Yesterday, I initially wanted to surprise my father-in-law by visiting him without informing him first, but instead, we ended up being surprised by him. When we arrived at his house in Pekan Benut, we found him sitting outside with a sullen face. His body appeared thinner since the last time we had seen him. I asked about his condition, and he told me that he was experiencing a stomach ache, which had caused a loss of appetite. He had visited several clinics, but there had been no improvement. Even traditional medicine had no effect.
My wife and I tried calling some private clinics that provide stomach scan services, but unfortunately, there were none available in Benut and Rengit. Since we were in Pekan Rengit, I asked a nurse at a clinic there if she knew of any nearby clinics providing stomach scan services. The nurse recommended a clinic in Pekan Parit Raja. Considering that the clinic is located in Parit Raja, it would be more convenient to go to a private hospital like KPJ Hospital or Pantai Hospital in Batu Pahat. I made calls to both hospitals, but due to a holiday in Johor, only the emergency unit was open.
Consequently, we hurried to Parit Raja. On the way, we stopped at a Padang restaurant which had a variety of dishes, but my father-in-law still had no appetite. Upon reaching the clinic, we noticed that the patients had already started queuing. Evidently, the clinic was well-known among the local community. When our queue number was called, I accompanied my father-in-law to see the doctor, while my wife looked after the kids outside. The clinic is very comfortable, and the staff are extremely friendly.
The doctor, who is young and pleasant, asked a series of questions for about 15 minutes before instructing my father-in-law to lie down for a stomach scan. The doctor explained my father-in-law’s stomach condition to me. The scan revealed a cyst on my father’s kidney, and his heart condition appeared to be unfavorable. The doctor recommended that my father undergo blood and urine tests to confirm his condition, as well as tests for several types of cancer. The results of the blood tests would take a few days. I requested the doctor to contact me if anything abnormal showed up in the results.
Despite the circumstances, my father-in-law remained positive, remarking, “I’m old, so the scan results won’t all be good.” However, what concerned us even more was when he unexpectedly shared the password of his ATM card. We hope that there is nothing serious going on with him. On the journey back, we made a stop at Rengit Coffee Kopitiam to try its original coffee, which is very well-known in Pekan Rengit. We noticed our father struggling to eat, but we understood that he wanted to assure us that he was okay.
InshaAllah, may our parents always be granted good health by Him.
رَبَّنَا اغْفِرْ لِي وَلِوَالِدَيَّ وَلِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الْحِسَابُ
“Our Lord! Forgive me, my parents, and the believers on the Day when the judgment will come to pass.” (Surah Ibrahim, 14:41)
رَّبِّ ارْحَمْهُمَا كَمَا رَبَّيَانِي صَغِيرًا
“My Lord! Be merciful to them as they raised me when I was young.” (Surah Al-Isra’ 17:24)
