Goodbye to year 2009

Goodbye to year 2009

Year 2009 is coming to an end now and looking back at it, I feel relief. A lot had happened in the past one year and it certainly was a turbulent and challenging one.

Last year December, I received a bad news (dad’s CT scan came back and the cancer had spread) when I was travelling in SiChuan. It was hard but unlike when I first learnt that my dad was diagnosed with liver cancer in April 2008. That was the hardest time in my life until he passed away.

Things that I’ve done and happened in the year 2009

I celebrated my 30th birthday with my beloved friends and I had fabulous time. I felt blessed to have them in my life.

Flew to Laos in February.

My cousin passed away while I was in Laos.

Bought a ticket and flew to Athens in April. I spent 6 weeks in these countries: Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, UAE.

I came home in early June and dad was deteriorating and it was fast.

Dad admitted to hospital for a procedure called TACE (Trans-arterial Chemo-embolisation) in July. He was there for about 10 days. It was then my sister and I witnessed those patients dying (or die) right in front of us and it was really scary. He left hospital feeling better.

He was admitted again one week after the procedure for anaemic.

Dad couldn’t pass urine and we sent him to local hospital in late August. He was there for 5 days or so before we decided to transfer him to UMMC. We went to the hospital by ambulance. It wasn’t the first time I was on an ambulance. I was sent to the hospital by ambulance when I had an accident in London. I was knocked down by a car when I was cycling home from work. Travelling on an ambulance with someone you loved and don’t know whether he was going to make it home was hard.
Dad was lucky, he had two daughters taking care of him 24 hours. I felt blessed to be able to be there for him and with him.
PS’ father was in the hospital around the same time and she was my pillar.
When we decided it was time for dad to go home, friend YC was there to see us off. My sister and I got on the ambulance with my dad and it was the hardest journey in life.
Dad passed away 1.5 hours after he got home on 3/9/09.

Less than 3 weeks later, PS’ father passed away.

I flew to Tianjin on 28/09/09. I spent 6 weeks in China and Mongolia.

Early October, when I was in Inner Mongolia, I got to know my friend YN’s mum had just passed away.

Late October, I got to know that G’s father was diagnosed with 4th stage liver cancer and he was given 3-6 months to live. I was in Mongolia by then and I felt so sad for him. I remember we celebrated his birthday in London in year 2007.

November. We celebrated CY’s 30th birthday in Bangkok. G’s father passed away. Jo’s mum was diagnosed with breast cancer.

I flew to New Zealand early December.

Celebrated Christmas on Lake Paringa, New Zealand.
I am going to welcome year 2010 in New Zealand and hopefully year 2010 is going to be a good year for everyone.