Dr Porn: My dad was my guinea pig

Local TV host Pornsak's father has raised him single-handedly since his mother died when he was five.

Pornsak is extremely thankful for his father, a 92-year-old businessman, for raising him with selfless love.

"Every day with my father is a bonus," he told The New Paper.

So this Father's Day, the Thailand-born personality gave his dad a touching gift.

After seven years of studying to be a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physician, Pornsak passed his final exams last week.

What does earning this bachelor's degree from the Guangzhou University Of Chinese Medicine mean?

Dr Porn, as his friends like local actress Michelle Chong have affectionately called him, can now treat his father's ailments and tend to his health personally.

 

 

Pornsak (left), with his beloved 92-year-old father. PHOTO: INSTAGRAM/ 140KEN

Becoming a TCM doctor was tough.

One of his areas of expertise, acupuncture, required him to practise inserting the needles into himself.

Pornsak, 33, told TNP: "The person I tried it (acupuncture) out on the most was my dad.

"I know the few acu-points that are helpful for diabetes so I did it for him once a day.

"He was in pain and I could see it because he kept twitching!

"I kept asking him 'is it painful'? But being my biggest supporter, my dad did not complain or make a sound.

"He's my guinea pig."

Daddy's Boy

Why Pornsak had decided to pursue his studies in TCM was because he saw how much relief it brought his dad.

Nine years ago, his father's left hand suddenly started swelling for no apparent reason.

After taking his dad to many hospitals in Thailand and Singapore, he still could not find a cure for his swollen hand.

Desperate, Pornsak sought out the help of famed Singapore TCM physician Chen Mei Er.

He said: "Do you know what was the most shocking?

"At that time I had taken my dad everywhere and Western medicine just could not help him.

"Dr Chen, with one needle and using acupuncture, cured my father. It was amazing.

"My dad's hand has not swelled since."

PHOTO: PORNSAK

Pornsak's deep love for his dad stems from the fact that his mum's death when he was just five had brought them close together.

His father married his mother, his second wife, when he was in his 50s.

Her death had hit his father hard.

Pornsak said in a previous interview with TNP: "I remember going to bed the night after mum died.

"Usually, she would bring supper to me, but that night I heard my dad rummaging about in the kitchen.

“He came into my room, crying. In his hands was a bowl of instant noodles that he had made for me.

"He said ‘no matter what happens, I won’t let you go hungry.'"

Mother Figure

Pornsak, who first met Dr Chen when he was previously a deejay with UFM100.3 and met her while she was doing a programme there, said that she is now just like a mother to him.

He has learned a lot from observing her medical practices.

Interestingly, Pornsak revealed that he found out that slimmer people are easier to treat than fat ones.

He said: "I have a lot of plus-sized friends so I don't mean to offend anyone.

"It is true that the skinner you are, it's much easier for me to find your exact points for me to insert the needle during acupuncture.

"There are 200 acu-points in all so you can imagine (how accurate one needs to be).

Even when he's spewing nuggets of medical know-how, Pornsak still feels that it's surreal that he's now a certified physician. 

During the seven years that he was studying for his TCM degree, there were many times that he had thought about giving up.

Pornsak, who also has a bachelor's degree in business management and a Master's degree in early childhood education, said the schedule for his classes was very time-consuming.

Each lesson lasted 3 1/2 hours and he had to attend them three nights a week.

But the $30,000 he spent on his degree was worth it.

He said: "If I could, I'd love to open a free clinic in Thailand for the destitute.

"Some of the people there are so poor that they can't afford food, much less medication.

"Maybe in two years, I could open a clinic in Singapore as well?

"I need lots more experience for in TCM, they say that you have to examine at least 1,000 necks in order to start making really accurate diagnoses with any one neck.

"And that's just the neck. Do you know how many body parts there are?"