After a month, she decided to go to YouTEmInfirmary. DocRub ordered an x-ray examination. Little girl was a bit apprehensive about the x-ray room as the radiographer was a tall gangly man who looked like Nasir Bilal Khan (though only about 1%) and nobody else was there. But she stripped and proceeded anyway. Took the x-ray and started wearing back her clothes. As she was about to don her scarf, Mr 1%NasirBilalKhan said "Little Girl, I think I need to do your x-ray again. Something may be wrong here". So off with the clothes once more and Little Girl exposed herself to the radiation again. Afterwards, 1%MrBilalKhan explained that there seemed to be an unidentified mass just above the heart and lung, i.e. at the mediastinal. DocRub was called and she wanted Little Girl to take a blood test and to come again later in the afternoon to get the results. LilGirl called bigSis and explained everything.
That afternoon, Little Girl went back to the infirmary. DocRub said all her vital organs seemed ok. No cancer markers were detected etc. However, DocRub wanted LilGirl to be referred to the chest clinic at the GeneralHospital for CTScan. LilGirl went away with the referral letter and decided to go to the private PrincessSpecHosp the next day.
BigSis was on leave that day and wanted to come along. When they reached PrincessH, they requested for DrCardioY (as recommended by broInLaw). But as DrCardioY was not available, they were referred to DrNephroSlashPhyzi@DrNephF.
DrNephF is a big, burly friendly man. After some discussion, LilGirl thought that she could go on do the CTScan straight away, but DrNephFfriendlyman said, "Come, let's check you out!", while motioning her towards the treatment bed. Luckily DrNephFfriendlyman was not looking at her face, otherwise he would noticed that LilGirl eyes were literally popping-out. She was so not expecting ... a body check! Fortunately she was wearing her front-buttoned kebaya (which makes it less embarassing??). A nurse was there to assist her to strip. DrNephF said "Kenapa ni, janganla nervous (Don't be nervous!)", while checking all the possible places where swollen lymph nodes might appear. Of course la LilGirl would be nervous... DrNephF checked parts and 'parts' of the body that would make maidens blush (see pix). He did not find anything abnormal after the physical checkup. Then, LilGirl was sent to do CTScan. LilGirl had to be stripped again, this time with loads of peeps inside the room. LilGirl returned to DrNephF office after the scan and surely enough, the mass at the mediastinal was magnified. Again, all vital organs are ok, kidneys, lungs and heart are fine. But the mass (of about 10X6 cm at its widest) is there. DrNephF said it might be a Thymoma, a rare sort of tumour that is located in between the breast bone. Because of the location, a typical treatment for this is to crack open LilGirl up i.e. surgery. DrNephF wanted LilGirl warded and a surgeon from a sisterhosp, SouthStateSpecialistHosp. will do the procedure. LilGirl and BigSister returned to LilTown to break the news to momsie and popsie.
Come the following week, LilGirl got warded. By this time she was so ready mentally for her chest to be opened up like the Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) during Isra' Mikraj. She waited and waited ...and waited for MrKing(the cutter) to arrive. She waited up to the point that LilGirl really, really thought that he would not be coming. It was already 8.15pm and so, she decided to change into her newly bought silk Pjs instead. Alas MrKing came, dressed casually in an open collared shirt, along with a pretty staff nurse with him. MrKing is a tall and formidable looking man in his late 40s or early 50s. He looks regal and oozes royalty like his namesake. Observing, LilGirl have come to the conclusion that those who work at the OT (oper*ting th*eatre) needs some interpersonal skills coaching. Granted, MrKing like any other who works in the OT whom LilGirl knows are really really..really nice peeps. MrKing even helped LilGirl to unbutton her Pj's because she was fumbling with it. He did similar checks like what DrNephF did the other day. By this time, LilGirl is so immune to the procedure already and feels like a specimen like the rodents at the labaratories. MrKing told LilGirl that she does not have a straight case symptom of having Thymoma. He wanted sample tissue from the mass taken first and will operate only if it is necessary.
The next day, after lunch LilGirl was wheeled in to the CTScan room again. The Radiologist was friendly, making small talks and making her feeling comfortable. A few minutes later she knew the reason why. Local anaest was applied and a huge needle was inserted into her chest on the top mound of her left b****t. Alhamdulillah it does not hurt much. LilGirl was then wheeled into the ICU upstairs and was observed for a about 3 hours. She was discharged the next day and an appointment was set a week after.
A week went by and time to see DrNephF again. He looked sombre when he delivered the news and kept averting his eyes from me. There were two types of cancerous cells from the tissue. One is M*lignant Lymphoma and the other is Thymoma. LilGirl asked if he was sure since her cough has lessen tremendously since she last saw him and that she does not feel sick at all. He said some patients are like that. LilGirl tissue needs to go to another lab to pinpoint exactly which of the two types of cancerous cells that actually exists. DrNephF said that he will give her a call once result is out. LilGirl was seriously not alarmed when she first heard the news. Infact she felt calm. The only thing that unnerved her was to see her momsie and BigSis looking worried. When they stepped out from DrNephF office, LilGirl had to make everybody clear that she was ok with the whole thing and tawakal is the key. But naturally she would breakdown if everybody else look forlorn. So, she needs everybody to be collected.
'Setiap ubat ada penawar...' hadith from xxx. And so the journey to find the antidote begins.. The leadtime in between waiting for the lab results to arrive is the best time for finding alternative antidotes.
They had a few:
(1) LilGirl's aunt's Quranic teacher in JB:
Diagnostic: none; On the spot treatment: Applied chalk on the chest while reading verses from the Al-Quran; Prescription: (i) pound on 'xx leaves'(while reading Quranic verses/Selawat), mix with water and take a bath from it, (ii) Drink from 'cancer' leaves that have been boiled, (iii) Al-Baqarah: 102, (iv)Al-Anbiyaa': 87 (Prophet Yunus's (Jonah) supplication) when he was troubled.
(2) A pakcik in P**tian:
Diagnostic: 'Wind'; On the spot treatment: reflexiology on the toes; Prescription: stretching exercises to release the wind and a bottle of rainwater-bubbles and honey to drink.; Effect: Stretching exercise works (burped a lot) but the drink seemed to worsen the cough.
(3) Internet: Cut down significantly on acidic food and consume full blown on alkalic food. Note: lime, oranges etc becomes alkalic when you consume it.
(4) Ustaz in M*l*ka:
Diagnostic: 'Wind', Demam dalam, Santau Angin(for cough).; On the spot treatment: 'scanning' with eyes..Allahu Alam not sure how he does this; Prescription: Different types of plain water boiled with herbal remedies for the different illness and loads of eating restrictions. For the santau, chew on bettle leaves and apply cream on chest; Effect: Cough eased. But no proof that tumor has gone. LilGirl went again for a second appointment and got to know then that he did not treat the tumour the first time around and that there was no stock for that illness. LilGirl felt dejected.
(4) D*rl S*ifa':
Diagnostic: No hocus-pocus in body (this contradicts with Ust.M*l*ka's on the Sautau diagnostic above). On the spot treatment: none. D*rl S*ifa relies on modern medicine diagnostic for any physical illnesses.
All the above was done in about 4 weeks as the DrNephF has not called since. On the 14th June, DrNephF called to say that the lab from KL informed that they were unable to fax the results as their fax machine was out of order (dang!!). DrNephF also informed that he will be in Europe for a conference for a week and will not be able to see LilGirl.
Then, on the 28th June 2009, results are out. DrNephF rang to say that it has been confirmed that it TisHodgies. LilGirl has Hodgkin's Lymphoma and needs to be referred to an oncologist at the SouthernStateSpecialistHospt. Could LilGirl come to his office the next day and pick up the referral letter please. So, LilGirl's journey begins here. LilGirl is now officially a cancer patient.
