Pete Malone's: ...and my world came tumbling down. PART I

DEC 20th 2012

The household was very busy preparing for Christmas. We were scrubbing the house inside out as we will host this year's Christmas family gathering. My cousins and I planned many exciting activities to do on Christmas day and we were damn excited. But something was not quite right with me... I tire too easily.

DEC 22nd 2012

Usually, I have no problem running up two flights of stairs. Then, as I climbed the 10-steps staircase in the house, it felt like I've just finished a 200 meter sprint. I would gasp heavily, heart beating so fast, and I would start to sweat. I decided to keep this to myself. I know something is not right, but i thought it was just temporary... How stupid i was then.

............................................................................................................

FEB 20th 2013

Back to Kota Bharu for another term in Teacher Training Institute. Although easily being exhausted when climbing stairs (My room is on the 4th floor of my campus hostel) is bothering me so much, but I was too busy with campus activities to go to the doctor. I just assume, I'm just experiencing fatigue due to bunch of workloads etc... But then, night sweats and my shrinking waistline started to get to my senses. I came to realize I might be dealing with a big problem here. First thing came to my mind was, I might be having problem with my lungs, since I constantly experiencing minor breathlessness. I should go to the doctor...... but Kota Bharu has been experiencing days of heavy downpour which delayed my plans to get to a doctor.

FEB 28th 2013

It's Thursday, and class ended early and there was no rain today. So I called my best friend to accompany me to the clinic with his motorcycle. I said to myself that I must have an X-ray taken. We went to several clinics, but it would either be that the doctors are not in, or taking a break, or they don't have an x-ray machine... Then, finally we found one. I've forgotten the name of the clinic. The doctor asked a few questions then asked me to lie down. As he touched my chest, he asked "Do you know that you have a heart problem?"

I looked at him and simply said, "no." He continued pressing on my chest and tummy. "Well, I suspect that you do." He sat down on his table and started writing something on a piece of paper. "I have to send you to the hospital. Take this and get to the hospital immediately."

Could he be serious? I feel fine... on top of having slight discomfort, I am okay. That's what I thought, until I arrived at the door of Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II emergency room. I greeted the attendants with a smile and handed them the piece of paper from the doctor.

"Come with us and lie down here now." well.... I thought, they sound urgent. They started to put wires on me (ECG). Throughout the procedure, they looked alarmed as if this is a code red emergency.

"Sir... here. Slowly please." a man came with a wheelchair asking me to sit on it. I was like, "What's all this?? Am I dying?"... I looked at my friend who was standing by the door, and shrugged. I was rushed to the emergency room and scheduled for an X-ray. After a while, some nurses came and took blood samples, and a doctor came to run a few check-ups. When my x-ray film arrived, I know this won't be good.

"Mr. Peter, I'm afraid you might have some kind of fluid filling your entire right pleura. Your right lung is totally immersed in it."

I certainly did not expect this.

"You have to be hospitalized..." he said, but I refused "I feel fine doctor. Is this really necessary??"

"Sir, I think your lung has collapsed. And you are having palpitations. You have no option but to stay for a night and we'll do further examinations on you."

The last thing I wanted was to stay in the hospital. In my mind back then, was my works back in campus. I have to finish the props for my team, I have assignments to submit.... and all the responsibilities I was committed to do. But then I thought, well, I hope I will get out of here in a few days.

I was totally wrong.

MARCH 1st 2013

At first, I did not plan to tell my parents because I expect to leave the hospital today, or the next day. But of course, it would be a bad idea if they didn't know. So I called last night. My friend stayed in the hospital the entire night with me. My classmates has already made aware of this. Some of the came to visit soon after they heard the news.

MARCH 2nd 2013

I was sitting alone by the window, overlooking downtown Kota Bharu. I was yet to know my real problem and what am I dealing with. Then, I turned and saw Mom and Dad... They flew from Sabah a day after I told them what happened. I didn't even know they were coming... Parents... when it comes to their children, no matter how far, they will get to you whenever you need them. "You shouldn't have come, mom... I'm fine..." But they love me enough to take sacrifices.

TO BE CONTINUED...