MALAYSIA: Kuala Lumpur: Mama

When my mum gave me the message urging me to come home sounding distressed...

I just simply went under the radar.

It has been 6 weeks since my mum was admitted in UMMC (University Malaya Medical Centre). I just simply stop writing. By the way there, were other things to do too. In between there were other programs, day and night...but last week on her insistence...oh how she insist, that I start posting again. So, squeezing every ounce of creative juice to come up with a suitable topic to talk about.

Mum is diabetic. It has been under control, until recently. Through the siblings’ WhatsApp group, we discussed about her condition. 

I arrived a few days later (on the 21st Nov). Took Qatar Air from Lagos to KL. Total flying time was 14 hours. Apart from the movies and music on board the personal entertainment system, I try to amuse myself taking pictures of the scene outside but nothing helps. 

Mom looked frail when I finally got to see her. She had complained about the throbbing pain but nothing we can do much apart from the painkiller administered by the nurses,  except to encourage her to go thru the ordeal. Easily said than done. At times, I can sense her that she just simply….give up. The pain from the wound on her leg must be giving her tremendous amount of agony. 

Let tell you the story about me and my mom. Since small, mama would call me and asked me to massage her tired legs. I would dutifully do so since she said that I can massage (the truth I think, the rest of my siblings were still too young). I am not sure how true that is, but maybe the ability to play piano terribly contributed to this skill. 

Dutifully I may be, there were times where I frown at this activity. My hands were pretty small back then and mama, an adult I certainly would have difficulty to massage her. She…big, me…small.

Fingers grow strong, but age catching up. People tend to loose weight as they grow old. But these fingers would dutifully do its purpose when the need arise. Before my eyes, I see or rather feel that she is growing old. It became too easy to massage her to the point that I really have to control. A slight pressure would make light her face up for the wrong reason and shower me with some of those timeless epithet. I would just laugh at it. 

Now in hospital, looking at her trying her best to drown the pain…I see tears well in her eyes that shatters my heart. I kept my face straight and encourage her to recite some holy verses, for pain is just Allah’s way to wash away her sin and elevate her station in life for our journey is still long. 

She could hardly sit still. She would be sleeping on her side, or hang his legs just over the edge of the bed. She would complain about the pain and a jab of painkiller would only dull the pain for a while. At least, she gets her sleep and fully rested.

Meanwhile, the condition of the leg worsened and we had to take drastic action. It was a month later in hospital that it finally happened (due to heart and lung issue). The anaesthetist came to brief her on the forthcoming operation to amputate her right leg, just below the knee. It was a blow to her, we could see at times she was ok...sometimes not. It certainly a learning curve for us to monitor her mood swing. It's certainly not easy for her or anyone who is going thru the same ordeal. Imagine, a part of you just died and had to be surgically remove.

So, it was at 2pm on the 21st December 2015 she entered the OT for an approximately 4hour surgery. I was not at the hospital because Madam and the children are arriving from Lagos! They arrived around 8.30pm and by that time, my mom was already back at the ward. 

It was another a week and a half for her to get used to her condition. She's using insulin now. Although the leg is long gone, but she still feels it....'phantom limb' the call it. As for the leg, The next day after the procedure, I went to the morgue to retrieve it. Brought back home and prepared it for burial. It was after Zuhor that the limb was finally buried at the nearby masjid/mosque.

31st December, finally she's ready! We did a bit of rearrangements of furniture at home. Converted one of the living hall for her personal use. All the grandchildren were present when she arrived. The first thing she did when she arrived is to look for my brother, Ajim. No doubt Ajim noticed mom is back. 

Now she is resting, thanks to neighbours and relatives that came to visit her at the hospital. It certainly lifted her spirits and she enjoyed the company. We pray that she has long life ahead of her and be in high spirits. Loosing a limb doesn't meant it was the end of line for her. She still can be active and do lots of things. A matter of will power, I'm told. Anyway, I am glad this chapter has ended. Another few days and I will be back in Lagos. Life goes on....Aheh.