving prayers for him to get well soon.

Got a hold of the Dr. Ooi's assistant. Did not get his name though. He told us that Dad stomach stopped functioning totally. The situation was not common, and then again, not rare either. I do not know what to make out of it then.

The rass tube had to be inserted to pump the liquid out of his stomach periodically and the amount pumped out was being monitored. The positive progression would be that the amount gradually be lesser than the one before. That would signify the stomach to start functioning again.

A breakthrough would be when he passed motion. For now, the rass tube will be there about 3 days to week depending on how he pulled through.

If his condition deteriorated, he would then have his food inserted through the veins in his chest to his heart. The special food would be of broken-up enzymes since the stomach could not process to break down the food for his body.

The body cannot survive on the Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride and Glucose drips alone.

Come-on Dad, be strong! Ask Allah for the strength to pull through and rid you off this sickness.

+ Parents | Dad's Recovering

The visiting doctor told us the operation would roughly lasted about 2 hours, but it had been 3 hours since he was in there at 7:00pm. That was the longest 3 hours for everyone.

Dr. Ooi finally called my cellphone to inform that the surgery went well with no complications. He was pleased with my Dad's upper large intestine, though swollen, but no need to remove it all. No other tumors. He needed only to remove the affected area as with senario 1. No bag tube needed to temporarily be inserted to his small intestine.

We were relieved and waited at the OT entrance anxiously for his return. It somehow took another 2 hours and 30 minutes more before he was wisked out from the OT to HD - High Dependency ward for close observation for a few days.

He was sent to Ward 47. There he stayed for 3 days instead of the predicted 2. Hooked-up to the IV and rectal tubes for his urine and bowel movements. He was asleep most of the time, barely awake once in a while. We kept virgil at his bedside.

That Sunday, 31 Jul 05 afternoon, there were so many relatives visited him at once, it was like sending and receiving pilgrims at Changi Airport. My Dad has so many relatives, so no surprise the whole waiting area in Ward 47 was flooded with our relatives.

I received a call from the Senior Staff Nurse Ms Manisah, that Dad's condition had stabilised and he was to be transferred back to his normal Ward 78 Room 12 - a B1 Class, 4-bedded room.

Told everyone about it with relief. The critical part was over. Dad was on the road to recovery. We thank Allah for his blessings.

+ Parents | Dad's Warded

With his frail and in pain condition, I explained to him about the tumor, minus the cancer details to avoid unnecessary stress to him, and the operation that he had to undergo to remove it.

He replied to get it out as quickly as possible to rid him of this constant pain. Was a brave front he displayed, knowing he hated hospitals. I guessed the pain as indeed acute for him to say that.

I announced the findings to all the family members via SMS. We waited until he was admitted and sent to Ward 78 Room 2. There family started responding immediately and come in droves to the hospital.

In the ward we congregated while Dad was being prepped for the operation, that was to take place at 6:00pm that evening.

There, with everyone present, he got everyone's attention for an announcement. The room came to a silent. God Willing, he said, once he recovered from the operation, he would want to have a family gathering to celebrate his and Mom's 55th wedding anniversary together and whole a special prayer for all our deceased to Allah for His blessings.

Quite a shock to me, as if he was acting out of character. He never cared much for such occasions before, and we never held that either. Coming from him was very new to us. Nonetheless, that was a good suggestion and so over due.

Though that was that, then he said another thing that shocked me especially. He announced that he wanted my name to be included in this finances, third after Mom's. He wishes to entrust his monies to me to take care of them.

Everyone replied that, that was a good move and supported his decision. I obliged. I have yet to digest all that has been going on, and now this responsibility. I will definitely protect their interest.

Shortly before 6:30pm, he was whisked away to the OT. Everyone followed until before the entrance where we bid him to be strong and that we would be waiting for him there.

Everyone was emotional. My Mom felt the hardest and I was taken in as well with teary eyes, but I chose to avoid being seen. Why is that?

+ Parents | Colonoscopy Results

We came the next day at 9:00am instead because my Dad was still in so much pain that night to A&E, but my Dad's pain subsided by then, so we stuck to the appointment.

Registered at the Endoscopy Centre and waited for his turn at 11:25am. He went in as scheduled until about 2:00pm. My youngest brother and brother-in-law went for Friday prayers, I stayed back with their wifes.

Fellow surgen Dr. Ho from the Colorectal Department as with Dr. Ooi, came to inform us of the outcome of the check done by Dr. Ooi himself. My father had Colorectal Cancer right at the end of his big intestine, just before the rectum.

The cancer tumor photo taken from the Colonoscopy was quite shocking. The camera could not pass through the small hole left because the tumor had grown big enough to close the passage. That condition had to be there and growing to that size for more than 6 months as explained by Dr. Ho.

That explained his incontinence. He had to go to the toilet immediately every time he eat or drank. The condition was obvious while we were touring Sawarak together a few weeks before.

The food he eat did not pass through, instead it stuck in his large intestine the whole time. Only fluid could pass through the tiny hole that was left blocked by the tumor.

He kept silent about it all that time, saying his bowel movements were normal everyday, but failed to inform us of the liquid instead of normal stool every time he went.

I guess, it is for fear of being warded or just in denial of something terribly wrong with his health. That did not do him any good, nor to any of us either.

I was in shock and in disbelief. Never thought something like this could happen to us. Guess this is a cliched reaction to anyone.

Colon cancer is hereditary which puts us at risk too, but that will be another chapter in our life's story, another time and another place, but for now, I have to deal with what is next for my Dad.

Dr. Ho explained that due to the total blockage, Dad's large intestine was distended and swollen. Would not know if there were any more tumors in it until they operated him.

Dr. Ho explained that my Dad had 3 senarios how the operation would go, depending on what the surgen found:

• One was to immediately operate and remove the portion of the large intestine where the tumor was and joined the two ends back.
• Second was as with the first one, but if he is too weak, a small tube be inserted at the end of his small instestine to drain the food he eat to bypass the large intestine, so as to allow the large intestine to rest for the swell and sutures to heal. The tube would be connected to a Stoma Bag outside the body.
• Third, as last resort will have to remove about 60% to 70% of his large intestine if it proved to be in bad shape or raptured in any way.

Senarios 1 and 2 would not affect his bowel movements at all when he recovered, but the third one would make him go 4 to 5 times a day. The inconvenience was the least to worry. At his age, the journey to and from the tiolet would pose danger, as he may slip and fall. Another was the fact that the rectum muscles would be too weak with the constant bowel movement due to old age.

Dr. Ho suggested that they were carrying out a study on total blockage cases such as my Dad's. The clinical trial was that a stent be inserted into his large intestine where the tumor is to open up the blocked passage to let all the solids out and wait out for swell to subside. That would take two weeks. Afterwhich, he would have to come back again to remove the tumor.

The 3 senarios could only then be decided during the operation. The purpose was to eliminate the third senario. SGH had done 9 such trails so far with 100% success rate. In Spain such procedures were done to more than 90 patients with very good success rate too.

We decided to have the trial, but unfortunately did not get the chance as the random picked envelope came out as normal operation. The study had the random picking to eliminate biasness of subjects' conditions for the study to prove as successful, rather than picking on those they thought might be a sure success.

Dad had to be operated on immediately.

+ Parents | What's Wrong Dad?

Had a call from Mom on Saturday night, 23-Jul-05. She was very concern with Dad as she noticed he was not himself the last few days.

He was normally always in the Garden, or at the kitchen doing chores or looking to do one. He could never kept still, always something to do around the house.

Lately she noticed that he was always resting, not watering the plants outside and care little about their Parrot Fish they care dearly. She came to know when she saw him rubbing ointment onto his stomach and his expression of pain. This kept going on for a couple of days until she called me that night.

I offered to take him to their doctor, Oxford Clinic in Pasir Ris, or even just the doctor downstairs in their block, but Dad just declined saying it was just gas or some heartburn. Self medication should just be fine, he said. My persuasion did not get through that day.

Mom called me to inform that Dad had the worst pain Sunday night. With some family contacts here and there, my youngest sister and her hubby in Woodlands rushed them to the clinic below joined by my 2nd eldest sister with her hubby at their home.

The GP diagnosed him as having too much air in his stomach. Prescribed him something to ease his stomach distension. Two days passed and the pain did go away. Phycologically I think Dad thought the pain eased because of the medication, but on Thursday night, the pain was the even worst.

Dad waited the night in excruciating pain instead of telling his children immediately. Mom called me and was crying of fear something really bad was happening to him.

I was about to leave the house for work in JB, but fortunately she got me in time before I went passed the immigration. It will be a hassle to get back once I was across the causeway. Took urgent leave that day and rushed him to A&E. Fortunately though, my brother-in-law who lives in Ponggol fetched him and went off the SGH.

We met at SGH Outpatient Clinic at about 9am. They then referred us to A&E instead. The A&E doctor attended to my Dad with a series of tests - Blood, Urine and X-ray after some physical examinations. All looked good, but because he was in pain and his age, the doctor referred him to the Colorectal Consultant at Clinic D.

At 2pm the same day, we registered and Doctor Ooi Boon Swee attended to him. After examination, he could not find anything wrong outrightly, so he recommended that my Dad go for Colonoscopy to see if anything is blocked by hardened feces or a tumor growth in his big intestine.

We had to come back for the check the next day, Sat 30-Jul-05 at 11:25am. He had to fast after 6:oopm and took two packs of laxatives to clear whatever food off his stomach.

Hope nothing was serious, but Dad should know best how he was feeling. We had to wait out till the next day.