Final Days

About this time last year, Kathryn was admitted into Sime Darby Medical Centre (previously Subang Jaya Medical Centre) to do some tests and to determine whether pleural tapping was needed to clear her lung congestion. She had been experiencing pleural effusion, a condition where excess fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity between the lungs and the wall lining. Because of that she had been complaining of breathing difficulties for some time now and we thought it might be good to have her checked up. Jo had got an appointment fixed with the chest specialist at SDMC and suggested that we see him. Pleural tapping or draining was a procedure to remove the excess fluid in order to create space for the lungs to expand and thereby enable easier breathing.

Agi, and Lilian Jansen came by that day as it was their turn to take care of Kathryn for that day. Shortly after, Mona, Jenny and Jessie also dropped by to see her. We didn’t have much time to fellowship as we had to hurry for the appointment. Pam and Darren waved their mum goodbye as we left for the hospital. Both of them were recovering from a flu and were wearing masks as they didn’t want Kathryn to catch a cough. Pam’s eyes were red with tears she could not follow us to the hospital.

After the check-up with the radiologist at the SDMC, we decided to have Kathryn checked in to do the pleural fluid draining so that her breathing difficulties could be eased. What we didn’t know then was that what was supposed to be a difficult but necessary operation for Kathryn would turn out to be a very complicated one. Although the operation was successfully done, the recovery process was slow and eventually she succumbed to her condition two weeks after. We didn’t realize that those two weeks were to be crucial final weeks for her.



MT 19 April 2011