SINGAPORE: When Mr Sadayan Ahmed Maideen Jabbar’s persona started altering over the course of the pandemic, he pinned it on stress and the vicissitudes of life.
Feeling like “everything led to anger”, he started appearing violently in direction of his 4 kids and wife of 15 years. His behaviour escalated to some extent the place the police had to be referred to as in, and this culminated in his divorce in mid-2020.
“We were married happily for many years and in two years, things changed. You’d think that it was just you,” mentioned the 48-year-old product supervisor in a medical machine firm.
“The kids were growing, work is different, COVID has started, so I assumed this is a behavioural change.”
Little did he know that the modifications could have been the results of a uncommon, malignant tumour on part of his brain answerable for processing feelings.
He remained unaware of the tumour till a 12 months after his divorce, when he began experiencing frequent “white-outs”, later recognized as epileptic seizures.
He wouldn’t have the opportunity to bear in mind something that befell throughout these 20-second clean staring spells.
“When I recovered … I was steady … I could see normally, but (there was) a metallic taste,” Mr Maideen informed reporters at a session organised by National University Hospital (NUH).
After experiencing eight seizures in a day, he sought assist at NUH.
The eventual prognosis: He had glioblastoma, an aggressive and incurable brain most cancers that leaves sufferers with a median life expectancy of 18 to 24 months.
TUMOUR PRESSING ON “PRIMITIVE PART” OF BRAIN
Measuring 2.5cm in its diameter, the tumour was not massive, mentioned Dr Yeo Tseng Tsai, the head of NUH’s neurosurgery division.
But it was situated at the amygdala, which Dr Yeo described as “the emotional part of the brain responsible for rage, anger, your fight or flight response”.
“It’s a very primitive part of the brain … I think the location of this tumour has probably caused him to behave the way he has.”
Normally, one can override damaging emotional responses, defined Dr Yeo.
“But when that connection is severed, like in this case, likely from the tumour itself, which has somehow destroyed pathways (to inhibit the response), then you just behave like any animal would, so to speak – without any inhibition.”
Such brain tumours are typically very unusual in Singapore, mentioned Dr Yeo, including that breast, lung and colon cancers are way more prevalent.
For occasion, there are about three circumstances of glioblastomas per 100,000 folks, in contrast to about 52 circumstances of lung most cancers per 100,000 folks, he mentioned.
What was additionally uncommon about Mr Maideen’s case was how the tumour had apparently taken some time to develop, when such tumours usually develop fairly quickly, added the physician.
He described this type of brain most cancers as a “very tough” illness to combat, one which has claimed the lives of individuals similar to the son of the US President Joe Biden, Beau.
“GIVE UP IN LIFE, YOU’RE GOING TO DIE”
When Mr Maideen tried to discover out extra about the most cancers, Internet search outcomes painted a bleak image.
“A lot of them say give up in life, you’re going to die … The Internet affected me a lot and I stopped reading.”
Instead, he put his belief in his medical doctors. Mr Maideen underwent surgical procedure a day earlier than his birthday in July final 12 months, with nurses marking the event with cake and music.
The operation, which took about 4 hours, “went well”, in accordance to Dr Yeo.
Mr Maideen went below the knife once more three weeks later to take away extra of the tumour.
As he recovered, he discovered he was “not the angry man like before” – and guilt hung over him for what he had completed.
“Right after surgery, things went back to normal, maybe better. All of a sudden, I was thinking: Why did I divorce, why did I do this, why did I do that?”
He added: “When I woke up, everything was different.”
A SECOND CHANCE AT MARRIAGE
As he battled most cancers, Mr Maideen reconnected with his wife after confiding in her about the prognosis.
Post-surgery, she drove him to and from his therapy classes.
“I was very weak and needed some help. She was very nice, understanding, and helped me a lot during therapy.” His kids additionally stored him pleased, he mentioned.
“After many months of being back to my usual self, I spoke to my ex-wife … and got (Dr) Yeo’s advice as well. I need someone at the end of life and the wife is the best.”
On Apr 26 this 12 months, round 9 months after his surgical procedures, they remarried in a comfortable ceremony with 10 company.
“I praise God, Inshallah, that’s one thing. Second, I must thank my family as well. The divorce was a little harsh, I would say, but they came back and we’re now happy, I’m happily remarried.”
He added: “I’m very happy I got a second chance … How many people post-divorce can get the same spouse? I’m not sure, but for me to get it, I thank God, I thank everyone.”
BATTLE NOT OVER YET
Mr Maideen is effectively sufficient to have began working from residence once more, however his combat towards most cancers will not be but received.
“For glioblastoma, you can never get it all out – by surgery, by radiation, by chemotherapy. That’s why (for) patients, the median survival rate is 24 months,” mentioned Dr Yeo.
“Even with the best surgery in the world, the best chemoradiation, this is still an incurable brain cancer.”
But there are “outliers” who survive a couple of years. “I hope (Mr Maideen) is an outlier, because so far, he has done exceptionally well.”
The sobering statistics have modified Mr Maideen’s outlook on life.
“Gone are the days I think about what I’m going to do at year-end, or what I’m going to do in the holidays, where I’m going to go, what I’m going to eat. I’ve almost given up those things.”
Waking up, praying, working, spending time with his family members – “that’s my day now, that’s enough”, mentioned Mr Maideen, who continues to be present process chemotherapy.
“I think every one of us should do it as well. Every day is what we should consider, day by day.”
Source : channelnewsasia.com
