PUBLISHED ONNovember 07, 2024 9:29 AMByDrima ChakrabortyMarcus Chin said "three words" to his girlfriend May as he was being wheeled into the operating theatre.
The veteran singer-actor returned to work on Tuesday (Nov 5) following a heart attack and two surgeries and was interviewed by online programme #JustSwipeLah when he got off air after his Love 972 morning show.
Marcus, 71, told host Das DD that his medical leave was until Nov 8 but he felt he was "fine" enough to come back. He also felt it was "too boring to be at home with nothing to do".
He recounted feeling "very unwell" and breathless while filming with fellow veteran actor Mark Lee on Oct 7, when he had his heart attack.
"I was really very afraid that I would breathe my last," he said. "At that time, I grabbed Mark's arm. I didn't say it out loud but I meant, 'You have to save me, please save me'."
Mark called the ambulance but didn't accompany Marcus in it to the hospital, calling up the latter's girlfriend of over a decade instead so that she could see him "one last time" if something bad were to happen.
"May followed me into the operating theatre, she only left later," Marcus said. "At that moment, it felt like I was saying goodbye to her because I didn't know if I could get out of the operation room alive.
"That moment was the most unforgettable, I said three words to her. It might be my last time seeing her."
Tearing up, Marcus added that May was also very anxious at the time but had no choice but to leave the operating theatre so he could undergo his surgery.
"I'm very lucky to survive this calamity in life," he added, taking a piece of tissue to his eyes.
Marcus, who was diagnosed with coronary artery disease, also gave more details about his surgeries: They had placed one stent during the first one on Oct 7 and two during the second on Oct 22.
He was more anxious about the first surgery as he had suffered a heart attack and had to be monitored in the hospital for three days, while they let him go home after six hours following his second surgery.
"After the first surgery, I was sent to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and they checked on me every two hours," he said. "On the second day, when I was transferred to a normal ward, they sent a dietician who taught me how to eat to maintain nutritional balance."
For now, Marcus will prioritise hosting over acting, which he intends to take a break from for a year. He'll also continue livestreaming.
Marcus advised viewers and his fans to get their body checked regularly, not just getting blood and urine tests but also getting their hearts — "our most important organ" — and colons checked out.
He was also grateful for his friends and colleagues who had visited him and sent him well-wishes, and May, for taking care of him.
"But she's not much better than me, she also often complains of pain here and there," Marcus said. "So, I hope everyone can be healthy, especially you. If you are not healthy, how can you take care of me?"
Das, 34, added: "If you're not healthy, how do you take care of her?"
Marcus agreed, adding that they should both stay healthy together.
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