My early-year story at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City - Excerpt from Mr. Phan Dũng Khánh's Facebook

“Near the recent New Year, my younger sister had to fly from Hanoi back to Ho Chi Minh City so that my professor - Associate Professor Dr. Hứa Thị Ngọc Hà – Department of Pathology, Breast Clinic, University Medical and Pharmacy Hospital Ho Chi Minh City could take her for tests and a cell aspiration due to suspicion of a malignant tumor. Previously I also had tests that showed a benign diagnosis, so I was mainly worried about my sister. When she finished, my professor said I should get it done as well since I was already here.

After that, the two of us went back for breakfast. While we were eating happily, my professor called: "You’re not ill at all, but the pathology results show you have malignant thyroid cancer. Prepare yourself for urgent surgery." Oh my gosh, after hearing that I stopped eating immediately; I even asked whether she had mixed up my sister’s results because her test showed a high suspicion while my probability was very low. My professor insisted it wasn’t a mistake and even rushed over to my house yesterday afternoon to explain and encourage me to undergo urgent surgery for fear of invasion.

I'm quite stunned because if I have to undergo surgery, it's the first time in my life. On the 6th day of Tet, I had to be present for Dr. CKII. Hoàng Danh Tấn - Head of the Gastrointestinal Department (General Surgery specialty) also examined me again and performed pre‑operative tests for the conference. The result was that I had to be operated on early the next morning and the doctor said I had to prepare mentally because this is a major operation, a big surgery even though the type of cancer I have is the mildest form, but there are still many special risks if after surgery it has already metastasized to lymph nodes, or worse, entered the bloodstream and spread throughout the body, then I would have to continue radiation treatment. Oh, it sounds terrifying, but whatever needs to be done must be done.

On the day of the surgery, a nurse led me into the room from 6 a.m.; the Head of Department performed the operation himself together with other doctors and nurses who encouraged me, and although it was my first time it wasn't overly frightening. Then I slipped into anesthesia. When I woke up I learned that the operation actually lasted about an hour, but the nurse and the Head of Department performed a frozen section biopsy to get an immediate pathological result, to see how far the cancer had spread. Thanks to such careful and meticulous work, the result showed that the cancer cells were detected early, non‑invasive, so radiation therapy was not needed in the following days. However, I had to stay in the postoperative room for 8 hours to monitor symptoms instead of being returned to the ward after 1–2 hours like other cases.

Thank God and I am extremely grateful to the doctors, the hospital, especially the Department Head and my sister – Prof. Dr. Hứa Thị Ngọc Hà. After this operation, in the subsequent days while convalescing, I took the chance to read more medical literature and reflect on life, and I found many things clearer, more moving; sometimes you know something but haven't experienced it, making it hard to truly understand:

- When entering the operating room, the nurse continuously asked my name and inquired about my health, not only because there could be someone with the same name but also to check if the patient is alert and if there are any issues before surgery. Very caring.

- Dr. CKII Hoàng Danh Tấn performed my surgery not just skillfully but exceptionally, because I read medical literature and saw that people who had similar surgeries experienced many complications such as loss of voice (some permanently), hoarseness, voice changes, infections, needing reoperation to treat the vocal cords, swelling, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing... in mild cases the voice changes only for a short period. However, I experienced almost nothing, just a bit of fatigue, neck pain, and slight difficulty swallowing at first. Yet the doctor was very humble, I respect him a lot; the doctor always said it was thanks to Prof. Hà (my sister) for detecting it accurately early. Because, as I understand, if it’s not punctured correctly, it may take many years before it can be discovered, and by then we might not know how severe it could become.

- My sister and Dr. Ngô Hoàng Huy (thyroid cell aspiration) are such great doctors because they punctured the correct cancer cells right when it was thought to be "mirage" on the fourth attempt (the first three were not affected), and even the testing experts said there was no problem. Therefore early or late detection by a good doctor is real. Grateful to my sister and Dr. Huy!

- Thank the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City for their dedication, thorough instructions, modern technology even though I was "cut open" at the beginning of the year, the staff were very attentive. Even when I returned to the hospital they took care of all the paperwork for me to deal with the insurance. When I left they gave me exactly two types of medication but told me to take only one, and the other only when I have a fever. Very considerate, because when I go to the pharmacy sometimes I only need this and not those, yet they still try to add another 4-5 items, calling them supplements. Therefore the hospital is truly caring.

- Many people think that what is called permanence actually lasts a very long time, but sometimes it can be so brief that you don't even notice. When entering the operating room, everything you have on you must be removed, from dentures, jewelry, even contact lenses.

Therefore, when there are still people, feeling that tomorrow is still long, everything has a chance. But truly, human life is a subtraction, living an extra day is actually taking away a day. So I think life is like that, a whole life spent struggling, trading youth, time, happiness, even life itself for money, but then money cannot buy back those things. Isn't human life also like that? No one can take with them the assets and fame they have worked a lifetime to build.

Therefore, we should be grateful for life and even if we spend our whole life to obtain all the money in the world, that money still cannot buy back your life. So when it's time to work, work; when it's time to rest, rest. Work happily, enjoy life, cherish everything we have, love the people you love, live joyfully and fully each day…”.

- Quoted from Facebook of Mr. Phan Dũng Khánh -