My Hospital Episodes

It has been 19 years since I was last admitted to a hospital. The last time was because of appendicitis. I was very young then but I still remember how I created a scene because I didn't want to be operated on. I remember then waking up in the OR and since I didn't want the oxygen mask in my face, I kept moving my face sideways. Up to now, I still don't know if I had only hallucinated what I think I heard from someone in the OR:
OR lady (she was trying to put the mask on again but I keep moving my head sideways, dodging her): Kung anak ko lang to, papaluin ko na to e. *Had this been my child, I would have already spanked her.*
ME > fell asleep again.

Fast forward 19 years, I am still scared of being THE patient. When my IV was being inserted, I wanted to cry out loud. But I refrained from doing so. Beside my bed in the ER, a kid was also being inserted with IV. He was bawling. *kakahiya naman kung sasabayan ko dba?*
And then there were the tests. The most painful one was the ultrasound. You see, I didn't have to worry about the CBC since the nurse will draw blood from the IV needle before inserting the sodium chloride. For the ultrasound though, my bladder needs to be really full and it was really painful already. Also I might never forget the doctor who looked at the ultrasound images:
Doctor (to the technician): Asan na ang appendix nyan? *Where is her appendix?*
ME (while in pain): Wala na ako appendix. *My appendix is gone.*
Doctor: O e bakit masakit ung right side mo? San masakit?  *Why is your right side painful then? Where is the pain?*
ME > showing the doctor the area where the pain is. but thinking "Had I known why it is painful, I wouldn't be here."
Doctor: Ah sa flank.
ME: Ano po ung flank?
Doctor: Flank, di mo alam? Tagiliran! *Flank? You don't know what it is? Your side!"
Me > thinking "Antipatiko kang doctor ka ha. Pasalamat ka in pain ako."
ME: Opo, un nga po. *Yes, that's it"
Doctor (to technician): Ay bato yan. Bato. Hanapan nyo ng bato yan. *Ay, that'll be kidney stones! Find her kidney stones." then exits.
ME > "tae naman e. nanakot ka pa"
So there I was, scared shitless!

My first night was a real treat. My IV had been "outted" so the nurse had to reinsert the IV. Wow! Talk about testing my tolerance to pain. Again, I refrained from bawling. I put my game face on when I felt the needle poked and pricked my delicate skin.

Nurse with real excitement in his voice: Ayan ma'am! May bloodflow na! Tignan nyo! *Ma'am, there's bloodflow already! Look!*
Me: Wag na lang. Baka himatayin ako. *No need. I might faint.*


Today, my real doctor (a urologist) came and told me the diagnosis already. I'll still be here til Wednesday morning. I got kidney infection. Luckily, no stones!