Finally the day came … here I am sitting at the waiting area outside the operation department. There were several others together with me there. I was told that my mum’s operation takes at least 5 hours. The minutes seemed like years to me at this moment.
After seeing so many patients being transferred to their wards, I felt the rising pressure and my heart was pumping even harder. There’s nothing I could do but prayers. I tried to immerse myself in reading but the words hardly being comprehended.
I tried to tame my wild thoughts by reminding myself how God had kept my faith and His guidance and peace that had lead me to this point.
I thought of the parking experience where I just need to go on with FAITH and God will lead the way. I thought of how God had made possible the approval of medical assistance in the shortest time compared to others. I remembered how God had sent angel, a friend of mine, to our side sharing with us her father’s successful spine operation under the same doctor.
Then I thought about what could have been the reason that God keep delaying my mum’s operation? I suddenly realised if my mum underwent her operation on the 1st operation date, she would have suffered stroke or died during the operation. Why? It was because the 22% plaque was not diagnosed and worst of all, that ignorant anesthetist who ordered my mum to stop her valsartan medicine 2 weeks before her operation. This could have increased her risk of stroke during operation!
Few days before my mum’s operation, I consulted my friend who was an anesthetist in another general hospital, she told me she had not known of any such order of stopping the valsartan medicine weeks before operation. They usually stop on the operation day. This had really puzzled me. And she further informed me that all issues about plaque and heart conditions must be well kept in the report files.
This lead me to realise that before my mum’s first operation date, the doctors failed to discover the 22% plaque in her carotid artery! This could have caused complications during operation too. Therefore I was really thankful to God that He stopped the operation. So, 1st operation date being delayed is cleared.
After this understanding, I searched my mind for the possible reasons of 2nd operation date being delayed. This could have been the inner issues of my mum’s confidence level. The doctor refused to operate on patients who are not confidence in the success rate of an operation. I kept telling my mum that we will pray for her, sharing with her about the peace I am experiencing throughout the diagnosis period , reassuring her about my faith in God that He will keep her safe. All these has little influence on a non-believer like her.
God sees what she needed and had us met with my primary school classmate whom my mum knows since we were kids in the same neighbourhood. She told my mum that this doctor was very skillful and had successfully operated on her dad’s spine. Then God sent us to see the orthopedic and the physician whom my mum trusted most. Both reassured my mum that her operation will be successful and encouraged her to go for it. I also took the opportunity to share with her all the wonderful works of God in my opinions, meeting with my friend, these doctors and the medical assistance approval. She was agreeable. Now 2nd operation date delayed solved.
3rd operation date … I was told the doctor’s mum was in critical conditions. I learnt later that the doctor’s mum was warded during that time and she needs to take care of her in the hospital she’s attached. Then I thought it could be possible that the doctor might not be ready for major operation during these time that she has to delay it. Another reason I got to know was the lack of medical staff during the 3rd operation date because it was around Chinese New Year celebration. Hence, 3rd operation date delayed solved.
It then comes to why this 4th operation date? This will need to look into during the hospitalization period.
My mum’s operation lasted about 8 hours. The doctor told me the operation was very successful eventhough my mum’s pressure once hit 200mmHg before the operation. She had 9 screws implanted, together with quite an amount of bone graft on her sacrum. Doctor also did a lumbar spinal decompression on my mum. I was so relieved at hearing these and kept thanking her. But the doctor told me, “Don’t thank me first, we still need to monitor on her excretory functions and mobility. Remember I told you about the possible risks involved could be lost of urination control, loss of bowel movement control, disabilty in her fingers, paralysed legs? These will have to be monitored closely. Till then only thank me. ” My heart sank as I heard these.
I thought the wait outside the operation theater was the most torturing process … but in actual the care after the operation is the real test … a test of patience, endurance, knowledge, physical and mental strength, the wit to know when and where to seek advice and assistance.
This is government hospital and they are seriously lack of staff. Everything we have to do on our own. From monitoring the glucose drip to changing diapers and cleaning her, all had to be done on our own. For those having no one to look after them, they will have to wait, sometimes for hours to get a nurse to come to serve them.
During my mum’s 2 weeks hospitalization period, several angels were sent to us.
When my mum was just out from the operation room, we were changed to non air-conditioned room with another 5 patients. We were lucky enough that a granddaughter of a patient was very helpful and friendly. She always come over to help my mum when I was away to canteen or washroom. She even shared with my mum her stories at school etc. She would offer helps to my mum whenever she’s around causing her grandmother to be a bit jealous. Before her grandmother discharged, she came to bid my mum goodbye and hug my mum, telling my mum to take good care of herself. She’s such a heart warming angel sent by God to accompany my mum.
On post operation day 2, a doctor who came to inspect my mum ordered the staff to provide my mum with an air cushion ripple mattress to help prevent bed sores. This mattress helps to cool a bit. However, due to the fact that I had no idea how to turn my mum on her sides without causing much pain her her 10 inches+ wounds along her spine, therefore bed sores still happened. This further worsen the pain.
My mum was very weak for the first 5 days after operation. She couldn’t eat and could only drink very little nutritional milk formula. Meals prepared by the hospital were not appetizing too. Mostly cooked with chilly which my mum could not tolerate. Vegetables were cooked too long and lost its greens. I could hardly ate it too.
On post operation day 5, we were changed back to air-conditioned room with 3 other patients. Quieter environment and more privacy. Two days later, a lady around my mum’s age, aunty Lai was admitted and stayed opposite my mum’s bed. She had her knee operation on the same day. Her house is just 10 minutes walk from this hospital. Her daughter took care of her here after her operation.
When my mum and aunty Lai started to chat, they found they shared so many interests. Both of them love singing, gardening and sewing. They even love the same songs. This could probably due to their similar age.
When aunty Lai could eat solid food, her daughter cooked for her. She even prepared an extra portion for my mum and I. The pork rib soup could be the life saving and most delicious dish my mum ever tasted. For the past few days my mum could hardly eaten more than 2 spoonfuls of rice, but for this meal, my mum finished half bowl of the rice together with the soup! Her taste buds were totally awaken by the tasty home cooked soup! That’s when I see my mum started to have her appetite back. Aunty Lai was surprised at her daughter’s act too. She told my mum that her daughter is an introvert who seldom socialized even with relatives. And it’s really out of her expectation that her daughter would have prepared dinner for my mum. Aunty Lai’s daughter is another angel sent by God.
The next day, my mum was craving for fish porridge. I am not a local therefore has no idea where to buy it. Aunty Lai called her son to buy my mum a packet of fish porridge. He then gave me the address of the shop so that I can drive there next time. This fish porridge once again fulfilled my mum’s desire and she almost finished the whole bowl by her own. For the next few days, I could finally go out to buy porridge or noodles soup for my mum. She improved much.
For the rest of the days at hospital, aunty Lai and my mum became each others companion. They chat and share their stories and knowledge in gardening. Aunty Lai really eased my mum’s pain and helped her to come out from her sadness. My mum was in so much pain that she secretly cried to herself and found herself missing her parents dearly. Aunty Lai is an angel sent by God. My mum and aunty Lai became good friend and a support for each other during their recuperation, keeping each others company when spirit is low.
If not for the family of aunty Lai, my mum might need even longer recovering period due to her poor appetite. I really appreciate them very much. Thank God for angels sent to us.
Besides, there were then bunch of training students who loved to chat to my mum. My mum would be happily teaching them Chinese language while they taught my mum Bahasa Malaysia. Several good doctors were around too, giving my mum some really precious advices and thorough checkups. Staff nurses there were very helpful too. These were also angels to us.
Another angel was the young girl of a patient next to my mum’s bed. Her mother was hospitalised due to leg pain. She’s the youngest in the family and volunteered to look after her mother at the hospital. She would offer my mum helps whenever I was not around. There’s once, I went out to buy food for my mum. During that time, my mum suddenly felt some bowel movement and forced herself to walk to the toilet using her walking frame. She went in for quite some time and this caused the young girl to be so worried that my mum might need some help. She kept calling at the door and after a while she directly opened the door to check if my mum is ok. She’s such a lovely kind hearted girl. Her actions really warmed our hearts.
And not forgetting the pretty Indian doctor Madam Jaya for her outstanding skills and experience that had made this operation a very successful one. She’s kind and caring and gave my mum a lot of positive power, encouraging her and forcing her to walk on her feets.
Now, as I looked back on all these people and incidents, they all proved to me that the operation time at this date is the perfect one to be able to meet them and had our paths crossed at such timing to warm each others hearts. If God has not worked on these, it will not be happening.
Above all, thank God for a wonderful outcome. Thank God for His protections. Thank God for all the angels sent to us during these period. Thank God for leading us through and showed us His great works throughout the process. Thank God for all the enlightenment that lead us to understand of His arrangement. God’s timing is the best!
esurheart 随心所欲 