You're cured !

Hehe, that's what the doctors said yesterday when I went for my checkup. Both Prof Prepa and Dr. Tang were in the room. They check my face wound and said that it's healing up very well, and that I don't need to come back anymore. Didn't even prescribe any more ointment or cream for it anymore.

The report on the tumour was out and that it's confirmed benign, so the Prof said "You're officially cured !" Hahaha. He even asked me to go on a holiday ! Go wor .... ah ma this cannot eat, that cannot do, there cannot go ! Sigh.............

Anyway, the doctor gave me another 2 weeks' MC only, so I'll be back to work in June. Siiiigggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

My Operation - A week later

Yes, it's already been a week since I came home. Today, I went back to the hospital because the Prof said that the results on the tumour may be ready and that my stitches can probably be removed today.

Have been having home cook food for the past week, but ah ma refuses to let me eat anything "black", e.g soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, etc. Said that if I do that, the scar may turn dark colour, and won't be nice later. I also can't take any chillies or anything sour. Sigh...... However, I think my ah ma is probably tired of having me home for so long, since now she had to cook for lunch AND dinner as well, hehehe.......

Anyway, I was back at the hospital this morning and then waited for my turn. Kinda felt like the Frankenstein, with the stitches on my left face. Soon, my number was called and I went into the room. I told Dr. Tang that Prof asked me to come back today to see if the results are out and also to have the stitches removed if it's okay.

The doctor checked my stitches and said that they are healing very well, and said agreed that they can be remove. Unfortunately, the report was still not out yet. Well, I still have to go back there next week, the report should be out by then.

My Operation - 30th April

I finally dozed off after a LOOONNGG time, but woke up again at 3:30am. I went to the washroom, then went back to bed to try and sleep again. Unfortunately, the nurses came by around 4:30am to check my BP, and around 5:30am, they came round again to check the glucose. The nurse told me that I should go take a bath to get myself ready for the operation, and also to remove all underwears, dentures (don't have), contact lenses (don't have) or jewelleries (also don't have).

So I got my towel and took a bath. After I finished, I didn't have much to do, so I started on the Sudoku puzzles again. Around 6:30am, the nurse came by and started to put me on a drip, and also asked me to take my hypertension pills with just enough water to swallow them.

Sis arrived with Ade and Evelyn at 7:00am to give me moral support and because they were afraid that I'd be afraid. Bro sms sis to tell her that if the docs can't find my MRI and CAT scans, I should not go ahead with the operation. So sis asked me to call the doc to see if he had found the scans. Unfortunately, seems that he was still asleep, and he questioned why I called him up so early, and that he hasn't found the scans yet. I quickly said sorry for waking him up and hung up. Sigh......

I told sis what the Prof said, and she asked me whether I wanted to go ahead with the op or to wait and do another scan first. Ade said I should heed Nike slogan and "Just Do It". I told sis I had already made all the necessary arrangements, and that I don't want to defer it any longer.

At 9:10am, a nurse came by and ran through a pre-op checklist with me. While doing that, the Prof came to the ward to do his rounds and was surprised to see me still there. He asked me why I was still there and I told him the nurse was doing the checklist. Sis then proceeded to ask him about the scans again, and he said "I'm the doctor, and I'm not worried, so why are you worried ? It's all in here", pointing to his head.

Then he left. Another nurse brought in the OT transport bed. It was high up and I was wondering how I was supposed to get onto it. The answer came when a nurse placed a chair next to it and asked me to climb up into it ! I was then asked to lie down and was taken from the ward to the OT.

It's a weird feeling, a bit like what you see on TV in medical dramasa when the ceiling lights passes by in front of your eyes. Of course in TV dramas, they don't run into bumps and corners like in reality. Finally I reach the OT entrance, and I heard sis and my nieces saying, "Bye, see you when you come out later".

A glass door opened and I was wheeled inside. Since I had to take off my glasses, I can't really see clearly but I knew I passed by a lot of corridors. Then we reached another glass door, but the "bed" in front of me had problem negotiating through, so there was a bit of "traffic jam" before I was wheeled through it as well.

I was then sent to a "parking" area, where the nurses did a final check before proceeding into the OT. An old lady was "parked" next to me, and she was complaining to the nurse that her drip needle hurts. I also heard some doctors talking about "Wah, yesterday's operation was soooo bloody. You didn't see meh ?" "Very bloody meh ?" "VEERRRRYYY bloody....." Great. Just what I need to hear.

After a while, I was wheeled into OT room 13. I looked at the clock and saw that it was 9:35am. Waiting there was boring with nothing to do and I can't sit up, so much so that I was actually feeling sleepy !

Now, I think everyone thought that I felt anxious or doubtful or even afraid of the op, but to tell you truthfully, I was actually feeling quite calm and did not doubt that I will go ahead with the op, even when I was told that the scans were lost.

A little later, a nurse came in to do a final final check. I asked her what time my operation will be. She said that I was supposed to be the last case, but because the little boy ahead of me had fever and can't go on with his operation, mine is now pushed up as the 2nd case. However, there is now an emergency where an old man can't breathe, and they are helping him.

No wonder I kept hearing the machine with the heart beat beeping. Some time later, I heard one of the nurses calling the man a few times, "Uncle, uncle, can you hear me uncle ?" Then I heard the bed being wheeled out, and the "clink clank" of things being rearranged.

At 10:20am, I was wheeled into the OT. They placed me next to the OT bed and asked me to move myself to the OT table. I thought it would have been a steel and cold one, but it was not. Maybe for ENT operations, the tables are slightly different ?

One of the doctors placed something under my head, then they placed something which they called "sandbags" under my shoulders. The nurse placed an oxygen mask over my nose and mouth, and asked me to "breathe in, breathe out". Then she had to fix something and passed the mask to another nurse, but the 2nd one didn't know how to hold it properly, there's a big gap where air was escaping, and the mask was now touching my eye !

I had to tap her hand and point to my eye to let her know it's poking me ! Then the 1st nurse took the mask back, berated her for holding it wrongly, then placed it properly again over my nose and mouth. After breathing in a few more times, I was in la-la land.

By the time I was concious again, I was back at the "parking area" and there was a warm feeling above me, like being under the sunlight. I can hear some people talking, and a baby kept crying. I ventured to open my eyes and saw that above me, there was something that gave off the warmth that I was feeling. Next to me was some nurses hunched over another bed and warmer similar to mine, but some how the baby kept crying and they were trying to console it. I heard someone mention "12:30 lor..." then dozed off again.

I kept dozing off and waking up repeatedly, and also kept hearing the baby crying next to me. After a while, I heard someone say "1:30...." Dunno what's wrong with the poor baby, crying non-stop. The nurses were saying "Sayang.... dah dah..... kesian....."

Later, someone told me that they will be sending me back to the ward. I was wondering, "Huh ? No need to go ICU meh ? Can straight away go back to ward ?" Soon, someone removed the warmer overhead and starts pushing the bed. I dozed off again, until I heard someone say "Can you move your legs ? Slowly... now move your body...." and I was back in Bed 9 of the ward. Because the OT bed is higher, I just had to "drop" myself to the lower bed.

I listened to the chattering around me for a while but not really registering anything. I closed my eyes to rest for a while. I was wondering where my sis and nieces went, then thought they probably went off for lunch. I wondered whether my facial nerves were ok, so I tried to smile and also tried frown. Seems ok......

However, I soon heard their voices, and they were asking "Dunno Ah Yee out from OT yet or not ? Go and take a look lar..." Then, "SHE OUT D SHE OUT D !" "Gasp ! She still look pretty wor !" I thought to myself, "Huh ? Pretty ? What does she mean ?" I heard a nurse tell them I just came back. I opened my eyes and tried to look at them, but without glasses, everything looks blurr. Can make out Ade though. She was already flipping out her mobile and calling somebody. "Ah Yee out d.. and she still looks PRETTY"

Again I thought, "Huh ? Me still pretty ? Why ? Expect me to become very ugly meh ?" Then they saw that I was awake, and asked me whether I'm ok. Sis asked me to try and speak. I answered her "Oklar..". Then she asked whether it's painful or not, and I shook my head a bit. I don't know whether she started speaking to Ade or whether she was talking on her mobile, but I touched her hand and showed her I can smile also.

I can hear the wonder and happiness in her voice when she told someone "She can smile ! Ah Yee smiled !" Then I drop off to slumber again. After dunno how long, I can feel sis touching my left face and left ear, asking me whether I can feel or not. Ade or Evelyn told her to stop doing that and let me sleep. I opened my eyes again, and told her I can feel, but it's numb. They asked me whether I want to sit up for a while, but I told them no. Then they asked me a few questions, which I answered.

Told them a bit about the operation time, and when I came out, and how I got back into the bed, etc etc. Then the Prof came by and said that everything looks ok, and that I should start eating afterwards. He also casually told sis that the whole operation only took 45 minutes ! Seems that he had to cut open a major artery that was right in front of the tumour to properly remove it. He told us that he won't be coming tomorrow, but will come on Friday (2nd May) to check on me.

Around 5:00pm, I finally decided to sit up, since my back hurts after having slept so long in the same position ! I found out that I still had the drip, and that there's a "drain" on the left side of my face to drain out blood. Ade told me that she took a picture while I was sleeping and MMS it to her sis and my bro. The wonders of technology.......

At 6pm, my dinner came. Porridge of course, what else will it be ? However, I was glad to have something to eat, and although hesitantly at first, I was soon down to the last spoonful. I kept thinking, it's probably a first to have someone have an operation on the face in the morning, then to have that same person having dinner at night.

Bro-in-law also fetch mom to come visit me. I think mom looked scared to see all the dangling wires and to see me sitting up ! Around 9:30pm, they left me to let me rest. Unfortunately, unlike the first night, they kept turning the aircond off and on, so much so that it became really stuffy at times, but cold at other times. Because of this, I kept waking up because I really hate the heat.

My Operation - 1st & 2nd May

Somehow, I always end up waking up around 3am or 3:30am. The so-called witching hour. However, because it was so hot and stuffy, there's nothing much I could do. An hour later, the nurse came to check on my BP, glucose and temperature. Seems that I still have a bit of fever.

So by 6am, I decided to forego the thought of sleeping and sat up. I started working on a Sudoku puzzle and waited for my breakfast. I find that if I sleep for a long time, my back starts aching, but if I sit for a long time, my bum hurts. Sigh.... just can't win either way !

Finally breakfast arrives at 8am. Porridge again....... Soon, sis came with bro-in-law to "jaga" me. Must be damn boring for them as well. I read a bit of the papers, then decided to go sleep for a while. But quite difficult because I daren't turn my head too much. Around 10am, a doctor came by to check on me, and proceed to remove the bandages on my wound.

It was painful. Not painful on the wound, where the area was still numb, but painful when my hair got pulled ! The bandages were sticking SO tightly, even the doctor had a hard time trying to remove them. Finally, almost everything was off, and he asked the nurses to help me clean the wound, but the "drain" can only be removed the next day. I also told the doctor that I had a slight cough.

About an hour plus after the doctor left, the nurses came to help me clean up the wound, remove the excess bandages and also to remove the excess drip needle from my hand. PAINFUL ! Even now, the hole is still there.

Then lunch came. Porridge. Again. Sigh..... After lunch, I took a nap, but mom and nieces came to switch with sis and bro-in-law, and mom insists I wake up and talk to them. Said she wanted to ask me some questions, so I had to sit up and answer her. An hour later, she left with sis and bro-in-law, leaving Ange and Ade with me.

The nurse came and check my temperature, and said that I still have a bit of fever. Ade asked her whether I need some Panadol for my fever. Soon, she came back with the Panadol and also some cough syrup. Let me tell you, those cough syrups were GREAT !

After drinking, I actually managed to fall asleep, regardless of all the noise ! Hehehehe.... I woke up around 5pm, and chatted with my nieces for a while, then of course had my dinner. Before dinner arrived, a male aide came to ask me what I wanted for breakfast the next day ! Hurray ! No more porridge ! I asked for bread, rice with fish for lunch, and rice with fish for dinner.

But for tonight, the menu is the same. Porridge lor... what else. By that time, I was getting really sick of it ! Ange and Ade asked me to add some Marmite into the porridge so that it taste better.

I added a bit, and it does seem better, but just after that, my phone rang. Ah Ma called to remind Ange and Ade not to let me take the Marmite, because it's black, might cause the scar to turn dark wor. But what to do, already added into porridge, hehehe.. So I finished it off.

Then I dozed off again. My aunt and cousin came to visit me later in the evening. When I woke up, they were already there chatting with my nieces. I was wondering when the cough syrup will be served, so that I can get a decent night's rest. Ade asked the nurse who checked my temperature when I'd be given the "ubat tidur". The nurse looked puzzled, and told her that I'm not prescribed that, only cough syrup. Hehehehe.... Ade wanted to asked about that ler, because it can give me a good sleep, but instead of cough syrup, she said "ubat tidur". She was told that it'll be given around midnite. Great. I have to wait THAT long.

Around 9pm, they all left to let me rest. Ange said that she'll be coming tomorrow morning since she took leave. About 9:15pm, the nurse came with my Panadol and bless her, the cough syrup. I took it and *poof* went to sleep.

Unfortunately..... had to wake up around 3:30am AGAIN because my neighbour was coughing very very badly. The nurses were around her to try and help her remove the phelgm stuck in her throat. So, by 6:15am, I was again up and looking at the Sudoku puzzles.

At 8am, my bread came with some butter, some jam and one hard boiled egg. Hehehe... so nice. Finally, something to eat besides porridge. While I was eating it, the doctor came by to take a look at my face. He told me that I can be discharged on that day, and that the drain will be removed so that I can leave soon. He asked me to come back in 10 days to get the stitches removed, and in 2 weeks' time to get the report on the tumour. He said it was BIG and they took a lot of pictures.

Well, instead of showing you the actual ugly photo, let me show you a pictorial version. The tumour was 8.8cm ! HUGE ! Inside my FACE ! Goodness....

I called sis and Ange to tell them that I can be discharged already. I changed back to my own clothes, and started slowly packing some of my stuff. By the time Ange arrived, I had almost packed everything.

We then sat around to wait for the bill. Some time later, Prof Prepa also dropped by to take a look at me, and told me that everything looks fine. He said that instead of 10 days, I can come back next Thursday to try and get the report on the tumour and to remove the stitches. He said that the tumour should be benign, but a test will be done just to be sure.

After he left, I called mom and told her "I have bad news." She asked, "What ! What ! What happened ?" Then I told her, "Doc say I can come home today wor...." She said, "CHEH ! Aiyah, notchet go market. Okaylar." Hehehe.

Soon, we got bored waiting so I went to the ward counter to see when the bill will be ready. The counter guy passed me a prescription list which is supposed to be purchased from the Inpatient Prescription counter on the 1st floor in Menara Utama and then go make payment at the Inpatient Registration counter on the 2nd floor of Menara Utama.

Just then I remembered that I don't have any money with me since I passed everything including my wallet to sis ! Ange asked me not to worry and to wait in the ward while she goes and settle everything.

Poor thing, she had to walk sooooo far away. Soon, she came back and I asked her how much she had to pay. She said that instead of paying, they actually told her they have a balance of RM40 to return ! I was SHOCKED ! And extremely happy and thankful ! Not only was the operation a success, the cost which had me worrying is no longer a worry anymore.

Ange then fetch me home, and we reach my house around 11:45am. Later sis also came and all of them, including mom went out for lunch. Sis said I should stay home. Anyway, before I left, the nurse gave me some cough medicine, and I was already feeling its effect. After they left, I had a nice sleep.

It was nice to be back home. I got to watch my Astro channels, the AOD (Astro On Demand) shows, etc etc. Even the bed was more comfortable and most importantly, I got to logon to the Internet whenever I want.

I will be back to the hospital next week to remove my stitches and to see whether the report is out.

My Operation - 29th April

On my body now, there are :

5 painful needle holes, 3 of which are swollen and 1 blue black

1 painful small hole in the neck

9 stitches in the left face, which is also slightly swollen

A numb left face and ear

AND a left earlobe with no feeling

All these happened because of the tumour that was growing in my face. I finally did the operation to remove it.

Dr. Tang called me on 28th April and told me to go to the clinic first on the 28th before "checking in" to the ward. I packed a Sudoku book (courtesy of Lisa) and a pen, a book, a bottle of water, my mobile phone and also a sweater. Yep, didn't pack a lot coz didn't want to carry everything with me while I walk from 1 place to another !

So, on the morning of 29th, I drove myself to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) and reached there around 7:50am. After parking my car, I first went to Pharmcare to collect my medication before going to the clinic.

Around 8am, I registered myself and waited for the doctor to call me. After about an hour plus (and about 4 Sudoku puzzles), my number was finally called. Once inside, Dr. Tang took a whole bunch of forms and started filling them. There were really a LOT of forms. I was asked to sign on one of the form. I then asked the doc again what time my operation is scheduled for, and he told me 9am in the morning. Then he asked the nurse to get him something.

The nurse came back with this drip needle which he poke into my left wrist, and he collected about 4 test tubes of blood ! PAINFUL ! Then he put a stopper into the drip needle, which will be used again later. I was then asked to wait outside for someone to take me to the inpatient registration counter, because I have to first pay a deposit of RM500.

All these are located in Menara Utama. Someone then took me to Menara Timur's Ward 7TD to check-in. I waited there for about 15 minutes, then a guy came and put a patient tag on my right wrist. The ward was really cold and I could see that most of the patients and their family members were bundled up in sweaters or windbreakers. After a while, I was taken to Bed 9, where it will be my "home" for the next few days.

The nurse also asked me to change into the hospital gowns. After changing, I took out my sweater to wear, then called my mom and sis to tell them that I've already checked-in. Sis said she can come around 12 noon and asked me what I wanted to eat. She said she can tapau McD or chicken rice for me. I told her not to come so soon because I had to do some tests, and was not sure what time I'd be back at the ward.

The doctor told me that I only have to start fasting from 12 midnite. Around 10:30am, I was taken to do the ECG test and for a chest x-ray. Since I was afraid of losing my mobile and my wallet, I took my bag along with me. Everything was done by around 11:30am.

I was wondering whether I'd be served lunch or whether I had to go buy something to eat. However, at 12pm, lunch was served. I chose rice instead of porridge as I knew after the operation, I will be eating porridge for some time, probably until I get sick of it. For lunch, there was rice, ayam masak merah, pickled vegetables and a slice of watermelon. I ate the rice and chicken only.

After lunch, I started on another Sudoku puzzle. Mid-way through, someone called me to say that the anestatician wants to speak to me. She asked me a few questions, explain about the procedure and also asked me to sign the consent form. I went back to my bed after that and continued on the puzzle.

I looked around at my "neighbours". On my left was an Indian lady. On my right, a Chinese lady, and across me was an empty bed. Next to it was a Malay lady. Later, the Chinese lady was transferred to a room at the back, and a Malay girl was brought in and occupied the empty bed.

Around 2:30pm, I was again called, this time by a doctor who wanted to document my case, since it's rather unique. Yeah, I think I made ENT history by having the biggest tumour in the face / head. He wanted to take some pictures of me, to which I agreed.

I was then asked to stand against the wall, and face front and side for him to take pictures. In my mind, I was thinking, if they had asked me to hold a number plate, I would really look like a criminal ! The doctor then asked me to sit down so that he can take some pictures inside my mouth, because part of the tumour's "bump" can be seen there.

After the pictures, I went back to my bed, and around 3pm, tea was sent. Just as I wanted to start on the Milo, a couple of doctors came, and checked my lump. After these 2 doctors, another 2 came ! Sheesh, the tumour might as well be a superstar, with everyone wanting to see it ! Finally, after they left, I got to drink my Milo, which had already turned cold. Sigh.... I decided to skip the donut because I didn't want my glucose level to rise.

The Chinese lady later came and talked to me, asking what I was in for. I told her about my tumour, and she said that she had been hospitalized for 2 weeks now. She also had 2 tumours removed from her face, but hers was cancerous, and the doctor also removed lymph nodes from around her neck and back to prevent the cancer spread.

She told me that she first found out about the lumps a year ago, when she went to Gleneagles to check them, but was told that they were nothing. However she persisted to checked and finally came to UMMC, who confirmed the lumps were cancerous and had to be removed.

She also told me that the Indian lady on my right had been staying in the hospital for more than a month. Seems that she also had a cancerous lump removed from her face and had to replace the flesh with some flesh from her thigh. Seems that she had been in the ICU for almost a week, but recovered enough to be transferred back to the normal ward.

As we were conversion, Prof Preba arrived with Dr. Tang again to check on me and to tell me that they can't find my MRI and CAT scans ! Prof said that he will try and locate it again, since it's probably misplaced because of the few times I was ALMOST admitted. (once because of my glucose, once I asked for delay and the last time they changed the date).

At 6pm, my dinner arrived. It was rice and chicken in oyster sauce, 2 types of vegetables, an orange, a packet of biscuit and also a packet of Milo. I found out that they actually serve Milo the whole day through, from breakfast, to lunch, to tea and also for dinner. Weird huh ?

Sis came around 7pm with her hubby and Evelyn. She went to my house to collect the other things which I may need to use from ah ma before coming to see me at the ward. She also brought along a mug of hot Bovril for me to drink because I told her it was cold in the ward. It was nice to drink that. Yummy. She also bought a new bottle of Marmite for me, in case I want to make something hot to drink later.

Before she left, I passed her my bag which had my wallet and the clothes I wore when I was admitted, together with the key and parking ticket of my car. I then tried to sleep, thinking that it would be quite easy because I was tired and slept late the night before. Unfortunately, it's not that easy to sleep in a hospital. It's really NOISY ! There's people talking, coughing, moving around, going to the washroom, lights, sounds of equipments, TV sound, etc etc etc.