A tribute to the nephews and nieces...

HT has been a caring and generous uncle to his nephews and nieces. Until his health took a sharp turn for the worse in recent years, he never failed to see to it that they received a birthday card (with a cash gift enclosed). Ditto when Chinese New Year came around. He has accompanied my family on vacations abroad and I am sure Ly remembers the time when, in London, one half of a favourite pair of sneakers of hers ended up trapped precariously in a gutter and it was HT who gingerly managed to retrieve it. There was one occasion when How Eng and LP travelled abroad and it was HT who stayed at their house to ensure that their young son G -- notoriously hard to rouse in the morning for school -- got up in time!

The nephews and nieces were there for him when he suffered a heart attack on the very day Angie and I had to leave on our overseas trip. This WhatsApp "transcript" below is a tribute to them (special mention goes to TS who, although not one of the parties below, has been a wonderful nephew, unfailingly sharing the medical-related and other caregiver chores with me):

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ICE (that's Angie): Hi all... as Jee Ku/Jee Pek (that's what the nephews and nieces call HT) is now stable, we will proceed with our cruise and stay connected.

ICE: NUH called; he is better. Someone tell SL and SE.

P: OK, I tell them.

P: Can Jee Ku receive visitors yet?

ICE: Yes. He's not in ICU but in cardiac ward.

P: OK, SL asking.

ICE: Bye all. Boarding plane soon. Wifi on ship.

[The next day and thereafter...]

TH: Just saw Jee Ku & he seems well. But spoke to the MO who said that he's v ill. Chance of MI is high. Will keep him for the next five days or so. Jee Ku indicated to docs he he doesn't want anything invasive.

P: He's on any medication?

TH: I think aspirin class of med. To prevent any more obstruction to heart arteries.

P: Anyone going to visit him tonight?

Ly: I will try to go tomorrow.

P (later on): I'm there now. He looks quite alert. BP is 106/68. He's v good at taking pills!! Put all in his mouth and then swallow.

TB: We are on our way to NUH to see him.

P: What time u here? He is getting tired.

TB: Should be there before 8pm.

P: Jee Ku says he wants to "koon" (sleep) already.

TB (later): We managed to see Jee Ku. He looks alert. Then he says he wants to sleep.

P: Yah. Same with me.

Ly (next day): At hospital now. Jee Pek might be discharged tomorrow.

TH: I know. I've called the nursing home. They will contact the ward directly. I will go to ward after work to make sure all is in order.

Ly: He keeps complaining about his fading memory. He keeps forgetting who we are (me and SL here).

P: He also forgot my name.

ICE: Worried about his memory. Possibility of a stroke?

TH: I'm at ward now. His troponin level, an indicator of heart muscle damage, has dropped from 43 on admission to 25 yesterday. Tmr will do another blood test prior to discharge. All arrangements with nursing home have been made.

ICE: My cousin who was a hospital matron says poorer memory could be due to medication. Shipboard internet intermittent. Connect again tmr.

TH (next day): I'm at NUH now. Jee Ku doesn't want to be discharged. Complaining of pain from a bedsore. I asked to delay discharge for one day and to give him stronger pain reliever. I understand that Li (the real medical doctor) is arriving from Sydney.

P: Yeah, she's flying in tonight. Staying with me for 2 nights.

Li: Hi all, yes, back [in S'pore] this evening.

TH (later): Jee Ku is being transferred to [another] ward... getting a "telemetric" bed. Transfer later tonight.

Ly: Am thinking of going in the morning with Li.

TH: I've errands to run tmr and will pop by near noon to check on him. I'll try to speak with Li when she arrives. Anyway, the ward staff think I'm a doctor after conversing with them on Wed morning. Well, they give Jee Ku and me better attention... but I'm a "bogus" doctor [TH has a PhD in engineering]. Better get a real one like Li to see what's best for Jee Ku.

Ly: If you like, we can coordinate with you to visit closer to noon. Then you can speak with Li.

TH: Can. Tkx.

P: Btw, I informed Si Ku about Jee Ku. Emailed him. He's v concerned.

Ly (next day): Li and I are on our way to NUH. Arrive around noon.

TH: I'm at his bedside. He's in a bad mood. Says that visitors disturb him.

S (G's wife): Oops! We were just getting ready to visit him. G laughing away... says "grumpy old man"!

TH: That's him. Got to accept it.

ICE: Hello all. Greetings from Kagoshima. Can't help worrying abt the grumpy old man but that's back to his old self, so seems like a good sign :-)

[Next day...]

Li (using Ly's spare phone no as ID): The doctor at NUH called me to update me on Jee Pek (when I visited  yesterday I had left a message for them to update me). Nothing new... just confirming that he had another heart attack. They are doing another ultrasound (echocardiogram) on his heart tomorrow to check how well it is pumping (ejection fraction) after the damage sustained from the heart attack. He is on 2 medications to thin his blood for 3 months to try and prevent more heart attacks (aspirin and clopidogrel). Probably will be discharged tomorrow or Tuesday.

ICE: Thanks, Ly.

Ly: That's Li. I have no idea what all that medical mumbo jumbo means. Cannot be bogus doctor even.

[Later that day, at NUH...]

Ly: Here comes G (who goes to ward to see HT).

G: Jee Ku looks ok. Helping him drink his Milo as straw was bent. Now nurses are examining him.

Ly: Winner this weekend.

P: Wah not bad!!!

G: Never scold me leh.

P: He remembers your name not?

G: I asked him and he says yes, G.

Ly: I think he's happy you went to see him =)

P: Nominate G to visit him all the time then. Hahaha.

G: Lucky I catch him in good mood. He says he feels hot so I got the nurses to turn up the speed of the ceiling fan... I'm going off now.

TH: G got the best treatment. I didn't even last one minute with him yesterday. I'll check on him tmr lunch time. Hope he's in a better mood.

P: Yah lor. Ly thinks TH "sabo" us.

TH: I better put on a mask next time I go.

P: Are u unwell?

TH: I'm OK. Mask is to avoid Jee Ku seeing my face :-) Anyway, echocardiogram done. Results tmr and most likely he goes back to nursing home.

P:  AHAHAHAHA funny lah u!!!

Li: Mask with G's face so Jee Pek will like u?

P: We shld all do that!

[ENDS]