You're Home Dad!

Blessed with prayers from everyone, Dad is safely home again.

Back home to Mom who has been waiting for him ever so anxiously for almost a week... she thought it was only for an overnight observation, two nights at the most, but it dragged to a week instead.

Mom greeted him with wide smiles at the front door of their home, while their two teenage granddaughters by her side. Her children and grandchildren have been keeping her company at her home every day and night since Dad was warded in SGH.

I received a phone call early this morning from Staff Nurse Ria, bearing the good news that Dad was able to be discharged today. It made my day... and I am sure it made everyone's day too when I contacted them telling of the good news.

I took the afternoon leave off work and rushed to be at the ward by 12:30PM. The Oncologist Dr. Lo wanted update me of Dad's condition and the follow-up treatments that he needs before discharging Dad at 1:00PM.

By the time I reached there, Dad had already packed all his belongings... he sat there waiting for me with his clothes he came with already laid down on the bed beside him.

Upon noticing me, he gleamed and stood up.

"I've packed everything," Dad's first words to me as I salam him "I called your mother to inform her that I am going home."

I just nodded and gave a big smile. I was as happy as he was, "We have to wait for Dr. Lo to meet us before we can go..." I explained to Dad, "she will tell us what to do next and get your medications too."

Dad just nodded in agreement and started to pull the curtains around the bed to change his clothes, "I've checked the drawers. Everything is packed. Nothing if left behind."

I guess it was Dad's way of saying "I'd like to go home now!"

Dr. Lo could not come in person to meet us. She was attending to an urgent case and could not make it in time to be there. She called me instead to brief of Dad's condition and any questions that I had.

"The blood thining medication cannot be mixed with his Chemo...." she explained, "being at his age, the quality of life is important. So we concentrate on this heart first while we still monitor his lungs."

From the CT Scan, apart from the immediate his left heart aneurysm and thrombus detected, Dr. Lo had some not so good news to tell. The tumors in Dad's lungs have stayed the same size except for one that has grown slightly in size.

Since Dad is not feeling any pain and is alert and active, the practical thing to do is to just go about his daily life as normal as possible taking the Warfarin medication for the next 6 months.

Staff Nurse Ria came next. With that readily available warm smile, she briefed me the many follow-up appointments Dad has ahead of him.

First to come is next week Monday, 9th March 2009 for ACMO at National Heart Centre. Next, an appointment on 14th April 2009 with Dr. Lo at National Cancer Centre.

The third will be a Cardiac Investigation Test called 2Deho on 5th May at National Heart Centre Lab 2. After that, Dad's Cardiologist, Dr. Victor Lim will see him on 13th May 2009 for the results.

Whatever Dad needs to go through in the days ahead, we are so grateful that our prayers here, along with the prayers of my dearest blog friends all across the globe have been answered now.

I thank The Almighty for the many more opportunities we get to have with both Dad and Mom.

Oh yes, I saw another rainbow just yesterday on my way back from work.