Indomitable

Mum is a much stronger woman than I had envisaged. Despite a string of chronic illnesses plaguing her subsequent to a nasty bout of pneumonia, Mum is still full of fight. Despite her leukaemia, acute back pain, frailty and suffering from the drowsy effects of painkillers, she is still raring to go. She makes sure she gets her daily dose of physiotherapy and eats as much as she possibly can to keep her strength up. Despite having to lie on the bed almost the entire time, she keeps her spirits up by thinking positively of her impending recovery.

She does worry about her condition, too, sometimes, but that is far and few in between. She is more concerned about making herself mobile. She is constantly thinking of ways to keep herself active, moving her limbs to keep her muscles toned and supple. She is always thinking of creative food to eat to stimulate her own appetite.

I am so proud of Mum. Her spirit is as indomitable as it always had been, refusing to give up in the face of adversity. It is because of her courage that I weathered through the darkest periods of my life. This spirit will be the basis of Mum?s eventual recovery in the following months. This is the determination that will spur me to help her in anyway I possibly can. This is the fortitude that will see her back on her feet again in no time. This is my Mum.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.