Sick...

I fell really sick on Sat when we woke up. Hubby companied me to the clinic and waited good odd hours before it was my turn.

High fever at 38.5 increasing to 38.7 during the wait, doc said she suspected it was H1N1, but I wasn’t in contact with anyone, so, it’ll be home quarantine and 3 days observation before she could really conclude anything. Meanwhile, I had to have the Tamiflu tablets, that cost me S$45 for 10 tabs. Ridiculous, the expiry date on the box was 2008, but there was this sticker by MOH, extending the expiry date to 7 years after manufacturing date. Isn’t that bizarre?

2 days coping at home, or should I say, coping in the room, I finally recovered a bit on Monday. No more high fever, but mild at 37.7degC. Doc extended my mc to another day. Gosh… that was not good.

Stayed in the room for 2 more days, and I felt really “sick” at home, I could turn mouldy anytime! I found myself watching the 4.30pm the super-long Taiwanese drama my MIL was “chasing”…

How glad was I to be back to office on Wed. Although I was really really giddy working, I was wondering if it was the medicine or it was really the bug. This is a super bug I am fighting with.

Today, I am still out of breath, but I felt so much better!

During my few days rest at home, I was lucky my MIL was understanding. She cooked porridge, hubby had them delivered to the room. “room service”, he called it. He was sweet throughout, watching me sleep like a pig, coz other than awake to eat and take medicine, I was asleep throughout. He really has the patience.

It was unfortunate coz Sunday was my birthday. It was supposedly a significant birthday in my life, coz I was turning 30, first time as wifey, a woman. ;-)

Hubby promised a good meal when I have recovered completely. For now, I am looking forward to go home, to feel family warmth. :-)

My rojak Chinese...

Beware, below is an entry about medical. I am not “medically” inclined, so the terms I used are layman terms. :-p

Went to the Singapore Chung Hwa Medical Institution at Toa Payoh to get my back checked again. Sharp pain comes and go. Sore pain comes and go.

It was my first time there. HY sent May and I to the “hospital” and we took the queue number before going for dinner. Registration started at 6.30pm and May advised me to see a senior consultant who is very experienced. So, to her I went. May told me after dinner, “one thing I didn’t tell you is, there will be apprentice in the consultation room”. I was taken aback, “huh, apprentice? Then no privacy ah?”

While waiting for V (D’s hubby), I peeped into the consultation room through the small window. WOW! APPRENTICE is an understatement. APPRENTICES! There were 6 of them in the small room with 6 patients!

The apprentices were taking notes. The lady sinsei was blunt and fierce. She reprimanded the apprentices and the patients. “Air-cond feels good huh. Now you know pain ah” “Don’t wear short pants to sleep in air-cond room ah, wear long pants ah” “Ate too much meat, time to go on diet ah”… bla bla bla…

Then I became “gan cheong”. Was worried she’ll scold me for some “sin” I have done that caused my back pain.

“What kind of pain you feel?" she asked in Chinese. (Chinese are highlighted in orange here)
“Sometimes “sharp pain”, and sometimes sore pain” I replied. Not able to express myself well in Chinese.
“What sharp pain? Zhen tong is it?”
“Ya, zhen tong”.
“Then say zhen tong, don’t say what sharp pain. Youngsters nowadays, speak Rojak Chinese”.

:-( wawawa... how do we "banana" express ourselves in full Chinese sentence? :-(

Once “kraccckkkk” to the left, and once to the right. Then 3 more times on the spine. That was it. Felt better.

But pain came back yesterday. I think I should really go for a scan.

Pain pain please go away....

My lower back started aching more than a week ago, but I ignored it. Then it became worse and I couldn’t walk for long, sit for long nor stand for long. Each time, I have to bend forward, stretch a bit and feel better.

On Monday, because I couldn’t bear the pain, I went to the Chinese Sinsei I saw when I “injured” my arm few months back. After the acupuncture, “tui-na” and “suction-dunno-wat”, I somehow felt better.

Till Tuesday, when it was time to knock off, I felt exhausted. The pain came back.

On Wednesday morning, when I woke up as usual, the pain was terrible. I need to lie down. Because Chinese sinsei MC and consultation fees are not covered by the company, I have to go to GP to get MC. He gave me 2 days.

It was fine on Wednesday, coz I grabbed the opportunity to do some revision. Exam is just around the corner. But I studied for 2 hours, and got to lie down for 4. :-(

On Thursday, while lying in the bed, the pain came back with much intensity. No choice, I have to go to another Chinese sinsei who specialized in “tui-na”. Wow… I should have gone to him in the first place. He used his elbow to “massage” and “unblocked” my vessels.. and I felt so great it last for few days.

Now, I still have slight pain. Probably due to the visit to the old folks home, sponsored by the company or probably due to the 2 hours journey I took yesterday to the West for facial.

Today, I must make it a point to lie down more.

While recuperating, I do not think I would be facing the computer to blog. I’ll be back. Meanwhile, hope my back recover faster. :-)

Dengue

Two NEA officers came knocking on the door just now.

Officer: Do you mind letting us in to check if there is any sign of mosquitoes breeding?
Me: I guess so. (thinking hard, if Auntie Serene will make noise I let strangers into the house. What the heck, this girl showed me her official pass, so I let her in).

Me: There is a case here?
Officer: Yes, one case around here, so, we are asked to check the neighbourhood.

Sound so familiar. I was down with dengue when I was 14. It was no joke, really. I was put in the intensive ward, together with many dying patients. One week there, I was poked uncountable times for blood test to monitor my platelet level. Few days down the road, I was ordered CRIB. If you are a Red Cross member, you will know.

CRIB stands for Complete Rest In Bed. I was not allowed to get down from the bed. Why? Because if I fall and hurt myself, bleeding will not stop. That will kill me. But I was stubborn too. Nurses gave paracetamol to cease the fever, but I threw the pills away. I don't think it would help anyway. (My own stubborn thinking... there is no cure for dengue, isn't it?)

That week, one patient passed away. I hated the nurse when she came to my bed at midnight and bathed me with iced water. It was freaking cold ok!!! That is the difference between Chinese and Western style. Chinese style encourages you to sweat when you have fever. Western style encourages you to cool it off and that includes taking ice water bath!

More than 10 years now, but the scar from the poking still visible on my wrists. Both wrists! They couldn’t poke anymore on one wrist, moved on to the other, and last but not least moved up the wrist. Those are blood sucker. :-(

Back to present, few days ago, I was bitten by mosquitoes. Early morning when I had breakfast with Jeff. I had more than 20 itchy spots that morning. Itchy… and few nights ago, I was bitten again when I was sleeping. Pray hard… I don’t want to be hospitalized in Sg….

Left Hand

I have always thought I can’t leave without my right hand. Why? Because I am right-handed, I intimidated my left hand, thinking it’s only a supporting hand. I do not need my left hand as much.

My my my…. I was so wrong. Have been suffering this pain on left arm for weeks, thinking all possible reason why is that so. Perhaps the heavy luggage I lugged back from China last month? I lugged 40kg back then paying RMB 1.7K++ for the excess luggage. Some say, sleeping posture? Some say the few strokes of golf I did the other day at the driving range. I can’t bring myself to believe the few strokes of golf are the reason behind my pain. I played hockey in school, a few strokes of golf will not hurt me! So I convinced myself, it’s the luggage.

Anyway, I was too stubborn to listen to friends around to go to tabib cina (Chinese sinsei) and have my arm looked at. Until yesterday, when my friends practically forced me to one. It didn’t come easy, Chinese sinsei closed early we got to see the third place we went.

Wow, I was trembling when the sinsei said “it’s best to do all 3 types of treatments, ie. acupuncture, massage (tui na) and bandage”.

**speechless**rolled my eyes towards the sinsei**with my jaw dropped**

“I am scared. I have never done any of these before”.
“Don’t worry, they are not painful. Just some “sore” feelings when I poke.”

And she was right, it was not painful at all, I mean the acupuncture, not the tui na! It was painful ok, and I groaned when she rubbed the right spot. God, what an experience. She bandaged my hand, to be taken off when I wake up this morning. Then gave me a few medicine plasters to paste onto my arm for hours.

When I reached home, I realize I can’t live without my left hand! For instance,
1) I had to place my bag on the floor before using my right hand to open the door instead of holding bag with my left hand.
2) I had to change clothes using one hand.
3) I had to shower with my left arm lifted throughout.
4) I had to squeeze the toothpaste with right arm, on the toothbrush lying still instead of left hand squeezing the paste onto the toothbrush held by right hand.
5) I had to pump the body foam onto sponge using one hand instead of holding sponge on left hand and pump foam using right hand.
6) I had to spray my toner onto the face using right hand and even them using right hand, and of course the moisturizer.

I had enough, and I realized left hand is just as important. :-)

Dreams...

I sleep really well these days; in Cantonese they’ll say “one sleep till dawn”. And I had dreams. Used to remember what I dreamed of but I couldn’t recall a single dream lately.

Have you ever dreamed of running? Sometimes with someone chasing after you, sometimes just you, running and keep running (don’t know whatever for). I have no idea but each time I woke up from these “running” dreams, I would pant, ya, pant as in, as if I really ran. Hahaha…

Then I had this dream when I bought a pair of ear-ring made of white steel, coiled into a see-through-hollow sphere contain a diamond in each sphere. I dreamed of something similar to the Blood Diamond. Not sure if the diamonds in the ear-rings triggered the dream, or the movie. I dreamed of someone coming after me for the diamonds and I had to run and run, to protect my diamonds! God, I wonder why I didn’t have this dream when I got myself the first 0.24 carat diamond ring as last year’s hard work reward.

Why am I talking about dreams today? Because Mike has just told me that he dreamed of me last night. He dreamed of being invited to my wedding and he actually attended, wearing short pants and singlet. Errr… and he forgot to bring red packet to my wedding! Hahaha… I told him that I understand my dear friends being anxious about getting me married off, but need not be too stressed. :-p

I am sick....

I was down with bad throat the evening before yesterday. Then I thought I might get sick real soon and so I went to see doctor. Well, at least not willingly. I normally do not see doctor unless I need MC. Haha.. coz I am a workaholic, so, I think of work all the time. But that evening was exceptional, I went to see doctor, I got an MC for yesterday.

But I still set my alarm to wake me up yesterday morning. Sad to say, I was really not well to go to work. When Uncle J smsed me asking if I want to have breakfast, I was too weak to reply. I was thinking of work every now and then though I couldn’t really do anything. Then, at 11.45am, YJ called me, telling me the fellow colleagues will go to my place to accompany me for lunch. Wow, I was touched, coz if they didn’t call, I may have skipped my lunch afterall.

Night time came just as fast; I have been asleep for whole day whole night. So, I thought watching tv may be good. But I was so wrong, after 3 hours of tv, my head got so heavy that I thought it might explode. When it was time to sleep, I vomited, then again and again until I fell asleep. Still, before I turned in, I set my alarm to wake me up today.

This morning I woke up, feeling much better, so I came to work. But actually I do not really feel well. SA says he will not pity me if I am knocked out today, because I am so stubborn to come to work even when my face is so pale and I am sneezing all the way. Well, I told him that if he understands me, he will not say much about me coming to work on a sick day. CC taking MC is rare, so is skipping work. If there is one day CC starts to skip work, day after day, then it’s a sign that CC is sick of the job and looking forward to move on.

Very tired now.. still a bit feverish, and I can’t wait to go home to get knocked out by yet another round of medicine….