Thursday, November 15, 2007

for the man who touched

i read the news of his death in the local dailies a few weeks ago. a famous cardiologist, aged 65, in a car accident. there are many out there with the same name. i didn't give it a second thought.

bored, today i googled his name again. it was indeed the renowned cardiologist that i had the honour to have met and known. the distinguished white-haired gentleman whose face will remain in my cheese-hole memory.

i know how to carry out a blood pressure reading, not using one of those digital one-button thing from omron but with a medical-looking sphygmomanometer. much more accurate, much more professional. he taught me how. a doctor whose patients filled his waiting room and his schedules to the brink took the time to teach me how to work the thing. using his personal stethoscope. suffice to say, i was a nervous wreck despite the fact that he was very nice, cool but nice.

i met him again when my dear friend was hospitalised. he was her attending cardiologist. he didn't recognise me, which is a given since it was just that one meeting many years ago. still, seeing me standing there, looking frightened and depressed, he came over to talk to me. knowing that i was not a family member but guessing that i was a close friend, he gave me encouragements and told me that i was doing the right thing. in that dark dark hour, his words were so soothing to my pain. i didn't even know why i was hanging around like a lost puppy, but he understood.

he was a great doctor, not just for the countless patients he attended to and healed, but also for the little ways he touched others' lives. eventhough i have never known him, i miss him. to dato' dr nik zainal, may you find your rewards in heaven.

9 comments:

Las montaƱas said...

sounds like a doctor who follows the hippocratic oath faithfully; for the love of the job. That is so rare to see these days when all that is wanted is cold hard cash.

zewt said...

he is certainly a dying breed... most docs just wanna have a quick buck...

Wuching said...

sad post *sobs*

me said...

dear monty: yes. someone so deserving of his title, both the dato and the dr. too bad i didn't hv a chance to know him personally. that's my loss. he would hv made a good mentor.

dear zewt: i know! the very idea of the doctors out there, urging you to go for operation for every single silly thing, drives me mad. believe me, i've seen some damn unscrupulous ones. had one accidentally scratched me with a needle too, when i wasn't the patient! talk to them abt the share market and they'll even forget who is their patient!! urghhhhhhh!

dear wuching: *hands wuchy kleenex* there, there. it's remembering a good man. when i pass away, i'll be damn happy if someone writes a post to remember me.

sereneannabelle said...

uve already allowed me to imagine how great a person he was.

and uve already made a difference by saying those words.

me said...

dear serene: if only one extra person thought about all the greatness he has achieved, i'll say his life was worth living.

Annie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Annie said...

... had to delete and re-post due to a typo:

My sympathies. Death is a sad subject, but part of life. It's okay to post it - it reminds us that we're all mortal. (except for Monty).

I knew a cardiac (heart) doctor who saved many lives and taught medical students how to be great doctors.. then on a vacation trip, *He* had a heart attack and was sent to a country hospital and they we *NOT* competent enough to save him. He could have been saved - how ironic - if he could have performed surgery on himself - he could have saved himself.

God has strange ways.

me said...

dear annie: that is so sad. it's such an irony. you do so much for others, you can only hope that when it's yr turn, others will do good onto you. but in his case.....wht can i say? it's so sad.

in the name of friendship

i have met up with her probably 2 to 3 times in the last 35 years. she wants to borrow money, this almost stranger. i obliged, in the name o...