Meal Option

When you check in to a hotel, you're expected to register your name and relevant details with the front desk, pass them your credit card for them to swipe an amount from it before you can even think of going into the room. From there, you can stay indoors for as long as you need to be, order your choice of meal from a menu, receive your daily newspaper, have your own toilet facility and enjoy the aircond.

When you get admitted into the General Hospital, yes, you still need to register your name and pass them some form deposit before they allocate you a bed in the ward. Yes, a bed, not a room. You eat whatever they place in front of you, no newspapers, share the common toilet and there is no air-cond.

Ten years ago, we didn't have the privilege of paying for a better facility when we get admitted into a hospital - unless of course, we are willing to travel all the way to KL.

When my mother in law fell a few days ago, we admitted her into a very nice and comfortable private hospital. And just like checking into a 5 star hotel, we registered her name and allowed them to swipe our credit card before she got her own room. Oh well, she was placed in a 2-bed room the first night because that was the only one available. She got her own room the next day when someone got discharged.

With that room, came a lot of privileges.

Daily newspapers
Own toilet facility
Air-cond

And she could even get to choose her daily meals!!! Just look at the pictures below:-
This is the front cover of the menu
.

Monday's choice of food. For breakfast, you can choose from 4 different sets : Traditional, Cereal, Porridge and Western. For lunch and dinner : Spicy, Non-Spicy and Vegetarian

And look at one of the choices : Ayam Percik!!!! Yummy!!! Gosh! One would even wish to get admitted just to eat the hospital food!

Hard Fall

Feeling extremely exhausted after the G. Datuk climb on Saturday and the fact that I didn't have a good sleep the night before, I embraced sleep with open arms at 10.15pm.

At 2.10am, I was still in deep slumber when the melodious sound of the phone rudely awaken me. I dragged my legs out of bed and answered the call. Though sounding incoherent, I managed to assemble what Viji was trying to say. Her mum fell and was bleeding. I woke Rajen and we flew to her house.

This was what happened. Rajen's mother was in bed and felt like throwing up. I think she was looking for a container or a plastic bag to empty the contents in. She must've reach out further than she ought to, lost her balance and fell down - with a loud thud. And I mean LOUD. Viji, who was downstairs, reading the papers, heard the sound and rushed upstairs. She tried to help her mother to get up but she wasn't strong enough. So she dragged her to the landing where her mum could pull herself up by using the stair railing.

That was the condition we saw when we went there. She was still on the floor. I don't blame her cause she was in great pain.

Rajen and I helped her sit on a chair and she started throwing up. She felt so weak after that, that she just loose all strength to hold herself up. She started sagging down .... it was terrifying watching her like that. Rajen had to shake and call out her name. After a few terrifying seconds, she sort of "woke up" and asked, "Where am I?"

We allowed her to sit for a while to regain her strength before telling her that we will be bringing her to the hospital and that she needed to find the strength to go down the stairs. By then we knew that her head was bleeding, her right arm was weak with pain and her right side was hurting. So, one step at a time, she slowly walked down the stairs ... with the help of Rajen and I.

We got to the hospital at 3am. The doc did some x-rays and a CT scan. Thank God her skull was fine. Her arm was fine, too. But she had 4 broken ribs. According to the doctor, it would take 4 weeks for a healthy young person to be healed, but in her case, 8 weeks. :(

We got her admitted and left her in the care of the nurses and doctors at 5.15am.

The next day, still groggy after the night's event, we went to church. Viji skipped chuch to see her mother.

I knew that while Viji and Rajen had only about 2-3 hours rest, I had 6 hours. Because of that, I volunteered to stay with their mother in the afternoon while they rest at home. But Viji said that she doesn't mind being there the whole day. It was a good thing too cause I was feeling rather tired. Rajen and I went back to rest for a while before heading out to the hospital.

I must say, Rajen's mother didn't look too good on Sunday. She was resting most of the time and didn't have the strength to even talk.

Once, she started choking and I saw her eyes darting in all directions. I was indeed terrified. All of us panicked and called the nurse ..... but after a while, the choking stopped and she was able to rest. Phew!

Here's Rajen reading the Bible and Daily Bread upon his mother's request.

Many friends and relatives came to visit.

Hospital Visitation

For the second part of the 1st day of CNY, we went to Tesco to get some toiletries. We were at the parking lot, about to leave Tesco when Esther called to ask if we wanted to go to the hospital to visit MCTC's mother and MinChee grandmother. We weren't pressed for time, so we agreed.

picture curtesy of Eric H

It was 5.30pm! And you know what I forgot? I forgot all about the solar eclipse!!! Garrgh!! My friend Eric told me about last week and I really wanted to see it. Hmmm... funny that I don't seem to realise that it was a little dark when I was out at the parking lot. Eric said that it would take place at 5.30pm Malaysian time!

Anyway, we left Tesco, picked up Esther and my mum (who found out about our plans and wanted to tag along) and went to the Seremban GH. There were a few parking spaces - which is a miracle because sometimes it takes an hour just to find a spot. Eunice told me that it was a public holiday and visiting hours are more flexible.

We went to see MCTC's mother first. She was on ward errr... I can't remember. Probably 6B or something. We walked right to the end of the ward and saw her lying down on the bed, looking weak. Her breathing was laboured and for a lady who is 73 years old, she looked really frail. We chatted with her for a bit. Mum witnessed to her. We prayed for her.

And off we went to see MinChee's grandmother.

We found her in the toilet, on a push chair. She didn't look sick at all. After she brushed her teeth, she attempted to wheel herself back to the room but Esther insisted on helping her. Once on the bed, she talked to us. It was like as though she was not sick at all. Now, get this. She is 85 years old and she was pretty animated when she talks. She's got a very strong voice. Yes, indeed she's a pretty strong person.

We left the hospital at 7.30pm and went straight back.

That night, we went to Uncle Ah Ba's place - another place we'd normally visit every year. This year, so many of us turned up. Swee Lee, Alisa, Ai Lee, Peter, Ethan, Boon Leong and Kathy were there for the first time. Indran was sick, and therefore was absent.

So there .... the 1st day of CNY proved to be quite fruitful. We got so many things done.