Fr Renckens

I had received news that Fr. Renkens from my church back home is critically ill. One of the doctors who serves in my church is his doctor in SGH. Tears welled up in my eyes after I had read the report. He's my favourite priest because he's the first I had encountered in BSC. He's also the priest in my RCIA class. He's firm and strict in his approaches at class but yet when he's teaching the content, he is humourous and made the content easy to be understood. I have worked with him for a few RCIA classes in the last 10 years. He's really a nice and fatherly priest.

Anyway, here's the report:

Father Rencken’s Medical Condition ( Explanatory Notes at end of document)

1. Metastatic malignant melanoma ( right leg lymph node metastasis) 2 surgeries done
2. Massive infected post surgical lymphoedema of R leg

Father Rencken’s Location
SGH ward 73 room 4 Department of Internal Medicine.
In approximately a week from now (week of 19 July) will be transferred to St Theresa’s Home (former Little Sisters of the Poor)

Visitation
Restricted visitation due to H1N1 virus. However,this week his status is DIL (dangerously ill ist); under these circumstances, visitation rules relaxed for him. Two at a time in the room, visiting hours 12-2pm. 5-8pm. If Father Renckens is found sleeping, procedures being done to him or he is in pain, visitors are requested to wait outside or come another time.

Prognosis
With the diagnosis of metastatic melanoma, prognosis could be 6-9 months survival. His condition was discovered 9 months ago. Based on his rate of decline, he may survive a month or less. However, I do not discount miraculous healing. Father is hoping for this. He still looks forward to moving to his new home in block 150 Mei Ling Street in 2 months time. Current home Damien House in Gillman Heights has undergone enbloc sale. He desires not just to walk again but to drive off from St Theresa’s Home when his new home is ready.

Current condition
Cannot walk as of one month ago; appetite poor, difficulty sleeping, suffers pain from right leg swelling especially right thigh wound from February surgery. Finds it hard to pray. Sometimes forgets where he is. ored lying in bed for a month, yet too weak to do anything like reading newspapers. Sometimes has energy to chat a bit.

Request From Father
“Please pray that I may have the courage to carry this cross and that my leg will get better.”
NB When he went for his February operation he told his fellow priest, “My Way of the Cross has begun”.

But I Wish To Give Something or Do something to Father Besides Praying
While in hospital, cash is not safe. Perhaps when he goes to St Theresa Home. Most food brought for him ends up being given away as he can’t really eat. If you must do so, suggest small packets of fruit juice , small packets of white plain full cream milk, sliced mango pieces his favourite. (Don’t bring whole mango hard to slice in hospital). Matron Belinda of St Theresa home says : diapers are needed but for now they get sufficient donations. Surgical materials like gauze, gamgee, micropore surgical tapes and crepe bandages are needed. When the time comes, we can organize donations.

For now just hang on, otherwise his room might be overloaded with barang barang. Father does appreciate someone to sit by him to help him drink, adjust his position on the bed, keep watch with him. He is too weak most of the time to chat or interact though. When there is no one by his side, he has to be tied by a body restrainer as he had a fall in the hospital when he tried to climb out of bed 2 weeks ago.

My comments: Please Pray For A Miracle!

While our biological fathers gave us bodily life and put food on our table, our spiritual Fathers served us the Bread of Life and nurtured our souls. I am sure we are all willing to do our utmost for our priests as much as for our own father. Father Renckens, like all our missionary priests, gave up everything, possessions, family, homeland, and laboured with 110% of his energy for over 3 decades. BSC would not have been what it is without the sterling leadership of our retired parish priest. Now its our turn as his spiritual children to render him our urgent intercession in prayer.

Each of us should commit at least one rosary and continue to pray consistently for him daily. It’s the least we can do, yet the most powerful and appropriate thing. In my medical career, I have witnessed many miracles rendered through faithful prayer of both Catholics and Protestants. Parishioners of St Bernadette organized prayers for their ex parish priest Fr Joseph Tan who was critically ill in ICU after kidney cancer surgery last month. Now he is home discharged. Surely we can do the same. Even if God wants Fr Renckens home, our urgent prayer is required to help him make that painful journey to the new Home in patience and peace. Also pray that Father Renckens may be able to sleep without sleeping pills. He is a man full of life and plans and really does not wish to die yet. He wants very much to live.

BTW, I know that especially yesterday many people were praying for him. I want to relate an encouraging moment. Yesterday evening, he forgot who he was, he forgot that he could not walk, and suddenly decided to stand up and walk to the toilet!. He only made 2 steps but it’s a milestone for someone who could not even sit up fro the past month!

Details and Further Explanation of Father Renckens Medical Condition
Albinos and fair skinned blond Caucasians relocated in hot climates are extremely prone to skin cancer due to sun radiation damage. Their skin is designed for low sunlight cold temperate regions, whereas darker skinned Asians have melanin, the skin pigment which acts like nature’s sunblock, protecting us from sun damage. Several missionary priests in the past have died of skin cancers, the price they paid for serving in the tropics. Of the 3 main types of skin cancers, melanoma ( cancer of the pigment or melanin cells of the skin) is the most lethal and often is a rapid killer if spread outside the skin. In Father Rencken’s case, by the time it was discovered, it had already spread to the lymph nodes. (Metastasis means cancer spread). Lymph nodes are the dozens of lumps of immune cells located along lymphatic channels which lie parallel to our veins and carry the clear blood components ( lymph) back to the heart. Veins carry the red blood cells, white cells and blood proteins. Lymph nodes filter blood and help to fight any germs in the fluid they filter. You can feel them enlarge in your neck for example, when you have a throat infection. They are also the first to catch cancer cells trying to spread beyond their site of origin.

Late last year, Father Renckens discovered a lump in his right upper thigh. It was the size of a golf ball. Soon, another one popped up below it. He underwent removal of both lumps and biopsy on 16 December 2008. The lumps were found to consist of melanoma skin cancer cells which had spread to the lymph nodes. He took a month to recover from the procedure as removal of a large number of lymph nodes results in lymph fluid leaking in great quantities from his operation wound.

However he recovered enough to start concelebrating masses again in BSC by January 2009. On Feb 20 2009 he underwent a strenuous 5 hour operation ( radical lymph node dissection) by Director of National Cancer Centre Prof Soo Khee Chee, one of the most capable cancer surgeons in Singapore. 27 lymph nodes and their lymph channels were stripped. As much cancerous tissue as possible was removed. This time, the wounds also leaked lymph and took 2 months to heal before he could say mass again at BSC, which he did for a short time in late April- May 2009. Fr Renckens was also seen by medical oncologist (cancer doctor) Dr Donald Poon of National Cancer Centre. This type of cancer does not respond well to any chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and Dr Poon has currently deemed Father Renckens not suitable for these treatment modes. Thorough surgical removal was Father Renckens’ only hope, even though complications of such surgery are many.

Both surgeons and oncologists felt that the cancer had already spread out of the leg and into the rest of the body. This is because at operation, the cancer was found to have already reached the limit where the thigh joins the pelvis. Father Renckens rapid deterioration in weight, strength and appetite are classical symptoms of advanced cancer. The extent of spread is determined for certainty by a total body scan. This was scheduled two weeks ago. However, Father Renckens did not want to proceed with the scan that day, as he was not feeling well especially after the fasting required and the coldness of the scan room. No scan is being rescheduled unless Father wants it. In a way, nobody wants to prove what we already know has probably happened, that is, the cancer has spread everywhere.

After his wounds healed from the second surgery, he soon faced a new set of problems, that of leg swelling and pain, because the drainage system of his right leg had been removed. When he concelebrated Sunday evening mass in May 2009, he was always sitting, did not come forward to distribute Holy Communion, he voice was weak and he had lost a lot of weight. This was quite different from January 2009 after the first operation. His leg swelling became serious in May 2009 when he was tirelessly viewing many flats to seek a replacement house for Gillman Heights for his religious brothers.

Immediately after he secured a flat in block 150 Mei Ling Street, his entire right leg became swollen and infected, he could no longer sit his thigh was red, swollen and inf lamed. His old wounds started to gape, burst and bleed. He was admitted 4 June 2009 to ward 73 SGH. At that point, he could still walk with assistance He insisted on discharge 15 June 2009 to celebrate his birthday in BSC with his priest brothers on 17 June 2009. However the birthday celebration lasted hardly an hour before he had to be rushed home due to extreme leg pain. Soon he lost the ability to even sit and walk. Eventually he accepted his declining condition and agreed for readmission on 25 June 2009. He had to be lifted out of his bed by ambulance and carried down by 4 people.

I am currently in the team of doctors managing his right leg condition with antibiotics, bandaging, incision and drainage of lymph fluid as well as dressing. The medical term lymphoedema means swelling due to lymph fluid blockage and accumulation.

Once his leg has improved to the best that it can achieve, he will be transferred to St Theresa home, perhaps by next week.

Dr CT
Senior CP
Department XXX
Singapore General Hospital