Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Jaw Breaker Series - Day 3, 13 July
Couldn't sleep a wink last night due to 2 reasons:
1) Dementia auntie on my right kept howling through the night, complaining that she didn't have dinner (she did.. just that she can't remember)
2) Suffering from very bad back and neckache. Not sure if it is due to the pillow? Or the 30 degree incline of my bed, or the swelling in general?
Either way, I knew i wasn't going to be sleeping much anyway, so I decided to just remain awake. So I did a brief test of my joints and my head. Feeling that I should be alright, i decided to head to the toilet on my own for a shower. It proved to be extremely refreshing... And it was also the first time I took a look at myself in the mirror and went.. SHIT! I look like an extra for the movie Shallow Hal! My whole lower chin and neck was swollen. it was someone piled a fat suit on me... Jeez...
Well, breakfast was waiting for me when i returned. It was a clear soup (vegetable, i think) and some milo. I think I have never been happier being given something to eat (ok, in this instance, drink). It has been 3 days since i had anything... and my appetite was ravenous. And like oliver twist, I requested for more soup after I finished the first bowl. And this time they gave me Cream of Mushroom! Wow.. pure bliss....... I slurped all that up to the last drop and drank the pink guava juice that came with it as well.
My doctor came by again shortly after to look at my progress. She said I was doing well and she will discharge me around noon time. Before she proceeded to do my discharge procedures, she explained to me how I was supposed to brush my teeth. With a baby toothbrush (yes.. baby toothbrush), from the top of my jaw to the bottom, I have to split it in 4 sections. 1 - upper gums; 2 - upper teeth; 3 - lower teeth; 4 - lower gums. I have to brush in circular motions for about 20 reps each section, before moving on to the left or right. Followed by rinse with mouthwash. And this was supposed to be after every meal....
The rest of the day went by pretty quickly. One of the nurses removed the IV drip plug from my arm. Once again, it didn't hurt, but I was just surprised that it was actually so long... yeah.. at least 2 inches. She asked me if i wanted to keep the plug as a souvenir.. I declined... Lunch came by.. and it was clear soup again. I requested for cream soup from one of the nurses. Sadly... the cream soup never arrived. Then the pharmacist came by with my medications. 2 weeks worth. My gosh.. the amount of antibiotics she gave me... i nearly fainted. It came in one whole bundle.. and there were 2 different kinds of antibiotics. She also prescribed painkillers for me, but i felt that they were unnecessary... there was no real pain, just a dull aching pain which was manageable.
Then the bill arrived. Interestingly, I didn't have to pay a single cent. All covered by Medisave, except for the implants, which I may be able to pay via insurance (pending). So with that, I was discharged and I went home...
I crashed once I reached home. Partly because I was still weak. And partly due to the taxi ride. After being stationary for a few days.. being in a moving vehicle made me quite dizzy... and I slept till the evening.
1) Dementia auntie on my right kept howling through the night, complaining that she didn't have dinner (she did.. just that she can't remember)
2) Suffering from very bad back and neckache. Not sure if it is due to the pillow? Or the 30 degree incline of my bed, or the swelling in general?
Either way, I knew i wasn't going to be sleeping much anyway, so I decided to just remain awake. So I did a brief test of my joints and my head. Feeling that I should be alright, i decided to head to the toilet on my own for a shower. It proved to be extremely refreshing... And it was also the first time I took a look at myself in the mirror and went.. SHIT! I look like an extra for the movie Shallow Hal! My whole lower chin and neck was swollen. it was someone piled a fat suit on me... Jeez...
Well, breakfast was waiting for me when i returned. It was a clear soup (vegetable, i think) and some milo. I think I have never been happier being given something to eat (ok, in this instance, drink). It has been 3 days since i had anything... and my appetite was ravenous. And like oliver twist, I requested for more soup after I finished the first bowl. And this time they gave me Cream of Mushroom! Wow.. pure bliss....... I slurped all that up to the last drop and drank the pink guava juice that came with it as well.
My doctor came by again shortly after to look at my progress. She said I was doing well and she will discharge me around noon time. Before she proceeded to do my discharge procedures, she explained to me how I was supposed to brush my teeth. With a baby toothbrush (yes.. baby toothbrush), from the top of my jaw to the bottom, I have to split it in 4 sections. 1 - upper gums; 2 - upper teeth; 3 - lower teeth; 4 - lower gums. I have to brush in circular motions for about 20 reps each section, before moving on to the left or right. Followed by rinse with mouthwash. And this was supposed to be after every meal....
The rest of the day went by pretty quickly. One of the nurses removed the IV drip plug from my arm. Once again, it didn't hurt, but I was just surprised that it was actually so long... yeah.. at least 2 inches. She asked me if i wanted to keep the plug as a souvenir.. I declined... Lunch came by.. and it was clear soup again. I requested for cream soup from one of the nurses. Sadly... the cream soup never arrived. Then the pharmacist came by with my medications. 2 weeks worth. My gosh.. the amount of antibiotics she gave me... i nearly fainted. It came in one whole bundle.. and there were 2 different kinds of antibiotics. She also prescribed painkillers for me, but i felt that they were unnecessary... there was no real pain, just a dull aching pain which was manageable.
Then the bill arrived. Interestingly, I didn't have to pay a single cent. All covered by Medisave, except for the implants, which I may be able to pay via insurance (pending). So with that, I was discharged and I went home...
I crashed once I reached home. Partly because I was still weak. And partly due to the taxi ride. After being stationary for a few days.. being in a moving vehicle made me quite dizzy... and I slept till the evening.
# posted by Xallista @ 6:41 PM 
