Ah Ma - Email Threads

First, we had the somewhat alarming emails...

From: "Alwyn Lau"
To: "Lau, Joanne" , "Derek Lau"
Subject: Re: a-ma
Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 09:34:36 +0800

hi jo / derek,

how've u been, jo? haven't spoken to u for a while...:)

i saw a-ma again last night...not surprisingly, she greets me with a flurry of (unfortunately, incoherent) words...but thankfully she looks better than two nights back...

but yeah it may be good to come back, at least for a week or so...

derek, i passed her your fruits...she must've said something like, "aiyah, no need lar, tell him not to worry about me lar, etc."...;>)

Al

----- Original Message -----
From: Lau, Joanne
To: 'Alwyn Lau' ; Derek Lau
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 10:40 PM
Subject: RE: a-ma

Wow, a lot's happened in the last day that I didn't check my email. You know, D, when was the last time you saw her??
I'm thinking if we (you and me) shouldn't make one big trip back soon, so that just in case anything happens, she would at least have seen us again (and us, her)...what are your thoughts?

-----Original Message-----
From: Alwyn Lau [mailto:alwynlau@...]
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 1:36 AM
To: joannelau@...; Derek Lau
Subject: Re: a-ma

hi derek/jo,

i believe her slurs are a result of a vein/muscle 'snapping' in her head, which actually happened *before* the stroke yesterday, though i'm willing to bet they're related somehow...and ah ma CAN move her body inspite being bed-ridden

derek, sorry to scare ya, but i'm not aware of the *full details* meself...i only know what i saw and what i heard (which is just seeing her in the hospital and hearing that she suffered a 'mild stroke' yesterday morn)...there's also a plan to send her to a home for 24-hrs care if/when she recovers...

my 'feeling' about this: i really really don't know...my parents and yours appear rather calm/serene (go figure)...although my father did stay up very late last night (not normal)...as we all know, this is the 2nd time she's admitted for a stroke and this is happening in the midst of her present heart pills and leg problems (remember how she was when u saw her last year, derek? it's much worse now).

i'm just praying that she keeps feeling peaceful, glad and fulfilled over her past 8 decades...

Al

----- Original Message -----
From: Derek Lau
To: Alwyn Lau ; joannelau@...
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 4:20 PM
Subject: Re: a-ma

Jo,

FYI, Ah Ma was hospitalized with a stroke. As Alwyn said, she can't speak clearly. That's fairly normal in stroke patients because you have just lost control of your muscles. Anyway, according to Dad/Mum, Ah Ma will be under observation for the next 48 hours or so. Naturally, if a 2nd stroke hits again, then all bets are off, get ready to buy a ticket for the funeral etc. If a 2nd stroke doesn't hit, she should be on the road to recovery. Taking the best possible case, Dad/Mum think it will be in her best interest to be sent for physical therapy.

Al, I appreciate you sending the email to Jo and myself, but please please please, do provide more detail. You scared the living shit out of me, and I was half prepared to book the next flight back. And if you see her, please buy her some fruits and flowers. I know she won't eat them (yet, at least). Come to think of it, I'm not so sure about flowers since they can cause respiratory problems, and that may not be a good idea for a stroke patient. You know what, scratch the flowers. Just fruits will be fine.

Derek

PS: To be very frank, I'm quite sure that there's quite a lot of the story that nobody is telling me. Don't ask me why I think that way. Just... a strong hunch...

At 01:09 AM 07/16/02, Alwyn Lau wrote:
she was admitted to hosp. yesterday...stroke...can't speak coherently anymore, slurring...ur parents didn't tell you?

anyway, i'll be seeing her this evening...want me to say something on ur behalf?

Al

----- Original Message -----
From: Derek Lau
To: Alwyn Lau
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: a-ma

What about?

At 11:27 PM 07/15/02, you wrote:
hi...hv u both heard about ah ma?
Al

Then we had the REALLY SHITTY news...

From: "Alwyn Lau"
To: , "Derek Lau"
Cc: "Victor & Ping Lau"
Subject: Re: Ah Ma
Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 16:18:34 +0800
hi all,

any 'developments' these two days? am surprised the air-waves are kinda quiet...

btw, Uncle Vic, could u pls include this add into your mass-mail regarding ah ma?

thanks,
Al
----- Original Message -----
From: Derek Lau
To: Alwyn Lau ; joannelau@...
Cc: Victor & Ping Lau
Sent: Sunday, July 21, 2002 7:47 PM
Subject: Re: Ah Ma

I'm taking the next flight I can. That will probably be on Monday. I'll keep you guys informed by phone or email when I get my ticket etc. It's now 4.45am Sunday morning (or Sat late night).

Derek

At 03:52 AM 07/21/02, Alwyn Lau wrote:
hi derek/jo,

i saw ah ma again this afternoon, as did my aunt a few hours later...her eyes can no longer open...i very much doubt she can recognise me (she pulled her hand away from me, imagine that, when over the past few days she was stroking me non-stop! *teary smile*)...she can no longer speak...at first i thought she was just sleepy, but my aunt reported exactly the same condition 3 hrs later...

so she remains - even in 'waking' moments - in a perpetually eyes-shut condition..the personnel at the home said her blood pressure went up quite a bit...we all know wha that implies...

derek/jo, i kid you not: ah ma is not going to make it for long. i would be VERY surprised if she can hang on until mid-August. she is slipping away...if you wish to see her alive again, it may be good to get on that plane now.

i will be going to JKT tomorrow; so if she goes within the next few days, then today would be the last time i touch her whilst she's "here"...even though she doesn't know it was me, i guess i will always cherish that...

have a good week, derek, joanne...let me know your plans.


love,
Alwyn