Dendrobium SGH – Orchid Named After Hospital
My mum was recently hospitalised at SGH or Singapore General Hospital.
Although this hospital started out in pre war days, many folks in the old days were wary of white men in white coats.
Locals call it “Si Pai Poh” – or Death Hospital. Actually it was a translation from Sepoy Hospital.
From a low rise building, the entire hospital has been revamped and spanking new buildings such as the Heart Center, Singapore National Eye Center and the National Cancer Center were built.
With projections for increased cancer patients, a new Cancer Center is currently under Construction as well as a new Accident & Emergency Center.
To enable long term care, a community hospital is being built next to the Heart Center for step down care.
The hospital has a sprawling campus with 7 blocks of hospital wards providing 1,985 beds and employs close to 10,000 employees.
Throughout the hospital there are lots of greenery and landscaping to make patients feel lesser in a sterile environment.
I was plesantly surprised to see that they have an orchid named after SGH – Dendrobium SGH.
It is such a big hospital that I clocked 10,000 steps each day when my mum was hospitalised by walking to get meals or things for my mum, car park or get meds.
Mum’s Home…
I am so stressed and tired from a marathon hospital dash for last 3 nights.
But I am so happy mum is now resting at home.
I went without breakfast, lunch and only managed to eat dinner after ensuring mum was sent home to waiting dad and they had rice with roast pork I bought from the hospital’s food court.
I was famished and could eat that whopping burger below!
Mum’s discharge from the hospital was quite an ordeal.
Consultant is assisted by a medical officer and a team of underlings.
Consultant tells mum and me that mum is fine but that she “is not eye trained to read Xrays” and that she will wait for medical report. Meanwhile mum can be discharged.
This was the situation at 9am.
By 1 pm, I asked for discharge status. Nurse Manager informs me that it would be good to wait for the spinal xray else I had to redo admission.
I asked the Medical Officer what time would the report be ready?
“Soon” was the reply at 3pm.
At 4pm I asked again, what time? 12am? Or?
No reply.
By 5pm M.O. says “go back” but no report!
“Huh?”
Is there something ominous lurking?
Besides which stupid doctor would tell patients that they do not know how to read Xrays!
*yes I am mean but M.O. kept asking me what did he say wrong! He just lacks interpersonal skills and is poor at communication.
Every doctor undergoes training as I am sure they can identify if a bone is fractured or broken.
M.O. “reminds” me that his supervisor does not know how to read Xrays as “untrained eye”
I blew up as after 4 times of trying to explain to twitty M.O. that I needed to know if we could go back or not? Or if there was sonething wrong with my mum’s spine.
Finally I got fed up and asked for Service Quality Team to mediate.
Point I made was how can a consultant through her M.O. keeps reminding us of her incompetencies?
It is a bad image of her as a professional!
After all that hoopla, I could finally get mum to leave at 5.40pm. Xray report will be mailed to me.
Good news is that there are no changes to her spine based on an Xray taken in August 2017.
So whatever it is, mum’s spine is “stable” or I say “normal abnormal”
Have a happy Friday and weekend ahead. It is almost 1am Saturday on my end.
Wise Advice For Men
Remember…
Then next, immortalize these advice as part of your life’s philosophy as a husband when married!
Tired
Mum is doing good and I am happy. The last 3 nights have been a difficult one.
It started when around noon time Tuesday, my dad called me at work to say mum was feeling very unwell.
My heart skipped a beat as I held my breath.
I had to rush her to hospital as the symptoms described sounded like an impending heart attack or stroke.
I text Monkey Lord and Yul Brynner (*haha he sports a clean shaven head like Yul).
Yul is Monkey Lord’s boss or peer. They both report to each other, which is weird.
But Yul is the son of the major shareholder.
Fast forward…I drove like an F1 driver to my parents and onward to the hospital’s A&E.
On admission, she was pushed into CCU unit. I saw them put her on IV drip.
6 hours into observation and the consultant at A&E advises us to admit her for ward stay.
As at today her tests are looking good and I am waiting for a final test for her spine.
If all is good, she can go home tomorrow. I am confident that she will be ok.
Her dizziness, breathlessness and chest pains have subsided.
I need mum just needs aromatherapy.
As for self, I have to deal with my lord’s wrath, if any, as I have been absent from work mid noon Tuesday till Friday.
I am tired. Dead ass tired!
Shorter Post
My mum is in hospital.
I am rushing around like a headless chicken.
I will be back soon.
Garfieldhug's Blog 