A Light Speed Update

Hi there,

It has been an exciting two weeks for me. It was a full pack schedule of work, play, and fun. So these are the latest updates about what’s going on (I will elaborate on these brief updates in future posts, one by one. Come back for more juicy stories.):

1) Got back from POD camp, Point of Difference, during the Independence Day break (Friday to Monday). Will share the camp notes in future post.

2) Mum is due for ovarian cancer surgery on Tuesday 9th September 2008. It’s borderline cancer, and she is going through “ovarian tectomy” (if there’s such a term), meaning to remove both ovaries. Yes, she has enough kids, my brother and I, and she will be effectively menopause.

3) Finishing application documents to Oxford University. Yes, this is the university that publishes dictionary. I am going in for Engineering Science. But, if you need more info about Oxford or anything, just drop me a comment, and we will go through email for more details.

4) Joshua just told me that I am to attend a church leader development programme. Am I fit to be a youth leader? Only God has the answer.

5) IB is taking its toll on me. I slept for 2 hours for one of the nights, followed by 12 hours of sleep on the next night. My brain is suffering from headache due to the sudden change in sleep pattern. Any sleepologist can enlighten why is this happening to me?

6) Dad has just went through some product training for a water purifier. He says this is the thing that is going to allow him to go financially independent. I am still waiting, but all the best dad, you have my support. It’s Covay from Korea, some super mega high tech water purifier system, better than Diamond water. For sales, drop comment and I ll contact through email. They are looking for sales agents too. RM500 incentive per unit sold.

7) Cell group meeting just discussed about “Why did God allow evil?” Super heated discussion. Maybe we could start a forum here: WHY DOES GOD ALLOW EVIL?

Bible verse of the post:

Isaiah 55:8 My thoughts are nothing like your thought, says the Lord. And my ways are far beyond anythng you could imagine.

Cancer? No Cancer? Part 2

I am not really sure how should I be feeling right now. I am going through a plethora of feelings i.e angry, happy, sad, disappointed, grateful, hopeful, confused.

Previously, I mentioned that my mum went through a surgery to remove some non-cancerous growth from her tummy. Today, the “specimen”’s lab report was returned (Specimen refers to the removed cyst from mum’s tummy). It seems that there is a likelihood of borderline malignancy around her ovarian sector. In other words, a borderline likelihood of cancer.

The doctor said there was nothing much to be worried off because it is still in early stages. From no cancer, now it’s borderline cancer. Mum is going to see a cancer specialist in Universiti Malaya Medical Centre for further inspection.

I seriously do not know which feeling should I put into my emotional sector of my brain. Sigh. Keep my fingers crossed.

Bible verse: By the stripes of Jesus, we are healed……. (Personalised) By the stripes of Jesus, mum is healed, by faith.

Cancer? No Cancer?

Cancer is something that everyone in this modern era fears. It is deemed the modern disease of the modern generation. How often cancer is heard of in the 50s?

Question: How would you react when your relatives, particularly your mum, have the possibility of contracting cancer?

Yesterday, I got the shock of my life when mum said she noticed something hard within her stomach. Mum said she realized it since two days ago. There was not any pain but she felt slight discomfort when she sleeps. Mum said it might be a fibroid – a non cancerous growth – recurring, or tumour – a cancerous growth. We really do not know. Mum went to the doctor, at Poliklinik Gomez (the clinic we have been going since I was 7), to figure out what was wrong.

Mum asked, “Is it cancer?” to which the doctor replied, “I do not know, we would have to wait for Dr Margaret to do the scan tomorrow.”

My imagination started running wild.

What would I do if mum had cancer? What would I do if mum would not survive, if she got it (touch wood)? It hit me so hard on how much I have taken my mum for granted. Mum, I really love you although we often have not-so-friendly moments when you are on the cycle – menstrual that it.

Mum even related to the doctor how her menstrual cycle was disrupted, adding fuel to the firing worries within me. The other day, Joshua was telling me about one of our friends whose mum was diagnosed with liver cancer. *super worried* Meanwhile, years back, when my aunt got cancer; she lost two of her breasts (something that I believe are important to womanhood) due to mastectomy. She survived, with great deal of chemotherapy and its side-effects.

I prayed so hard that God will not take my mum away so quickly. Jesus, she still need time to learn more about you. And God, she still have not seen my beautiful wife and cute twins – 2 boys and 2 girls!!

And today, while having exam in school, I shut my phone off for fear of getting any bad news. I was in such denial. Yes, my mum was not perfect, but I still loved her to the point I cant take it that she might have cancer.

Then, mum said, “The doctor said it was just some cyst, it’s non-cancerous, and it can be removed through a simple surgery.” Cyst = a super big pimple consists of fluid and blood clogged within your body.

The reason I am sharing my experience here is not to blog about my emotional moments, but rather to ask the question: how much have we took our family for granted?

I find it funny how easy it is for us to raise our voice against our loved ones when they are still healthy. When they are gone, we cry like babies. Funny, isn’t it?

If it takes cancer to shake us off from our delusion of materialism, money and what not, to remind us of what really matters, then I think it’s worthwhile because I was shaken to love my mum even more. I am heartbroken, not because my mum almost got cancer, but because it takes cancer to help me to love her more. Mum, Happy Belated Mother’s Day. In fact, everyday is Mother’s Day, friends.

P/S: The author did not bother buying Mother’s Day gift because he was broke, or rather he perceived himself to be broke.