Of Coughing Blood and False Hopes

The “last time” I coughed blood, was somewhen 1999-2000, when I was in Vietnam to film my 4th feature length film. I remembered one fine morning, waking up and prepping to head to a shoot location in the early morning, of coughing bright red blood into the hotel’s sink. Very much like drama serials, and back then, I laughed it off and even told my producers about it, as if it was a “badge of honour”, without thinking about the case or consequence. I had a bad case of “invincibility” then - or rather the younger arrogant me felt it was nothing to my hearty body!

i remembered being told to go see doctors, but I shooed off the notion, because we were filming that day!

I remembered in the middle of the set (which was to resemble a “bombed out house/home” of a civilian - one of the main actresses - which I had spent tons of effort on), while prepping for a next shot, I was told I was needed at the waiting area by the director(s), to which I left strict instructions of what next to do (which I doubt if anyone of my team followed anyway - why do you think I “cough-blood”? LOL), and went to promptly.

The next thing I knew, on arriving, I was grabbed by two guys and pushed down into a lone chair sitting in the middle under shelter, and one of the producers appeared and said, that since I won’t go to the doctors, they brought a doctor on set to examine me hahahaha.

I relented and gave in to the examination.

I remembered as my blood pressure was taken, I was pointing and shouting at my guys to go / move certain things too LOL

The second time I had coughed blood, was yesterday afternoon. White a health amount of blood too, mixed in with my saliva, maybe a bit of phlegm.

"Walk-in", not "by appointment" ... No, 2016 is not done with me yet :/ #henglife

A photo posted by Andy Heng (@asliceofheng) on


The blood letting stopped after than, even in the next morning. But knowing the breaking down of my body - since Stroke in 2010 - and of my lack of maintaining this frail body, I had to be sure.

The doctor at the polyclinic assured me it was slight inflammation of my throat, due to heat-ness, and was given pills to suck, and gargle liquids. I think he was surprised the I did not need a medical certificate / M.C. hahahaha I’ve never needed them as I “work” from home, but I would understand if this is what folks look for / ask for when they visit the doctor, as often as I do hahahaha

The doctor also told me to take ice cream or honey, to help sooth the throat, to which I said I had diabetes and instead I asked for yogurt instead, to which he agreed with. He obviously forgot and told me to get ice cream shortly afters hahaha

But what really got me today, was the “false hope” I was granted a split-second!

Every clinic visit, you’d need to have your blood pressure taken, along with height and weight … and the read out on my weighing machine, was miraculously 2 kilograms lesser than when I was there a weeks ago! OH MAN! IF I KNEW I WOULD’VE EXERCISED MORE EARLIER!

But of course, the dream was shattered when the nurse (taking my measurements) cursed under her breath that the machine was broken, and upon weighing at the next machine, the weight resumed what it had been before.

THAT got me down more than coughing blood did, tho LOL

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