Worried about health? Romeo Tan goes to the doc; Dawn Yeoh sleeps everything off

SINGAPORE — With a storyline revolving around a family who run a Chinese medical hall, Channel 8’s newest long-form drama, Peace And Prosperity, takes health and traditional medicine as its theme.

Featuring a large ensemble cast that includes Desmond Tan, Julie Tan, Dawn Yeoh, Romeo Tan, Belinda Lee, Priscelia Chan and Xiang Yun, the drama also promises lots of health tips if you tune in.

But when it comes to their own health, how anxious are our stars? Are they hypochondriacs who fret over every tiny symptom and automatically assume the worst? Or are they the type who, even if they had just lost an arm, would insist it was “merely a flesh wound”?

Here, we separated the worriers from the happy-go-lucky.

> WHO’S A HYPOCHONDRIAC

Romeo Tan: “People who know me know that I am quite kiasi. If I have a small symptom, I consult a doctor immediately, rather than rely on home remedies or off-the-shelf medicines. I see my doctor almost every month — I think she’s very happy about that because I pay the consultation fee and I spend quite a lot on medicine! And when I go overseas, I stock my suitcase with Panadol and medicines for flu, cough, sore throat and diarrhoea.” (Laughs)

Julie Tan: “When I first felt the symptoms of thyroid disease, I thought I was fine and it was nothing serious —until I went for a blood test and checkup. It got really bad — it affected my health and gave me mood swings. So, one thing I learnt from this experience is that when you feel that something’s not right, you should go and see the doctor immediately, because you’d have no idea how serious this thing might be.”

> ‘IT’S JUST A FLESH WOUND’

Desmond Tan: Usually I’m not very bothered and I’ll keep soldiering on until I collapse. That’s what happened to me two years ago, when I fainted and hit my face. If it’s a flu or whatever, I’ll exercise or sleep it off. So, when illness hits me, it’s usually a major one every few years.”

Dawn Yeoh: “My best remedy is always to sleep it off. The day before, I thought I was going to fall sick and was coming down with a fever because of the hot (weather) but one day later, after a good sleep, everything’s fine.”

Belinda Lee: “If I’m down with something, whether it’s a flu or something more serious, it’s que sera sera: Whatever will be will be. That’s what life is all about, right? I wouldn’t go through any invasive treatments. I just do whatever I have to do each day — be joyful, be purposeful and live each day to the fullest. Don’t worry lah, be happy.”

Priscelia Chan: “My character is a paranoid mother who brings her children all over to see different doctors. In comparison, I’m very chill. I’ll let it drag on for quite a while — maybe four, five days — hoping it heals itself. If it doesn’t, then I’ll pop by the doctor’s.”

Catch Peace And Prosperity starting on April 4, weekdays at 7.30pm on Mediacorp TV Channel 8.