Comments on: Death do ye fear?

By: susan

susan — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 01:34:24 +0000

for me i would like to die peacefully without pain with my loved ones by my side. This is how I would like to meet my maker. I would like to live each day savouring life with people you love and have wonderful memories. That would then make death alot easier to face.(?).dunnolah….

By: Sherly George

Sherly George — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 05:08:54 +0000

Everyone loves to die without fear and pain. Most of the time we wish to have our loved ones close to us but for Raj, it was different. He refused at one stage to see me and the kids. I understood why only later. For the very reason he does not want to be remembered the way he was at his final stages. Especially for our children, he refused to see them at all in the hospital, visiting him. It is not because he hated them, it is because he loved them just too much. Raj wanted to be remebered as the “daddy” that brought home sweets, chohcolates and ice-creams for Pattrena and Shermenraj. I am glad that I stood by him until his last breath.

By: FireHorse

FireHorse — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:13:57 +0000

Thanks for your article on thalessemia, I have it so it’s good to know more. Oso thanks for taking care of my kopitiam for me when I was gone. Regarding death, well when I faced it during the delivery of my son, I slipped into nothingness and that comforted me a little making me belief that when death comes we will just slip into nothingness.

By: Judy Leese

Judy Leese — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 09:20:49 +0000

Dr George, sorry to hear about your brother-in-law. My sincere condolences to you sister and children, you and all in your family,
Having read your sister’s comment, I believe he was a very brave man and felt he needed to do what he had to for the sake and love for his family.
I try not to think about death but like one of the elderly patients said to you that he’s not afraid and ready to go because his ‘lived’ and has seen his children grown up, etc. He was contented and ready. It would be nice if I live to a ripe old age (seen my children’s achievements) with no medical problems and just go in my sleep. God knows my heart’s desire but we all live in His plans not knowing where it will lead us, don’t we?

By: huajern

huajern — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 13:14:18 +0000

Your post brought up a surgical question of mine that has been floating around for some time. I notice quite a number of surgeons tend to do an upper scope first for fresh PR bleeding, then proceed to a lower scope if the former is ‘clean’. Wouldn’t it be more ‘efficient’ to go for a lower scope first since it is hematochaezia?

By: george

george — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 15:57:39 +0000

Well sis, yes don’t we all wish that.

Wow, Firehorse, thanks. Well slipping to nothingness is a nice way to put it. It is like free-falling I guess except without the fear of hitting ground and shattering brain matter. He he!

Judy, wow two bloggers with thalassemia. There is more but I wanted to keep it brief. ” we all live in His plan” - yes I agree but life is full of choices and I have to believe that whatever the choice taken, the end result is still the same, His aim! It is just the matter of whether the choice makes the path easier and memorable or a painful but learning experience.

By: george

george — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 16:28:55 +0000

huajern, thanks for asking. Well the issue as always is why do an upper endoscopy in a person presenting with fresh PR bleed? As obvious as it sounds, shockingly upto about 20 to 30% of this fresh PR bleed have a upper gastrointestinal cause. Thus the need to perform OGDS first as it is an much easier and more feasible. I once (or maybe more than once) had a patient with an active spurter in the first part of duodenum and presented with fresh bleed from the top and bottom.

By: just me

just me — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 06:31:54 +0000

I also want to go swiftly ( and painlessly) or silently in the night. But dying in this manner may cause one’s loved ones to be in a state of shock sometimes. It is always the loved ones who struggle to live on. Dying after a spate of illness will make them accept the loss better as they have been mentally prepared and also, they know that death releases one from suffering.

By: AB

AB — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 11:49:13 +0000

Like what Firehorse said we probably do slip into nothingness at the end. Into oblivion. A true no existence. The concepts heaven and afterlife are there, probably, for no greater purpose than to comfort the living before they also join the dead.
And I am not sure if that is really comforting.
While the living may miss the dead, I believe the dead must truly miss their ownselves, if there is such a thing.

By: george

george — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 15:02:33 +0000

wow the dead must truly miss their ownselves - that is deep! Never thought about such! Thanks for visiting,AB

By: hoiling

hoiling — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 16:21:28 +0000

Hey, you know what. I’ve this perculiar experience. I dreamt about my tough struggling last moment in sleep many many years ago. Oh boy.. it was very real. Post effect? I’ll make sure to do all the things that I should or ought be doing for NOW ..

Back to the question… , I may fear a little in the beginning. But one thing I realized from the dream was, the harder you struggle, the more painful it gets. If life has to ends inevitably, no choice lo. Have to accept it with open arms. Oh yea, I “died” happily in my sleep after a tough fight!

By: George

George — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:40:04 +0000

Yo! so vivid dreams hoiling! Acceptance is the issue, this one of those thing where talking is easier than doing.

By: azrin

azrin — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 21:33:40 +0000

I faced it with a few of my loved ones, seeing them die. Worse of my grandad who died of multiple cancer *(don’t ask) and even on morph, he was in pain.

yes, death breaks ANYONE down, even doctors who face death on a daily or hourly basis.Mine, was to bury my own loved ones and to call their time of death.And to do their autopsy was too much.

It’s a sad feeling and yet death will come to us, whichever way.
And what people saw when they are in comatose are true, that your spirit roam as how a ghost is.

Take care my friend.Sorry for your loss.

Best regards

Azrin @ http://www.azrin.net
Thus a factor attribute to me losing my medic license and memories.

By: George

George — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 07:30:26 +0000

Azrin, welcome! I have difficulties leaving a comment in your blog but then maybe I am blind to the buttons attached somewhere if there is!

Hey Azrin, such a traumatic life. You have pulled yourself well. But what you said in your post ” Yet life goes on. I have not just lost my friends I bear dear to me, but also a sense of identity. I also lost my loved ones too, and my two boys in the process. I was no longer myself. WHO I AM does not matter anymore. It�s what I am.”, is very disturbing. Maybe I haven’t grasped life as much as you have but I have a feeling that it is very true.

It is probably true, about patient close to death being able to see things. I was doing rounds and seeing this elderly gentleman who had a cardiac bypass done. He was recuperating after a stormy post-operative period. This was my night round. He was silent and kept very quiet and still. He stared at me with a coldness that for the first time made me feel very uncomfortable with him. The discomfort that sometimes makes you wonder whether is all things right with the patient. All was in check. He was fine. As I walked away to the next patient, he asked my nurse who was the old man beside me. There was none obviously.

By: azrin

azrin — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 15:07:08 +0000

Tell me about it, seeing so much..especially when U have to serve in the forces and in war torn areas, it just…get to you. And well, I love the night rounds cos I can be a sense of peace, amid the rush in the A&E when I am always called to during the midnight rush hour.

Honestly,come to a time, we become walking zombies when it gets to you.At times its hard to differentiate reality and spirtual. Won’t go into that details here, but I’m more than happy to share it with you.

I now find joy in my life as a dad and a husband, given the second reprieve of what had happened to me. And to think we are here to save lives, not end it, makes one wonder.

And sorry , I forgot about the anti-spam thingy.My SPAM DOG keep on eating up everything.

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