How are you? Have you had a good weekend?

I left from the hospital with some good news that my second biopsy did not show any cancer Thursday morning. Then, by the good help and accompanying of my former colleague -- Dr./Mrs. Xiaoling Zeng who just came back from her business trip, I visited Dr./Mrs. Yingxia Liu who is a woman model in China and Shenzhen City's medicine industry. She checked my data, gave me directions and she would also arrange a new check for me next week.

Since August 11, I was informed to have some more health checks until now, within the 40 days, I have lived in the hospital twice, had an operation, two biopsies and many the other checks. The doctors have made sure the main problem that leads those other problems. So, after having the last check, I will be able to accept the normal treatment on my backbone, eyes and the other health problems.

Compare with 40 days ago, it seems like I have changed to be another person with a new life.

With a grateful heart, before I left from the hospital, I went to the departments that I had been in Beijing University Shenzhen Hospital to send some of my albums of paintings to the doctors who have helped me and made the operations or checks for me. Even though I did not know who were who and what they looked like during I was on the operated tables, I just wrote my thanks and signatures according to their names that on my so many different health check sheets. Knowing most of them were very busy on their positions, I just sent most of my albums to their assistants by the desks. What I would like to do was to remember their good help while let them know how one of their patients thanks them for their good jobs...

-- What I can not forget was in September 3, I could not eat for several days already. With so much uncomfortable and ache, I went to the digestive clinical department and to find the director -- Ms. Fuhe Li since it was her to treat me weeks ago. Anyway, it was not the day for her to work in the outpatient clinic, seeing my register recording, the nurse-in-charge Ms. Yang Lin called Ms. Li and she opened her door for me specially. Then both of she and her assistant director Ms. Jian Liu called the department of CT and MRI to discuss how to make the checks for me since I had an allergy history on some medicine. Then, it was Dr. Liu in MRI office to suggest me to have some the other checks, and then it was Director Chenglin Wang found and removed at least 6 polypi from my stomach and relieved my ache and uncomfortable September 7…

-- I can not forget that in the middle of August, I was in a line for whole of a half day and I could not meet any doctor before the time that they should go off work since there were too many people there. No way, I called a director that my boss had connected for me (I did not find him for I did not want to make any trouble for the others in case I could do it by myself ), Dr. Rui Yang asked me to give my cell phone to any doctor in the outpatient clinic of his department, then, Dr. Juan Li who had taken off her uniform and her assistant went back to their office and dealt with my problem. Just for their good helping, my first biopsy could work in time... And until I left from the hospital Thursday morning, I just saw Dr. Yang first time.

-- Except the medicine experts, I cannot also forget these young doctors. Dr. Qi Lin, a beautiful and peaceful young doctor who just had her baby for about 6 months but she has been called “Teacher Lin” in her area. For helping me to have my health data, to quicken the process of my health checks, she called his colleagues and she accompanied me to go here or there once and once, until very late after the normal work time. Dr. Zhengqi Yuan, who is very young, but he has also been called “Teacher Yuan” in his CT office. He is one of the most patient doctors whom I have met. Even though in his weekend, when he was looking after his young child, he still answered any questions of mine as detailed as possible. From both of Dr. Lin and Dr. Yuan, I do have seen the hope of Chinese medicine career indeed…

To be honest, during the short and long 40 days, every time, when I run among so many people in the hospital, I did feel how these doctors and nurses worked in the overloading style, how one doctor had to work at least two ones’ workload. Yes, usually, we have to be in the line for at least 1 or 2 hours earlier than the hospital starts to work, otherwise, many of us cannot meet a doctor in some "hot" department even though we have waited for whole of the day.

So, in my heart, is full of very complex feelings. One hand, it is so much appreciation and respect to these doctors and nurses who are working hard for us; the other hand, I do think that we should write something to reflect the actual situation in the hospitals to the government, and suggest them to increase the investment on the public utility.

At the same time, as a common Chinese who has gotten so much benefit from our motherland and people. I should really do something in person to return them, too.

So, this weekend, even though it was still a little bit difficult for me to stand up for a long time to sing and to paint as usual, I have created a new painting for a Chinese classical poem, and I have also re-sung it by the accompany of my music professor -- Mr. Weiye Meng first time.

In the first cooperation for about 1 hour, I just sang three times for Mr. Meng had to spend much time to find a suitable style to work on my music instruments -- it is a shame that I have a piano and an electronic organ that is same big as the piano at home, but, I do not know many of the functions of them at all. Also for I could not stand up to sing for a long time. I had to sit down on the chair when Mr. Meng taught me some music theory.

So,we did not satisfy the music and my singing at all. :-)

The good news is that Mr. Meng has started to direct me to melodize. He will also help me to correct my music works and direct me to make a CD as my coach in the near future, to help me to make my dream that create a unique integrated art style with combining many different Chinese cultural elements -- poems, chaligraphy, paintings,chops, music, language, literature, history, philosophy and so on, even though I go to Beijing as an art student some day, he would still like to keep the directions via Internet as my Chinese painting professor Mr. Hui Tao had done when I was in the US.

I do not know how to express my endless thanks and lucky heart to Mr. Meng, Mr. Tao and their wives. After all, according to Chinese culture, a student as me, should go to my professors to have a lesson, but, as a famous musician of Shenzhen City and Guangdong Province, for looking after my bad vision, it is Mr. Meng to come my place to offer his lessons now. And it was Mr. Tao to come to my place in the past 8 years, too.

So, now, with so much appreciation, I would like to share my new painting and new created music and singing with you and all of my doctors, nurses, teachers, professors, bosses, colleagues, friends, family members and hope to bring all of you a big smile and some comfort. To wish all of you have a happy Chinese Mid-autumn Festival next Wednesday.

I am also going to do my best to match my doctors, to fight with the sickness while to keep learning, thinking and creating something positive and beautiful for you and for this world, to let you feel pride of me as your patient, student, employee, colleague, friend and family member some day... :-)

How about you? Do you have anything special this week?

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions, you are welcome to write to shirley@ebridge.cn or shirley004@yahoo.com, or to publish your opinions in the forum.

Shirley Yiping Zhang
Sun, Septemeber 19, 2010