The eighteenth day of surgery

The day started with I am having to 'fast' since late last night and leaving home without even a mug of tea. I need to get a blood and urine test done and later show it to Dr. Daud. I have been doing this rather religiously every early of the month, since my bariatric gastric by-pass surgery in early July.

I find this is very important because the drastic weight loss process that I went through is rather a little to taxing for my system. There has been evidence of lack of minerals and of course, personally I'd like the doctor to keep track of how that would affect my kidney and liver function and of course, glucose level.

However, when I arrived at the blood lab, there were already thirty one people ahead of me. So I had to wait. In the middle of that, Abah was brought down to x-ray again and 'Rehab' afterwards. So I left my 'position' in the queue, to be with him. Just when physiotherapy about to begin, word from upstairs said the Tan Sri Mr. Yahya was on his way to the wards. So we abandoned physiotherapy and wheeled him back to the wards.

At before noon Tan Sri Mr. Yahya appeared. He asked to check the chest wound and find it still oozing, although it was much lesser compared to yesterday. He was not to happy with that but after we interacted with him on the problem, he said he would just let the ooze out and dry on its own.

I explained to him that the past two nights, when the sun sets, Abah became restless. Yesterday was particularly terrible. Not only Abah was exhausted when he came up from 'Rehab' (which never happened before), he started to have chest and back pains in the early part of the evening.

The eminent cardiothoracic surgeon said not to worry about that. The more important task at hand is to see that no more oozing and the chest wound is all dried up, like the 90% of it. Going into another invasive procedure to address the problem has not be considered, at this point of time. He also explained that more antibiotics was deployed to take care of the wound.

He also said that he would want Abah to leave and regain the normalcy of his life, at the comfort and pace from his own home. He realised that Abah's uneasiness and restlessness, being infirmed this long, has almost gone to its limit. Patience is a virtue that everyone must possess, in these trying times. However, it is very much easier said than done.

Later, my cousin Nasser Ismail and family came over for a surprised visit. He has been in town for IDRA official business. Nasser drove up to KL the night before my father's surgery, to show support. I have been updating him with progress periodically and he is one of those who follow Abah's progress from this blog.

Today wasn't a particularly good day to me. I spent a lot of time from queueing for my blood test and eventually rather late in consultation with Dr. Daud. So I missed my obesity surgery survivors support group meeting orgainsed by DSH. Later at 3.00 pm, when I wanted to pay for the three hundred RM odd bill for the day, the clerk insisted that I settle a RM 26.00 bill first (which I forgot to pay when I had a B12 vitamin jab the day my father went for surgery), instead of paying the bill together, in one credit card charge. That unnecessary argument cost me 25 minutes!

I simply refuse to barge on a very rigid administrative and accounting policy and system, which is not customer friendly. This is a hospital, not a bank. Patient care and hospitality should be utmost prominence, not petty receivables and cash management rigid system!

I am already stressed out with so many things and issues like this is really not helping. Later I went to my tailor, only to find that he had not made any alterations to any of the eight trousers I sent him since two months ago, which include the two suit trousers. I need them as I was supposed to attend an opening ceremony of a national level convention in Putrajaya on Monday morning.

Tonight, Aishah spent her fifth night straight in a row, on 'duty'. Though she is only eleven, she is getting more alert on Abah's needs and predicament. I and missus felt very sorry that her school holidays was not so for fun for her and instead, had to bear a huge responsibility. For that, I am very proud of her!