SHARE THE CARE
We started with ‘button therapy’. It was interesting to see what Dato’ Dr Kwan and Dr Goh were going to do as they walked in with a tray of different (colours, shapes and sizes) buttons, all beautifully arranged. The patients were in one group under Dato’ Dr Kwan while the caregivers were in another group with Dr Goh. Each of them were told to select 2 buttons – the first choice was to represent how they felt when they first heard about their illness; and the second to represent now or future. Each one took turns to describe why he/she chose their two buttons. Of course the two doctors prompted them with simple questions. It was amazing to hear that all of them preferred the second button (although they are all terminal and receiving palliative care. It only shows they have accepted their illness and are not in the denial stage. This activity took almost one and a half hours. This activity was not only for ice-breaking but also a journey of de-stressing.
Then we all had breakfast, provided by IMU. After breakfast, we adjourned to Chocsvalley Sdn. Bhd. Seremban. Ever heard of this must-visit place in Negeri Sembilan?
We were briefed on how to differentiate chocolates from candy, a demo on how chocolates were made and finally we were treated to a hands-on session of making our own chocolates. We had so much fun making our own chocolates. It was such a sweet experience (as sweet as the chocolates) to see the joy on their faces as they made the chocolates. But we had to wait for at least 30 minutes for the chocolates to set.
We took this opportunity to visit the museum. Although the museum is so nearby, for most of them, this is their first visit to the museum. We were like kids running around excitedly. That’s exactly the reaction we wanted.
At around 1pm, we returned to Chocsvalley , which was just across the road from the museum. We were treated to a sumptuous lunch. Then finally we went to collect our own self-made chocolates. We had so much to laugh as we were demoulding and packing the chocolates.
Soon it was time to adjourn. We said our goodbyes with a heavy heart. The day ended just too soon. Thank you IMU for creating the cheer!