Kvetch Haven
Before more people misunderstood "KVETCH" as a person name, perhaps I should explain the meaning a little.
Kvetch actaully meant to complain and whine. This blog named "Kvetch Haven" so that I can complain a little, whine a little about life. Of course, this blog will not be solely on constant whinning and complain.
A tribute to the nightingales in SGH*
whispered @ Saturday, December 10, 2005 by stardusz
*SGH - Singapore General Hospital
When I was warded to the hospital due to the clots in my veins, I guessed I was in the worse of my mood. I was in a very grouchy mood due to the constant pain that kept reminding me that I was sick. I was attended shortly after I arrived at my room in the hospital and the nurse who attended to me keep repeating some questions that made me lose my patience and I begun answering to her in a I'm-losing-my-patience tone. To my surpirse, she quietly and dutifully continued to do her work and left the room shortly after. My parents and brother left the room too so that I could rest as much as I can.
I fell asleep not long after that and when I woke up later that morning (I think the time is around 8 am), I felt bad about how I treated the nurse who attended to me last night. Though the pain still lingered and I had told the team of doctors who in-charged of me about it they did not do much about my misery as they were still observing me. I am still in a rather grouchy mood and I guess it was a blessing for the other patients that I was temporary in an isolation room. Not many nurses walked into my room to check on me. (I guess the nurses have warned each other that there was a moody patient in the ward, *lol*)
At around 11am that day, a staff nurse walked into the room and informed me that I would be transferred to another room where I would join some other patients in the ward soon. I tried my best to smile and nodded my head (damn the pain, it has made me looked as if I am a monster who hates to be disturbed).
I shifted to the other room at around 11.30a.m.
I was out of the 'isolation room' and shifted into a noisy environment where nurses were buzzing around attending to patients needs. I was a bit irritated by such an environment however I tried to ignore the people around and get some rest. I know and I will tolorate the environment as there where other patitents who were as sick as or worse then I am.
I was on the bed the whole day as I was on the drip (and in pain) so, I don't really have much mood to walk around and mingle with the "crowd".
Another doctor came and check on me put up papers for scope and scan and allowed me to eat soft food (like porridge and congee or noodles). However my stomach was still "out of service" and refused entry of any food consumed. I threw up pretty soon after eating some congee. I was in a bad state, then.
The nurses who were working in this war of SGH are young and full of vibes. They tried to talk to me to ease the uneasiness that was building within me. They helped me a lot and I really felt better after they have receiving assuranace smiles and encouraging words from them.
The patients (and that include me) were well taken care of by the young nurses who were there to do their attachment in the ward by the day. And when nights fell, the full time nurses took over the duty and continued to attend to our needs and such.
They are really wonderful people. They will listen patiently to your woes, put up with your foul mood, bring you to the restroom when you need assistance (maybe you are on drip or limbs are weak), bathe you and even go to the nearby convenient store to get you something that you need. I really admire them a lot. Without these nightingales, I guess my stay in the hospital will be an unbearable one.
Thank you nightingales, you all have made my stay in the hospital a pleasant one. I am really grateful to them and would like to apologize sincerly to anyone whom I offended when I was in the hospital.
Besides them, there is also another person who brightened up my day whenever he came over to visit me. He is no other then J. J visited me when he was still in Singapore and he would sneaked back to the hospital late in the night to visit me again ( and I gurss this gave the nurses who were performing their duty a scare ). He was really sweet and his actions really touched my heart.
Also, there is K who visited me and chatted with me. He even gave me his flashlight when he knew that I had a book (that J gave me as a gift) to read in the hospital (PS: Remember the scones you owe me? =p). C, who brought me some fruits and chicken of esscense (I had no chance to eat the fruits and I know my dad, sis or bro ate some already *lol*). Another J (a really nice girl and good friend since secondary school) who brought me a cup of orange juice that later helped in my constipation during the stay (hee hee, pretty lady =))
I really want to thank you guys and gal (including those who sent me regards via smses), the nurses of the ward, the relatves of a patient who slept next to me in the room and also the strong support from my family and relatives. Without you people I think I might have slipped into depression already.
Once again, thanks for the help and cheering me on. I am deeply touched.
Here are some pictures (or to be exact, only two pictures) of the attachment nurses who attended to me and a friendship is formed in the process.
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Paitent of Own Ambition
whispered @ Friday, December 02, 2005 by stardusz
Being a doctor and saving or minimising the pain of someone has always been my aspiration since I was a kid. I felt that this is a noble career, how many people actually has this ability to save another on the verge of death, bring a newborn safely to this world, minimise the pain of someone who has been suffering from? Seriously speaking, not many. There are only a handful of them, a handful of them to serve the community that comes in hundreds, thousand and even ten thousands, this is a stressful job. But, still easing the pain of someone is the utmost thing I wish I can provide to someone whom I might not even know him/ her well.
Lying there on my bed in the hospital with an excruciating in my stomach area, a group of doctors who were doing their routine rounds in the ward tried to address my pain. The initial diagnosis that the doctors had is that I am having gastric flu; viral infection in the gastric and should be fine in another two day time.
Two days went by, still no improvement in my condition. The senior doctor among the group then order a CT scan and a endoscopy.
These two scans really etched into my memory especially the endoscopy; the nurses will perform a partial anesthesia on me then the doctor will insert a scope to look at my gastric. (Dr. Jason Chang from SGH performed this simple scoping for me, thanks doc. I hope my choking and swallowing of the scope did not hinder your work)
Results:
CT Scan: Discover 3 veins with blood clots in the stomach area; spontaneous clotting.
Endoscopy: slight swelling of gastric.
My life changed with the result of these scans...
Specialist from hematology department came over to my ward and informed me of my health condition and they also told me that I have to undergo a series of blood tests and under go a process to thin my blood so that the clots in my blood will be dissolved.
To dissolve the blood clots is a slow process, I'll need to take medication, warfarin, to thin the blood. The treatment span is about a year and in this one year, I have to be on a watch out of my body condition due to the side effects of the medication. I'll need to minimize the possibility of inflicting injuries on myself as this medication made my blood difficult to clot and prone to bleeding. I'll also need to check on my urine and stool for unusual colour or condition as a sudden change might indicate internal bleeding and I need to see a doctor immediately.
Soon, I'll be going to the hospital regularly basis to draw blood to check on the INR (International Normalized Ratio - for blood clotting time) and PT (Prothrombin Time Test). Once the INR is regular, I think I can visit the hospital less often and naturally, I wish that day come real soon.
For now, I will keep stress at bay so that I can remain happy and get myself cure as soon as possible
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