In the shadows

Dr Fahim Chand | Monday March 6, 2023 06:00

Friday is named after the wife of the Norse deity Odin. Some academics believe her name was Frigg, while others believe it was Freya. Yet others believe Frigg and Freya were two different gods.

She was frequently identified with Venus, the Roman goddess of love, beauty, and fertility. While we might have prevented all of this confusion if we had block chain ledgers at the time to precisely maintain her genuine identity, the world was still trying to figure out what that lit orb in the night sky was and if it was worthy of worship.

Priorities, as one might expect, take precedence. In any event, when I walked out of the dental clinic on a Friday afternoon, I was preoccupied with more important matters rather than whether Frigg or Freya's name had been chosen to christen one of the world's favourite days. All 40 members of UWO's Dental School class of 92 had been released from academic detention.

The weekend beckoned with its promise of mingling and enjoyment. Tonight the UWO dental, medical, law and MBA students were hosting a party on campus. Always one of the hottest tickets of the year, excitement lay lurking in the shadows ready to pounce. I arrived at home and proceeded to take a shower. My fashion offering for the imminent soirée had already been carefully chosen.

Skinny Marithe and Francois Girbaud jeans topped by an Italian cut white Lacoste shirt. My roommate Dave and I picked up our close friend Dan Ceccacci and proceeded to the hall on campus. Few locations radiate the enthusiasm and exhilaration that a gathering of a thousand young people ready to release the pent-up tensions of a university week of rigorous academic labour.

We made our away to the tables where the dental students had chosen to sit. I saw two of my dental classmates, Karl Weselan and Guan Lim. They made an interesting and contrasting pair of friends. Karl was tall with deep set eyes and a jaw line made for the cover of GQ magazine. He had a cool, easy way about himself that always attracted immense attention. Guan, like him, had an unusual personality wrapped in a short stocky physique. He had an engaging, kind disposition and zealously protected his right to silence. They were both dear friends of mine. The house lights faded as the strobe lights lasered every corner of the sweeping dance floor and took centre stage.

The powerful urgency of the opening rhythms of Milli Vanilli's, Girl You Know It's True cascaded into the trembling darkness. Adrenaline flooded the arteries of a thousand university students desperate for a break. The student troops stormed the dance floor battleground in waves, equipped with their unstoppable enthusiasm. The unfettered passion of a thousand youthful hearts on display. Guan stayed motionless in the shadows until he was hauled away to pay respect to Milli Vanilli's iconic musical masterpiece.

He shook his body into the glorious night, smiling. We were invincible. It wasn't often that I received a message from Karl. Embedded within, lay a story. A story with a gentle stocky hero, a man of few words, with kindness emanating from every pore of his body. Our hero had waged a harrowing battle and as strong and brave as he was, this time he had fallen. His vile conqueror, brain cancer. A battle that had raged on for two years had taken one of the kindest, gentlest people I had ever met. Ironically, he had been the youngest person in our dental school class. Dumbfounded, sad and shocked we paid tribute to our hero in the only way we could. We all donated money to the Canadian Brain Cancer Foundation in the name of the one and only Teng Guan Lim. A gentleman, who heart wrenchingly died at the tender age of 26, but assuredly is never forgotten.

Those days of the youthful promise of a bright future, a faded memory, never to be realised. And while no doubt we all experienced our own bouts of depression, we have come to terms with God's wish. But what if we weren't able to cope with our loss? What are the dangers of untreated clinical depression? There is growing evidence that clinical depression has a negative impact on physical health. According to the findings, patients suffering from serious depression who are recuperating from strokes or heart attacks have a more difficult time making health-care decisions. They also have a more difficult time following their doctor's orders and dealing with the problems that their sickness poses. Another study discovered that people with serious depression have a greater chance of dying in the months following a heart attack.

A change in sleep patterns is perhaps one of the most revealing indicators of clinical depression. Though sleeplessness is the most prevalent complaint, people may have an increased desire for sleep and have excessive energy loss. People suffering from severe depression are prone to alcohol and drug abuse. They are notably prevalent among teenagers and young and middle-aged males. It is critical to urge these folks to seek assistance since they are more prone to attempt suicide. While tragedy and sadness are part of life, one should recognise the symptoms, if one is unable to cope. Treatment is essential. I remember Guan, fondly. The shock and anguish have passed and what remains are the cherished moments we spent together.