Together with my Uncle Keong, I met the doctor in charge this morning. The prognosis was the same. The cancerous growth in my grandad's colon is continually bleeding so it is a matter of time when it becomes anemic and symptoms such as dizziness will manifest.
We were asked to decide on the following:
(1) As the scans/ biopsy results from NUH cannot be transferred to or shared with TTSH, if patient was to stay for treatment at TTSH, additional scans will be required
(2) Would patient consider surgery to remove the malignant growth? Surgery in itself is curative if the cancer is confined to this particular growth at the colon. (There is however another growth at the liver which the doctor described as 50:50). If however, the cancer has spread, then surgery will still be necessary to mitigate the symptoms.
A note however, from the doctor was, that the malignant growth has almost completely blocked the colon. Even if cancer do not strike first, the malignant growth might grow to an extent that the entire colon is blocked, which will require surgery anyway.
I was asked by my uncle to break the news to grandad. I am thankful that grandad is a brave soul, never batting an eyelid but even smiling at me as I described to him what the doctor has explained. I did not mention cancer though, I just told him that the growth in his colon is "not a good one". But I think he got the drift.
He was adamant that he will not be subjected to surgery nor chemotheraphy. When I explained that if the growth should block his colon, and that it will be painful, and he might have to go through surgery anyway, his reply was to go one step at a time.
Grandad is a brave man. When I reached hospital, a nurse was in the process of sticking a needle into his arm to draw blood. I saw him closed his eyes, winced, as he felt the pain. When he opened his eyes and saw me, he smiled and never once said he was suffering. I didn't show it, but in my heart, I was in tears.
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