It seems that my mum’s brain tumour has acted up once again. 4 years back she had her 1st operation to remove the tumour, another one 2 years back and now it seems the never-ending tumour is back to haunt her and my family once again.
When her headaches came back about 3 weeks ago (maybe even more I didn’t keep a close record) with a renewed intensity, my first reaction was for her to visit her brain tumour specialist doctor for an update on her situation.
Her appointment came on the Thursday that just passed and the doctor was reluctant to give her immediate attention and operation because he didn’t want to expose her to another operation at her age unless absolutely necessary. He slotted her another MRI this Saturday willing to put my Mother through her prolonged misery.
Alas, my mother’s brain acted up and she started to vomit this morning at 6am and my dad and my sister accompanied her to the hospital at 9.30am (while I was soundly asleep). I woke at 11am thinking my family went about their Saturday rountine as usual, my parents out checking wet markets and hawker centres while my sister at her church music rehearsal. Only to receive a call by my mum at 12.45pm that she’s in hospital.
We’re not alarmed. I can only say that a situation like this, a third time round mostly just makes us jaded. Like, you know, the re-growth of the tumour, a trip to the hospital, another operation is just a part of life. But of course it disturbs us, it causes anxiety and worry. I go to sleep praying to God for my mother’s good health and worrying that I’d lose my mother before I turn 21.
Fortunately, led by my father’s example, we entrust our mum into God’s hand and trust that He’ll bring her through again. When I asked my dad over lunch if he was worried about mum’s situation, he calmly said no because he entrusted her to God’s hand and that although her tumour’s re-growth is not something he can control, he told God to do what us humans and doctors cannot do, to stop it from re-growing.
I pity my mother for a situation like hers, it makes her suffer for weeks but the doctor won’t operation and relieve her of her misery because it’s not serious enough. Are we suppose to wait till it becomes serious then we solve the problem? Sigh. Hopefully third time’s the charm, after a third successful operation and the tumour never grows again.