His friend insisted that my husband should go immediately to the hospital. I wanted to close my shop and take him to the hospital. The stubborn man said he could manage to drive himself there.

By the time I rushed home with my 2 youngest kids I was a nervous wreck. My husband was already at home.

He was wearing a white patch on his chest. He was allowed to leave the hospital. I was so terrified and started to cry. I was crying in his arms. It was the first and last time I broke down. I promised myself that I would be a pillar of strength for him.

I read up medical books about heart problems. Armed with little knowledge I had learnt from my reading I was too afraid. I also checked up on cancers.

The next morning he flew off to KL alone and then checked himself into the hospital.

The next 2 days he went through some tests. After he did the treadmill stress test, the findings were more conclusive.

My husband called me and wanted me to be there when he had this meeting with the cardiologist.

I made all the arrangements for my shop to open as usual, someone to pick up the children on school days, and a relative to look after my kids. I was terrified inside but pretended everything was all right in front of my older kids.

My husband and I held hands tightly. We were sitting in front of the cardiologist and listening to his explanation about the procedure of an angiogram, a special X-ray study of arteries, to determine how many arteries are blocked.

In the afternoon, my husband was wheeled into the room where the angiogram was performed. I waited and waited as the time dragged by. My husband’s good friend was with me when my husband was wheeled out of the room.

When I pressed my hands onto my face, his friend thought I was crying. No, I was just bracing myself to stay calm before I went over to look down at my unconscious husband fearfully.

The verdict was out, my husband had 3 blockages. A date was made in a month’s time for him to have coronary bypass surgery. His condition must be very serious as it couldn’t be controlled with drugs. Angioplasty wasn’t given as an option.

Suddenly, it wasn't about somebody you heard or read.... it was my dear and wonderful husband. I should have seen it coming. His bad eating habit had culminated a lengthy process in which his coronary arteries had become clogged with fatty plague.