WHAT HAPPENED TO ME OVER THE PAST MONTH

You must have noticed why I haven't been posting new stuff as often as I used to over the past two months. Well, the simple answer is that I haven't been well. I was admitted into hospital three times - mostly due to suspected gastric or reflux attack. However, when the third one became too severe, the doctors decided to do a second round of more detailed scans of my insides and lo behold! They found that my gall bladder is capable of building stones all the time and that my bile duct has been strained or distended due to the frequent squeezing of earlier stones - hence the unbearable pain.
So I had to undergo two procedures. The first, a scope procedure where the enter the area through my throat, my stomach, my duodenum and upwards again into the bile duct to clear and clean it and put a permanent tube meant for the second procedure - the complete removal of my gall bladder.
This was done under sedation and took about one hour. Before this noon procedure, I was already fasting since 9pm the day before.
When I woke up, the doctors said the procedure was successful, but to me the pain was still there.
So, my second operation, the big one, was scheduled the next day at 2 pm, and so, since I just came out of the scope, I am not allowed to take anything - no drink no food until the second operation is completed. I was on drip all these while.
The next morning, the pain began again and I felt my chest crashing in. I actually thought I was having a heart attack. The doctors wheeled me down to the OR or OT and was prepped up for the operation within the hour. This one will be done in full General Anaesthetic or GA. I hope I had a good anaesthetist - and within seconds of him saying that he is putting me to sleep, I was gone.
I woke up groggy but alive (duhhh). Someone told me the nearly 3 hour operation was successful but because of the pain I had earlier just before the operation, he recommended sending me to the HDU (High Dependancy Unit). I don't remember much of the few moments after the operation but I do remember a doctor saying that I already have had too much morphine in my system as I was in constant pain.... yeah right...you guys just pulled out my gall bladder through three cuts in my abdomen whilst pumping helium or CO2 into my stomach. That's painful okay?
So I lie there in HDU, my wife and kids taking turns to see me (they allow only two visitors at any time in HDU). They, like me, were glad I am still around.
I was tired and sleepy and they left me alone. But that night was still painful as I begged them to give my more Betadine injections if I can't have morphine.
Still no drink and no food.
Surprisingly, next morning I felt better and was surprised when the nurses gave me a change of hospital clothes and told me to take a bath. Huh? You mean I can walk already? Just last night you told me to pee into this papaya shaped contraption because I cannot yet be allowed to walk.
They say I am fine. And, surprise surprise, I was. There was of course the sharp pains and discomfort but I managed to shower and changed myself.
Later in the afternoon, they sent me back to a normal ward where I would be held for observation for the next two to three days. Oh yes, I was allowed to drink a little. This was now the fourth day of my fast.
And apart from the weird hallucinations I had on the first night in my new ward, and the sharp pains I had which required another dose of good old Betadine, I was fine.
Yesterday afternoon, they discharged me.
Then the real pain came. The bill? RM24,000.00.
DIDDUT...DIDDUUT..DIDDUUUT...DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT