Day 19 of A Month of Gratitude, #AMOG, and today I am #grateful for my GI #doctors. I have had a few doctors over the years but happily, I have found the best doctors that are the right fit for me. As I am fond of telling them, "Stay well, you have to look after me for the rest of my life!" One of the most crucial aspects of having a lifelong, #incurabledisease is to have #excellentmedicalcare that works well for you.
I am so grateful for my doctors who run the GI Associates Gastro clinic at Gleneagles. Both were doctors at SGH, and are #experts in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. I consider them the best IBD doctors in the country, and no, I don't think I am too biased in saying so. I have known the senior doctor for over 18 years, and his junior partner for far less, but they both #embodyexcellence for me.
Today I saw Dr Chuah Sai Wei, the junior doctor, who keeps tabs on me, and with whom I have long conversations about all sorts of things and we have a truly #lovelyconnection. There are times when I have asked her about herself, and she has shared with me, and I have seen the beauty of her soul. She's so #warm, #kind, #empathetic and #compassionate, and her bedside manner is #exemplary. She has held my hand through so many rough and tough moments, as has her senior partner, Dr Ooi Choon Jin. Literally, my hand has been held, and I have wept before them, and been comforted, even in times when I have been a difficult patient. Together, they have truly been there for me on my journey.
We talked about my plans, my escapades and my guts, and we had some good laughs too today. We discussed what we would do over the next few weeks, and set a plan in place. I told her about my Month of Gratitude, and that I wanted to write about my doctors and asked if we could take a photo together and she agreed quite happily. I got all teary thanking her for being wonderful, and for the many things I have in life to be grateful for, and she said that it was a good thing to do, and she was so happy that I am looking and doing well. It's been over a year since my surgery, and I've put on at least 3kgs since then, my jelly belly feels soft and pliable, my lungs are clear, my BP is good, stool and blood work are good, and basically I am well.
She hoped I was managing stress well, and we talked about that and how excited I was to have projects to work on and how I minimise stress. In short, we connected deeply in a short time, as we usually do, and I consider her a #friend. We might not meet up outside of the clinic because I think professional boundaries are useful, but she knows me, what makes me happy, what is important to me, and she genuinely cares for me. And I feel the same way about her too. And that's a lot like a friend. I feel uplifted after every encounter with her, and that brings me hope for my future and joy for the present.
I got my jab today to take me through the next 4 weeks, and we are slowly seeing if we can stretch it to 5 weeks without any issues cropping up. Crohn's Disease is a horrible illness I wouldn't wish on my enemies, but living with it has been made so much easier with the help, care and affection of my lovely and loving doctors. I love them, and I shall always be grateful to have them in my life. ❤
#AMOG #AMonthOfGratitude #GratefulForMyDoctors #Excellence #Exemplary #Connection #Warm #Kind #Empathetic #Compassionate #Uplifting #HopeAndJoyAndAFuture #GreatBedsideManner #CrohnsDisease #BestIBDDoctors #MadeItThroughDayNineteen
Thanks for reading,
Pav
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