Friday, January 18, 2008

Almost a year ago, I was seized by a great fear

Lama aku udah ka bekunsi jerita enggau bala bloggers senentang utai ke nyadi ba pengidup aku nyau ka setaun ti udah. Somehow the right moment to share has been eluding me, until tonight. Malam tu tak balat amat asai aku ingin bekunsi jerita tu, nyangka laban udah disungkakka leka sampi maya kami sebuat sembiang intercessory tadi. Yes, I belong to the Intercessory ministry and we meet every Friday evening to pray for anything - the needs of the parish, communities, world peace, families, the sick, the priests and religious etc.. etc. We started the ministry in 2004, after attending the seminar given by Rev Father Vincent Lee, siku paderi katolik ari Singapore ke di beri Tuhan pengelandik bejaku lalu ari kuasa Roh Kudus, iya ulih ngiring kitai to conversion. The seminar called Sarawak Retreat, was like no other. The first time I went, I came back with a deep sense of spiritual renewal. It was awesome, it was life-changing and my family and I came back for more for consecutive years, so much so that Fr. Vincent teased us, nama enda masuk utai ke di ajar aku dulu suba pia, ku iya nganu kami. This is our 5th year in the ministry and aku agi mengkang rindu amat sembiang ke urang bukai laban maya ari bukai kitai selalu sembiang ke diri empu enggau diri sebilik, tang maya ari lima kami sebuat sembiangka urang bukai. Bup Kudus ngasuh kitai "to pray without ceasing" lalu Jesus empu madahka tiap iti sembiang sigi disaut Allah Taala. Enti kitai mensia ke bedosa nemu utai ke manah dipeguna anak kitai, lebih agi Allah Taala ke bekuasa nemu utai ke manah dipeguna kitai (Mathew 7:7-11).

Pulai ngagai jerita pengidup ke deka dikunsi aku, bakatu. Berengkah ari bulan satu taun 2007 suba, aku tak selalu ngelu pala. Tak asai ke nyerenggat isi bepun ari pegu datai ke punjung pala lalu start meh pala aku pedis. Suah ia pedis sepiak aja. Kelia aku sigi bisi migraine tang udah aku ke badu sekula aku nadai migraine agi. Nya meh enti aku pedis pala ba upis, maya enda ulih tat, tak betutup pintu aku gali, makai ubat, lalu muti angkat baru udah pemedis nadai di asai agi ketegal di penatka ubat. Meda bakanya Apai Maie lalu ngasuh aku peresa, tang aku enggai, legi beri lutor panadol tauka painkiller aja meh ku aku. Tang bc ari siti, balat amat aku pedis pala, nyau ka pitam. Nya meh aku lalu telefon Apai Maie minta anjung ke klinik. Silik ga aku diperesa Dr Lau, meda aku ke udah lama ngenatka diri bakanya, dia iya lalu ngasuh aku betemu enggau specialist, ngasuh aku CT scan. Clinical symptoms nuan ukai nunjukka utai ke jai ku iya, nuan enda nauseous, enda affected vision, tang manah kin, sekalika nuan ka ngagai Timberland tauka Normah ku iya. Aku pin setuju, nya alai aku lalu bekejang ngena flight tengah ari nya ngagai Normah laban aku sigi selalu berubat dia. Aku enggai di anjung Apai Maie, laban ulih ngadu kediri empu, ukai tak sakit raya ku aku.

Appointment aku pagi siti lalu sambil aku ke kin, aku lalu peresa tubuh mega. Aku di CT scan, udah nya mayuh meh utai bukai ke diperesa, darah ke diambi, udah nya lalu betemu enggau Dr Azizah, pakar sakit puan. Aku sigi peresa ba Dr Azizah belama tiap kali aku physical ba Normah. Udah nya mammogram, ia nya x-ray tusu. Pemadu begedi aku going through mammogram, iya ga pedis (dini enda, nyau penapat inat tusu dikepit, ari atas & baruh & ari tisi sepiak-sepiak), iya ga kitai topless, iya ga di asuh sida besengkauk ba pemegai ke lekat ba mesin, nyau baka kera asai aku. In my case tak dua kali aku di asuh sida iya going though the process. Nama sida tu bakatu ku ati aku, tak enda chun ngambar utai, enda mikirka trauma that I had to go through ku aku mut-mut dalam ati. Tudah indu Iban ke gawa dia manah amat, dini tudah ka ngasuh kitai pedis, iya pin bejalaika pengawa, tang nyepi utai ke pedis nyau kurang amat penyabar.

Aku tembu peresa nyau ngalih ari lalu sida ngasuh aku datai baru pagila betemu enggau bala lutor ke deka nerangka results semua peresa aku. Aku mulai kediri ngagai hotel. Baru datai aku di hotel, baru ka ngirup kupi enggau macha newspaper ba lounge, nyau memunyi telipon, urang indu, indu Iban ke ngadukan mammogram aku tadi, iya ngasuh aku tumu datai pagila laban ka di mammogram sekali agi, tadi enda terang ku iya. Au ku aku.

Pukul lapan pagi aku udah datai ba Normah, aku lalu di mammogram baru. Udah nya aku lalu betemu enggau bala lutor ke madahka aku results peresa, kelimpah ari a little bit anaemic, semua utai manah magang, nyengkaum CT scan, nadai utai menawa ba untak aku, puji Tuhan. Udah nya aku lalu betemu enggau Dr Azizah, iya lalu ngasuh aku duduk, lalu ngeso ka aku gambar tusu aku. Dia iya madah bc utai tumbuh ba tusu mua ari kiba, bc clump tang mit amat, nyau baka titik utai ke burak dipeda. Iya enda ulih temu ari gama aja, laban kelalu mit, ia muti temu ari mammogram. Aku lalu macha report radiologist, dia ia nulis ba report nya madahka clump nya "suspicious of maligancy". Tubuh aku pin lalu lemi, darah nyau berasai nurun kebaruh, aku lalu kesal, muti enda getar-getar. Dr Azizah madahka kena nentuka sekalika clump nya cancerous tauka enda, aku perlu di biopsy. Aku sigi enda kakang ga madahka diri ka biopsy lalu sida iya ngatur aku biopsy ari siti. Udah nya aku betemu enggau surgeon, Dr Goh. Aku lalu nanya, kati selalu cancerous utai ke bakatu? Dr Goh madahka aku anang irau, kadang-kadang benign ku iya.

Maya aku ke nganti sida ke nyendiaka papers & ubat aku, aku lalu telefon dadi & bala anak. Di dinga aku enda kesal munyi sida bejaku enggau aku, tang ke bendar iya ku sida iya nusika aku udah nya, nyau bendar ngenatka diri laban ka nyabak. Bala pangan cell group & intercessors lalu telefon, kedua sms, menyamai ati aku. Anang irau sanu, aku udah meh bakanya, tang in the end microcalcification aja ku pangan aku Pat. Siku agi pangan aku benama Pat mega madah, anang irau, ni enggi aku suba ke bc binjul ba pegu, enda meh cancerous. Sekeda pangan sms ke bible verses, kena merindang aku. Aku lalu sms ngagai sida iya, madahka "I am scared". Don't be scared Rita, ku sida, Jesus is looking after you right now, we will pray for you ku sida.
Indeed I was scared. The first lesson that I learnt is this, that no matter how strong your faith, penusah ke bakanya sigi ngasuh pengarap kitai beguyang. Ukai beguyang ketegal enda arapka Tuhan, tang beguyang laban takut, laban irau, nya meh baka ke enda pechayaka Allah Taala sigi nyaga kitai. After a while, I started to recite Psalm 23 dalam ati.."the Lord is my sheperd, there is nothing I shall want... even if I walk through the valley of darkness, I fear no harm, for You are at my side, with your rod and staff". With all the sms, phone calls and Psalm 23, aku slowly recover and udah semua utai tembu di adu, aku lalu mulaika diri ngagai hotel, nganti penatai dadi ke ngena flight pukul 4 ari Bintulu. Aku ngirup ba lounge lalu berandau enggau receptionist ke gawa dia, kena ngiburka diri. Enda lama udah nya dadi datai & lemai nya iya mai aku makai ba Ah Seng, laban nya enda jauh ari Crowne Plaza ke endur tua iya diau. Aku nadai tentu bc mood makai.

Malam nya aku enda tinduk semalam-malam. Aku takut. So the second lesson I learnt is this, utai ke balat amat ngenusah sigi laban kitai ke takut, aku ukai bc pedis tubuh maya nya deh, tang aku naka ia takut. Mayuh utai di pikir, kati ku dadi, bala anak, indai aku, bala menyadi, bala anak menyadi, bala ke sama gawa di upis.. enti amat kanser, kada dadi strong enough to go through the pain with me, kati ku bala anak agi mekang-mekang bedau tembu belajar, kelebih agi Igat ke baru Form 4.. Pia aku sembiang, pia aku nyaya ai mata. Di anti-anti aku peace to come upon me, di anti-anti aku penakut aku nyau, aku sembiang minta kasihka Allah Taala ngambi muai penakut aku, tang meh ukai Allah Taala enda nyaut, laban Iya nyaut semua peminta kitai, tang ketegal ke sigi bedau maya Iya nyaut, tauka sigi bc utai ke diasuh Iya asaika kitai dulu, aku enda nemu, keba ku Bup Kudus, our ways are not His ways, our thoughts are not His thoughts.

Ari siti 3 March 2007, it was a Saturday. Tumu tua dadi ke Normah, aku lalu dipasuk ke urang ba wad, dadi minta single room tang nadai agi laban wad penuh, nya alai di asuh sida kunsi enggau indu siku, nganti tengah ari legi bc kusong ku sida, enti nuan ka legi kami mindahka nuan. Enda ibuh ku aku, ditu tau meh, laban aku muti sari aja ba spital. Dr Goh madahka aku enti nadai complications aku tau pansut lemai nya mega. Udah begari ngena baju spital, aku di bai urang ngagai endur mammogram laban sida ka masukka dawai ba senentang clump nya, ngambika Dr Goh nemu dini endur mutong isi aku maya biopsy. Di jek sida ngena ubat penat aku, udah nya radiologist empu ngaduka prosidur nya. Nama deh, tak madai asai tusu, tak baka utai sengapa di enyak-enyak sida indu misi ba mesin, di ukir sida ngena pen kena ngelai endur clump. Nadai pemalu sepi aku, taja radiologist lelaki. Aku enda di asuh sida iya malik ngagai tusu, enggai ka luput meda darah, meda dawai ke dipasukka sida. Praise the Lord, aku berasai calm taja penakut agi remained at bay.

Aku tama ngagai operation theatre jam 12 tengah ari. Sebedau aku tama, dia indu misi lalu nanya aku, usual procedure deh, nanya ke nama enggai ka saru urang .. aku udah kala beputong appendix ba Normah suba nya alai sida bc rekod aku. Siku lelaki madahka diri anaestethist, lalu iya macha file aku. Oo, nuan former magistrate neh, agi biak amat nuan ku iya nganu aku. Apu, ku ati aku din, nyau baka ke sinu ke aku iya, as if tu amat-amat cancer ku aku. Keberai ai mata aku. Udah nya aku di bai tama ngagai ops room, enda lama aku enda nemu utai agi. Aku dani ninga urang nyebut nama aku, sepi aku tubuh chelap amat. Aku di bai pulai ngagai wad, tudah dadi nganti aku. Aku kasih amat meda dadi. The third lesson I learnt is this, tusah kitai ke sakit, tusah agi diri sebilik ke nyaga kitai. Sida iya ngembuan pengirau, penakut baka kitai, lebih agi sida perlu ngira mayuh utai, ngaduka tu, ngaduka nya. Nama kitai ke sakit, nadai perlu megai tanggungjawab agi, kitai ga sakit, tang tudah ke enda sakit nyau mayuh utai di ma.

Dr Goh madah results biopsy deka di temu dalam kandang seminggu. Ila iya telefon aku ku iya. Aku discharged jam 5 lemai, tua dadi pulai ngagai hotel. Maya ba teksi, nyau ngelu pala aku, asai ka mutah, laban agi bc effect ubat bius. Dadi mai aku ba lounge, ngambi ulih ngirup juice laban maya nya sigi cocktail hour. Tang meh aku nyau ngelu, nyau melusut duduk ba kerusi. Meda bakanya dadi mai aku pulai ke bilik. Manah bala sida ke gawa ba executive lounge, sida lalu nganjung utai dempa ke bilik. Di anjungka sida tusu, buah, juice, snacks. Enti madam ka makai bubur tau ngudar ku siku nembiak Bidayuh ke sigi selalu berandau enggau aku. Aku nadai asai ka makai utai. Apai Maie pia meh, enda makai iya, muti makai utai ke dianjung urang ke bilik tadi.

And the 4th lesson that I learnt, maya kitai di tuntung penyakit ke serius baka kanser, semua utai ba dunya nadai berega agi. Baju, barang kemas, rumah, tanah, semua pemisi nadai rega agi, muti mikirka Tuhan, muti begantung ba pengasih Tuhan.It was a time for deep personal reflection for me. I went through deep bouts of sorrow -sorrowful over my sins, over my lack of piety, for taking God for granted. As Maie said when she called me, "not that we want this thing to happen, mom, but the fact it happened during Lent is opportune, for not only you but the whole family to repent" That's my eldest daughter, ever so insightful. Yes, it was during Lent, 40 days of fasting, prayer and almsgiving for Catholics. Indeed, I responded, it was indeed opportune to respond to prophet Joel's call for believers to come back to the Lord, to rend their hearts and not their clothes (Joel 3:13). In Greek it is called "metanoia",a time for conversion and renewal, kitai ngesal ati ke penyalah kitai lalu pulai bebaik enggau Tuhan.

Tua dadi pulai ke Bintulu ngena early morning flight, it was a Sunday. Igat nganti di rumah, maya nya aku agi bc helper, kak Ros. Kami lalu ke pasar breakfast, ngagai tamu, act as if nothing, taja ngembuan penakut. Menyadi aku enda madahka indai aku mula, enggaika indai tekenyit. Maya aku ke operation, Jacinta meri offertory ba morning mass ngasuh Father Dominic sembiang ke aku. Father Dom mega nanya ka pemedis aku. Two consecutive morning iya sembiang ke aku. Enda puas ati iya bedau nemu nama penyakit aku ke bendar, iya telefon nagai Jacinta, nanya. Ukai ati kini Fr Dom, laban tiap kali iya sakit, masuk spital, kami menyanak ngabas belama, aku selalu mai ka iya bup pasal pengarap ngambika di bacha iya maya ia recuperate. Rindu iya di bai ke aku bup.Baka iya ke sembiang ke aku, bakanya mega kami intercessors sembiang ka iya maya iya sakit.

Malam Sunday aku muti ulih tinduk mimit, udah nya enggai tinduk, agi takut. Pukul 4 pagi aku lalu angkat, nyandih ba katil lalu nyapai rosary, aku besampi. Bakatu sekeda leka sampi ke di keingatka aku. 'Lord, I surrender myself to You, all my fear, all my worries, all my pain. Help me Lord, take away my fear, take away my worries. If I should have cancer, so be it Lord. I trust that You will heal me, although I am unworthy. I trust that You will care for my family, I trust that You will give me and my loved ones the strength to go through the treatments" I cried out to God, aku nyabak sikuk-sikuk, nyau enda ulih sembiang rosary. And at that very moment, after I surrendered myself to the Lord, He took away all my fear. To me it was a miracle, laban tekala nya ati aku nadai takut, nadai irau agi. Aku chukup gaga sereta meri terima kasih ngagai Tuhan laban Iya udah nyaut peminta aku.

Pagi nya aku gawa baka selama, pia kami gagau laban Menteri Dato Chan Kong Choy ka nemuai ngagai kami laban bc dialogue enggau bala customers kami. Nya meh chun amat, laban ke kiruh strategise utai ke patut disebut CEO maya nyaut complaint customers ba mua menteri maya dialogue, aku nadai mikirka pemedis agi. 8th March, jam 3.00 lemai kami baris ngambat menteri & maya ke nganti menteri datai, handphone aku memunyi, Dr Goh manggil. Aku lalu nyaut iya calmly, iya madahka nadai nama-nama nuan Rita ku iya, it is not cancerous ku iya, nya microcalcification aja, legi aku fax results biopsy ngagai nuan ku iya. Aku lalu nelai dadi ke bediri enda jauh ari aku, tua sama senyum, iya nabi aku, aku uttered a silent prayer, thank you Lord, thank you Lord, ku aku.

Nya meh bala pangan, esp bala indu, anang enda mammogram kitai laban enti bc utai menawa agi mit, enda ulih temu ari breast examination tauka ultrasound, ia muti ulih peda ari mammogram. Diatu perintah malaysia bc subsidise kos mammogram, muti mayar RM50 aja. Enti ba private hospital, enda bangat mar, b/w RM150-RM200 aja. Manah ia enti kitai mammogram tiap taun, ngambi bejaga.

Udah aku ke ngasaika penusah nya, aku lalu research ba internet senentang breast cancer. Cell ba tusu kitai sigi berubah enggau umur, sigi nyadi abnormal penumbuh cell. Kedua nyadi cancer, kedua nyadi ductal hyperplasia aja, tu ukai cancer. Nya meh urang ngajar anang makai kasam (urang bidayuh mayuh sakit nose & throat cancer laban udu makai kasam), anything preserved laban bc carcinogen. Dagin ke di bbq, balat agi isi ia angus, balat agi hydorcarbon dia ti tau ngasuh bulih kanser. Sudan ke pulai chuti krismas tu kemari madahka aku sida udah belajar senentang kanser, lalu mayuh amat utai di empa kitai ngembuan carcinogen ke tau ngasuh kitai sakit kanser. Sekeda nya pemakai ke dikerindu ka bala anak, baka peanut butter - ia ngundan aflotoxin, jai amat. Sudan nagang aku meli glazed cherries, laban bc carcinogen ku iya. Pokoknya, munyi ku pangan aku apai tuai Jawa ke bejanggut, anang makai utai ke enda fresh, exercise selalu, kurangka makai dagin. Sama-sama meh kitai bejaga, ngintu pengerai diri empu. Enti bc tips bukai, tau madahka pangan diri ngambi sama ngamalka nya.

Tell your mother, tell your wife, tell your sister, tell your friends to go for mammogram!

8 comments:

DCampbell aka Puteri said...

That was indeed a scary episode in your life! Puji Tuhan lump nya not cancerous. After you reach 40, they advise you to go for mammogram annually ditu. I just had mine done last November. Sigi amat munyi ko nuan, ... your description of the whole process ... hit the nail on the head! Haha. Baka kera, sepi nuan pia?

Nuan nadai dibungkur sida enggau warm blankets after your surgery? Ditu kami bisi surgery recovery room, di bungkur enggau heated blankets, until you feel normal .. that is the anasthesia has worn off, baru nganjung ngagai wad. I had a C-section done .. just local anaesthesia aja .. akai sigi pedis amat .. recovery .. enda ulih angkat kediri empu ari katil!

One of my friends just had surgery to remove a cancerous lump on one of her breasts. Tekenang aku ka pangan aku nya. Very stressful ko iya. Sigi all the emotions you went through, I'm sure she went through too. Her daughter is only 5 years old, so .. very frightening for her too.

Rita, I recommend you drink green tea .. green tea has very good anti-cancerous properties. Also reishi mushroom.

My blog entry on green tea:
http://www.healthandbeautynotes.com/2008/01/benefits-of-green-tea-in-nutshell.html

News story on reishi mushroom:
http://health.yahoo.com/news/afp/israelhealthdiseasemencancer.html;_ylt=AijDqxj.98IxVn6T.ke.JyumxbAB

Amat munyi ko nuan, if we don't have our health, nothing else matters.

Indu Rumah Panjai said...

Dor, it was indeed scary for me. Bc urang meri aku pua, tang upper part tubuh aku enda dibapka sida.

Amat Dor, amat asai baka kera, udah ga gamal aku ngerising ngenatka tusu ke pedis dikepit mesin.

Pia meh urang madahka aku pasal green tea, ngirup meh aku. Legi aku meda jerita pasal reiki mushroom.

Thank you Dor.

Fabulously Sassy said...

Oh dear. I should watch my mouth around you guys. I take back what i said about peanut butter, because aflatoxin levels in them are low enough for them to be approved by the FDA.

Oh, and it's maraschino cherries, not the glazed ones. It's the dye they use that's carcinogenic. But i can't find d dye in my list of carcinogens to humans. There's a lot of debate going on there but i dunno which one is d most recent but since it's still being sold here and there, im sure it's approved. I think.

IKAN MASIN, now that's carcinogenic! And they specifically put 'Chinese style'.

-f-l-o- said...

Another thing to add, it is wise to take onions and cucumber with barbequed meat I heard. Satay normally comes with those.

Manah madah ka orang rumah panjai ka selalu makai tunu, anang enda ingat makai bawang enggau entimun! ;)

Nyau sinu macha post tu.

Sebugey said...

Wai,Kong Hee fatt Choy to you & Indai Muntai.Nama nuan lama nadai update blog. I noticed a new hairstyle. anyway, I have to go..don't work too hard.

hornbill said...

Last year aku selalu pedis perut sepiak kanan. Mula-mula doktor madah aku apendik tang ukai. Bisi ga doktor madah aku ngaga pengawa ke enda manah... (sabar aja meh). Ujung-ujung aku ke Sibu Medical Centre. Aku semina chronic gastrik aja. Tang sebedau aku dibius n kamera nya tama ngagai rekung ngau perut aku... aku dah plan-plan, enti sakit teruk aku enggai dani agi.

Awal taun tu aku selalu migrane. Suba sebulan sekali enti dah ka period. Tang ke sekali tu nyau seminggu-minggu. Aku dah fikir bukan-bukan. Aku ngirup ai mayuh tang agi ga pedis. Ujung2 aku discover air paip aku berkarat. udah nya aku meli siti agi water filter... Dua kali aku filter ai aku ba rumah diatu.

yusuf888 said...

Indu Rumah Panjai, may I contact you via email? I would like to ask you some question about Iban rumah panjai. Thank you

Dappy said...

Hi bonda

Just to let you know aku delete your latest comment in my blog - because ami malu kitak muji ami. Haha. But thanks, your words aku simpan dalam hati. Heheh.