Count Your Blessings

Last week, I attended the wake of a colleague from NYP. I have not met him before as he was already on medical leave when I joined NYP. But through brief sessions MSN few months ago, I talked to him and found out that he contracted 3rd stage stomach cancer, at the age of 33. He also had the whole of his stomach removed and will be undergoing chemotherapy. I remembered that I told him about my mum's condition and encouraged him to stay positive and strong.

Cancer, is a terrible disease. If one is lucky, you may discover it at early stage and one can be completely cured without going through tedious and costly chemotherapy. But cancer can be hereditary and some cancers are virtually symptom-less until they reached late stages and there are simply no medical checkups that can detect them early such as brain or liver cancer. Even for stomach and colon cancer, they can be easily mistaken as day to day illnesses like gastric and indigestion unless one goes for endoscopy or colonscopy.

Although I have not seen this colleague face to face, I was really very sad to see him go so suddenly. He has two very young kids less than 3 years old and it must be very difficult for his family to cope with his departure.

To all...Eat healthy, exercise regularly and relieve yourself from everyday stresses. Stress and cancer has a very strong correlation. Encourage your parents for colonscopy as colon cancer is the LEADING cancer killer in Singapore. Do cherish the ones you love and count your blessings everyday. In any case, we are very lucky to be healthy and well today.