I have met many doctors since my symptom first appeared in December. I would now like to share my impression of the doctors..some names are disguised to protect the guilty and innocent ;)
Doctors at Hahnemann Hospital, Buenos Aires: The doctors all acted very professionally and good thing all of them can speak English well. They have great symphathy for this foreigner who can't speak Spanish. All of them were intrigued about my pericardium effusion, and suggested this is a one-off infection and I don't have to worry too much about it.
Dr R: After returning to Malaysia, I saw a respiratory specialist in a private hospital. He strongly suspected that I have TB and wanted to put me on TB medication even before any test were conclusive. He said TB has come back in a big way in Malaysia; he said when my condition appears, it is best to think "1st TB, 2nd TB and 3rd TB, before suspecting other ailment". I was quite partial to this suggestion until I found out about the side effects of TB medication from the net. I was quite uncomfortable about his urgent desire to put me on TB medication. Looking back, how I wish what I have was "only" TB!
But he has been very helpful. When the 2nd episode of pericardial effusion happen, he wrote a referal to Seremban GH, and arranged to have Prof Richard of IMU to see me.
Dr S: My regular ayurvedic doctor also is suspicious about the diagnosis that I have TB after checking me. He advised me to wait for the tests results before taking on TB medication, he suspected that it was just a one-off chest infection and gave me some Ayurvedic medication. Cancer was not in his radar. My faith in Ayurvedic medicine is diminised now.
Dr A: Got a 2nd opinion from another respiratory specialist from another private hospital. A distinguished looking senior gentleman, he agree with the possible TB diagnosis. He was also very worried about the nodules shown in my Argentina CT scan. He asked me to do another CT scan.
Dr Sree: My lead doctor in the Seremban GH. A jovial guy who cares very much for his patients. For two weeks, he came nearly everyday to tap my pericardial effusion. The only time he was without a smile was when my result of the test came back to show my cancerous condition. I told him when a jovial guy like him become serious, someone is in deep shit...
Prof Richard: A lecturer at the International Medical University, which is attached to the Seremban Hospital. He is a very gentle doctor who advised me initially before the cancer diagnosis, and later also gently about my cancerous condition.
Dr G: The doctor who tried to do tapping for my pericardial effusion. He did a horrible job. He said there will only be slight pain and told me to tahan. Remembering the gentle local anesthetic tapping done in Argentina, I agreed. I was screaming with pain as he tried to push the catheter from my chest into the pericardium with only local anesthetic. I sweated buckets as two people have to hold me down.
He seems to be unsure of what he is doing; kept on asking the echo technician where he should be pushing the catheter, and was himself shocked about the hemorrhage of the fluid. After the failed tapping, I told all the nurses and doctors not to let Dr G touch me again! I did not see him after that. Someone told me later this doctor's procedure is hopeless.
Dr Sj: A houseman who looked after me in the Seremban GH. A kind young chap who could not bring himself to tell about the cancer diagnosis. He lets his medical officer to do that, who didnt do a good job either.
Dr J: The doctor who told me about my cancer diagnosis. He came in with Dr Sj, look at my file and announced;"They found malignant cell in the effusion. Could come from other place. I will talk with Dr Sree." That's it. That is how I first heard about my condition. That time I haven't connect "malignant" with cancer. It was only after he left, and Dr Sj came in again, I asked Dr Sj what it really meant. I guess some doctors are too busy to break the news gently and ensure the patient really understand what they meant?
Dr L: A houseman who casually flipped thru my file and then asked me what I have. I told her I got cancer. She looked at me from the top of her glasses and said "oh". I think doctors should read their patients' file carefully and know what their patient have!
Dr LC: A kindly medical officer who took time to explain in detail the side effects of TB medication I was on for 9 days. He is a very patient doctor with excellent bedside manners. He also told me dianosis is more of an art; after I told him about the various hit and miss of my diagnosis.
Dr N: In Dr Ezani's team, Dr Ezani is my lead surgeon in IJN. Dr N never smiled at me in all the time I was under his care. Once, as if to give excuse for his demeanor, he said he has been up all night, and he has clinical for the whole day. He didnt look at me while telling me about my condition. But as he turned to the other bed where there is a pretty caregiver...amboi..bukan main lagi sengih die (wow, lookit his grin)!!! :P I asked a nurse later about Dr N's different demeanor for me and the girl, and she said yeah that's him! ;)
Dr Gum: I noticed there a lot of young doctors at IJN. There is this one very good looking doctor. He seems to be a senior doctor because he usually walks the ward with an equally sharply dressed and good looking entourage of junior doctors. All of them looked like they are ready for fine dining in Bangsar.
I saw Dr Gum twice chewing gum while talking to patients. Huh, absolutely rude and obnoxious. Please act cool elsewhere! Good thing he wasn't my doctor, I would have told him off.
Dr C: The first oncologist I met. He was very upset that I am contemplating not to take radio or chemotherapy. He was also very dismissive of my knowledge about cancer treatment, and equally contempteuos about my herbal therapy. He talked as if the radiotherapy is a walk in the park with sore throat as the only side effect. He then suggested a pill if I don't want to take on radio or chemo, without telling me the serious implication as what Dr Kana & Dr Selva of NCI told me. It is only after meeting the NCI doctors that I realised the slip shod manner Dr C has advised me.
Dr Kana and Dr Selva: I have described their demeanor in a previous blog. I give them A+ for their advise :)
