The Blood Debt... Goodnight Uncle Tom x
Today my Dad woke me up at 5.30am and me, him and my mum drove to a park in
Ipoh whilst it was still dark and walked around the paths until it got light. I was full of energy and chatting away all the while, until the sun gradually broke through the clouds and we could see the aerobics group starting, the swording playing group and the tai chi-ers moving slowly and peacefully in their patch of the park.
I'm so grateful to have these special moments to share with my parents. I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder! I mean, I basically think they're cool and love to hang out with them but something's different now... as I grow up, I realise they're growing older, and these times will not be around forever.
We went to the local market which was in full swing by 7am! Bought home some Roti Chenai, fresh soya milk, steamed pork buns, freshly made pancakes with peanut filling, savoury sticky rice.. basically.. a feast ! I think any calories we worked off in the morning were replenished generously lol
In the afternoon, my Auntie Maggie (Uncle Tom's wife) took me, mum, and another member of the family to donate blood for Uncle Tom. Well, technically it wasn't for him, but rather to pay back his BLOOD DEBT. He'd used 2 pints already from the hospital, and you can either pay back in blood, or pay 200 ringgit per pint, which is about 65USD!! Quite a lot here! Auntie Maggie said he'd probably be needing more blood after next week when he starts the chemo.
I was pretty damn nervous because since an operation on my leg at 17, I developed a completely irrational phobia of needles. I guess most phobias are by nature irrational as it's all in one's head. As a teenager, I couldn't wait to turn 18 so I could donate blood, and then after my phobia, it just never happened.
I so want to fight this silly phobia but the fact that I have famously small veins means that anytime I have to have a blood test, they're poking around for minutes before switching arms and doing the same before they get the vein. It brings me to tears.. :( Then it takes much longer to fill just a tiny syringe's worth. I wondered how I would fare today... and if my blood was even suitable! I didn't wanna seem to be a wimp after all Uncle Tom was going through!
My mum and the other family member were more than up for it and not afraid at all, but after the tests, it turned out that their blood pressure was too high, and that I was the only one that would be able to donate today. They were disappointed.
I was nervous of course but kept brave because I knew I was doing it for Uncle Tom. The blood took forever to come out and I had to kept squeezing a stressball to help the flow.. in which time I had a chat with the nurse, and only then I started to cry telling her that Uncle Tom was in stage 4 of his cancer, and that he'd accepted that, but I guess I hadn't :(
The nurse was super nice and gave me a "blood donor" token which entitled me to some bread and a hot milo (like hot chocolate) from the cafeteria. That cheered me up so much.. just like a sticker did after the dentist's! haha
Today I came home a pint of blood lighter and went to Uncle Tom's room to see how he was doing. He said he'd been bored cos he'd been alone in the house all day. I chatted to him before and just now after dinner, pestering him to tell me about how he met Auntie Maggie :p
Then my Auntie Maggie came in and told me to scram cos she was going to give him his bed bath/wipe down.
Goodnight Uncle Tom. I'll see you tomorrow. x
(pics from Google search)
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