Exactly 50 days after Dad entered IJN to have his bypass, he walked out the front door today to go home at last. Boy, was it about time!
The day started early. I got to IJN a little after 9am to find the 5th floor so quiet. Dad was asleep but the nurses said that he had already had his bath and was just resting while waiting for the doctors to come and check him one more time. His going-home clothes, a red shirt and black pants, hung by the door ready for him to put on.
At about 9.30, almost the entire team that has cared for him all this time turned up, some of them dressed up in suits ( in anticipation of the press photographers...:-)).I hardly recognised the two women anaesthetists, Dr Sharifah Suraya and Dr Azlina, because they were out of their usual scrubs and in their Sunday best. There was a lot of laughing and joking but also a tinge of sadness, as if a chapter was about to close.
But first they went about their work which was to check on how Dad's heart was doing using an echocardiographic machine (like an ultrasound machine but specifically for the heart). There it was, his heart, beating away strongly as if it had never been touched by anything these past few weeks.
After that, while waiting for Dad to get dressed, we all crowded into the living room of his suite taking tons of photographs in every imaginable combination possible. Mum with doctors, Mum with physiotherapists, Mum with nurses, Mum with whoever happened to be standing next to her.It was like a big family gathering because that's really what the IJN folks had become to us in the seven weeks that Dad was there. We saw them every day, plied them with questions, listened to what they said, asked them more questions, told them when we were worried or unhappy, smiled when they told us things were getting better. There were times when their serious faces or what they were telling us made us completely scared even as we felt that they were doing their utmost as the trained professionals that they are. But we had to trust them and do our part for Dad. I just hope they found us, the family, not too troublesome or demanding.
When Dad was finally ready, he and Mum sat down in two chairs side by side and one by one, the team formally said goodbye. It was a bit like Raya, my parents receiving greetings (though in this case, it was goodbyes) from a much expanded and very affectionate family, but one where so many members had worked so hard to keep Dad on the road to recovery. Mum had something to say to each of them while Dad just smiled. A really poignant and touching moment for all of us, feeling both sad and happy.
Then we had a doa or thanksgiving prayer by an ustaz and with that we got ready to go downstairs. Dad and Mum had been determined that he would walk out the front door but we knew that this was not going to be easy. Not just because Dad is still recovering his strength but because we knew there would be a lot of press waiting for him. We got out of the lift on the ground floor and immediately saw the scrum outside. It was completely mad! Photographers jostling with each other to get THE first photo of Dad going home.
Flanked by Tan Sri Yahya and Dato Rozali Watooth, the two consultant surgeons who led the team, Dad slowly started walking out towards the front door. My brothers and I, plus some of the doctors and staff acted as 'sweepers', trying to keep a clear path ahead for Dad. We were so scared that someone would knock into Dad in their eagerness and hurt him somehow. We were also keen that no one took the opportunity to try and get into photographs just to show they were there. (Believe me, there are people like that and it was all my brothers could do to shove them out of the way as gently as possible...).
At the front entrance, Dad had to walk down four steps , stood for a few seconds to wave to the reporters and photographers and then got into the back seat of the car. Mum meantime went round to other side. Their driver opened the door for her and while he was out of the car, some photographers actually got into his seat in front to get a photo of Dad! Talk about papparazzi! The driver finally managed to get them out, got in and finally drove off, almost exactly on schedule at 10.30am.
My brothers sped off to our parents' house in Sri Kembangan where our children were waiting for their Tok and Tok Det. I had to stay back to talk to the press a while and then we left to join everyone. At the house, my sister-in-law had put up banners and balloons to welcome Mum and Dad home. The kids were on hand to throw rice in greeting at their grandparents' homecoming though five-year-old Lara's first remark was "You cut your hair, Tok Det!". ( We had the barber come in on Friday, having noted all your comments...). A whole spread of pulut kuning, ketupat, nasi himpit,rendang and serunding awaited us and it really felt that Raya was happening all over again.
Later on, Dad went up to rest and watch some TV. Here's a photo that ShaSha took of us:
It is sooo nice to be able to cuddle up to Dad again.
For that singular moment at home this morning, my family and I have so many people to thank. First of all, words cannot fully express our gratitude to the surgeons, cardiologists, anaesthetists, perfusionists, nephrologists, gastroentrologists, radiologists, nutritionists, physiotherapists, nurses and everyone else involved in caring for Dad. It was a big production but everyone was so important to how he fared every day of those 50 days. We are so thankful especially for their many kindnesses to us and to Dad, including the beyond-the-call-of-duty pep talks, patient explanations and constant reassurances.
Secondly, and just as importantly, my family are really grateful to the entire Malaysian public, both those who read this blog and those who followed the news elsewhere, for their many prayers and well wishes throughout this very trying period in our lives. You have no idea how much all that love and support meant to us and kept us going through some very difficult times. Through your comments in this blog, I have cried and laugh and just basked in all that affection which I never knew you all had for Dad. OK, I knew a little bit but not THIS much! What can we say but just simply, thank you.
Dad is now home but of course still in recovery. There are two nurses and a doctor there at all times plus he still has to go to IJN for follow-ups. So he's in very good hands.
Life for the rest of us will have to return to normal. I never thought I'd say I will miss going to IJN but in a funny way I will. Now I have to go back to normal routines while at the same time, finding time to go see Mum and Dad as much as possible. I have no idea what our plans are for the next few months but the most important thing is for Dad to get 100% well again. Then life will get interesting again...;-)
