My Heart - Home
While in Hospital a few weeks ago I happened to read an article in the Sunday Mail (under Health) by Lina Gourdin (smail@nstp.com.my) entitled "Facing the Reality of Illness". This article appears every fortnight, I think under a series called ‘My bitter pill’. It describes what happens in going through a major surgery, which she had gone through, and I think she had some problems with her lungs which lead to her being operated upon.. What interest me is that the lung exercise applies to her is the same when you have a heart bypass surgery, you will need to exercise your lungs. This week her article came in the form of "Using the Spirit to Cure the Body".
And interestingly enough in the same earlier week there appeared an article in the New Sunday Times (24 Oct 2004) by Rocky’s Bru (rockybru@nstp.com.my) under Sunday People entitled "A Soldier’s Privilege" on private hospitals in Malaysia.
These articles set me thinking. I was floating right through that tunnel.
Anyway, here I was home after the surgery. Not fully healthy but glad to get home. Glad to be away from that cold (climate wise and people wise) centrally air-conditioned building, from a hustle bustle of a hospital and on top of that from every RM for every minute you are in that Hospital. They took care of you well but when you do not now really need their services do you really need to be with them?. I suppose they being commercially minded, I became induced into that situation, I cannot help it but I become commercially minded. Their core business is to sell hospital beds. The earlier you leave, the earlier they get new patients, the earlier they make their returns on investment.
I live in a double storey terrace house, mango trees lined streets, overlooking the Keramat Valley (part of Klang Valley) just at the border between KL and Selangor but in the KL side. From my front door I can almost see the whole of that valley and the lime stone hills beyond (and flickers of light at Genting Highlands at night). Its a beautiful sight be it during the day and or the night. My front door facing the sunrise and my back facing the sunset, the back blocked by a row of houses and a hill. Really and ideal place to be convalescence. I told my wife to have me a bed downstairs as I dared not climb the staircase yet, I was too weak to do so, so I thought. Anyway I did not want to risk my ‘new’ heart when climbing the staircase, I might get into trouble and the Doctors are not there to assist. And I do not want to go back into a hospital. So my wife made room for a bed in the dining room area and the dining table was used to put all my medicines and all the knickknack, like in a hospital ward. And my wife becomes the Nurse. Luckily we have another dining table in the kitchen area so the family had no problem locating an eating area.
The bed location is quite ideal, we have a small toilet/bathroom near the kitchen and my PC is just in the Study next to the dining room so I could start using the PC when I was better. And the bed was not in the way of my children going up and down the stairs. Any visitor coming I could greet them and they can either be with me in the area next to my bed or in the sitting area just in front. And I have access to the main door, and by walking a few steps down I could control the electrically controlled main gate.
The home life is a bit routine. Medicines in the morning and in the evening, blood test in the morning and in the evening, insulin injection in the evening. Meals are now home cooked and the menu is now fully controlled by my wife and I, and I could have whatever I could afford within means as long as they are not too sweet, as I am a diabetic, or anything that may endanger the process of healing of my wounds. I have my hair cut short for ease of head management and control of dandruff. I dare not shower for fear of aggravating my wounds though the Doctors have already indicated that I could. So I washed whatever areas that I dared in the morning and evening. Visitors came, and I entertained them the best I could, and I enjoyed having them. Neighbours popped in now and then to see how I was progressing.
It was not until about 1 week later that I dared go out for short walk near the front of my house and a few days after that I was seriously walking on the slight slope on the street outside. First 1 round, then 2, then 3 and now I feel that I can do more but I do not want to overstrain myself. And I only dared to climb my staircase, go into my normal bedroom, and had my shower after being home for more than 10 days. I found it so refreshing. My only problem is that I cannot get rid of my cough and the slight pain sometimes and the tightness of my chest walls due to the stitching done during the surgery. Otherwise all the wounds are healing properly and you can se scabs coming off and fresh scars appearing. Glad that I had no major issue on healing.
I had a visit to the Doctors during the first week of getting home and I was cleared by the Surgeon. And I still have to visit my Cardiologist as follow ups and the Diabetic Doctor to see how my diabetic control have been managed. And I am glad to say that I even had visited a Shopping Mall and an exhibition area during the first 10 days of getting home. Quite an achievement I thought, though I must say that it was quite an effort to get to them and be in them especially so that these places are centrally air-conditioned and I still cannot tolerate the cold air.
Why did I have the surgery? I thought I was too ill and without the surgery I could have died due to the pain I suffered, not that painful my Cardiologist friend said (it could have been worse) as my pain was dulled by my being a diabetic. And my advisor is a Professional and friend. And my daughter in the UK said that she ‘saw’ me ‘suffering’.
Regrets? Not much. But I must admit that there are a few areas which may need improvement. It was rather unfortunate that I timed the surgery at the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. I could not fast even a single day during the month. I could not have helped that though, circumstances called. And of course I could not pray during the healing process, I could have but I did not do, there are ways. When at home after the surgery I tried to do my religious obligations, what I could the best I could.
And to those people who tolerated me during the healing perches, people who covered me up at my work place, people who helped out in my contractual obligations, and to my wife who became my Nurse and my Driver and to my children in KL who became my watch persons during the difficult period. There are many whom I owe obligations to and I cannot name them all.
And specific to the skills of Dato’ Dr Nik Zainal, the Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Lee Weng Seng, the Surgeon and Dr K Mohandas, the Anesthetist. And general to all the OT Technicians, the Nurses and those who had helped in making the surgery a success. Also to all who gave me the support through my difficult times.
To shout back, e-mail: mylias@tm.net.my
And interestingly enough in the same earlier week there appeared an article in the New Sunday Times (24 Oct 2004) by Rocky’s Bru (rockybru@nstp.com.my) under Sunday People entitled "A Soldier’s Privilege" on private hospitals in Malaysia.
These articles set me thinking. I was floating right through that tunnel.
Anyway, here I was home after the surgery. Not fully healthy but glad to get home. Glad to be away from that cold (climate wise and people wise) centrally air-conditioned building, from a hustle bustle of a hospital and on top of that from every RM for every minute you are in that Hospital. They took care of you well but when you do not now really need their services do you really need to be with them?. I suppose they being commercially minded, I became induced into that situation, I cannot help it but I become commercially minded. Their core business is to sell hospital beds. The earlier you leave, the earlier they get new patients, the earlier they make their returns on investment.
I live in a double storey terrace house, mango trees lined streets, overlooking the Keramat Valley (part of Klang Valley) just at the border between KL and Selangor but in the KL side. From my front door I can almost see the whole of that valley and the lime stone hills beyond (and flickers of light at Genting Highlands at night). Its a beautiful sight be it during the day and or the night. My front door facing the sunrise and my back facing the sunset, the back blocked by a row of houses and a hill. Really and ideal place to be convalescence. I told my wife to have me a bed downstairs as I dared not climb the staircase yet, I was too weak to do so, so I thought. Anyway I did not want to risk my ‘new’ heart when climbing the staircase, I might get into trouble and the Doctors are not there to assist. And I do not want to go back into a hospital. So my wife made room for a bed in the dining room area and the dining table was used to put all my medicines and all the knickknack, like in a hospital ward. And my wife becomes the Nurse. Luckily we have another dining table in the kitchen area so the family had no problem locating an eating area.
The bed location is quite ideal, we have a small toilet/bathroom near the kitchen and my PC is just in the Study next to the dining room so I could start using the PC when I was better. And the bed was not in the way of my children going up and down the stairs. Any visitor coming I could greet them and they can either be with me in the area next to my bed or in the sitting area just in front. And I have access to the main door, and by walking a few steps down I could control the electrically controlled main gate.
The home life is a bit routine. Medicines in the morning and in the evening, blood test in the morning and in the evening, insulin injection in the evening. Meals are now home cooked and the menu is now fully controlled by my wife and I, and I could have whatever I could afford within means as long as they are not too sweet, as I am a diabetic, or anything that may endanger the process of healing of my wounds. I have my hair cut short for ease of head management and control of dandruff. I dare not shower for fear of aggravating my wounds though the Doctors have already indicated that I could. So I washed whatever areas that I dared in the morning and evening. Visitors came, and I entertained them the best I could, and I enjoyed having them. Neighbours popped in now and then to see how I was progressing.
It was not until about 1 week later that I dared go out for short walk near the front of my house and a few days after that I was seriously walking on the slight slope on the street outside. First 1 round, then 2, then 3 and now I feel that I can do more but I do not want to overstrain myself. And I only dared to climb my staircase, go into my normal bedroom, and had my shower after being home for more than 10 days. I found it so refreshing. My only problem is that I cannot get rid of my cough and the slight pain sometimes and the tightness of my chest walls due to the stitching done during the surgery. Otherwise all the wounds are healing properly and you can se scabs coming off and fresh scars appearing. Glad that I had no major issue on healing.
I had a visit to the Doctors during the first week of getting home and I was cleared by the Surgeon. And I still have to visit my Cardiologist as follow ups and the Diabetic Doctor to see how my diabetic control have been managed. And I am glad to say that I even had visited a Shopping Mall and an exhibition area during the first 10 days of getting home. Quite an achievement I thought, though I must say that it was quite an effort to get to them and be in them especially so that these places are centrally air-conditioned and I still cannot tolerate the cold air.
Why did I have the surgery? I thought I was too ill and without the surgery I could have died due to the pain I suffered, not that painful my Cardiologist friend said (it could have been worse) as my pain was dulled by my being a diabetic. And my advisor is a Professional and friend. And my daughter in the UK said that she ‘saw’ me ‘suffering’.
Regrets? Not much. But I must admit that there are a few areas which may need improvement. It was rather unfortunate that I timed the surgery at the beginning of Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. I could not fast even a single day during the month. I could not have helped that though, circumstances called. And of course I could not pray during the healing process, I could have but I did not do, there are ways. When at home after the surgery I tried to do my religious obligations, what I could the best I could.
And to those people who tolerated me during the healing perches, people who covered me up at my work place, people who helped out in my contractual obligations, and to my wife who became my Nurse and my Driver and to my children in KL who became my watch persons during the difficult period. There are many whom I owe obligations to and I cannot name them all.
And specific to the skills of Dato’ Dr Nik Zainal, the Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Lee Weng Seng, the Surgeon and Dr K Mohandas, the Anesthetist. And general to all the OT Technicians, the Nurses and those who had helped in making the surgery a success. Also to all who gave me the support through my difficult times.
To shout back, e-mail: mylias@tm.net.my
To Shout Back
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