A blessing in disguise - My stay in hospital (1)

I was admitted to Kiang Wu Hospital with a fever and an acute pain in my right side in the small hours of April 11. And there I stayed for nine days …

On the first few days, in spite of intermittent intravenous medications, there was a lingering fever accompanied by shivering and dizziness. I felt sick to the stomach and the pain kept me awake well into the night. I went to the nurses’ quarters in the middle of the night asking for a pain killer, but was given an ice bag instead. “We understand how much you suffer,” a young nurse, the age of my students, said consolingly, advising me to stay in bed lest I should faint. Medications are not so freely administered, I understand. But when the pain is so unbearable, you just can’t help making unreasonable demands like a child.

When the fever had gone and the pain diminished, I regained my appetite. I ordered meals with much enthusiasm. The nurse who took my temperature showed a more encouraging smile each time. But the one in charge of my blood pressure gave me a less assuring look. The readings were far higher than those I had taken at home. “Did you not sleep well?” Well, that was the problem. For a person with insomnia, a hospital environment could only make the problem worse. So, I’ve got another problem to watch over.

During those days I thought a lot about the human body. It’s strange how much trouble can be caused when a single organ, which used to stay peaceful and unnoticed for years, decides to make itself felt. It causes pain, of which the acuteness and the affected area can increase if unattended to in time. And other organs may join in and the result can be a storm of protest, leaving the victim in great misery. And I finally came to the conclusion that good health matters a lot.

My stay in hospital has been a blessing in disguise. There I underwent a series of medical examinations, which I had disregarded for years. I must admit that ebbing health comes with increased age. I am also aware of the need to cut down on my commitments to ensure a more relaxed lifestyle.