I must sign up for more computer classes.....
The month of July has been a hectic month, I found myself trying to juggle work, 3 different courses concurrently (2 of which were company sponsored), and my flat renovations. Looking forward to a quieter August.
Last week was the best week in a long time. Partly, I had completed my work for the month by Wednesday, but mostly, I had managed to catch up on some gossip with friends, thanks to a superb computer lab that has broadband connection and a few slow learners in our Microsoft Access class. Yet, the news that shook me the most came not from the internet but from a text message.
I finally succumbed to peer pressure and work pressure to get a hand phone. However, much to the exasperation of friends and colleagues, I kept it on permanent silent/vibrating mode most of the time. One of the first things I learnt was to SMS. It is a weird function that replaces talking (certainly cheaper) and displaces the need to type in complete sentences, structure and spelling. I have managed to sms at a reasonable pace and of late, I am beginning to rely upon it for important communication. One sms bombshell was from a friend.
She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be going for a total mastectomy in 2 weeks time.
How do you advice a friend who has been diagnosed with 3rd stage cancer of the breast? Via sms no less? I was stunned. Speechless. My fingers froze. My tutor was going on and on about input mask and filtering data, all I wanted to do was to find a nice quiet corner and call her. Suddenly text messages no longer seemed fun, a fast and cheap way to inform a friend that you will be late or that the meeting place has changed. After eliciting some sparse details from her, I abandoned text messaging.
One simply do not counsel a friend in this manner.
I sounded awkward on the phone. Cancer....it is like a death sentence, it doesn't matter if it is treatable, that the prognosis has improved over the years. My first reaction was she's going to die. It was most irrational given my training and knowledge. How then did she take this news? Who will be taking care of her since she has no family here? She seemed to have taken everything in her stride yet, I do not believe that she had comprehended the long term implications. She had refused breast reconstruction because she did not want to extend the operation time......(most lamest excuse I ever heard).Since she will not be admitted, she will be returning home on the day of surgery with 2 small drains. Yes, she is strong, but I really wondered what the doctor was thinking when she offered day surgery. How can you send a woman home after removing 1 breast, inserting 2 drains and a series of sutures on her chest and expect her to take care of herself post op?! Doesn't she know there is no one at home to take care of her? She had also refused chemotherapy and radiotherapy post-op because it will interfere with her plans to attend C&A's concerts later this month.....for Heaven's sake! *pulls hair*
Kokie will tell me to leave her alone. She had said as much before when this friend constantly backed out from her word or broke promises without so much as an apology. Still, I do not have the heart to abandon her, particularly at this time.
Happy Nurses' day?
Last week was the best week in a long time. Partly, I had completed my work for the month by Wednesday, but mostly, I had managed to catch up on some gossip with friends, thanks to a superb computer lab that has broadband connection and a few slow learners in our Microsoft Access class. Yet, the news that shook me the most came not from the internet but from a text message.
I finally succumbed to peer pressure and work pressure to get a hand phone. However, much to the exasperation of friends and colleagues, I kept it on permanent silent/vibrating mode most of the time. One of the first things I learnt was to SMS. It is a weird function that replaces talking (certainly cheaper) and displaces the need to type in complete sentences, structure and spelling. I have managed to sms at a reasonable pace and of late, I am beginning to rely upon it for important communication. One sms bombshell was from a friend.
She has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will be going for a total mastectomy in 2 weeks time.
How do you advice a friend who has been diagnosed with 3rd stage cancer of the breast? Via sms no less? I was stunned. Speechless. My fingers froze. My tutor was going on and on about input mask and filtering data, all I wanted to do was to find a nice quiet corner and call her. Suddenly text messages no longer seemed fun, a fast and cheap way to inform a friend that you will be late or that the meeting place has changed. After eliciting some sparse details from her, I abandoned text messaging.
One simply do not counsel a friend in this manner.
I sounded awkward on the phone. Cancer....it is like a death sentence, it doesn't matter if it is treatable, that the prognosis has improved over the years. My first reaction was she's going to die. It was most irrational given my training and knowledge. How then did she take this news? Who will be taking care of her since she has no family here? She seemed to have taken everything in her stride yet, I do not believe that she had comprehended the long term implications. She had refused breast reconstruction because she did not want to extend the operation time......(most lamest excuse I ever heard).Since she will not be admitted, she will be returning home on the day of surgery with 2 small drains. Yes, she is strong, but I really wondered what the doctor was thinking when she offered day surgery. How can you send a woman home after removing 1 breast, inserting 2 drains and a series of sutures on her chest and expect her to take care of herself post op?! Doesn't she know there is no one at home to take care of her? She had also refused chemotherapy and radiotherapy post-op because it will interfere with her plans to attend C&A's concerts later this month.....for Heaven's sake! *pulls hair*
Kokie will tell me to leave her alone. She had said as much before when this friend constantly backed out from her word or broke promises without so much as an apology. Still, I do not have the heart to abandon her, particularly at this time.
Happy Nurses' day?