Upon waking up from the surgery, I felt numb and groggy, I could feel the sharp pain on my lower abdomen but just barely. The excitement of having a baby coming out from your belly was just too overwhelming.
When the nurse pushed me into my ward, (thank goodness there was only one more bed and patient in that room) and she asked me to 'slide' onto my bed, did I actually feel the pain amidst the grogginess.
The nurse explained that I would continue feeling groggy not just because of the anaesthesia but also because of the drip.
I slept quite well that night, although, I kept waking up every 3 hours to look at my baby's picture, hoping beyond hope that I was not in a dream.
When I woke up early in the morning, the nurse helped me gargle in my own bed, and gave me something to drink. That was when I realised, I can't get up to a sitting position due to the intensity of the newly stitched wound. I needed to incline the bed continuously to support myself.
My husband came in early the next morning with a smile and a morning kiss to soothe the pain. He kept saying how proud he is of me and kept asking me where Reena was. That was when I felt a strange movement in my tummy. It was a mixture of gastric and the feeling of something actually MOVING in my tummy.
A pang of fear hit me through my chest; "twins?" I thought.
I did a lot of reading in the hospital, I found out that the intestines are a bit sluggish after c-section thus women who have went through c-section will experience bad cases of gastric in their tummy which kinda feel like you are having a little something moving in your tummy.
Nurses will tell you to wiggle your feet to avoid blood clots, that's what I did frequently so. On the 19th April 2012, I was still using the drip and the catheter, the drip was filled with painkillers which causes drowsiness, therefore half of what my guests, doctors, nurses said was not digested by me.
On the night of 19th April 2012, upon my request, they removed the catheter (urinating stings after that) and the drip. I insisted to Dr Chan that I would like to walk to the toilet. The nurse helped me up to my feet and brought me to the toilet. This process took approximately 10 minutes to accomplish. That was how slow and painful the journey was. She helped me removed my undies and sanitary pad, she even wanted to wash my private parts, but I refused and told her that I would pretty much do that by myself.
Every single movement hurt, a stretch, a cough, even a slight maneuver to the right, it was very envious to see my next door neighbour, a very pretty Filipino lady walking confidently right after her vaginal delivery. Sighs.
That night, I decided to be a bit more adventurous by going to the toilet with minimal help, I rang for the nurse, who told me upon her arrival that I needed to use the toilet by myself, she assisted me in standing up but I went to the toilet independently.
I took a few shots of my independence and achievements in walking.
The next day, I had the most delicious hospital breakfast ever. I have been warded in Changi General Hospital twice and the food sucked. Big time.
The food at Parkway East Hospital was so good that it didn't even deserve the title 'hospital food'. No wonder the hospital bill accumulates to $7000+ they hire profound chefs in the kitchen!
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
My husband came shortly after and we took a stroll together around the ward, I took more pictures to commemorate my current achievements in walking. That was the first real tour I had of the hospital ward.
My ward.
When Dr Chan came to visit me, I told him that I wanted to be discharged that day itself as I was feeling a lot better. He is a good man who seldom say 'no' to this kind of request. He made the adjustments, and voila! At about 1800 hrs, I was discharged from the hospital, the nurse said we could go after my dinner.
I ate dinner, mom, dad and husband helped me pack and helped Reena get ready. A nurse at the counter waved at us, we waved back. Husband registered us out at the registration counter at the lobby. He held a piece of paper in his hand, another $600 hospital charge for opting the BCG, hearing tests and so forth for the baby.
We should open up a hospital, that way we can be millionaires in a week!
When we finally reached home and I showed Reena her crib, I received a disturbing call from the hospital. The nurse said, "Ma'am you left the hospital? But you didn't see me before you leave, your baby's health booklet, your medication and all other important things are still here, never mind, you have an appointment with Dr Malathi your baby' pediatrician next week right? Can you come to the ward first to collect your stuff before you head off to the clinic?"
Should have seen that coming.
Welcome home Reena.
Looking up towards Abah.
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