Kuala Lampur, June 25 -- In the blink of an eye, more than 14 years of my retirement journey has slipped away silently.

Having planned my retirement well, I don't regret turning down a two-year job offer that would have delayed my retirement until 2013.

After more than six decades of living a medication-free life, I faced the biggest shock of my life in 2023.

When I had my first colonoscopy in 2014, I was given a clean bill of health. Unfortunately, the second colonoscopy conducted in 2023 detected a polyp measuring two centimetres in diameter in my colon.

Four days later, the biopsy confirmed that the polyp had reached the high-grade dysplasia stage. If left untreated, it carries a high risk of developing into colorectal cancer.

As ...