Aftermath of a gallbladder removal surgery

As I mentioned here, I removed my gallbladder at Mt Alvernia around a week ago.


So very sad.

One less asset.

Reminds of the song, "Let it go" in the animated movie, "Frozen"


"Let it gooooooo.................Let it goooooo...............it(gallbladder) aint working anymoreeeeeee

Let it gooooooo...............Let it gooooooo................close my eyes and off it goessssssssss

And here I stand, with one thing less............

Let it gooooooo...............Let it gooooooo................The fats always bother me anywayyyyyy"


Sometimes in life is like this, if something ain't working anymore, and is in fact causing you pain, then it's better to let it go. If a relationship is bothering you the same way, oh yes, cut it off. I meant, break it off.

How it came about?
Oh well....it started as a series of abdominal pains and diarrhoea almost every single time after a meal. It's not super painful but it's REAL irritating. The diarrhoea can come as fast as 5minutes after a meal. I'm a faster eater as compared to hubby who eats damn slowly and I tell you sometimes when we're having dinner, I "shit" out already and he's still at his dessert. *faints* Thank god we're an old couple, else it's really super not romantic at 1st date.

And I'm not even eating super oily or spicy for that matter. Humph! Then once in a blue moon, intense and severe abdominal cramps will attack me. It's damn "exclusive". It only happens after 11pm where all the clinics are closed so I always have to go A&E. $%^&*(&^%$%^&*(  and be a drama queen.

How painful was it? Let's just say it's usually about 8 to 9 on a scale of 10. Tears will start to fall down my face and I looked like a pathetic whiner. Painkiller jabs always saves my day/night. It's not my 1st visit to the hospital already for such drama and all along(ok for the past 2 years) I knew that I had stones and polyps in my gallbladder.

My family GP said, "Nahz, thousands of people are walking around with stones in their gallbladder. It's nothing to worry until you have an infection."

Apparently, I had lor.

FYI, I'll describe the pain to be slightly off right from center, under your right breast. And it's more painful when being pressed. But the real funny thing is, an ultrasound scan will show that your gallbladder has stones or polyps but no scans/tests, not even a scope, can tell that your gallbladder has infection. It's always a GUESS. My last admission at Gleneagles, my specialist also had this guess, but he didnt sound confident after pressing my stomach, and so I just discharged after the pain subsided. But this time round, another specialist said he was quite sure(though he still dont dare to be 100% sure...I guess no specialist will). Moreover, constant pain and diarrhoea after meals is indicative of a nonfunctional gallbladder. And so I did the surgery to remove the gallbladder.

Of course I did asked all the essential questions, like,


Is it really necessary?
Yes, especially when the infection is causing pain. The removal of gallbladder is encouraged because it's probably not working anyway when it has gallstones inside AND it will remove the risk of pancreatitis as well as the risk of my polyps turning bigger and thus turning cancerous.

Cant I just remove the gallstones and the polyps ONLY? 
But the possibility of recurrence of gallstones is very high, it will most probably come back. So it's better to remove the gallbladder altogether. =(

HOW will it be done?
Via Keyhole surgery. Relatively a small surgery and downtime is not long.

WHAT will happen after that?
Basically...think of gallbladder as a storage sac. It's used to store bile which is produced by the liver while it drips, in order to break down fats more effectively for digestion. Guys, you can think of it as RAM of a computer. So when you dont have a storage sac, your body cant digest fats so efficiently especially after a heavy meal. And you might experience slight stomach pains or diarrhoea. In short....you have to eat healthier and less oily.

Sigh.................*head drooped down..........*

*And then head suddenly lifted up*


"DOES THAT MEAN I'LL GET FATTER EASIER SINCE I'M UNABLE TO DIGEST FATS AS WELL AS BEFORE???"

My specialist's reply, "Oh...no...when fats cant get digested, they'll be passed out from the body. When things cant be digested, it means it cant be absorbed by the body. So it's more like it's more difficult for you to get fatter." Then he smiled.


OH!!! WOW! That's wonderful news!


Oops....sorry for being such a bimbo...but I'm just making the best out of my situation!
It's no use crying over a lost gallbladder, whatttttttttt

But girls, please please dont go pestering any surgeon to remove your gallbladder OK just because you want to be slimmer. Zzz.

I just had my 4th diarrhoea tonight and it's not fun at all. =(

Why? I just had a swiss roll only. FML.

And I didnt lose any weight to date lor...despite my torturous 1st few nights at Mt A with the intense pains. Humph!



They did an autopsy of my gallbladder, which baffled me. I mean, it's removed from my body already, why would they bother? Hubby said maybe they just wanna check whether it has any cancer cells and worried that it spreads etc. Sounds logical. In any case, I received these HD hardcopy pictures from my surgeon and it's like...........WOW........gross! My gallbladder was swollen and indeed had inflammation or infection whatever and when they're being cut out, they looked like an ABALONE! Hahahaha!!

Okie, my wonderful family GP advised me, since I had removed my gallbladder, I need to eat less oily stuff...Okay noted....and also...I can take ENZYPLEX to aid in indigestion. I then realized it's actually the same green capsule which the hospital gave me during my stay. FYI, you dont have to bother to ask doc to prescribe you from the hospital because I think it's cheaper to get it from Watson. (I only saw 1 brand in both Watson/Guardian/Unity). And medical(H&S) insurance dont cover such supplements because they are not medically necessary. (Trust me, I'm in Insurance). These are cheap, like less than S$50 for 200 capsules(because they having 1 for 1 promo). I probably have to take them forever.

Bless you if it's cancer, the supplements are much more expensive, like maybe S$100 per capsule. Drop onto the floor also must eat. =P So getting some major illness or early stage illness policy ON TOP of hospitalization and surgery insurance shield plans dont harm at all~

I'm still recovering from the wounds....my tummy is oh-so-colourful now. Bruised. Sigh.....I prayed to god that it wont look like this forever else I will be super sad. I love my F21 bralettes, midriffs and bikinis. 

It has been maybe a week after my op. I just removed my stitches yesterday. But I still experienced pain when I vacuumed my floor just now. Vacuum! Not even mop. Sigh...........I just cant do any housework or sports or dance for now. I'm feeling so irritated.

Let it go from Frozen(movie) (Gallbladder edition)

"Let it gooooooo.................Let it goooooo...............it(gallbladder) aint working anymoreeeeeee

Let it gooooooo...............Let it gooooooo................close my eyes and off it goessssssssss

And here I stand, with one thing less............

Let it gooooooo...............Let it gooooooo................The fats always bother me anywayyyyyy"



Blessing you a healthier and robust 2014! Hope you've gained something out of this entry.

Mummy's simple birthday at SGH

So came 6th Aug(just 2 days after admission), it was Mummy's birthday but she was still hospitalized and on the drip, thus she cant eat anything. I cant even buy her a cake. Sigh...... so we bought her 28 stalks of roses(she loves that number, 28->"easy prosper") from the Lembang market, half of each in baby pink and fuchsia pink. They were so lovely. =D The auntie was so nice to give me a pack of "flower food" too(to be dissolved in the water so that the flowers sustain longer). And it's only S$35.

I actually passed the bouquet to mummy to let her see and smell the flowers before I transferred them to the vase we brought. She was so happy. =) They were then put on the table just infront of her bed so that she sees them everyday, hopefully can lift her spirits. Didnt remember to take a picture of the lovely flowers in the vase though. They looked magnificent!

Nothing seems appropriate as a birthday gift for her current situation. Bag? She also cant use it then. Perfume? Zzzz. Whoever wears perfume in a hospital. And I thought a kawaii cushion for her to hug to sleep would be perfect. So we got her 1 lovely rainbow colour cushion with the softest fur imaginable in a shape of a lollipop! Just looking at it makes me happy too! And she hugged it to sleep every night in the hospital. =)  It's from Candylicious from RWS.

Some ideas for you if your loved one (unfortunately) spends her birthday in the hospital. If you're good in art and has enough time, it's great if you can get a big-ass card and gather all family members to write blessings on it. =) Sometimes it's not the value but the heart that counts.

Also, I wish to thank all my colleagues as well as my director for the 2 hampers which they sent to the hospital. And all the blessings in one way or another. Thank you all!!

Ahh...now as I blogged, I realized we had forgotten to pass her the birthday pressie we got for her days later. Sigh....actually she just discharged on sunday 18th AUG(the day before) but just last night 19th AUG, we went SGH A&E again at around 9pm.......she's okay now though....And we only reached home at 3+am today....so damn shag. will blog about her medication condition part 3 soon. Today will be a happy entry.

Complications from previous stomach ulcer operation - Hospitalization Stay in SGH - Part 2 / Low-fiber Diet

To continue from, Complications from previous stomach ulcer operation - Hospitalization Stay in SGH - Part 1


The next day, I visited mummy again.....with that tube through her nose and the pumping machine by her bed.........*heart pain*............and her looking so sick.........Sigh..... As I've mentioned previously, the tube through her nose together with the pumping machine is to suck out food from her clogged intestine to relieve the pressure there, and thus relieve her abdominal pain. 

However I thought it through....and requested to speak with the local female doctor again....

With knitted brows, I said:

"But this will only be a short-term solution isnt it? I mean, she cant possibly be on the drip forever and dont take any food right? Once she starts consumption, food gets piled up in the intestine again, clogged at that bent, it will cause pain and vomiting again. And she will have to go through this again right?"

The doctor was clearly taken aback by the fact that I do have a brain that analyzes.

Doc: Hmmm...............erm....ya...I do agree with you that this may only be a short-term solution........*look down deep in thought*

Me: So can she do a surgery or something to nip the problem in the bud?

Doc: Generally we do not encourage patients to go through surgery because every surgery has it's risks and they might also cause other complications, like the one we have right now.

Me: So it means if we do not choose to op....we must prepare ourselves to re-visit the hospital again.....in...like....every....6 months? 1 year? Assuming her intestine is being cleared fully by that suction machine now, how long it roughly takes for that intestine to get clog again?

Doc: This is difficult to say as it also depends what food she consumes...like fruits and vegetables which have more fibers might be more difficult to digest and may clog up the intestine faster. Soft foods generally digest better.

Me: Damn! Then why didnt the previous doctor tell us that?? My mum always chose to take more fruits and vege as we've all being educated that they help in digestion!

Doc: No...fibers are difficult to digest. And when such and food piled up at the bent, it also causes pressure. Through time might be dangerous too because the intestines might burst.

Me: What???!!!!!! You mean it may burst anytime when the intestine is full? And it's very dangerous when it bursts???

Doc: Erm yes........

Me: Then we HAVE to do the op no matter we like it or not isnt it? I mean, having the risk of complications IS better than having the risk of a burst intestine RIGHT???

Doc: Erm.................I think this one you need to consult the surgeon, who is working on your mum's case.

Me: Surgeon? I thought you're in charge of my mum's case?

Doc: Yes we are, but a bunch of us are doctors in the medical team. There is another team of surgeons who will discuss about whether your mum need an operation.

Me: (=.=)zzz  Can I speak to the surgeon then?

Doc: Okie, we will arrange for you.



After the doctor left, I turned to look at dearie. I think there's a very "obvious but yet imaginary" 3 lines on my forehead. Like that, (=.=)|||

So doctors like such....patrol wards and patients....asking "how do you feel", arrange patients to be on drips...arrange minimally invasive procedures like insertion of tubes through the nose and such, prescribing antibiotics in drips, painkillers or anti-vomiting jabs etc. Ask them more and they wont know; you need to speak to the surgeon. Surgeons are very busy doing surgeries so they seldom walk about for you to catch them, nor can you request them to call you as easily as doctors do(I do request doctors to call me sometimes when I want to know more about my mum's conditions, since sometimes they're not around. And they called me dutifully).

Anyway, it got me thinking(I always think about many things). Mummy's previous op was 5 years ago. 1 year later, she started having abdominal pains every 3months or so and will usually visit GP. There were 2 A&E occassions where the pain was very bad and during the middle of the night. But she was usually given painkillers and put to rest at the observation ward and eventually sent home when she felt better maybe some 8hours later. So she didnt ward. Then I started to ask mummy about her usual diet, how much she eat etc. She told me she usually have 1 bread in the morning, food like beehoon soup in the afternoon and half portion of rice with other vege for dinner with lots of fruits everyday.

Even if she exclude(or cut down mostly) fruits and veges from her diet.......I think....it's really hard to deduce....what will happen....when and such. But how can 1 avoid eating fruits and vegetables? There will definitely be constipation. Then what can she eat....laxatives? Will it be bad for her stomach or not? Hmm....or maybe she just have to stick to a low-fiber diet...what are the kind of fruits with low fibers leh....I have so many questions running through my head.

Anyway, now I know.....

The saying of Fruits and Vegetables aiding in digestion is clearly a MYTH!

What all the old folks have been saying are clearly misleading.

As I googled "low-fiber diets" for foods which are suitable for mummy to take, many different websites pop up. ALL of them said they are suitable for people who just underwent surgeries and wish to rest their bowels or intestines. They are also great for people with trouble digestion food, suffer stomach cramps etc. But the trouble is, some of the foods they suggest to take and avoid are contradicting each other!

Anyway, since I'm researching for my mummy now(she is discharged already and can eat now), here's a very conservative list which I concluded from those sites on my own, for my own mummy. You may take it for reference if you wish/need, although I may not be completely right. 


My suggested Low-fiber Diet food for my mummy

Eat

• Tender cuts of meat
• Grounded meat
• Tofu
• Fish 
• Carrots (without skin, boiled/stewed till soft)
• Potatoes (without skin, boiled/stewed till soft)
• Eggs
• Canned mushrooms
• Margarine
• White bread
• Marshmallows
• Tofu
• Kiwi
• Papaya
• Fully-ripened banana
• Canned peaches
• Ice-cream
• Chocolates
• Clear jellies
• Mayonnaise
• Honey

Avoid

• Tough meats
• Cereals
• Raw vegetables
• Vegetables that have stems, like broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus
• Milk
• Whole-wheat bread
• Brown rice
• Oats
• Barley
• Prune juice
• All peas, nuts and beans
• Oranges
• Corn
• Onions
• Raisins
• Berries
• Pickles
• Potato Chips
• Steamed veges

Also note to drink LOTS of WATER if you're on a low-fiber diet.

Of course this list is also based on my mummy's taste buds. I will specially highlight to her foods which she loves to eat but CANT eat(poor thing...haiz...), and foods which loves to eat and CAN eat. =) 

As far as cooking methods are concerned, try using poaching, stewing, braising, steaming INSTEAD OF frying, grilling or baking as the latter methods make the food drier and tougher.

Anyway...back to the topic on whether op or dont op....if it's me, I will prefer to have the op to remove the abdominal adhesion. 

That night, the surgeon called me to arrange a family conference at 4pm.

Family conference....it got me so worried......


to be continued..........................

Complications from previous stomach ulcer operation - Hospitalization Stay in SGH - Part 1

An update of my mum's condition.

Initially I merely intend to summarize the whole 14 days of hospitalization in 1 paragraph since she is already much better now. But as I blogged, I've decided to blog more details for my recording in case I forgot the details of my mum's condition many years down the road. I've also decided to blog more details so that you guys can learn more about what kind of complications can arise from a stomach operation, why they may arise, what procedures/tests may be done, what kind of doctors you're dealing with when you're hospitalized in SGH(Singapore General Hospital) and what kind of things you need to look out for if you or your loved ones are hospitalized. If you're one who is thirsty for knowledge, then read on.

"The BEST lessons are those learnt FREE from other people's experiences.

- Fion Lim

Mummy was hospitalized in SGH because of insistent pain in stomach and excessive vomiting. She was hospitalized since 4th AUG and was only discharged this afternoon on 18th AUG. In fact, after 1 year from her stomach ulcer operation(stitching up of a hole in stomach) done 5years ago, she has been experiencing abdominal pains. Sometimes we go GP or hospital A&E. For the past year it was worse as she also experienced vomiting. And this had to be the worst with the most terrible and persistent pain and vomiting thus she was warded.

For the 1st 2 days of hospitalization, Mummy could not stop vomiting despite having jabs to stop it. The pain, though suppressed with painkillers jab, always come again. FINALLY, the doctors have the brains to put her on drip and stop her food intake. However the pain continued. I'm quite puzzled why a scope wasnt arranged(merely mentioned)...anyway my mum protested strongly against any scope...so a CT scan was finally arranged and it showed a bent/clogged intestine.

I asked the doctor what might have caused it. "Is it a complication from her previous surgery??" So a local female doctor told me yes, and it's not an unusual complication. If you did an op in the stomach, there will be lesion(wound). When they are healing, they are sticky with the blood clotting up etc and may cause adhesions. If an adhesion is external, we can always fix it right away because we can see. But because it's inside the stomach, you cant see, you wont know and therefore you cant fix an abdominal adhesion.

A CT scan showed a bent intestine, which might have sticked to the stomach wall. A CT scan is like taking a 2D picture. You can see all the organs and such in their position, but you wont know whether they are overlapping each other on a front and back basis or merely near to each other. When an intestine is bent, food cant process through normally. As food piles up from the bent area with pressure, it causes pain. When it got so full to near the brim, it causes vomiting.

So an FT doctor(probably from India) called me(because I was working) and said they're going to ask the NURSE to insert a thin tube through mummy's nose to suck out all the food from the intestine to release the pressure, in a way to relieve the pain.

I was like,

Me: Thr...through the nose? Will that cause pain??
Doc: It will definitely cause some discomfort, yes
Me: Is it possible to do it under partial anesthesia?
Doc: Oh that shouldnt be necessary because it's just a simple procedure, non-invasive.
Me: This is a simple procedure?? It IS invasive!(invasive means inserting something into your body). You're inserting a tube from her nose into her stomach to reach her intestines and you're telling me it's non-invasive??
Doc: Erm......it's not thattttttt invasive
Me: *WTF* And you're going to let a NURSE do it?
Doc: Trained nurse, yes.
Me: Can a doctor possibly do it?? Because I'm worried
Doc: *Clearly annoyed* Fine fine we'll get a doctor to do it.
And then he disconnected the call RUDELY.

I was worried because clearly, he doesnt seem to take my words seriously nor seems compassionate to the patient's suffering. He's not reassuring me at all. Not to mention, his fcking irritating accent is super difficult to understand on the phone. Granted that I'm not a medical professional(although I'm not that stupid either) SO doctors should re-assure the patients and the patient's family members to UNDERSTAND what should be done, why it should be done etc.

I was worried and perplexed too. How can a nurse, despite being trained, perform an invasive procedure? Moreover, mummy had an serious operation done before in her stomach. I rushed down to the hospital while calling mummy not to let any nurse touch her. I went down and another female local doctor explained to me that, yes, the procedure might be discomforting but it's not recommended to use anesthesia because they're not good for the body too. As for the insertion of the tube, she assured me and even showed me(the real thing) that they are very very thin, to minimize any discomfort. She also told me these trained nurses do them EVERYDAY, like maybe 1 or 2 patients per day. The doctors dont do it at all, so these nurses will probably do them BETTER than the doctors. Also, the suction pump they're using to pump out the food is a lower power one as they did consider mummy's stomach is weaker than normal beings.

(=.=)''''' Okie fine................But at least she's reassuring me...and I felt more at ease. And I also explained everything to mummy.



To be continued.................................................
Complications from previous stomach ulcer operation - Hospitalization Stay in SGH - Part 2 / Low-fiber Diet

I'm Ok now, thank you :)

Been missing out alot. Sigh.......this has been a very bad year for me. Very very bad. 2nd hospitalization this year and the last was merely a week plus before only. Sigh........ Anyway, I stayed in Gleneagles for 2 and a half days but will be billed as 3 days as after 6pm(till 12pm the next day) will be considered another day . Which is....I just dont understand this logic by hospitals lah. But since I'm okie already by the evening, I just discharge myself. The doc kept wanting me to stay.

It was actually very bad the first night as the intense pain was torturous. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate it 8 to 9. So immediately I was given a jab to stop the pain. Bliss. But only for a few hours. =( When pain came back again around midnight, I really cant endure it and asked for another jab. This time round, it was stronger and finally I was able to sleep. Continuously, I had pain the 2nd day too but it was bearable, around 5 out of 10 so I didnt ask for any jab. Didnt want to be addicted to it. But I'm almost 100% sure I developed wrinkles on that very day because my forehead and face was so "shrivelled".

Cel came to see me on 2nd night and I'm so glad for her company. Our constant chatting took my mind off the pain. She's so sweet to tabao for me. Damn funny. I was saying I felt like dying when every meal is....porridge....kway teow soup.....you know I'm such a 重口味 kinda person and I was just....emo siah.

I was having this boring and bland kway teow soup when she said(what'sapp),
You want me to tabao something more "exciting" for you??

LOL. I almost jumped with glee.

"Yesssssss!" I said

"Anything you cant eat?" she asked

I said, "Er...nothing too oily or spicy. No potatoes or soya products."

"Oh Then I buy kway teow soup for you oki? Haha"

".........................................................................."

Noti girl.

Though of course I didnt want her to go especially out of the way. However she's so nice, as she's in Orchard, she went Paragon to tabao BakerzIn's Bacon and Ham Aglio Olio for me. =P Of course, less oily and non-spicy.

I was anxious to discharge so when the 2nd night(daytime pain, subsided by night time) passed by without pain, immediately I wish to discharge already that very next day. But I thought it's safer to just stay for half a day to monitor, so that pain dont come back. And also, I need to wait for dearie to finish his meeting then he can come fetch me.

To friends who really care, sending me messages and such, I'm really grateful. Because I didnt really...like whine dramatically. Ok lah I did whine alittle on FB, saying after I'm discharged, I must have a good meal! That's how they knew/guessed that I'm in hospital...again... Because I really felt miserable in the hospital. =( This time round, it's really bad because the pain was kinda persistent and not very bearable. But I didnt complain about my pain nor say much about why/how I'm hospitalized because I dont wish to be a whine baby.

For people who think that I like to go hospital even for minor health issues, just so I can claim the expenses, it's not true. It was so much pain that I had tears falling down my face all the time during the 1st night before I was given the jab. My doc had to wipe my tears. :~( Though again, I didnt really like to emphasize how miserable I was to warrant the need. God will know. And seriously if we can return the iPad which we picked up to it's rightful owner without any hesitation(the entry just before/below this), why do you think I wish to go all the way to the hospital, get myself poked with so many needles, so many jabs, do so many blood tests, go on drip, just to claim the expenses? I can jolly well take pills at home or see a GP nearby. I did considered that prior to admission but my pills dont work and the GPs at my area suck big time. Not competent at all and it was pretty late already, most clinics were closed. Until now, the place where they poked the needle for the drip(near the wrist) is still swollen and painful. =( I wonder why though.....

By the way, dearie so funny. He said Gleneagles should change name to GlenFino. Because all are Filipinos! Lol!! Only my doc is chinese(Singaporean). *faints* I felt as if I'm in Manila~ ZzzZz


I'm okie now already although I still need to be very careful with my diet. =) Thanks for all your concern. =)

Gleneagles - Super Sian

Mt Alvernia Hospitalization experience

Previous entry as to why was I hospitalized.

Entry continued.....

It was a Wed afternoon so it wasnt very crowded at Mt Alvernia. Waited around 45minutes(considered short) for my turn to see the doctor. Explained everything and finally got arranged to be admitted. It was a super hassling process. Dearie and I walked back and forth between the A&E department as well as the office for some financial counseling. I had a shabby one done by a nurse at the A&E department with a piece of paper, ticking my options. It showed the different ward charges. For standard rooms, single-bedded is S$400 per night. My alternative is doubled-bedded at S$230 per night. Please note they are only ward charges.

Got directed to the office where I waited another 30minutes for my turn, for another round of financial counseling. This time round, I was showed the estimated bill size for 1/2/3 days of hospitalization on the average basis for my ward. I dont quite remember the figures but I browsed through 1 and 2 days hospitalization and the figure was around $3k-$5K. And I suddenly found the initial financial counseling was pretty misleading huh~

Anyway, no single-bedded rooms were available so I had to settle for doubled-bedded. Along the way to the ward, there was this stale smell all along, as though you're visiting somewhere old and havent been cleaned in ages. Seriously, I much preferred the dettol/chlorine smell. I was directed to this rather dim room with heavy stale smell, occupied with 1 patient. It was 6pm already, 3 hours since the consultation with the doctor. Faint. Dearie and we were shocked that getting warded can also take so long with a private hospital. Of course it's still faster than a government hospital which takes 8hours or longer.

Before I started to settle down, I saw this.


(=.=)''' While I do not scream at the sight of cockroaches, I was disgusted how unhygienic the ward is. A cleaner was nearby and I called to her to help me clear it. Guess what? She seemed nonchalant and made no move of catching it. I spoke more firmly again and she actually called in the nurse, pointing at the cockroach. And the kind nurse brought me to another room where there's no stale smell which definitely look tons cleaner. She said they're going to disinfect the room and dont wish me to be there as it's unhealthy for me. And I wonder how the patient in that room is going to take it???

Anyway, the new room definitely looked cleaner, brighter and more inviting. Best part was, I had the whole room(and toilet) to myself because no other patient was admitted. Own tv, with the giant headphones attached to bed. Most of the time, I merely turned the volume to max and listened from faraway as the giant headphones was a chore to wear. Simply too big for my head, heavy too. Despite adjusting my bed in all angles, the tv was still so far above. Imagine my eyeballs(iris) were hanged high up like a ghost most of the time. ZzzZzz. Not many channels but they have HBO.




Anyway I was so tired and famished that I requested for my dinner. Initially the nurse dont dare to give me because I was also admitted for gastrology problems. They told me to wait for the doctor as I might need to fast for tests. When I asked when the doctor will come, they took time to revert and finally said the doc will come at 8+pm. I've experienced once at NUH when I fast for nothing and got to fast 16hours in a row, because the stupid doctor came later than promised plus the fact that they couldnt booked the theatre in time bla bla.

So I insisted on my dinner and said I can fast through the night and have any tests in the morning. It was already 6+pm. If I were to fast for another 6-8hours, it would be 12midnight or 2am. Hmm....not that it's not possible...but I dont think a doctor can perform a scope/coloscopy for me at that late hour. Afterall, it's not an emergency like appendix. So I had my dinner!

So moral of the story, be firm!! And think twice!! Dont follow exactly what the junior nurses(not head nurse) say because most of the time, they dont know much.

Pretty happy to have a menu to choose from! There's more than 8 choices available from western/chinese/malay/indian food. So ecstatic to see "Pan-fried prawns in saffron sauce with butter rice". Muahahahaha! Saffron sia!

Kawaii neh~!~ The cucumbers/carrots were cut so intricately.

Prawns were succulent, but hor, sigh...the whole dish was close to tasteless. *wails* There was minestrone soup too. I was super hungry so I finished everything. And I whined slightly to the nurse, =P, "Eh the food was tasteless! Next time can use more seasoning? I'm not that sick lah." It's actually more of a grumble, I dont really think they will listen but they did! The dishes which followed after these were pretty good, considering I dont have much appetite after all the tests.

Requested for toiletries for my bath after my dinner.


Shampoo, shower foam and body lotion, tooth-brush and toothpaste. No conditioner.
They were pretty moisturizing, considering my dry hair and skin. The lotion, however, smelled horrible, like toilet cleaner but I had to use it. Surprisingly, they were very moisturizing for the skin and leaves no sticky feeling. FYI, Mt Alvernia are super stingy with such toiletries. They only gave me a pack for that 2 days stay and said another pack will have extra charges added to the standard room charges. Appalled, I said I dont have enough shampoo and shower foam to use, and the nurse gave me 1 more of each. Thank god I'm short hair loh. Better to bring your own toiletries.

Dr Roland Chong came to see me at around 9pm and advised scope, coloscopy and ultra-sound scan to be done. And because he's based in Mt E, his time in Mt A was limited. Also, he need to co-ordinate with the availability of the operating theater for the tests, I was required to do the tests at 7am the next morning. That wasnt so bad until the nurse came forward with a 1litre water pitcher, telling me I need to finish the laxative in 1 and half hours, where after that, a second pitcher will follow.

"2 litres of laxative?? Oh my god! So does that mean I will diarrhea throughout the night??" I asked in shock.

"Erm...ya..probably.." The nurse replied.

I very much prefer to have a good night sleep and only do the test the next day afternoon or evening but dearie said it will also mean that I will need to fast another 8hours tomorrow in the day which will be torturous for me as compared to fasting throughout the night. Also, Dr Chong said he will charge additional if he needs to come back the next evening because it's considered OT for him as he's based in Mt E.

Doing a surgical procedure at 5+pm also considered OT? Duhz! When I said whether I can bring it earlier, so as not to incur his OT charges, he said the theater is only available at either 7am in the morning or 5.30pm the next day.

I'm quite irritated because before I'm warded, I've already said I want a Mt Alvernia based doctor so that I can follow-up easily for my own condition. And now, a Mt E doc was being assigned to me because somehow, ALL doctors from the Gastroenterology department were either on leave or on course. Dr Chong even mumbled, "Yeah, because she's lazy, so here I am." I was shocked, it clearly meant the Doctors at Mt Alvernia were simply having too good a life so that they can take leave as and when they want? I dont know about that but hmm....I wont like it if my doctor is always on leave, it will pose inconvenience if I really need to see him/her for follow-ups.

In view of all the above reasons...I've decided to simply LS through the night...so as to get everything done all at 1 go. =( The laxative sucks! I tried my best to drink but seriously, I cant get past my 2nd glass! I waved white flag to the nurse and she consulted Dr Chong(by phone) again. After awhile, the head nurse strolled in with 2 medicated bottles with pointed tips. =.=''' I can almost guess....yes....she inserted the liquid up my @ss. She's very professional so there's no uncomfy feeling and the diarrhea started. It's a breeze! They should have used this method sooner lah! Merely discomfort like common stomachache. Preferred this 10times more than drowning myself in the stupid laxatives. 2 litres? Who can finish in 4 hours? Not to mention it's disgusting taste.

So yes, if you ever need to do a scope(touch wood), you can request for this method if you find the laxative a disgusting chore to finish like me.

The diarrhea wasnt that bad, as in I didnt diarrhea throughout the night. But I had little sleep. I was being "served" another 2 bottles of laxative in the morning before the test and finally got pushed into the operating theater with apprehension. Thank god, they were done very very nicely. I woke up hours later with absolutely no bad feelings for my throat and *ahem* anus.

I still remembered how terrifying was the one I did at NUH. They stuffed the scope into my throat BEFORE I was unconscious and naturally, I was defensive as it was very painful and torturous. To my shock, they didnt stop and wait till I was unconscious and continued to stuff it down my throat violently. I felt as if I'm murdered in that bed! Tmd! I also woke up with a swollen throat which is super duper painful with every swallow of saliva.

Never go NUH. They suck big time!

Dearie came to see me again, bringing me my laptop. Iv also dropped by as he's working nearby. He described Mt Alvernia as "vintage". (=.=)''' A very nice word for "old". Frankly speaking, indeed, Mt Alvernia wasnt as new and nicely renovated as I thought. And it suddenly dawned on me that the ward charges(solely ward charges only) were expensive. Well, we always know, everybody knows medical expenses in Singapore is expensive, more so for private hospitals. But for a ward charge of more than $230, wow, that's even more expensive than a 4 star hotel which clearly have better and newer furnishings as well as a bigger area. Please do note there are other nurse/doc/surgery/misc charges.

Dr Chong came again in the evening and told me my scope test showed positive for bacteria infection. He added that it's acid influx up my esophagus which caused my chest pains. I never thought chest pains can be caused by problems from the stomach. I had many questions but Dr Chong had little time for me, no more than 5minutes. I had to half-chase him all the way to wherever he's going, for my answers. Thinking back, it got me kinda irritated. Isnt the doctor's responsibility to explain to the patient what is her condition, how it happened and what to avoid in the future? I'm not expecting him to sit down for half an hour with me, just 10-15minutes.

Since it was already the evening, I decided to stay for the night since the hospital charges wards just like any hotel charge their rooms; i.e, full day is charged so long so it's after 12pm(check-out time). Might as well I have my dinner and morning breakfast before I leave.

Here's my dinner. Black pepper chicken with butter rice. Very yummy!



I got hungry around 11pm again and sadly, they dont provide supper, not even paid ones. =( The cafe located at level 1 had closed way before, but thank god for this!




Warm, toasted sandwich! The poster said chicken but it turned out to be tuna instead. Although the vege in the sandwich wasnt very fresh, it was very yummy. Perhaps warm food simply tastes great to any starving people. Ice milo from drinks dispenser.

Next morning
I had pork porridge. Very delicious. =) It was another hassle to discharge. We had to queue for payment, yes, I understand that it's necessary. But imagine almost everyone have questions for their bills..."What is this extra charge about? What is this miscellaneous thing?" etc etc. It really drags the time. I dont have much to ask as seriously, there's nothing much you can debate about a medical bill, is there? Anyway, my insurance can cover everything. I did, however, requested for a more detailed bill which will only be printed at request, at no charges.

After which, dearie went to the pharmacy to queue for my medicine, which was actually pretty quick. Was prescribed antio-biotics which always turn me into jelly...but despite having finished all, I'm still having the chest pains occasionally. Hmmm........the date for follow-up has been set by Dr Chong, mid July.

I'm still contemplating whether to consult him further.

Firstly, I dont have good impression of Mt E doctors because a dear friend of mine kanna chopped dearly by 1 of them before, i.e, a normal scan of market rate S$200 was being mark-up to S$800.

Secondly, since all my records were at Mt Alvernia, I prefer a Mt Alvernia doctor.

Thirdly, although the scope/coloscopy tests were done excellently with no negative aftermath, I dont particularly admire Dr Chong's offhanded attitude and disclosure to me for my conditions.

The total bill came up to S$5K+. Both dearie and me were slightly shocked for a mere 2 days stay, 2 invasive surgeries and 1 scan. Not to mention the service, environment were merely fine.

Reviews of Mt Alvernia/Things to note
1) Nurses' call are attended very promptly, in less than 5minutes, even after past midnight. In comparison to government hospitals like NUH who only come around 45minutes. Sometimes, they dont even come even when you're dying in pain.

2) Doctors are more easily contactable as the nurses can call them and allow you to speak to them. Unlike government hospitals, you can only wait and guess. Sometimes, you dont even get to see your doctor after you discharged and you dont know wtf happen to you at all.

3) Food is good and has a wide array to choose from. This is important to me. Haha! Food were being served lukewarm too. No suppers though!

4) Cleanliness of rooms differ from room to room!

5) I cant comment on Mt Alvernia doctors as Dr Chong is from Mt E. To give him credit, the scope and coloscopy were nicely done. Though again, I also dont know whether are all Mt Alvernia doctors like him, who dont care to spare a 5-10minutes to answer his patients' questions properly.


Lastly, thanks to dearie for accompanying me most of the time, throttling back and forth from home. =) Thanks to all my friends who had expressed concerns in their many many ways. Actually, I'm rather surprised. For some friends whom I thought will care more, actually cared less. For some friends whom I thought dont really care, actually care more. Haha~ Of course there are also friends who really care for me, just as much as I thought, and just as much as I care for them. =D You do have to understand some friends are simply more caring by nature than others. Dearie, for one, have little words of concern to offer but he shows all his care by actions; i.e, accompanying me for hours, bringing me everything I want, do every little thing for me when I'm sick. I guess most guys are like that bah. =P

Thank you all! =)

Admitted to Mt Alvernia

Sorry for the absence. I was hospitalized since from 15th - 17th June at Mt Alvernia.

Why?

I've been having this consistent chest pain which I grumbled everyday. While it's not that painful where I will roll about in bed like when I was having menstrual cramps, it's still a pain which bothers me everyday. Everyday! It started last year before July. I did consulted GP few times but I was merely given medicine to unblock air-way, asthma as well as painkillers. That's because I mentioned the pains started when my nose started to get blocked every night till I had difficulties in breathing. I breathed harder and harder which resulted in chest pains.

The most horrible episode was in July 2010, which scored 9 out of 10 on my pain-o-meter. It felt as if my heart was being constricted. It was detailed in here. Thank god for blogging, else I didnt really realize the chest pains started so long ago. I sucks at remembering events and has a poor judgement of periods.

The doc at Mt Alvernia prescribed me painkillers but it's not strong enough. The pain only totally subsided 3-4hours later. Subsequently, I still have chest pains now and then, mostly on a scale of 3 to 4. As time goes by, it became more and more frequent, more and more painful, on a scale of 5-7. I consulted docs at Mt Alvernia again, detailed here. This time, stronger painkillers were given and I had bliss for 1.5weeks or so. Dr Yam said it might be because of misalignment of muscles in chest, hence I was told to go back a week later to let him re-align. I went back, experienced hell of a lot of pain, still, chest pains came back.

I knew I have no choice but to admit for tests and check-ups to find out what's wrong. But I held it back despite dearie's constant nagging. Apart from this irritating chest pains, I also experienced stomach pains frequently after meals. And diarrhea everytime I had spicy food. Last tues(eve of admission), I had it again and it was pretty bad. It could not have been a case of food poisoning because it's quite low chance that I have food poisoning every 3 days. So, I told dearie it's high time I admit to Mt Alvernia to get everything checked all at 1 go.

Entry to be continued...