Letting go is the hardest thing to do

Case: 69 years old lady suffering from breast cancer, with lung and liver metastasis. Her consciousness deteriorated at the end of my on call. She showed signs of gasping, indicating that the end of life is closing in.

The 80+ years old mother was in distress, seeing the unaroused daughter. She tried so hard: shook her, called her, pleaded us to do something, all in hope to hear her daughter’s voice again. Yet, the daughter lay there, weak and unaware of the voice of her beloved mother. It has always been devastating to see an elderly sending off the younger children. Who doesn’t love their child?

Letting go is indeed the hardest thing to do. We have so little time in life, and working in this field of work allowed me to be up close with death. Life is so fragile and impermanent. Medicine can only do so much for the ill, but we can always be there for our loved ones. Don’t wait till it’s too late.