Patients are the best source for advice

From my bedroom, originally uploaded by Haris Abdul Rahman.

Such a bliss able to wake up on a Saturday morning and not having to think about rushing to work, even though I will have to do the rounds tomorrow. I spend the morning surfing the net and putting the final touches to my slides for a talk later this morning.

I have always been a great advocate that the support a patient can have especially when we talk about cancer has to be from a fellow patient. Those that have already gone through the same thing, experienced the emotional roller-coaster first-hand. Their advice won't be pretentious like the once you get from doctors. Unfortunately the concept of patient support group is rather alien to our society. Cancer is still regarded as a taboo subject and I have sent countless number of hours counseling patients that their cancer was not the work of black magic or karma. It is not something they did in their past life, and no .... they are not infectious. Cancer can happen to good people and it can happen to you!

I am not referring not just about counseling patients here. Even close member of my family have this mindset. It is endemic in Malaysian society. Some of my family members even talked down on me when they learn that I am just a Haemato-Oncologist. They even think that GPs are more superior then me because they have a 'clinic'! So, when I have the opportunity to address the public on this matter, I will leap to it. There is even a press conference after. I will try my best to be eloquent.

Anyway, everything is set. Leaving the house soon to Hospital Ampang. I am sure that the patients appreciate my efforts, and that's what matters .... for the time being .... until I take over the world that is ...

Comments

[missyc]

just curious how come there is no support group session like this in UMMC? I think you will do great at counselling session. There is still lack of public forum on understanding Cancer.

Lack of knowledge & understanding about cancer makes people afraid as they think Cancer=Death. People forget we all will die one day, it is the how and when. I've been there and surviving. Sometimes knowing too much is also a danger as the person will opt for traditional instead of conventional treatment and its too late by the time they get to hospital. Its sad, I've seen it happen and wondering if I didn't do enough to convince Early detection means better survival.

drop by my site on my bigC journey.

[Haris Abdul Rahman]

We hosted the session in UMMC back in May and it was more of a patient help group for a specific leukaemia rather than a public forum. It is certainly an idea to host one especially in UMMC as PJ residents in general are turned on by such events. Will keep you posted. Will drop by at your blog soon.