Cancer: Should one have a second opinion?

Cancer: Should one have a second opinion?

A second opinion (Photo by Gustavo Fring on Pexels.com)

Cancer missed!

“The GP doctor said that my bleeding per rectum is due to haemorrhoid or piles. So I was treated with piles medications for six months before I was diagnosed as having cancer rectum…” Piles are so common, this patient did not doubt the GP and did not seek a second opinion until much later.


It is ironic that lady A went around teaching others how to perform the breast self-exams. But her own breast lump was misdiagnosed as mastitis as she was breast feeding her child. During a second opinion the doctor diagnosed her with incurable breast cancer. She underwent a bilateral mastectomy surgery to remove both breasts. This was followed by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

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No cancer, but operated!

Another lady underwent a double mastectomy, chemotherapy and reconstructive surgery. Later it was found out to be an incorrectly reported biopsy result. And she did not have cancer!

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That is why, I always stressed to nurses that they are not to break the news of cancer. It is the duty of the relevant doctor with his clinical findings and the biopsy result in hand.

Even with that, the best doctors can still make mistakes. Should one seek a second opinion?

Has Artificial Intelligence (AI) a place in complementing medical diagnosis?

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Virtual buskers

Virtual buskers

I sang a duet with this pretty lady, Karen.  She had a melodious voice ( duet song- winner takes it all) until I heard her singing ‘Flowers‘, I realized she is quite a dynamite, too!

And she told me she is a sort of virtual busker. I learned a new term that night! 

So, in this digital age,  virtual buskers are in!                                                               

Prior to knowing virtual buskers singing live in karaoke online rooms at WeSing, I used to admire Karolina Protsenko ( below), an internet sensation, and a street busker.

Karen
Patrick (violinist)

Karolina Protsenko, one of the most celebrated buskers in the world, mesmerised audiences with her violin covers and diverse repertoire in various languages.

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If tomorrow never comes

If tomorrow never comes

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It was a sorry, a forlorn sight

A mother holding the hands

of two toddlers, looking lost and dazed,

as the resuscitation scenario

of her forty -year-old husband

went on nearby.

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He walked in, his jovial self yesterday

for an emergency appendix operation.

Had he said his last words

if he had known that

there would be no tomorrow?

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If tomorrow never comes ( lyrics)

… Cause I’ve lost loved ones in my life
Who never knew how much I loved them
Now I live with the regret
That my true feelings for them never were revealed
So I made a promise to myself
To say each day how much she means to me
And avoid that circumstance
Where there’s no second chance to tell her how I feel.

So tell that someone that you love
Just what you’re thinking of
If tomorrow never comes

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If tomorrow never comes ( listen to my duet song with LP)

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Here is a good comment from below:–

Geoff Stamper: Excellent post. I adjusted my outlook 20 years ago after they wheeled me into the hospital with a burst appendix in the middle of the night and I survived. They told me later that another guy who was airlifted in earlier in the week was not so lucky with his burst appendix.

Chensp: Yea,  it is always good to catch appendicitis before it bursts because it can be messy as it  will contaminate the interior of the abdomen.

Hatyai to Bangkok by sleeper train

Hatyai to Bangkok by sleeper train

(by Toh Leong, my former teacher)

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We journeyed from Hatyai to Bangkok by the sleeper train. It took us from sunset to surise the next day.

The train was a bit bumpy… goyanglah. Some of my friends couldn’t sleep. It wasn’t an issue for me. My melatonin is still flowing nicely.

More than twenty persons agreed on this trip, but eventually pulled out. Personally, I feel we ought to complete this sort of arduous journey when we are younger, rather than later. My type of travelling is often to see the world or to climb a mountain. It is tiring.

I relax my the beach when I am home by the sea. Probably, I would take cruises when further down the timeline.

Trouble is a friend

Trouble is a friend

“Where there is no struggle, there is no strength.”― Oprah Winfrey.

“The key to life when it gets tough is to keep moving. Just keep moving.”―Tyler Perry.

“You never know how strong you are, until being strong is your only choice.” – Bob Marley

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Listen to my solo song……Trouble Is a friend

One of my earlier pieces of pottery works. Chensp

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Best comment thus far :-

Beautiful pottery work, Serena. While I don’t intentionally court or seek trouble, I agree to a degree that adversity builds character and strength.  By Ab

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

Listen to this solo by Ms Chensp.

Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word

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Quote

The first to apologize is the bravest. The first to forgive is the strongest. The first to forget is the happiest…

When stroke survivors sing first

When stroke survivors sing firstř

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35% of stroke patients are able to sing better than speak after recovery from stroke.

Singing can become a powerful tool

in stroke recovery from aphasia.

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Music therapy enriches positive medical education and patient outcomes.

Music therapy enriches positive medical education and patient outcomes.

Music therapy is increasingly recognised as a valuable complementary approach in healthcare, offering both positive patient care and medical education.

Studies have shown that gentle, flowing melodies promote relaxation and emotional balance.

Music therapy teaches empathy,  communication,  and holistic care to medical  students.

Piano

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A wonderful stroke of luck…

Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Remember that sometimes not getting what you want, is a          wonderful stroke of luck!           

– Dalai Lama

 “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one that has opened for us. ” – Alexander Graham Bell

Similarly, “to reach a port, we must sail- sail, not tie at anchor- sail, not drift.”  Franklin Roosevelt, 1882-1945

Ever felt that way about life choices and happenings in choosing a partner or a career, or even friends?

Looking positively at life!

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Another reunion write-up by my former teacher

Another reunion write-up by my former teacher

A reunion attended by Mr Toh

This article is written by a former teacher,  Mr. Toh Leong. He writes well. I had his prior permission to publish any of his postings from Facebook. I read about his being invited to a reunion by another group of former students…

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Mr Toh’s write-up

I was just invited to a reunion for my former students. I didn’t want to stand on ceremony; it was a wonderful opportunity to meet them again, along with some old colleagues who were also invited.

My past colleagues looked much the same, though I noticed a bald head or two and a few heads of white hair. The years have certainly pushed us further down the timeline.

Many of my former students reminded me that I was their chemistry teacher. While chemistry was my main subject, I also taught additional mathematics and general science. I was delighted to learn that two of my students became teachers themselves and have now retired. How time has flown.

I still don’t feel aged. I hold on to the perspective that age is just a number, and I believe that a positive attitude is key to maintaining a sense of youthfulness. As they say, “You are as old as you think.” Ultimately, our behavior emanates from the heart and mind.

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My note here

So Chemistry was Mr Toh’s major subject! Is that why I never quite understood his physics classes?

   Before the state final exam,  I devoured the whole three-inches-thick physic textbook, and finally , some of his lessons began to make sense.  If only I had studied before each class,  sir! Well, I managed to get a good credit ( a private college didn’t want to accept me for A level because I couldn’t understand the Chinese language.  In the end, the principal changed his mind when he saw my physics grade! )

Yet Mr Toh said, “Only a credit?” I was exasperated. (He had forgotten that I almost never passed any of his physic tests!)

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