Patrick Ang’s Wake

I went to his wake last night.

I had the opportunity to speak to his wife for quite some time when I was there. That was meaningful for me because I found out how it happened so fast and suddenly.

Pat had given me his initial medical reports when he was first diagnosed. He had a high Gleason score of 5+4. That is a very aggressive form of prostate cancer. He responded well to the initial treatment and perhaps that lulled everyone into a sense of complacency because, as I found out yesterday, he was only being monitored every 6 months. My doctor friends in private practice say that with a Gleason score like this, they would have monitored him every month.

Unfortunately the cancer spread silently and because he wasn’t being monitored, it was only picked up after he felt unwell and tired, by which time it had spread all over. All treatments they tried at that stage were not having any effect. They then tried radiation and that made the cancer markers shoot skyhigh. Finally they gave him blood transfusion to boost his platelet levels and then did a half dose of chemotherapy. That sent him into hospital and eventually I think because of the low platelet count, he suffered a stroke and became unconscious.

A life, albeit short, has to be lived well and meaningfully. And Patrick did that. His wife told me they went on 10 holidays in the last 12 months and they were in fact supposed to be on holiday in France when did this happened.

I am glad he enjoyed his time with his wife and children in the last few months.

Rest in Peace.