So I'm out of hospital now. I just want to jot down some things that came to me during my hospital stay.
Stupid TimingThis was a very stupid time to be sick. With my parents off in Europe, with just me and my sister, so with me off in hospital, my sis was alone to deal with the dogs.
General AnaesthesiaGoing on the operating table was scary. I guess it doesn't matter what you try to say, it's always scary. You're lying down, almost naked, and you can't control what the doctors will do to you. When they started to administer the general anaesthesia on my IV line, my arm hurt like hell.
That made me think about a dog we had to put down some 20 years ago. The dog was 17 at that time. Pussy (don't ask why my parents named a dog that. And well.
That) had stopped eating and drinking and even locked her jaws so we couldn't force feed her. The Australian vet (the best vet in town at that time) told us he will first administer a general anaesthestic for her, and when she's unconscious, he'd administer the heart-stopping drug that would put her down. I remember Pussy struggling when the general anaesthestic was being administered. I guess now I know why. It bloody hurts!
Hospital RoomFor reasons unknown to me, I got a single room. Funnier yet, it's actually a store room, LOL.
Far be it for me to complain that I'm in a store room. Hey, I got a single room, I'm not complaining.
Hospital FoodI'm also surprised that the hospital food was actually good and I enjoyed them. Huh. My mom refuses to believe it.
VisitsI'm on the fence about hospital visits. On the day following the surgery, I didn't really want to deal with anyone, as I was still woozy and tired from the surgery and anaesthetics. But on the second day, hospital visits helped pass the time. Anyway, a colleague was also very nice to come visit me and brought me a book, which I promptly read within two days. I do appreciate the gesture, though I'm a bit unsure about the book itself. Do you bring such books as "First Phone Call From Heaven" for someone who just had a surgery, feels like shit, and wasn't even sure if they'd survive the surgery? Granted, an appendectomy is a small thing, but I must say when I was on that hospital bed, I really felt shitty.
In retrospect, it was pretty funny as well.
After careThe doctor gave me 15 days of leave time which I'm really uncomfortable with. I can't hang around 15 days doing nothing. I think I'll get back to work after half the time but tell them outright that I'll be taking it easy.
The doctor also scheduled a re-visit for 13-September. When I saw it I said I can't do it, as I'll be flying out on 8-September. And he goes "Oh, you want to reschedule AGAIN?"
I took issue with the again. I turned into my Mom and went snippy at him. "This is the first time I'm told of this re-visit. No one asked me before. I'm not rescheduling AGAIN."
I'm to visit the neighbourhood health care services centre to change my dressings which I have to go today as I guess I pulled a bit at the wound and the dressing has a wet spot now.
FeesIgnoring the currency itself, just look at the amount... my dog's 4-day hospital stay was $25,000, just going on the IV drip. My 4-day hospital stay with surgery was $5000. WTF.