The Ordeal
Yep, went through the ordeal today, but the procedure was hardly trying cos I was under intravenous sedation the whole time. I think I was knocked out in less than 10 seconds. I couldn't even remember when it was during the supposedly half-hour procedure that I told them to stop because it felt unbearably painful. I remember doing that, but fortunately, I can't recall the pain... I mean, that's good...cos then I'm not traumatized. Haha...
Anyway, the procedure started at 12.48pm (read the time on the blood pressure device). I woke up close to 2pm and started sms-ing updates to those supporting me in prayer. Thanks, ya'll!
So the ordeal wasn't the procedure as I had expected. Ridiculously, what was more trying was that during the 3-hour wait in my ward for my turn to go in to the endoscopy room. Some guy accompanying a lady who was admitted to the ward on my right decided to sing some hokkien songs while listening to them on the earphones. Maybe he's practising for his 7th month getai show, but, c'mon, it a shared room leh... can be more considerate or not? They think they in some sound-proof KTV room meh?? Then somemore sing OUT OF TUNE!!! Aiyoh...so unbearably irritating. And if you think that was bad, the lady decided to join in after the guy shamelessly went on for like 45 minutes. Too bad I couldn't bring myself to stop them or stoop low to out-sing them. I was so close, though... then she had to go for her scope... and there was peace... Thank God!
Oh, outcome of the scope... that's another ridiculously annoying thing. The polyp they found wasn't even removed as expected. Why? Because the doctors need to discuss with me if they should do a biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue) cos the diagnosis is that it's suspected to be a malignant neoplastic polyp (neoplastic meaning caused by an abnormal growth of new tissue). So I got to go back to CGH on 4 Sep to see the doctor to discuss about having the biopsy. I suspect I'd probably need to make another appointment to do the biopsy if it's recommended... then another date to get the result... and then further appointments to remove, follow-up etc.
Wa lau!!! Where got so much time? Why can't they just discuss it with me when I wake up and save me the trouble to get down there again to decide? I have to take a few hours of time off everytime I go for an appointment...no need to work already lah? And not say the right doctors are available everyday one leh...mostly only one particular day of the week. So if this week cannot, then gotta be next week, blah blah blah. If the polyp is really cancerous, I could have died by then. Stupid government hospital system. (ok, ok...this is a potentially sweeping statement). Meanwhile, gotta take medicine to control the condition. Bleah... I gonna call up CGH tomorrow to get more details cos the nurse whom they assigned to "explain" the outcome of the scope was quite incompetent.
The dietary preparations the day before the scope was ok. The only inconvenience was looking for the right food to eat. Supposed to take only soft diet (porridge, noodle, no milk, no veg or fruit). So I end up just eating (drinking) porridge for breakfast and lunch. Not that bad lah, except that I need to dig out the shreds of chicken, spring onion in the porridge at BUS canteen, so I ended up eating only half of it. It was tiring to separate the chicken from the porridge.
Then, no more food after 3pm and from 6-8pm, I needed to gulp down 250ml of some mixture every 15 minutes. So that's 2 litres in 2 hours. By the last 2 portions I felt like puking. Complete fast from midnight onwards till after the procedure.
So it appears, that eating nothing is easier than trying to work out what can be eaten. I admire people who are disciplined in their diet, or in anything, for that matter. Discipline is a big thing... well, maybe I'll write more about it in my next entry. A bit random for this one which is long enough.
Anyway, the procedure started at 12.48pm (read the time on the blood pressure device). I woke up close to 2pm and started sms-ing updates to those supporting me in prayer. Thanks, ya'll!
So the ordeal wasn't the procedure as I had expected. Ridiculously, what was more trying was that during the 3-hour wait in my ward for my turn to go in to the endoscopy room. Some guy accompanying a lady who was admitted to the ward on my right decided to sing some hokkien songs while listening to them on the earphones. Maybe he's practising for his 7th month getai show, but, c'mon, it a shared room leh... can be more considerate or not? They think they in some sound-proof KTV room meh?? Then somemore sing OUT OF TUNE!!! Aiyoh...so unbearably irritating. And if you think that was bad, the lady decided to join in after the guy shamelessly went on for like 45 minutes. Too bad I couldn't bring myself to stop them or stoop low to out-sing them. I was so close, though... then she had to go for her scope... and there was peace... Thank God!
Oh, outcome of the scope... that's another ridiculously annoying thing. The polyp they found wasn't even removed as expected. Why? Because the doctors need to discuss with me if they should do a biopsy (removal of a small piece of tissue) cos the diagnosis is that it's suspected to be a malignant neoplastic polyp (neoplastic meaning caused by an abnormal growth of new tissue). So I got to go back to CGH on 4 Sep to see the doctor to discuss about having the biopsy. I suspect I'd probably need to make another appointment to do the biopsy if it's recommended... then another date to get the result... and then further appointments to remove, follow-up etc.
Wa lau!!! Where got so much time? Why can't they just discuss it with me when I wake up and save me the trouble to get down there again to decide? I have to take a few hours of time off everytime I go for an appointment...no need to work already lah? And not say the right doctors are available everyday one leh...mostly only one particular day of the week. So if this week cannot, then gotta be next week, blah blah blah. If the polyp is really cancerous, I could have died by then. Stupid government hospital system. (ok, ok...this is a potentially sweeping statement). Meanwhile, gotta take medicine to control the condition. Bleah... I gonna call up CGH tomorrow to get more details cos the nurse whom they assigned to "explain" the outcome of the scope was quite incompetent.
The dietary preparations the day before the scope was ok. The only inconvenience was looking for the right food to eat. Supposed to take only soft diet (porridge, noodle, no milk, no veg or fruit). So I end up just eating (drinking) porridge for breakfast and lunch. Not that bad lah, except that I need to dig out the shreds of chicken, spring onion in the porridge at BUS canteen, so I ended up eating only half of it. It was tiring to separate the chicken from the porridge.
Then, no more food after 3pm and from 6-8pm, I needed to gulp down 250ml of some mixture every 15 minutes. So that's 2 litres in 2 hours. By the last 2 portions I felt like puking. Complete fast from midnight onwards till after the procedure.
So it appears, that eating nothing is easier than trying to work out what can be eaten. I admire people who are disciplined in their diet, or in anything, for that matter. Discipline is a big thing... well, maybe I'll write more about it in my next entry. A bit random for this one which is long enough.
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