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A Morning at the Doctor's

Following the wife on her health screening at Gleneagles Hospital

By Kin Mun "mrbrown" Lee

May 5^th, 2014

8:00 A.M. Rise and shine

The wife and I decided that it was time she did her health screening. It was a while since she had a full checkup. So we made an appointment at Gleneagles Hospital, and one fine Wednesday morning, I dragged myself out of bed (I am not a morning person) and drove her to the hospital for her appointment with Dr Crystal Ng.

8:50 A.M.

She spent the first few minutes filling out her registration form while I checked out the breakfast spread in the Gleneagles Hospital Executive Health Screeners’ office. I made a mental note to help myself to the nice coffee machine later.

9:05 A.M. Taking blood

The wife had her blood samples taken for the tests first. “That looks like a lot of blood hor,” she said to me. She doesn’t feel queasy at the sight of blood, as she has given blood before. I started to imagine what kind of superhero she would become if we mixed her tubes of blood with a radioactive spider, or gamma rays. I need to read less comics.

9:10 A.M. Physical exam

Dr Crystal Ng then began the physical examination, shining her light on various parts of my wife’s face (eyes, nose, mouth and ears) and also checking her nodes. I left the room when the examination moved behind the curtains.

9:30 A.M. breakfast

Then it was my favourite part of the day: breakfast. The wife had to fast the night before and she was famished. I joined her at the breakfast table for moral support. And also for the nice cappacino.

9:45 A.M. Clinical tests

The clinical tests were next, and this included her weight, height and body composition analysis. The machine that does the body composition analysis was pretty cool, as it can tell you your body fat percentage and muscle composition. The wife works out weekly, so she should ace this.

She had some trouble blowing hard enough for the spirometry test though. “You lao hong ah?” I asked. That just made her laugh and made it harder for her to blow again.

Part of the clinical tests also involved an ECG for the heart, and eye tests. The eye tests were the reason she wore her glasses that morning instead of her contacts. Though I think she looks nice with or without glasses.

10:00 A.M. X-rays

Then it was off to the Radiology department for an ultrasound of her pelvis and her mammogram. I stayed outside for this one (also the nurse said it was probably for the best, what with x-rays and all).

Cancer is a major killer for Singaporeans and the lifetime risk for a Singaporean woman is a staggering 6.12%. As many as 1 in 16 females develop breast cancer. There is really no excuse for not going for a screening mammogram. Don’t say, “I feel healthy” or “I have no time” or “It’s painful”, just do it. Mammograms are the most effective way of detecting breast cancer early, which can save your life.

Regular screening is also the single most effective way to prevent cervical cancer, and the wife is getting a Thin Prep Pap Smear, said to be more accurate than the conventional “pap smear“.

Thus endeth my Public Service message. I hope that helped you understand the need for regular screening to catch cancer early.

A week later…

We returned a week later for the review of the results and Dr Crystal Ng said the wife passed her health screening with flying colours. That was nice to know. And it also gave us an excuse to visit the famous auntie at the coffee and toast place at Gleneagles. She is well-known for her tough but efficient service, and she seems to know the orders of every doctor in the building. The wife and I make it a point to grab a bite here whenever we come to Gleneagles. Just make sure you only speak your order when it is your turn and not any earlier.