Thursday, August 14, 2008
I believe that my blog is a lot more stagnant than the class blog. when did i last update? can't remember. maybe when i school broke for the summer hols.
what have i been to these hols? finished my attachment, learned some cooking skills, got my hair permed (which is unraveling at a really fast speed now) and met some friends. mostly my primary school mates. and it's astounding really, the volume of chatter that we are capable of, so many years down the road.
i also bought a new laptop, an Asus F8Vr with 4GB of RAM. whatever that's supposed to mean. it's more powerful than Daryl's computer and is quite sufficient for gaming, all of which are features that i don't use. i use Microsoft Office, i produce presentations and documents, and i shop online. including my free 160GB HDD that came with the laptop, i now have 410GB of space, of which i use about 10%. that's until i get Gilmore, Sex and the City and Friends.
i liked the matte screen which my IBM had though. and its accompanying keyboard. i had gotten so used to the board that was finally able to touch-type (yes yes roll your eyes). now ill have to get readjusted. but in any case my old PC was giving me way too many problems. and for a not so tech-savvy person like me, i really don't need to contend with those kinks. it's already had its disc drive and hard disk replaced once and been formatted at least twice. the stats show that it's operating way below capacity and yet it's so darned slow. plus, the disc drive died again and needs to be replaced at 280 bucks. blah.
enough about all that.
today i was to talk about a word that starts with the letter M. Mortality.
my youngest maternal cousin was recently diagnosed with hepato cellular carcinoma, that the more common and fatal form of adult liver cancer, except that he's only going to turn 7 in a week. my parents have been overseas on a holiday so my sister and i have been keeping our mouths shut. we only hope they will be understanding as to why we decided to let them have their holiday in peace first.
you never know when fate will deal you with a lousy card. in this case, having this form of cancer in children is extremely rare, not to mention his family history is clear of liver problems. i've been visiting him once every 2 days, especially since i'm not too clear if i'll be seeing him next year.
kids generally have a hgher chance of battling a cancer successfully, coz kids don't think or worry as much and thus are able to maintain a happier state of mind. in his case, it's imperative that he stays healthy and strong, eats nutritious food and maintains a regular daily routine.
the problem is, he's an awfully scrawny kid (weighing about 19 kilos), his parents spoiled him rotten, and he cries at any time when he's being inconvenienced or doesn't have his way. his mother praises him the minute he shows any improvement in his behaviour even though all the relatives feel that it's a level of discipline that is to be expected in any decent child.
yes he must be commended for not crying during any treatment or scans, but he cries the minute you try to get him to eat his lunch or have his milk. he cries when you don't buy him his toys. the nurses think he's such a doll since he flirts with them and calls them babes (grief, you'd think they'd have more sense) even though he's incapable of the simplest tasks like dressing himself and bathing. and honestly, his brother and him are overprovided with activities, classes and toys that they are take for granted. my sister and i have been firm yet placating in getting him to eat more or learn some English (it's dreadful really since his level doesn't even reach that of a 4 year-old).
the painful truth? we may all be sympathetic coz of his condition and the pain that he has to endure, but that's where the sympathy ends. he needs to be told that either he he show some self-discipline and have his meals (not swiss roll snacks and marmee noodles) properly to battle the disease or he dies.
yes it's harsh for someone so pampered. but it's hardly a tall order. loads of kids turn out fine. he needs to make a choice whether to live or die. currently it seems like it's his parents who are making that decision.
