One Night In Bei... No, ICU!

I awoke to nurses fussing over me. No idea what they were up to. It just felt like they were moving me around and setting up stuff. So op was over? This must be the ICU I supposed?

A nurse removed the huge breathing apparatus from my mouth that was so bloody big that it was pushing my teeth out (o no I'm gonna have buck teeth) and I wondered how the doctors managed to fit it in in the first place.

Then she stuck a suction tube down my throat to suck up the mucus. Super UNCOMFORTABLE, but the suction provided relief.

An oxygen mask was strapped to my face.

Air was blowing continuously into my nose and mouth. Sweet, sweet air. It made breathing so effortless that I felt I didn't need it at all.

I was told that I was having a fever, so they would not cover me with the blanket, to which I managed to muster a "mm", but whether she heard it was another thing.

After everybody was done and gone, I finally could get back to sleep.

Zzz...

Apparently, a chest X-ray was done at about 11pm but I had no recollection.

Woke up due to breathing difficulty. What a familiar feeling... haven't I last felt this way in Kawaguchiko? This meant the air was too dry. No saliva to swallow. Felt that the bedsheets were cold and damp. Wet? With? My first thought was urine. That's the only possibility. But I didn't have the call bell. I was lying on my side and didn't have the energy to move anything else apart from my eyes, so I couldn't see if anybody was there. And I couldn't talk. Helpless. Back to sleep then. Grr.

Roused by noises around me. O yay somebody had discovered the wet sheets! The urine tube wasn't connected properly lor. Seeee I was right. So eeky to lie in a pool of urine for goodness knows how long. Clean sheets finally. And fortunately, they discovered the problem with the air too and fixed it. Immediately, the air tasted so much better. Sigh so cmi one, 2 cockups in a night.

New knowledge - air coming from a tank needs to be humidified.

Sweet dreams~

Not for long. An alarm roused me this time. It had been going on for sometime. Alarm ley, was something wrong? I should get somebody to check it out, but still no idea where the call bell was. This time, I was lying on my back, facing the glass door, which made it convenient for me to see outside. Nobody was around. Sianz. I should try to go back to sleep then.

The alarm was off and I got to sleep deeply.

Not for long again. The alarm went off again. It's so bloody shrill and ongoing and irritating that I couldn't possibly ignore it, even though I was still damn groggy from the anaesthesia. I spotted a "security guard" sitting at a desk right outside my room, obviously ignoring the alarm. I could only stare angrily at him. PISSED. Patients no need to rest is it?

I have officially lost all desire to sleep. Situation check then.

The ICU was a spacious room with only 1 bed. Beeping machines surrounded me. Tried to read their monitors, but didn't dare to turn my head because I wasn't sure if I should. The useless "security guard" aside, there was nobody else in sight. Not even other patients.

How long have I been sleeping for?

Time was... *glanced around and found a clock*. But so far away, couldn't make out the hands, so I had to watch which hand was moving faster -_-. Hmm... should be about 3am/pm, because there was no window for me to tell whether it was day or night. Assuming that the surgery took up all of 28^th's daylight hours and that I wasn't unconscious for too long after that, I deduced the time to be 3am.

The air from the mask was definitely more breathable now. It's blowing into my right eye though. Dry eye~ My lips were so swollen that I swore I could see them. My teeth were still sore. Why didn't anybody warn me about the possibility of looking like Tony Leung in 东成西就?

Tube in my nose and mouth, down my throat.

I could see my feet as the bed was semi-reclined. My heels were in foam protectors to protect them from bedsores.

Couldn't move my legs due to the increased friction. The calf pumps were back on.

A cannula was inserted in my left wrist.

No blanket, but I wasn't exactly feeling cold.

O yes how about the pain? None, actually. Pleasantly surprised. At least none when I'm still, like now.

Ok, I'm really tired, but that alarm ah... I could only drift in and out of sleep. I want to get out of here already argh.

The nurses came to check on me. What a relief when the tube in my throat was removed. Just had to keep my airway straight while they were at it, didn't feel too uncomfortable. The nurse urged me to cough out my phlegm, which turned out to be exceptionally difficult. Firstly, I couldn't take a deep enough breath. That's it lor. So she had to suction it out for me. Horrible to have a tube forced down my throat! Made me retch and cough in reflex but unsuccessful because no strength and restrained. Hated that yuck! I will try to cough on my own next time T_T

I could talk now, great! Got a sore throat though, a side effect of the tube. I complained about the air blowing into my eye. Wearing the mask upside down helped.

I was just happy that they stopped that alarm, so I didn't bother to ask what that was about. Big mistake. It was back before I knew it.

Slept fitfully...

The physiotherapist came to see me. Looked quite handsome haha. No Use Hospital's physiotherapists all 帅哥美女 is it? He taught me breathing exercises and taught me to cough. Ya lor these also need to teach, sad.

My family came to visit me at 1pm. Father stayed so far out that I didn't see him. Brother had to stay outside the glass door because he wasn't feeling well. So only Sister and Mother were in the room with me.

Felt my bladder was very very full. Wasn't it supposed to flow along on its own? Got my sister to call the nurse. The nurse moved the tube to help the contents flow. O... like that only. If only I could do it own my own.

Now, I didn't need the oxygen mask too. Down to a nasal cannula that blew air into my nostrils. I must say that the air tasted pretty sweet. Must contain extra oxygen.

Later, I was well enough to be moved to the high dependency ward. Bye Ward 21, Surgical ICU (saw that on the way out)!