Sunday, May 11, 2008

G was Really Sick

It has been a harrowing 1.5 weeks since last Wednesday.

G was sick - very very sick, in fact, having to be admitted to TTSH on Monday after battling out 6 days of illness at home and seeing doctor 4 times. He stayed in till Thursday, and came home still feeling rather weak and dizzy, and as near as we can determine, a good 12kg lighter.

What was wrong with him?

Actually, we have no idea. He started with fever and headache - the fever went away but the headache remained, and then he started getting nausea and vomited up everything he ate. However by the time he was admitted, the blood tests and lumbar puncture done showed nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps his body had already begun to repair itself of any infections that had occurred by the time he was admitted.

It was very scary while he was so ill. I found myself wondering of all the possible conditions and couldn't imagine when or how he would get better. So true that health is extremely important - without good health, everything else is secondary.

By the way, TTSH is really unimaginably crowded. He waited a total of 20 hours in A&E to get a bed in the wards! And almost all of it was spent in a makeshift non-aircon room next to the ambulance drop-off point and carpark. Really not restful. There is no privacy at all - even the toilet is those construction site movable cubicle kind. There are no partitions between the beds, just rolls of plastic sheeting tied up to the piping overhead - if you need a partition, I suppose the nurse will come and cut the raffia strings that hold up the sheeting. And apparently thats not the worst they get yet - sometimes they will be so full that they close their A&E and turn away patients! No wonder there is a need for another hospital serving North area of Singapore. Gosh..

When he finally got admitted though, it was to an A1 class bed as the ward class we had asked for (B1) was totally full. It was really a room with a view though I doubt G managed to admire it at all. Full length drop glass window on the 13th floor.. Wow. However the medical facilities were not very good and the food really suck.. It makes me appreciate my stay in Mt A all the more.

On my part, it has been very tiring shuttling between husband and baby. Typically, I would wake up at 6+am to bathe Sophie, feed her, then settle any washing before going to the hospital to remain the entire day. Thank God for my mother-in-law who looked after Sophie all day long. Then at night when I get back at 10plus, I would immediately take over her care as I felt bad for MIL who has taken care of her all day long. However, Sophie did not cooperate and kept on waking up at 2-hourly intervals - 12 midnight, 2am, 4am, 6am.. so each time I have to soother her back to sleep which can take up to 1 hour. Yikes! I really have to drag myself out of bed each day. I tell myself, never mind, once G is totally well, I will stick Sophie with him for 1 week and totally enjoy myself! Yeah!

He is almost at that point now, thank God - able to keep down all food and regained his appetite and only has the occasional dull ache in his head. My mother has been coming over to exercise her famed massage skill on him as well, which he says it really helps. Haha!! My freedom is coming soon!

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