29 July, 2015 - Hospitals

Samuel had high fever over the weekend and it fluctuated between 37 degrees Celcius and 39.7 degrees Celcius. So i had to sponge him and feed him brufen and paracetamol alternately every 3 hours. And also to take his temperature. We had to do this on Friday night and Saturday night. And on Sunday, Jervoise hurt his back again..from a cough, while preparing to go to the Changi hospital to see our grandma with mum. So in the end Jfk and me sent him to Tan Tock Seng and we spent the whole afternoon sitting outside the waiting area in A&E while he gets treated. By the time we got back to mum's place, it was already 9pm. The whole time we at there, i saw almost 20 ambulances bringing people in. It is really a blessing to be healthy and alive and be able to walk, talk, breathe, eat, drink and sit.

Yesterday, i finally went to the doctor because the left side of my neck hurts. The pain started on Saturday but there was really no time to see the doctor with so many things to take care of. So i went on a Monday evening and the clinic refused to take in any more patients because it was closed, that was only 8.30 and the clinic is supposed to close only at 10pm. Damn. 

And so..the doctor said it was lymph nodes that was swollen and causing the pain. I had the cough for almost a month now. And he gave me a letter to go get an X-ray. I also got some antibiotics, cough pills, logenges and flu med. And i truly thank God that yesterday and today were not busy days at work. Because i really feel tired and drowsy..and just really tired.

Jervoise picked me up from work and we went to Changi hospital to visit grandma. She was hospitalised because her red blood cells were too low. As i stared at her face, i realised my grandma has aged alot. She used to wear cheongsums when i was younger and she was tall and regal. She could cooked up a storm and make fantastic soups. So typical of a Cantonese family. It's double boiled soup for every meal. It's a must. She looks frail and...aged. There were many fine lines on her face and she was playing Facebook haha I have never been close to her because she doted on Jervoise, i was just there because.  I had to eat char siew rice for lunch almost everyday after school because grandpa will buy that for us, because it was Jervoise's favourite food.  I hated char siew rice. I still do, must have given me a phobia. But YeYe and MaMa would bring Jervoise and me for long bus rides. I have memories of the 4 of us taking a double decker bus and feeling happy..in those days, there were no MRT yet. And after the rides, we would walk the long road back home in Geylang. Maybe the bus rides wasn't so long and the road home is not far, but when we were kids, the world looked alot bigger :) And there were many afternoons spent in the open air playground at the top level of parkway parade. I wish we had photos to show..but there are only memories. 

As i walked to the canteen in Changi hospital, it brought back memories. The last time i stepped foot in the canteen was 6 years ago, with mum and Auntie Eugenia..with Samuel in my womb.  The fishes in the pond were still as big as before. Pa used to sit at the bench and stared at the fishes and of cos to sneak a smoke. There was once when both of us sat there for half an hour..in silence, just staring at the fishes. But Qi Ji is gone..and so is the open air car park. The hospital is going through some renovation to make it more enticing. Duh. It's really not the place, the doctors and nurses have to buck up. Patients really do want to have accurate diagnosis, gets admitted and DISCHARGED. 

It had been an eventful week..with health issues for all. But all is well :)