My elder brother was helping me to upgrade my Windows before I dozed off. I woke up in the shock of my life for my files in the data drive were all gone. After some time, I discovered a new created folder inside the data drive and my files were found inside. Copying them out required hours and thus I left the laptop on.
Initially I wanted to visit the Chinese physician but I received an SMS to wreck my plan. It was supposed to be a peaceful Friday, which turned out that I had to do the thing I had most, especially for rotten student who did not appreciate.
Lunch was a bit tight again. It was supposed to be farewell lunch for Magdalene, Zaki and Felina at 11.30am but some people were busy. I went back to the office at noon and they were just about to leave. I took Daniel’s car together with Felina. We met up the rest at Holland Village. It was a comfortable lunch but food was just average. After that, we had ice-cream at Cold Rock and Hagen Das before heading back.
I took the afternoon off from boss because of my eyes. However, by the time I reached home, it was quite late to visit the Chinese physician and I did not want the counter staff to nag at me again. I spent the afternoon resting on the bed.
Last Friday, I went back to Outram Polyclinic again. The queue was short and I got to see Doctor Alfred Wong very soon, which was one of the fastest ever.
He gave me the impression that he was from overseas, or rather, used to work as a journalist; he simply reminded me of a colleague. Anyway, he insisted there was nothing wrong with my eyes except for the recent virus attack, which had subsided since a week ago. Regarding my gum, he was certain that it was probably due to the gum had overgrowth and thus it was “back to normal” after I had some bleeding months ago; he was definitely a moron and I regretted telling him about the problem in the first place. Maybe he was shortsighted that he could not spot the difference.
Nevertheless, I was given two bottles of same artificial tears, which was quite helpful in relaxing my eyes.
I was drunk with lots of herbal tea and other drinks to replenish my energy and hydrate myself. Alas, the sweating and toileting worked by Saturday, when I was left with only giddiness and my body temperature stayed at around 37 degree. It was unusual though, for my usual temperature would not exceed 36.6 degree.
The worst thing was that my mum forbade me from bathing in case I would be caught by flu again.
However, another problem had yet to be solved – my tired eyes. A stunning recall of the past, for as long as two years ago, the same problems aroused. I remembered the doctor told me my eyes were infected and I was given two types of eye drops. This time round, the doctor probably thought I was tired due to the flu.
My Saturday was spent updating of blogs and gaming.
I could not get to sleep the night before when I started thinking of my problems. I decided to go to the MO because I was going to ORD soon and my problems needed to be solved as soon as possible.
So, at first he asked me why I did not attend HLS (Healthy Lifestyle) and I told him because I wanted to see him. I did not want to wait until I finished walking (I was banned from running because of my injuries and that it was quite insult to be in the walking party) and then had to get a long queue for it.
I started telling him about my eyes problems, the fact that they got itchy very often and that at night my eyes would be reddish. He, being the most unprofessional doctor in the world, tried to play me out by threatening me to go back every night to let his medic witness my eyes. Whereas for my nose irritation, he did not give a damn over it.
I showed him the small blackish lump at the upper part of my left thigh and he claimed it was mole immediately; all the more experienced doctors in the past could not figure it out and did not dare to make any hustle judgement.
He was still smiling idiotically with his medics when he asked if I had anymore problem. I showed him the big lump on my left calf muscle and he was kind of shocked. However, I was not sure if he was serious this time that he asked if I wanted to go for surgery. Then, he said he would book an appointment with the specialist for me.
Lastly, I told him my back was aching badly and needed some muscle rub.
I waited outside for very long until I collected my medicine. There were a bottle of cough syrup, a tube of muscle rub and a bottle of eyes drop; there was no nostril spray to stabilize my nose’s problem.
The medic called for me some time later and then I realised the specialist I had to see was the General Surgery one, which I already had an appointment with but weirdly, it was for my gastric pain.
After that, I asked if I had any status slip and was told that I did not ask for anything. I felt that was ridiculous since it was obviously the lump and other injuries were causing me problems and the doctor should be giving me something even though I was already excused for many things. It was also a usual practise since Tekong time that a “normal duty” status slip should be given for any visit to the medical centres.
Anyway, I was not sure about the operation. The MO obviously was young and ignorant that he proclaimed it immediately without even asking for x-ray to be done. However, if it was really necessary, it had to be done before ORD.
It was another disappointing day at the polyclinic.
Sally Ho was not around when I thought she could be kind enough to solve my problems. I was assigned to another doctor then, Dr. Foo something, which I found the name very familiar.
I was the first patient and this slacker started “operating” later than other rooms’ doctors.
I told him of my problems, from the flu, cough, sore throat, eyes and nose irritating and the lump on my left calf, but there was too little things he could do than to indirectly hurrying me out of the room; probably he did not want to lengthen the queue.
I would greatly appreciate a doctor who would probe me more about the problems but he just did not seem interested. He asked me to go back a month later for the lump on my left calf, which I had told him it was there for very long already and recently giving me more pains. He simply examined it for a few seconds.
There was a little difficulty in breathing and I told him I was not sure if it was the nose irritation or cough causing it and he told me I had to go A&E (Accident and Emergency) department to check up in case of dengue fever. He had already taken my temperature before that and he gave me an impressive he was trying to play a fool on me.
Knowing that the medicine he was going to give me would cause extreme drowsiness on me, he did not even offer an MC until I asked for it, and which he almost tore it when he wanted me to go to the hospital.
Realising about his attitude, I did not tell him another swelling problem at the top of my left thigh. In future, I would request not to be attended by him then.
When I went to collect my medicine, I realised there were only cough syrup, flu pill, lozenges and another type of medicine to start running nose; there was no eyes drop or the nostril spray.
I have this bad habit of not going to see the doctor immediately until when more problems arouse.
This day, I actually went to see doctor for my giddiness, eyes and nose irritation, injured nerve on my right finger and stomach discomfort.
I told her about the giddiness and breathing difficulties caused by the nose block. She did not really seem to care about the nose problem. She told my blood pressure and it was the first time I was told to stand up while taking it. Then, she asked if I was knocked on my head or had other injures recently; I answered no. Before leaving, I asked her to check my throat and after I opened my mouth for her, she said “Oh ya, got some problems there.”
I went to collect my medicine and realised there was only tablets for flu and giddiness.
When I was about to leave the building, I remembered I was knocked onto my head a few weeks back, not sure if it was related but I had giddiness on that day itself; I did not tell her about the pain on my right knuckle as well.
Indeed, it is not good to struggle with illness or injures and not reporting sick immediately, because it is either the doctor would find you irritating or you would most probably forgotten about getting solutions for some problems.
I went to the polyclinic again. It was the fourth time for the same problems but the fourth different doctor I was assigned to. I really wished I could see the same ones who told me to go back if I had not recovered. So, it had been more than three months I suffered, they indirectly thought it was not long enough.
I told her my nostrils were not wet; I reminded her I had been there three times already. She gave me all the same medicine, including some pills for flu. She said nose allergy caused everything and it was on and off effects; but my condition had been like this since end of last year.
One day, I might sleep breathlessly to my death; or one day, I might not see all the beautiful things anymore.
I woke up to feel weird that whenever I did a little extra deep breathing, my chest hurt.
It was supposed to be a good day for Firman was going to my place to attend a course and I was supposed to chill up with him, but I felt it was crucial to visit a doctor. Besides, my eyes and nose were doing me lots of irritation.
I was the second to be in the queue, reaching so early that even the registration counter was not opened yet. There was a weird uncle there who insisted on sitting on the third seat and asking me to take the first but I felt it was not nice. In the end, I took the seat "behind" his and became the fourth patient. However, I was still the patient of one of the doctors in the polyclinic.
I waited for more than an hour and the chest pain had recovered, but turned into breathing difficulty. I was surprised when the doctor spoke to me in Chinese, which was my actual intention. As usual, the fourth time I went to see for the same problem, I was told that I had allergy nose, which caused uncomfortably to my eyes as well. As for my chest pain, she said it could be due to inflammatory and definitely not heart problem.
In the midst of relating the histories of my problems, I forgot about my main worry, which was the cause of the chest pain. It could be due to depression caused by the unfair denial of participation in the inter-formation volleyball game; of course, it was not as serious as situations in television, but at least it really weakened my body so much.
As usual, the doctor said that my house should be kept very clean at all times and I could be very sensible to pets, and therefore they must be cleaned very often. As she was telling me all these, I decided it was useless for her to repeat them again for my house could never be clean unless I was not living with my family members and even the damn big rabbits' cage was left right besides my working area now without attendance and my elder brother, the owner, gladly fuck care them without even feeding them.
Though I had gone there so early this time so that I could go home earlier, one of the medicine, which was the eyedrop, required me to go over to the hospital's pharmacy to purchase. In the end, I was delayed.
The eyedrop "Opticrom" did my eyes more comfort; the nasal spray "Flixonase" was as irritating as the past when I used it; there were also these "Loratadine" tablets, which should be for flu. The great thing was that the spray caused over ten bucks and everything, including the consultation was for free.
I got just one day MC, which I believed again I would get three days if I were to visit the hospital instead. Polyclinic doctors are so weird that they believe patients can work with their eyes feeling irritated.
I never expect it to be so soon, that I'm being called up for the inter-formation training for Signals. However, it's weird that many people are involved.
There're too many problems that I'm facing and of course the most critical one is my injuries. I can never spike when my back is aching or strengthless, which is after carrying of heavy or bulky stuffs, or being in an awkward or unsupported position for a period of time. The aching would last for at least two days, whereas the weakness like as if I've just sprained my back can last more than a week.
I can't see properly due to my astigmatism and it causes me to react slower; I can't play when the floor is slippery, that I can't even stand firmly to lock my hands together.
Of all, the lack of practise has already turned me into a newbie, together with the common epidemic in NS, drives my confident level down, to a stage that I can't get into the game anymore.
What comes next is the verbal abuse from people who are jealous of my absence from the camp or think I haven't been suffering enough being taken granted of my kindness.
So, I've to persist on, struggling with all the concern from my worthy friends, pushing towards limits. For them I'm touched, I'm truly aware of friendship.
I don't know why my eyes are reddish now. It can be of some reasons - too lack of sleep, too many sands went in, I wasn't used to wear contact lens since it was only the second time I put them on or I had worn them for too many hours.
I've too many things to type and too many photos to upload, edit or rename. I've to give up now. I don't know what time I'll be able to wake up - two, three or four in the afternoon?
