TUESDAY, MAY 29,2012
National Arts Council chief Benson Puah has cancer
A busy, dynamic leader who runs the statutory board that charts arts policy as well as the biggest arts venue here, Mr Puah had been chairing meetings and attending functions all through last week, with no obvious signs of ill health.
It was once reported that his work day began at 7am and sometimes ended as late as midnight. He is married with no children. The statement said he began 16 weeks of chemotherapy and other treatment on Monday. For that reason, he declined to be interviewed. (By Clarissa Oon, Senior Writer, email address: clare@sph.com.sg )
She
was told that she had ovarian cancer and needed an operation. Wan then
moved on to another private hospital believing that another doctor was
better able to handle her case. On 16 February 2009, Wan underwent an
operation to remove her so-called cancer in the ovary. It was a total
hysterectomy. But Wan’s condition did not improve in spite of the
surgery. Her stomach was still bloated. Later she became breathless.
While still in the hospital for a week, her lungs were filled with
fluid. The total
cost of her treatment as of 24 March 2009 is RM 194,730.13. Indeed it is
very expensive to die in this modern day scientific age.
See the video and read the transcript of our conversation. http://cacare.com/component/option,com_easyfaq/task,view/id,188/Itemid,39/
Read the transcript :-
National Arts Council chief Benson Puah has cancer
The most powerful man in the Singapore arts scene has just been diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer that begins in immune system cells.
Mr Benson Puah, 55, chief executive of the National Arts Council and the Esplanade - Theatres On The Bay, found out about his illness last Thursday. Members of the arts community reacted with shock to the announcement, made on Monday evening in a brief statement by both organisations.A busy, dynamic leader who runs the statutory board that charts arts policy as well as the biggest arts venue here, Mr Puah had been chairing meetings and attending functions all through last week, with no obvious signs of ill health.
It was once reported that his work day began at 7am and sometimes ended as late as midnight. He is married with no children. The statement said he began 16 weeks of chemotherapy and other treatment on Monday. For that reason, he declined to be interviewed. (By Clarissa Oon, Senior Writer, email address: clare@sph.com.sg )
Dying In the ICU After Surgery for Ovarian Cancer and Chemo for Lymphoma
Dying In the ICU After Surgery for Ovarian Cancer and Chemo for Lymphoma
(May this failing be a “Guiding Light” to those who come after her)
Chinese
New Year (January/February 2009) was a time of celebration. Wan, a
30-year-old, married female with a 2-year-old child, visited her mother
in Kedah. She enjoyed the food that mom cooked for that day. Wan was OK
then – healthy as mom’s eyes can see. But after the meal, she felt some
“wind” in her stomach. Mom suggested that she consulted a doctor. She
did not get to see any doctor until 2 weeks later. Unexpected, this was
the beginning of a tragic road to her quick death?
Wan’s mother and auntie came to seek our help on the morning of 25 March 2009. This was what had happened.
Wan
went to see a doctor in a private hospital. She was told that she had
ovarian cancer and needed an operation. Wan then moved on to another
private hospital believing that another doctor was better able to handle
her case. On 16 February 2009, Wan underwent an operation to remove her
so-called cancer in the ovary. It was a total hysterectomy. But Wan’s
condition did not improve in spite of the surgery. Her stomach was still
bloated. Later she became breathless. While still in the hospital for a
week, her lungs were filled with fluid. The doctor tapped out the fluid
and she was able to breath.
Wan
was still not well. She felt heaty. Wan was referred to an oncologist
of the hospital for subsequent management. This doctor said Wan’s
problem was actually due to lymphoma and the primary was not the ovary.
The doctor also warned that Wan must undergo chemotherapy immediately.
There would be no time to wait because the cancer was aggressive and was
very serious.
On
Monday, 2 March 2009, Wan was started on chemotherapy. The next day
(Tuesday) she was alright. However, in the early morning (about 2.30
a.m.) of Wednesday, 4 March 2009, Wan started to have pains in her
abdomen. The nurse gave her an injection for gastric. Later, the pains
became unbearable and she was given a pain killer injection. On the
morning of Wednesday, Wan started to have diarrhea. Later she had a fit,
ground her teeth, became breathless and at one time her heart stopped
beating. At 10 a.m. of Wednesday she was admitted into the ICU. Her face
and hands were swollen. She was given oxygen and the doctor induced her
into a coma and she became unconscious. On Saturday, 21 March her lungs
had “bubbles” and she could not breathe. Her doctor had to fit tubes on
both side of her chest to drain fluid out.
So from 2 March until 25 March 2009, Wan was in the ICU struggling to stay alive.
Just before Wan’s mother and aunty came to see us, they were told by the doctor that Wan’s chance of survival was very minimal. The family can expect her to die any time.
Read the transcript :-
Mother:
She was admitted on Sunday. On Monday they operated on her. It was a
total hysterectomy. However, her tummy was still big after the operation
and she was breathless. On checking they found there was fluid in her
lungs. The fluid was drained. She felt better after that. But she always
felt hot. It is not a fever. The air-conditioner was set at 10 degrees
and she would still be perspiring. On further checking, they said it is
lymphoma.
Chris: How long was she in the hospital? Has she gone home?
M: No, she hasn’t gone home at all. She is still in hospital. It’s been more than a month now. She was there since February.
Aunty: Since the operation, she hasn’t gone home. After her lung problem, she was referred to another doctor.
C: After draining the fluid from the lungs, she was okay?
M & A: Yes
C: Why was she still in hospital?
A: Because they wanted to give her chemo.
C: She was not allowed to go home first?
A: They say cannot wait. It is a very aggressive type. It is already very serious. Chemo must be done immediately.
C: When was the chemo done?
A: Only once, on Monday.
M:
After that she was alright. She was alright on Tuesday. But at night,
early on Wednesday morning around 2:30 a.m., she complained of stomach
pains until daybreak. She was
given injections for gastric, as well as a pain killer. She had
diarrhea. Her stools were very dark. She had diarrhea again from 7.00 am
to 8.00 am. She had pains in her stomach again. She asked me to get the
doctor to check her quickly as she could not stand the pains anymore.
She was struggling in bed, kicking the bed very hard. She was biting and
grinding her teeth. It looked as if she was having a fit.
When
the doctor came, I explained what had happened (the events that took
place throughout the night and morning). He did a routine check on her
and left. He did not answer my questions or say anything. He just left.
I
was waiting for some pain killer to be administered, but later when a
nurse passed by, I asked about the pain killer and she explained that
the pain killer had already been given the night before. So, they could
not give her another pain injection now. Then she just went away.
I
then requested for my daughter to be cleaned up. And as the nurse was
cleaning her, she started to feel breathless. Then suddenly her head
turned to one side, and a little foamy saliva started to drool out of
her mouth. I screamed and a sister came in to adjust her drip and a
couple of things. Actually, her heart stopped beating for a while.
C: Her heart stopped?
M:
Yes, it did. They revived her. (by banging, etc – we were not allowed
to see). An hour later, about 10:00 a.m. she was brought to the ICU. She
is there until today. She is still there - unconscious. When they
brought her in, her face was already swollen. The neck, shoulder and
arms were swollen too. She looked very different. The swelling subsided
on the third day. And now, she looked very thin.
C: How is she now?
A: Still unconscious. Never wake up yet. It is already about 20 days.
M:
Cannot let her wake up. She is given oxygen. When the oxygen is
removed, her pressure dropped. They kept putting her to sleep. We’ve
never spoken to her since she went in.
A:
I spoke to the doctor. He said she cannot let her wake up as the oxygen
pressure is very high. She may not be able to take the high pressure.
That is why they made sure she is totally unconscious.
M:
Last Saturday, they drained more fluid from her lungs. It looks like
there is very little chance of saving her. This morning, the doctor told
us to be prepared. The doctor said her condition is very serious and
the cancer will spread very fast.
A: I was wondering why the chemo must be done when she was still so weak.
M:
Actually after the operation, she was alright. She could watch
television and was normal. The nurse asked her to get up and walk and
she got up and walked - just a little breathless at first (Mother
cried).
C:
If it is possible, you can start by giving her Capsule A and Juvo (food
supplement made from a variety of beans). If after 2 or 3 days, there
is some progress, then we can slowly add more herbs. It is a very
difficult situation. What is going to happen the next few days no one
can tell. But we will try our best.
A: They already conceded they could not do anything else anymore for her.
Comments
The
total cost of her treatment as of 24 March 2009 is RM 194,730.13.
Indeed it is very expensive to die in this modern day scientific age.
Can any body answer this question: Her mother told us: When
the doctor came, I explained what had happened (the events that took
place throughout the night and morning). He did a routine check on her
and left. He did not answer my questions or say anything. He just left. Why
did the doctor just left without answering her question? In a similar
case, Sam and his wife were coerced into consenting to a liver operation
on Sam. The surgeon even hugged Sam’s wife and assured her everything
was going to be alright. At the same time warned that he must be
operated on immediately. But after the cancer had recurred, the surgeon
became “hostile” and did not even want to talk to them. Why is this so?
There is an Arab saying: Haste is from the Devil. Wan
did not even have a chance to recuperate properly from her surgery. She
was immediately asked to go for chemotherapy. She was told the cancer
was aggressive. How true is this? Before she came into the hospital she
was alright. What made the cancer aggressive? Or is this a spin – a
veiled threat to instill fear into patients so that they would agree to
chemotherapy?
The
doctor’s medical report indicated that Wan required an emergency
dialysis. Her renal function had reversed. What had her kidney failed?
What could be the cause? The toxic chemo-drugs? Wan did not have such a
problem before.
