Tribute by Dr. Karmen Wong

2012 October 29

Created by adora macazo 11 years ago
This eulogy was given by Dr. Karmen Wong on 29 October: Actually, when I was looking at the remains of Mr. Goh… I thought that there’s a message for me and each and everyone of you. I’m not a family member but God is good for giving me the privilege to walk with this amazing man for the past one over year – not only with this amazing man but this amazing family. I am Dr. Karmen Wong and I’m his medical oncologist. And the whole of Gleneagles Hospital know I was looking after a man who is 97 and giving chemotherapy to a 97 year old man and my friend looked at me and said: “You are crazy.” And I thought I am. I remember more than a year ago, when I was called in the night to look at Mr. Goh and was told by the doctor that he has only 6 more hours to live and then Raymond said: “What should we do?” and I said: “Nothing to lose, 6 hours due – block it.” Then that is where my journey started. I say that after that, with whatever way that we can solve the problem, every time - I tell Raymond how bad the news was. And I must submit that I learned one thing from this family. As a doctor, we look at the odds: we say that to do this, your odds is 20% - so we don’t do it. But the businessman looks at it – “but my gain is 80% , I do it.” And so, every time when we have this encounter about probability, I learn one thing. That’s why one of the messages I told Raymond is: “That is why I am a doctor and you are a businessman.” And they have always chosen to look at faith and they have always chosen to look at what can be done rather than what cannot be done. So that is one precious lesson I learned by looking after this gentleman and walking with this family and I congratulate you for that. And as a doctor who has encountered with a 96 year old man with stage 4 colon cancer, with a liver that has ruptured and bleeding and there are many other problems… I think looking back, I was the only one who considered to give chemotherapy to this man and I did. And by the grace of God I think he went on for more than a year and not only that, by the grace of God, he was never admitted to the hospital in between, only until the last month – and not because the doctor is great, but he is indeed a great man. I look after many people, pastors, rich people, poor people – every time I talk to them I have all the complaints – so I told my kids why I go home I have so many problems; I must have heard a hundred complaints, a hundred issues - trying to solve a hundred questions before I go home. So I’m forever in a problem-solving mode, because that is my job. But this man, every time I ask him “How is Ah Gong?” he always says that “I’m good.” And that’s awesome. I’ve never really had encountered one occasion , when he told me that he has this discomfort or this whatever… And so with Raymond. Everytime I ask: “How’s your father?” He would say that, “Mt father is very good.” So one of the things I’ve learned by looking after him this past one over years, when you are given a choice, to choose what exists – as a believer in Christ, we choose faith, we choose goodness and we speak it. And I thought of what Ging just shared, and even as friends whom we know through worshipping together, and looking after each other and I testify each and every one of it. And the most amazing part is that, you know when is the time you see the true color of a person? It’s when they are sick. I’ve seen it all. I have seen very anointed people, less anointed people, I look after them all. And the second person who sees is the nurses. Because the nurses look after them 24 hours. This gentleman was in ICU for about 10 days. The sister nurse in the ICU came to talk to me, she said: “Dr. Wong, this man is amazing.” I said: “What has happened?” “He never complained.” You know in the ICU, they poke you, they do all kinds of things, right? And not only that he doesn't complain, when the nurses need to clean him, because there is so much blood from the tumor… even when he is not well, he will lift himself up so that the nurses can look after him easily. So the nurses told me that this man is a very kind man. And this is why I remember this man. And that is what I’ll remember what he is like in this household. I believe that this house is very blessed. Then you ask yourself what are the ingredients? And I see, by walking with them, is that – in every circumstance, you choose hope. You choose what is better. As I said as doctors, we choose odds. I say you are improving your odds from 10% to 15% and I look the 15%... but they look at the 90%. And the second is kindness. Kindness and love that prevailed in the family. It has been an awesome walk – I will always remember having the privilege of looking after someone who is 96 and walk him through and being told by the whole hospital – I must be a mad doctor who gave chemotherapy to someone over 90. In our books, we don't give chemotherapy when you are over 80 years old. So, we are changing. But above all – he continued to remain well, living in grace. Even at the last minute, Raymond told me: a hundred years… But at the end of it, I think why the Lord took him was because he saw Jesus. He saw God. I think one of the nights, we went to pray for him, it must be around midnight…. He actually told the family that he saw Jesus – and I believe that. When you really have seen the Great Jesus… what are we doing…what is this? This is nothing. So I think when he truly saw the beauty and embraced what he is going to be… I believe that is why he is more than happy to depart from this lovely family and the lovely ones – to embrace Jesus because he saw Jesus. So once again, thank you for allowing me the time to walk with you – to know you more in very unusual circumstances. You’ll be surprised what the doctor discovers about family. Sometimes you don’t see the doctor anymore after the treatment because you know one another… So thank you for the opportunity --- God bless you all. Thank you very much.