残忍的‘慈善机构’/ This Charity is indeed cruel

妈妈的主治医生告诉我们一个好消息，在服用了6个疗程的Iressa后，可向‘慈善机构’申请免费服药。原因是这种药实在太贵了，一片就超过人民币500元，而一个疗程要吃30片，这对我们这样的工薪阶层来说简直是天文数字。如果能申请到免费服药，无疑是找到了救星。于是，我们满怀希望地开始了表格的填写。
万万没有想到这竟然是一场恶梦。原来，表格一定要本人填写，且必须附有医生的详细诊断证明，且明确规定应为晚期患者，本人须知自己病情的每一个细节。妈妈读罢，当场精神崩溃，她表示不打算在继续治疗了，她说这一年多来她一直在说服自己不是晚期，可一看这表格再也无法骗下去了，而且还需要她知道每一个病情的细节，每次拿药都要亲自去，并向他们重复自己的病情，这无疑是对她的极大的精神折磨。我们能理解这药很贵，如果处理不当，会成为某些人牟取暴利的工具，而耽误了真正需要的人的治疗。难道‘慈善机构’就不能像一个更人性化的办法来解决这个问题吗？首先，我觉得让病人知道太过具体的病情对他们没有好处，这会使他们背负沉重的精神负担，从而影响治疗；其次每次的重复自己的病情更是惨无人道，这无异于你在精神上残酷的折磨着他，时时刻刻提醒他你活不了多久了，为什么做人要做到这么绝呀？另外，让一个晚期病人自己去取药也不现实，他们连出门都困难，怎么可能去给自己排队拿药嘛？妈妈说着‘慈善机构’根本就是在逼她死得更快些。于是我们决定宁可借债治病，也不向这所谓的‘慈善机构’提什么申请了。
该‘慈善机构’为中华慈善总会天津分会。

Mama's doctor gave us some good news. After completion of the 6th course of Iressa treatment, we can apply for free medication from the 'Charity'. It's indeed a wonderful thing because this medicine is too expensive, more than S$100/pill. One complete course is 30 pills. It's a huge amount for salarymen like us. If we can get free treatment, it means we have found our savior. So we started the long journey of making an application, full of hope for the future.
Who was to know that it would be the beginning of our nightmare? According to their rules and regulations, the form must be filled up by the patient him/herself with detailed diagnosis. It mentioned very clearly that all patients must be at their final stage. Patients must know every detail of his/her condition. After reading it, mama broke down immediately. She refused all treatments. She said that all the while she had tried very hard to persuade herself that she's not at the final stage yet. But after this, she just can't fool herself any more. And it's a great torture to let her know the details. She has already born too much burden even now. They also insist that she must personally attend every appointment for medication and provide a detailed report about her condition. This has caused a tremendous amount of unnecessary mental torment. We can fully understand that the medication is extremely expensive and if not handling properly, the goodwill may be abused. But can't they think of a more humane method to replace the current one? Firstly, I believe that it is not helpful for patients to know that they have been stricken with a terminal condition from which there is no hope for the future. It gives them unnecessary worries and affects their treatments; secondaly, what is the point of all the repetition and reviewing the condition agaian and again. What can it do besides reminding them that they have a terminal decease and their days are numbered while they are trying hard to forget all their unhappiness. Why so cruel? Finally, it is very exhausting for the patient and the familiy to personally go to the charity. Think about it. They are already at their last stage. Going out is already a huge problem, let alone queuing hours and hours for their medicine right? Mama said this so called 'Charity' is just forcing her to die faster instead of helping her. We would rather borrow money to give her treatment than applying through them.
By the way, this so called 'Charity' is China Charity Federation Tianjin branch.

Summer Vocation

I went back to see mama from 15/06/09 to 29/06/09. She was a bit weak. So we couldn't go out often, especially couldn't walk far.