An incident which has impacted me

I remembered last year during the end of October 2014, it was the toughest period of my life.

At that point, my dad was having fever for quite a few days. He has seen the doctor at a clinic but his condition did not get any better. When I was having my lunch break at work, I received a call from my mum and she told me that my dad is feeling very giddy and weak. Without hesitation, I went home and brought my dad to Changi General Hospital. He was put on drip at the Accident and Emergency department (A&E) but his condition did not get any better. The hospital admitted him to keep him under observations. 

The next day, I received a call from my aunt telling me that my maternal grandma has been rushed to the hospital. While she was kept under observations at the A&E, the doctor came to inform us about her condition. I was shaken by the news. She was being diagnosed with colon cancer and has to undergo surgery as soon as possible. For the following days, I was going back and forth to take care of my grandma and my dad at the different wards. 

My dad's condition did not get any better still. After a few days, my dad's primary doctor came to speak to us. They have run several tests on him and were only able to diagnose that he is suspected of viral infection in his lungs. They were unsure about the type of virus infection. I have never seen my dad being so ill and breathless. The doctor then informed us that they are going to transfer my dad to the high dependency unit (which is similar to the Intensive Care Unit). I was taken aback. After he was transferred over, his condition took a turn to worse. His fever has not subsided ever since he was admitted to the hospital. He was having difficulty breathing on his own. The doctor was afraid that it might put his life in danger and they decided to put him on the ventilation-assisted machine. My whole family cried during that moment when the doctor inserted the tube into his throat. It was the first time I cried in front of my family. The next few days were crucial. His condition was unstable as his heart rate and blood pressure were getting lower than average. I could not sleep that few days and I stayed overnight outside the high dependency ward. As and when, I will enter the ward and see him from outside of his room. I thought I will lose my dad forever. 

After a few days, his condition got better. He was taken off the machine. My dad's fever subsided and was transferred back to the normal ward. When he was finally discharged from the hospital, he was still feeling weak. As much as there were worries of the household matters, I told my parents that their health is more important than anything else to me. After this incident, I realised that nothing else matters more than your own health.

My family.

Last edited on 4 December 2015, Friday at 11.24pm.