Sunday, October 3, 2010

Sorry for lack of posts as I was hospitalised 4 days

They are running out of places to draw blood...
"My Jedi mind trick is not working today, I wonder why!"

I am very sorry for the lack of posts the past week. Some mysterious internal bleeding landed me in SGH's high dependency ward on Monday morning. It seems I had a few danger signs - tachycardia (elevated heart rate), low blood pressure, pallor, some shortness of breath and nearly blacking out a couple times. These did not seem like much to me, but I later learned they meant I lost quite a bit of blood. I am very grateful to whoever donated the pack of blood that was transfused to me.

The doctors never found out where the bleeding was from, as it stopped before they managed to trace it. They kept me on a drip, without food for nearly 70 hours!! Quite frankly, I felt much stronger after they eventually allowed me a cup of Milo!

I pleaded for discharge and they finally let me go home on Friday, with an MC for 36 days! Isn't that crazy? I thought this was too exaggerated, and that I could spring back almost immediately, but nooo. They were not being funny. The enforced bedrest in hospital had made me feel deceptively OK, but once home and walking about, I find I'm so easily worn out. Even a simple thing like blogging seems to require monumental strength and concentration. Looking at the screen makes me tired. My blood count is not back up to its normal levels yet, I guess.

But, but, I am very glad to be home. I should be putting back the 2kg I lost, cos I am going to EAT!

As for the 39 posts in my backlog yet to be posted...hmm, one at a time. Might be a bit slow.

P.S.  If you ever need to have an IV plug set, ask for one near the elbow instead of back of hand - it's a whole lot less painful! I don't understand why they set 3 separate IV plugs for me, when one should have theoretically sufficed. And I learned there are so many vein sites you can draw blood from (I can still see my 12 punctures). Needles, needles, everywhere...


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34 comments

  1. please take care and get well soon!
    me a big fan of your blog!

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  2. Take care and please get well soon! :)

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  3. Take care. And speedy recovery! Don't worry about the blog backlog. We will re-read all your blog entries while you are resting and recovering.

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  4. Yikes, sorry to hear. Hope you get better soon. I myself am home bound with broken foot for 2 weeks now already. The doc gave me 24 days MC - yours trumps mine still ;)

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  5. So sorry to hear that. Please take care I need to read your blog.

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  6. Pls rest well and also wish you a speedy recovery!

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  7. Ouch! I hope you're feeling better as each day dawns.

    Being AB- I felt it important to donate my blood, (and plasma these days which I find scary), to our blood bank. One day it could be me who needs AB-. I think started donating when I found out what my blood type was at 18, which was, dare I say it, quite a while ago now.

    I find it interesting that those looking after you can find a vein near your elbow, I must remember that next time when they keep prodding my arm for a good vein.

    Rest and get well asap!

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  8. do take care, and he doctors meant well when they need u to rest. So, blogging can wait :p

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  9. Speedy recovery Catherine and God bless! Don't worry about the blog, your health matters more :)

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  10. Take good care of yourself... Have a speedy recovery...

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  11. Take your time to blog but eat you must! Put back those days of no food, rest well and speedy recovery.

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  12. Yikes! Glad it was caught quickly and that you're feeling better now!

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  13. Do take good care of yourself and rest more! Internal bleeding can be very serious and may even cause death, so do take it seriously.

    Cheers, a loyal reader!

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  14. Take care! Wish you a speedy recovery!

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  15. Get well soon! Once u r well, maybe you'll get the energy spurt to get you blogging many posts at one go! Meanwhile, just rest, ya? Take care!

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  16. Do rest well and take care! :)
    Shall await your new entries when you are feeling better.

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  17. sorry to hear about your hospital stay. do rest well k....slow and steady. must take care of your health!

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  18. take care!! blog slowly :D

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  19. If the veins are just above the bones, then it is very painful. We set braunulae from lowest area first cos once the vein is punctured, all area below the same vein can't be used.
    Speedy recovery. They didn't scope you?

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  20. Please take care Catherine, the posts and the rest of the food out there in the universe will always be there waiting for you!

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  21. I am a big fan of your blog, i regularly visit your site. I was surprise to see this picture when i log in your site. Anyway please take care and recover soon. Looking forward to more post from you : )

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  22. Please take care and I'm sure all of us are looking forward to have you up and about soon!

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  23. Hi
    i am a regular reader of your blog and find it very enjoyable and informative. I would like to share with you my own experience early this year. some of the symptons i had were very similar to yours. I went for endless tests which did not detect the cause and in the meantime my blood count kept dropping and i had no energy to even carry my handbag. just as the doctors were about to do a bone marrow test and kidney biopsey, one of the doctors suggested i changed the medication (Cozra) that i was taking for high blood pressure. when i did that, immediately my blood count went back to normal and my energy level went up. Your case may not be similar but i hope this info helps. wishing you a speedy recovery.

    dolly

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  24. Thank you everyone for your well wishes! I really need to discipline myself because the temptation to do things and keep busy is just overwhelming.

    Last anonymous: wow your case is stunning to learn. I don't have hypertension, so am not on any blood pressure drugs. But good to know.

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  25. Hullo from Perth, Australia!

    Love your blog! It makes me homesick for a good Singaporean feed. Get well soon, I'll be praying for a diagnosis and a speedy recovery!

    Your hand looks like it's been through the wars! Sometimes they need to resite a cannula (IV line) because it has tissued (blocked) or because it isn't big enough for tests/certain fluids. Yes, the elbow area is usually full of big, healthy veins but it's avoided because movement can irritate the site and lead to infection.

    Be sure to follow up with the outpatient clinic/your general practitioner about this problem. It sounds like the previous anonymous had an adverse drug reaction to cozaar/losartan, a blood pressure lowering agent. We can't have you down and not blogging :P

    Keep up the good work/eating!

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  26. Hope you are feeling well and keep posting.

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