Matter of Life and Death

[Ching-Ling Lim]

Death. Mortality. It’s not something you think about much until it happens. Many of us take life for granted, living it each day without too much stress or consequence. However, when death hits hard, it makes you think twice about your own life.

As a medical profession, I see people fall ill all the time. It’s not very often I witness a death, much less one of a colleague – while at work. While I admit I wasn’t there personally to witness it, I knew the colleague who died.  He had been one of those people who took life for granted, not caring much for the consequences.

Some say his death was expected for he had suffered a heart attack just as he was finishing his shift. He had been suffering heart problems before and had been warned by his cardiologist to be careful about his diet and lifestyle. However, as stubborn as he was, he continued to live the way he wanted – regardless of his specialist’s advice. Many a time, his wife [also a colleague] would complain of his unhealthy lifestyle and we would privately wonder when the time would eventually come for him. We had been walking down the corridor as the emergency call rang out and she had told me that she hoped it wasn’t her husband.

So, here’s one major food for thought. If a medical professional advises you to change your lifestyle and eating habits because you are suffering an underlying medical condition, it might be wise to follow that piece of advice before its too late …