When it rains, it pours. I thought I had my one hospital visit, when something much smaller but really annoying decided to happen. I had some sort of pimple-like thing right under my right eyebrow, and I didn’t think too much of it at the time, until after a day or two it made my whole eyelid red. I still figured it’d just heal, so I didn’t do anything until a week later it didn’t get any better and instead, started to swell.
After a visit the doctor, I wasn’t any closure to knowing how long it would take for the lump to go away. All the doc figured was that it was probably some sort of cyst, and I was prescribed antibiotics.
A few days passed, and the condition got worse, and I wasn’t able to open my eye properly, especially in the mornings. Eventually everyone at work became super concerned too, and after a doctor friend took a look, she recommended that I go straight to the hospital.So the next morning I took the trip there. I actually have a secret enjoyment of heading in the direction of the hospital because one of my favourite cafes is near there, so I took along my camera. I’d also brought along my charger pack for my phone, since my doctor friend said it’d need the emergency department to drain my lump and then I’d also need antibiotics via IV.
The triage area was quieter than my last visit, with not as many patients. After the triage nurse asked a few questions, I was taken into the eye area, where they wanted me to read out the eye chart thing, and then they looked at my eye. They confirmed that the lump I had wasn’t related to my eye, however, they did discover I have a tiny scratch on my cornea, so they gave me some eye drops for that. The lady also said that the emergency department docs wouldn’t operate on my face, and that it required plastic surgeons instead, just to ensure that there was as little scarring risk to my face. The plastic surgery department was pretty busy, so I waited around for four hours before someone came to take a look.
Upon inspection, they said that they would put me under general anesthetic and make a small cut to drain the stuff. Well, there goes my day. As I was listed as an emergency patient, they were aiming to complete the operation that day.
Luckily I didn’t have to wait too long, though the eye department was so busy that they didn’t manage to get a blood test or stick a cannula in. All the paperwork was done in what seemed like more of a rushed manner than my previous visit, and my cannula inserted in the room just before the operating theatre. This time it was pink!
The operation experience this time was also slightly different, the anesthetist this time put a dose of something first through the pink knobby thing, and I felt myself slightly disorientated by the time I was wheeled into the theatre. It was going to be a quick and simple operation, so they weren’t even going to move me onto the table, instead they’d do it in the bed I was already on. Once again the mask went on me, and for some reason I found it hard to breathe, before promptly blacking out. I was in a deeper sleep this time with what felt like a long dream, so whatever they used must have been pretty strong! I felt groggier upon waking up too! But just like last time, I wasn’t in any pain after the operation.
Post-operation stuff was incredibly uneventful this time. I got a handed a sandwich since I had to fast before the operation, of which I ate half, and then dinner was served shortly after, as I was transferred from a private room into a shared ward. I was still waiting for staff to find my belongings, so there’s no picture of the crumbed fish with tomato, broccoli and potato plus yellow jelly. The potatoes this time round were all cooked through a lot better than last time though!
It turns out though that my low blood pressure and low heart rate while sleeping become a problem during their regular checkups though, but luckily unlike last time, I was able to devise a short exercise regimen so that I could pressure up when they came around!
The next morning I had the same breakfast as last time, with cornflakes, prunes, bread, fruit and juice. I was also allowed to roam around and leave the hospital as long as I was back in time for checkups and medication, so I took a sneaky trip out to my cafe here!
What isn’t pictured here is the espresso and filter I had while I was there! A triple coffee adventure plus jam donut was probably not the best decision since I did overcaffeinate slightly, but hey… when there’s a coffee opportunity… I’ll do my best to keep 1% sensibility :)
The weirdo meatball style boneless pork ribs strike again! But they taste good so I enjoyed it. Here’s a dessert I didn’t get last time, some creamed rice! It was okay, I’d rate it above the trifle and custard from last time. But so far jelly is the undisputed winner of hospital food.
Dinner was a beef pie with sweet potato mash, potato mash (this time the mash had salt!) and some cabbage. Not too bad!
I also realised that I have really tiny veins, because cannula pain struck again. Just like last time, after having the cannula in for a day, any drip tends to cause excess pressure and my vein starts hurting. The nurse had to take it super slow on the syringe (I didn’t have the drippy machine this time round), and the nurse the night after managed to have a neat trick of pressing on my vein while delivering the antibiotics to reduce the amount of discomfort I was experiencing. That being said, the pain goes away as soon as the IV is done.
Being day 2, I was allowed to choose my own meals! Having learned the lesson of salty porridge from last time, this time I went with Just Right, yoghurt, milk, and Weetbix with jam. Except they forgot the jam. Oh well! I dipped my weetbix into yoghurt instead. Not that great, but this was infinitely better than my breakfast choice from last time! Do other people put as much thought into what they want for hospital meals?
And finally I got the all clear and was discharged, just as lunch time came around. I really shouldn’t make a habit of revisiting the same hospital, as I’ll figure out how the food works too quickly and will eventually get bored of this! For now though, I know not to order the fish. Who knows what fish it is and where it came from! But yay I got my ice cream too! Don’t eat ice cream straight after the fish….
So all in all I’ve found hospitals less scary than before, though I now know I hate cannulas and night observations. The game of “check out that hospital meal!” is still fun for now. My wardmates were also less weird this time!
I still can’t believe my eye swelled to the point where I needed a hospital visit though. I don’t think any of it was preventable… though, who knows!
Okay, now I should really just wrap myself in a bubble to avoid this in future… not! There’s so many more exciting and silly things to do! :)