Lessons from Dr William Tan

Read today’s ST article on how cancer stricken Dr William Tan fights against the disease sharing his experience. He is diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, a cancer where the B blood cells which normally fight infections are not only damaged but also grow out of control, pushing out other blood cells.

If you are unaware, Dr William Tan is paralysed waist down since the age of 2 due to polio, yet overcame the odds to become both a medical doctor and neuroscientist, a charity fund-raiser and a wheelchair marathoner who has set many world records. Through the project Cycle Of Hope, he is also helping The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund to raise money in September.

Upon diagnosis, he too faced denial and hoped it wasn’t the case to be. He was in top form, doing the things he set out to achieve (much like the rest of us who aim for our individual ‘highs’). One point I thought worth bringing up was to quote him, “I am not afraid of death. But I don't like having to go through all that suffering and pain. It was also difficult to accept that, from a physician, I was now becoming a patient.” I believe many of us in some way share that sentiment, or hope that death is an event but not a suffering process to the inevitable end.

I admire his strength to face up to reality. I admire his commitment to treatment once he made the decision for it.

Probably one takeaway other than sharing his mental outlook would be for us to go for our regular health check-ups. If cars need regular servicing from time to time to iron out kinks, so do our bodies require checks to ensure we stay informed of our individual health condition. Whether to take remedial action for any findings is another matter, but schedule that health check first!