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Just a kid with a pad
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Showing posts with label operation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label operation. Show all posts
Under the Knife!

Most of u prob already know by now (watching n laughin at me limping all over e place..) that I went for a knee operation last wed. It was actually a meniscus repair surgery. The problem surfaced mid last yr..when I was jogging thrice a week. Accompanied with all e things I used to do in army..it was prob a matter of time that it happens…

The operation was due to happen in TTSH and I was required to fast the nite b4..from Midnight onwards. Fasting = Not even a drop of water! (-_-‘). The whole nite b4 the op..i was feeling my knee..n walking around..cos I know I wun walk too comfortably for some time after…

E moment I reached n registered…the nurses got me to go empty my bowels (I’m so starved..wats there to empty??)..n reminded me 1000 times to go pee (pardon me for e language). I den changed into the patient’s operating gown..which looked so stupid..cos I looked like I was wearing a shower cap..goin into e showers..lol.

After changing I was instructed to lie on e bed while they conduct checks on me…that’s where a grp of NUS medical students came in n asked if they could examine me. The 7 or 8 of them took turns to twist my leg around n kept askin “does it hurt?”.. “how about this?”…they seem determined to try till it hurt..lol.

N den I told them with a straight face that I felt like an experiment..and they all frantically apologized sayin that they didn’t mean to make me feel that way. That’s where I gave them the evil laughter..haha..i didn’t mind at all…but I figured e hosp would be pretty critical over how they treated patients..so.. Lol.

I smiled to all e staff that came in contact with me. I’m prob e ‘happiest’ patient they ever had..haha. I was e first patient to be operated on that day and was pushed into the theatres pretty soon…n I muz say lying on e bed..being pushed from corridor to corridor…room to room..with each room getting quieter n quieter..was pretty scary.

The operating theatre was freezing cold and the operating gown was so thin..it was as good as not wearing anything. I was starting to shiver..and havin no food in my tummy certainly didn’t help! But after a while, they placed a hot air blanket on me..which made it really cozy. Originally I wanted anesthesia to be given through the breathing mask..but since I already had the IV tubes plucked into my veins..it didn’t really matter…

After e anesthesia was injected, I was told to take breaths...and dat I’m goin to slp soon…so I breathed…breathed…breathed…n den stared at the anesthesiologist n he was.. “oh breathe somemore!..” lol…but after about 30 secs or so…my vision blurred…jus like in e movies..n eye lids became heavy..n e rest was history…

When I woke..i was still only semi conscious. I rem speaking to e nurses..but I cant really rem wat we were talkin abt..except that they had to check I was able to wake after e anesthesia…if not…hm… haha..

I was very very slpy after..n I jus wanted to slp. After a couple hours of rest..e nurses came again..n they needed me to pee again! Sayin that it was to make sure that e body system is back up and running..n I’m… “where got thing to pee??” I felt like a cow and they were milking me! Haha..

I felt so dry after dat I had 3 glasses of water at one go…n drank another one every 10-15 mins…it was like army all over again..e dehydration feeling..

After letting me try moving ard…they told me I did not need crutches! Hur! Crutches is not for the tough! Haha..

N this was e end product.


"Ahhhhhhh!!!"

"My Leggggg!!!!"

While getting discharged, I was pushed ard on a wheelchair..nv been on one b4…cos I nv had a serious injury..not even during army. While I look like someone who would ‘keng’ in army..i didn’t…I ORD PES A. I took pride in what I did k…lol. Sometimes being on wheelchair can be scary when there’s a slope in front of u…u pray that e nurse who’s pushing u doesn’t hate u!

When I got home in e afternoon…I headed str to bed..cos I felt so so so drowsy still. E nurses said it’ll take a day for e anesthesia to filter out of e body..n dat I shouldn’t do work dat day..cos it'll give me a splitting headache. Apparently..stayin awake is equivalent to the body fightin e anesthesia..which causes e headache.

While in bed..i rem I picked up e phone..tryin to reply to SMSes…but each time I picked up e hp…I would type a few words..n get K.O…den an hour later..i would wake..type a few words..n get K.O again..Lol…n this continued till e evening…

I was prescribed a ton of painkillers! All of which r drowsy…booo. Cos I had to finish up a report for submission the next day…I couldn’t start earlier cos it could only be done after e lesson which was conducted e day b4 e op…I know I wasn’t supposed to do work n stuff..but..i dun wanna fail…lol..it was the final report for e mod.


Look at all my meds!!

"Nooooo!!!!"

Bathing after e op was a chore too! I had to make sure that the wounds didn’t get wet…so my legs had to be under plastic wraps.



Mum to e rescue!!

It looks like..
SLIMMING WRAPS!!

Oh poor meeee~

I would also like to take this chance to tell everyone..I AM NOT DISABLED! Haha..cos everyone treats me like one. N maegan even told me to register for e disabled parking lot in SMU…Grr!

Check up @ TTSH

More updates...

It’s been confirmed…the problem in my right knee has been diagnosed. About 9 mths ago..i started having occasional pains in my right knee when I ran..but I jus thot it was nth..prob ur mind playing tricks on you..but somewhere in june..it really got worse.

Whenever I ran for just 5 mins…the knee would really start to hurt…esp when I scale the slopes of fort canning (our usual jogging route). There were even a few times where I really had to stop along Boat Quay. After each time the sharp pain comes…I would not be able to bend my knee at 90degrees and I would have to keep it str even when I climb stairs..such a pain in the a**. And this would persist for a few days each time.

The specialist confirmed that I have a damaged meniscus in my right knee. When I told him I left it there for 9 mths…e doc gave me e expression like I’m goin to die anytime soon. Lol. He ordered me to stop all sports and exercises and that I’m not to squad either. Sigh. And that if I dun go for the op..the knee will worsen so much such that every step I take would hurt.

I still wanna play soccer man…so I’ve no choice but to agree to the op…which is scheduled in feb. For now…no IPPT..no soccer..no nth…even gym is strictly upper bod stations..and no weights.

I’ve also been told by the military Medical Officer that…there was a high chance..i would be downgraded forever…and can nv do IPPT or have outfield training anymore. Many would tink I would rejoice. I dunno wat to feel. Yes…IPPT is a pain in e a** sometimes…but I like my vocation…there’s a certain amount of pride, respect and image that comes with being a Reconnaissance Commander..

But..its not really up to me how my knee pends out…being in Recon..prob was e main cause of the injury anyway…since we were always carryin loads..running from enemies..firemen lifting each other..doin river crossings…coastal swims…climbing obstacles…repelling…navigating…even poking each other with needles..pushing bikes…pushing rovers…n the list goes on (not even half e things we do)…n I’ve nv missed a single training b4. I may not look like it (cos I slp a lot during rest time)..but its e truth..

For now...I’m gonna go out as much as possible now..cos come feb…I’ll prob be on clutches for a week or 2…sigh..jus in time..for mid terms...