Thursday 7.7.2011

7.7.2011.  I WAS GOING to the hospital.  ( I am forcing myself to write this posting to test my speed in typing and memory, (neuron in particular) after a GA a couple of days back).

A fortnight ago, in the clinic labeled 6 on its door... while reading my history from the folder, the gynecologist found something was not "done" back in 2009.  She had appeared surprised.    What about me?  Was I supposed to be too?   I did not know what was their findings then.  Or?  I have forgotten what went on then.  Being one of those "innocent" patients, I became quite often ignorant of the medications prescribed to me, never asked further about their effects, how long should I take them and so forth and so forth!  Indeed, I was ignorant.  I seldom ask.

This time the doctor commented that I was one of the "rare" and  most jovial patient she has ever had.  I was laughing away at her remarks and responded pretty well to her inquiries.  I was asked to go into another room with the scanning machines on.  Then she asked me to lie down on the bed... that was when the laughter went even wilder.  Even the nurse had shared it with me.  I was wondering why the pillow was short of the total length of the bed.  Get what I mean?  It was placed not even in the middle of the bed.  When I knew where and what I was supposed to do, then another roar of laughter broke!  But I shall not describe you what had transpired next.

After the scanning machine gave her some images, she asked me to wait outside.  But before I could settle on the seat, she was already calling me into the number 6 clinic again.  While she was explaining about the follips  that she has just seen, I went quiet. She took a quick look in the log book for a suitable date for me. Mentioning the date for a small procedure to be done to take them out for testing sent me even dumb-founded.  She commented politely:

"Now you are quiet at the mention of a small operation.  No more jokes this time.  Are you sure you are alright with this date?"

"Yes, I am fine with it.  I was quiet because the 9th was supposed to be the day we move our stuffs out of this present house"... It was also the day "people" would be out in the streets, protesting for some unsatisfactory matters which I doubt, I knew what they were.

"So, you think you are going to be busy then?"  She further asked with much concern.

"Oh no, It's okay with me."  Thought I.  This time I have to be selfish and think for myself. Sooner or later I still have to go through this procedure.  And with Ramadhan soon coming, I wouldn't want to miss the fasting. 

THREE DAYS before the admission, I was deeply worried inside and deep down.  I did not talk about it.  I just went on packing as usual like nothing is going to happen.  (excuse me, now I have to turn my body around, I am getting back pain typing in this position).

The fact what bothered me so much was the story of a little toddler who went to the nursery so much alive in the morning and half day through, the mother had received a call mentioning of her demise!  Bang!  That left an extreme pressure inside me.  Same thing could have happened to me.  Once they apply the GA (general anesthetic)... I was not sure if I were to come out alive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL!

ON THE DAY of 7th July.

Those worries sent me with a 149BP on Thursday.  Gosh!  Did I have something wrong, saltish or what at breakfast???  No, this could have been my own "accumulated" active thinking cells about the little toddler's fatal incident that I have just read about.  What next?  My weight read 81kgs.  Gosh!  Was I that bloated up?  Or was it the breakfast that I have just tucked in?  Height?  No change.  Obviously. So, there is no reason for any alarms.  Satisfied?

I was led into the first cubicle, a few inches from the "rest room", over looking a beautiful scenery of my housing area with the bed number 1035 and my name next to it.  Next, change into the hospital uniforms?  A pair of extremely thick long loose skirt and a weird looking blouse with straps and studs which came loose after being much laundered. 

Just as I was about to get to know my chatter mates, I was called to go for an X-Ray.  The three of us were chaperoned through the long winded way along the corridor, out of the "restricted" doors and into the lift.  I did not pay much attention which way I was going as I knew the chaperon must be an expert there.  We did not wait long.  First the ECG reading was taken and the "graph" looked good and consistent on mine. ( It was the adverse to little Hafiz's graph some 24 years back (my third child).  It was extremely deep like a crater as he went into "fetal distress" on a Wednesday, 10:00 a.m 20th May 1987.... He was born in the afternoon on the same day by CS).  Then I went into the X-Ray room for a couple of minutes.  Once done, the three of us were chaperoned back into our ward on level 10 of the Main Tower Block of University Hospital.

Next, came the lady with a short hair in brilliant white uniform asking me what meals I would like to have the next day.  Oh, before I forget.... which I should not HAVE forgotten.... my Florence Nightingale was there with me... ever so faithful wanting to sleep with me in the hospital.  Diyanah, my youngest daughter is on a holiday.  She had brought along her change of clothes, pillow, blanket and all her necessities.

MEANWHILE...

Sally!  (So ashamed we did not get any of our pictures taken at all!!!!!!!!!!). The younger lady opposite my bed, has never stopped talking since I came back from the little trip.  She was to remove something from her "body" the next day too!  I was the first, then her.  She had introduced herself, talked so much about many things which I by now I couldn't recollect!  The doctors came by and she kept complaining of so many things.  They spoke in Mandarin and I couldn't understand much although long time ago, I too had learned a little bit of this language. 

Before she settled comfortably, she told me she was going to have her bath.  I made a quick remark.  That she was sure had not taken her bath when she came to the hospital. She was ever so agreeable to it.  Right after her bath, I told her to keep quiet and lie down because probably, soon she was going for her ECG and X-Ray.  True enough, she went off for a good hour.

Then came the "good deed" from her.  It was possibly after our tea time.  She was complaining of the cold "rubber" bed sheet that was under the cotton linen which would get colder by night time.  This is according to her.  She was suggesting us to request from the nurse but no one had come by.  Suddenly she disappeared!  A few minutes later, wearing the widest smile ever seen in a hospital, she had two woolen blankets folded tightly under her arms.  One was for her, and one was for me!  Absolutely for me!  LOL!!!!! She had the older white one pulled over right under her pillow as her second bed sheet and the new blue one became her blanket.  Then she came over to my bed and did the same.  A real joker  she is!  About an hour later, she went off again.  Disappearing to the right side of our cubicle and a few minutes later came back with another woolen blanket.  This time, it's for our friend Salina.  

Speaking in Malay quite awkwardly she said:

"The nurse was asking me, what would I wanted to do with the third blanket?" (as am writing, I heard myself chuckled, honest). 

"She had noticed you doing this? What did you tell her?", I asked while laughing at her.

"It's for my other friend lo".  Sally herself was laughing out loud.

 

We broke into laughter after laughter with Sally's mocking. It was true as she had said, the bed was warmer with an extra linen on.  Clever Sally.

DOCTORS' VISITATIONs

One for my BLOOD. NOpe! Two!

I couldn't recall all the doctors' name.  But there were all from different nationality.  Born into 1 Malaysia.

First the one who needed my blood.  She pricked into my blood vessel with a "push and pull" method of the syringe.  Is there such thing?  I have never seen my eldest daughter doing as such each time she needed some for cholesterol testing.  One funny question from one of the doctors who was so bothered that I became a patient in UH for the treatment of cholesterol.  Repeatedly he was asking me:

"How come you come to this hospital for your cholesterol to get Simvastatin?"

I was adamant with his curiosity.  I was almost asking him back:

"Is it a crime to get treated in UH for cholesterol?" But politely, I replied:

"I was a patient here since 1984.  Hence I did not get any treatments elsewhere since".  I was pretty annoyed.

An hour later, another doctor came:

" We have sent your blood for testing but it did not give a good reading.  Am sorry but I have to get some blood now"... how come it was so?

Without hesitation, I just surrendered to her my left arm.  I would do anything since I was already under their "surveillance" there.  LOL!

Doctor 3.

Explaining to me how the procedure should be done tomorrow.  If things were to go wrong and the wall of the uterus is ruptured, then the op would be from the outer "ring road" of my belly!!!!!!!!!!  WHAT?  Would I be expecting such a risk from such a "small" procedure?  Worried sick, was I.  Naturally!  Obviously!  Absolutely!

"Anything you want to ask me about?"  asked him politely.

"How long would it take?"

"Only 15 minutes" said he.

"Any risk, anything to expect from this?"

"Most unlikely except the above.  If there is no complication, you can go home soon after that".

Sounds even simpler BUT that was sufficient to send me into "chilling" mode! 

Doctor 4, an anesthetist.

"If you don't have any heart problem, you are not diabetic, not with high BP then nothing should be worrying.  But I would give you a GA. "

Gosh?  He was giving that for a minor and such a "small" op?

He did not ask me to ask him anything.  Meaning HE did not explain anything at all about the after-effects of GA.  Am I right?  Right.

Doctor 5.

There was only briefings to the "students" about ME.

That's done with all the doctors until the next morning... I hope.

CAME THE SLEEPING time.

She, Sally was so concerned about Diyanah.  First suggesting the empty bed next to her.  Then we noticed the bed was tidied up with fresh new pillow and its pillowcase and flat sheet.  Sally had taken one pillow from there for herself.  Then when the nurse turned up and put another one, she took it away and gave it to me so that I sleep better.  She knew it too that the bed was adjustable... LOL!  There was so much fun this time in this hospital.

There was going to be another admission later.  We all agreed to our good guess. There was not a single chance for Diyanah to get any comfortable sleep in bed tonight.  So Salina and Sally were offering their visitor's chairs for Diyanah to sleep on.  There were two arm chairs and one without any arms.  She had cleverly arranged them looking like a camping bed, so that she wouldn't fall off in her sleep.  Carefully lying the sheets and her pillow, she soon dozed off.  Sally went quiet as soon as I drew my curtains around which were in soft orange colors.

We were supposed to have out last drop of water by 12 midnight.  But Salina has started her fasting by 8:00p.m.  She was going to have a major op tomorrow, removing her womb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gosh, Goodness gracious!

We were told, my turn was at 10:00 a.m, Sally's at 12:00 noon, then there would be another patient after her and then by the evening, it was supposed to be Salina's. 

To BE continued..... until then, do enjoy reading my posting.