Personal (Updated)

Just few hours back, I was shadowing one sonographer for a what seemed like a routine abdomen ultrasound scan which turned out to be a huge shocker for me. 

A bespectacled middle aged man, who looked like any other patients I encounter daily, was wheeled into the procedure room (every inpatient would be wheelchair bounded even if they are ambulant). 

My sonographer gave the usual instructions to that patient and his response was gibberish. I was amused yet curious at the same time. The curiosity or also known as "kaypoh" side in me came to live and wanted to confirm my assumption of his condition. Thus, I flipped through his case notes to find out that he is deaf and mute, husband, father of two and was admitted due to fever and vomitting. The primary reason behind his scan was the pain he felt at the epigastric to left hypochondriac quadrant. Most medical personnel would probably query for colic, gallstones, and other medical jargons. To summarize it all, most will think of it as routine. To most medical personnel, our type of routine deviates from a common man's definition. "Routine" is treating a sickness that is curable and patient can be discharged in 1-2 weeks' time. 

We started the scan as per normal. He showed symptoms of geographic fatty infiltration, polyps in gallbladder, a mass was observed in the left kidney. The sonographer turned on the doppler method to visualize for any blood flow in the mass. For a malignant masses, blood flow should be visualize in it because the tumour leeches on the body's vascularity to "survive". Indeed, the mass litted up. 

The scan was rounded up and he was sent back to his ward. Before he left, he thanked the both of us despite being mute. He literally mumbled "Thank you" to both of us. As healthcare professionals, a simple gesture as such can go a long way. Working in an environment like this, we do not take glory for the lives we save instead, getting through the day would be the finest reward for most of us. This is yet another topic to be elaborated on some time later.

After the patient left, the sonographer started to explain to me the graveness of his situation and the symptoms aligned with a renal cell carcinoma (RCC) one. RCC is a malignant cancer and there are variant types of RCC. From an ultrasound alone is indeterminate of its staging. 

After some research, my heart plunged when I read the "Signs & Symptoms" column of RCC. Unfortunately, discovery of flank pain is a sign of advance stage RCC. I guess I need not explain further for you to know where this is going. 

Right now, I just want to keep this stranger in my prayers tonight. I pray that there will be no metastases to other regions of his body and keep his family strong and held together throughout this trying period. I do not know if he is a believer or not but I pray that they come to know that Jesus has bore all his sickness and pain on the cross and he shall live to a 120, eyes shall not grow dim nor strength abated. All in Jesus's name. 

This man might not have a lot. He is unable to make simple talk, express his love to his loved ones verbally. He is unable to enjoy beautiful music or even listen to the laughter of his children. But he sure is blessed to be able to have a complete family of 4. His case notes mentioned, "He communicates better through his daughter". From this, I am positive that his family will not abandon him in times of his needs. 

Please cherish all your loved ones. You do not need something massive to happen before you start making amendments and compensations to them.

I shall follow up his case before I end my clinical this Friday. Keeping the faith.

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HIGHLY LIKELY RCC BUT...
NO METS.
PROGNOSIS IS GOOD.

Thank you Jesus.