My roller coaster ride in KK

Today, 6 Aug, Thursday I'm at home blogging because I'm on hospitalization leaves till 15 Aug. Yes, this is the 2nd time I'm given HL and this time I'm really admitted into KK hospital.

Let me tell you why and let me share with you my 'roller coaster' ride in the hospital.

On 3rd Aug Monday afternoon, I start to have sore throat then by midnight my temperature raised up to 38 degree. In my heart I was thinking..: 'shit! don't tell me I kana the H1N1 virus!' So once the sun shine in early Tuesday morning, I got Hb to bring me to KK as I do not want to take any risk in passing it to Fayth or other members in the family.

As usual in the hospital Delivery Suite (i need to be in delivery suite as i'm over 24 weeks of pregnancy)...
Nurse: Have you got flu like symptom? eg: cough, sore throat, runny nose, fever?
Me: Yes, i'm now having sore throat and fever. Last took temperature at 8am is 38 degree.
Nurse: Have you been to H1N1 affected countries like: Hong Kong, M'sia....

Before the nurse could continue with ALL the affected countries, I interrupted her with this...
Me: I had in contact with person who is currently a suspected patient of H1N1, and her result will only be out today. (At 9plus, my colleague called me to said she's confirm H1N1 positive.)
Nurse: *Stone* but very quickly asked my Hb to seat at the other side and arranged to bring me into an isolated room for observation and checking of my baby.

I'm actually been brought into a normal delivery room as they had to split up some of the rooms for H1N1 suspected pregnant patient. Inside the room remind me of the birth experience and memories when I was giving birth to Fayth back in year 2005~~~~~~~~

Shoo shoo, come back to the reality!!! Now I'm inside that room not because of giving birth and choy! it's just too too early to deliver now! I'm as a H1N1 suspected status for being inside that room!

Lying on the 'delivery' bed (it's a different kind of bed from those ward), turning on the tv (yeah, there's tv for those daddy to watch while accompany the mummy waiting for delivery), looking at the clock, waiting for the nurses and doctor to check on me or rather to check on baby's well being.

Not long after, a nurse came in to do a CTG test for me. That test is to monitor baby's heartbeat and contractions. During that 30mins of test, I had at least 5 Braxton Hixs contractions (a type false contraction which prepares the womb for real labour) and is not 'normal' as by right, Braxton Hixs should not be more then 4 times in an hour. Was given 1 dosage of womb relaxant med every 15mins up to 1 hour to stop the contractions as it will trigger to preterm labour if my womb continues to contract.

I asked the nurse what if my womb still contracts even after taking the med, her answer was: 'We will need to jab you the steroid med which helps to strengthen baby's lung in case you have to deliver early.' When I heard that 'steroid jab', my face immediately turned green and my mouth become *o* as I remembered I had that jab when I admitted into hospital when I was about 8 months pregnant with Fayth. It was the most painful jab I had taken in my life and 2 jabs is needed within 12 hours. It's not being jab into your arm, but is on your lap. It was the only jab that would make me cry and clung onto my aunt's hands like a small kid. That is a nightmare. But in the end, baby's cooperative enough and the contractions stop.

When I told Lilian and Jo about the contractions and the steroid jab, they both answered me: Huh? Again!! Hahaha~~~ lucky is not 'again' for that jab. Hb wasn't allow to be with me all the while so if I really had to take the jab, I really don't know who's hand can I hold on to... maybe just the metal bar beside the bed..

After the CTG was done, a doctor came in to take the swap from my nose for the H1N1 test and inform me that I have to be warded due to the contractions as they need to monitor closely again. Then, Tamiflu was given to me. I kept asking the nurses is Tamiflu safe for baby and they keep assuring me they wont give med that is unsafe for the unborn.... 1 hour after taken the Tamiflu, I vomited. Don't know is it due to the side effect of the med or just because I haven't been taken any food yet I had to down 8 types of medicines till my stomach couldn't take it.

I was inside the delivery room for almost 5 hours until they finally sent me up to the ward. Is not a normal Class A, B or C ward. It's Ronald MacDonald Family Room. They had transform the rooms inside to become an Isolated Ward for H1N1 cases. No visitors are allow into the rooms. Although the room has TV, mini fridge, telephone and own toilet facilities, its still very boring.

It's nearly impossible to rest in the hospital as the nurses and doctors keep coming into the room every 1 hour or so to do the CTG and different med is taken at different timing, just imagine.... When the 2nd CTG was done at the Isolated Ward, I'm being told that I got contractions (again) yet I don't anything this time!! I need to be wheeled down to the delivery suite (again) and redo the CTG (again) there. WTH!!!

There's a nurse from the delivery suite who was very nice and patience. When she saw me again, she said: 'I make sure there's no more contractions before I sent you up! Come, let me touch your stomach. *then she start pressing my tummy* See?! your tummy is soft! There isn't any sign of contractions. Never mind, let's do the CTG once more and show them ok!

Haha~~ at least she brighton up my mood a little. She turned on for me the tv, asked me to rest awhile the CTG was strapped onto my tummy. Half hour later, the nurse came in with a doctor. They both laugh and shake their head while looking at the CTG slip. The doctor then said to the nurse: 'Go up to the ward and ask them tell me which part of it show she got contractions?' Looking back at me, the doctor asked if I feel any pain or tightening feeling, I told him no. Then he apologised that he had to send me back to the ward as he know it's tiring for being push up and down.

The angry part came when I'm being sent up to the ward (again). One of the nurse asked: 'Why are you back again? Aren't you suppose to be in the delivery suite?' The very tired and piss off me decided to 'open' my mouth this time: 'Can you please do your part, check properly and STOP sending me up and down! Try being already so tired inside the room and get checked every hour yet still need to be push up and down!!' A senior nurse behind her immediately apologised to me and sent me back to my room. See? Tigress never angry thought she is Hello Kitty ar!

Finally night came and all the checks has stopped and I got to sleep a straight few hours before I noticed it's already 6am in the morning. Can't fall back asleep, decide to turned on the tv and watch cartoons.... haha~~~

A doctor came in at 7.30am, told me I'm H1N1 negative! My fever has stabilised, sore throat also better, I'm allow to discharge at 1pm but before that, another CTG has to be done first. Oh ya, forgot to mention that food in hospital SUCX.

A midwife came in at 8.45am to do the CTG for me, came back at 9.15am and said the result not good. From there, I start to suspect problems lies on their machine not me as I don't feel anything wrong, not even a small tightening feel!!!

Hb came at 1pm (he's allow into my room already), I asked the nurse about my discharge then she told me I need to do the CTG test (again). I told her that I had already done it at 8.45am! She then said the test is not satisfy so need to redo (again). I piss off and asked her: 'so, if I never asked you about my discharge, what time will you be doing the CTG for me?!' She apologised and quickly arranged for the machine.

I waited for nearly half hour yet no one came with the machine so I called for the nurse (again), she told me they need to wait for the midwife from another ward to start the machine as they are not train to do it. Kaoz!!! Ok, I waited patiently for the midwife.

CTG starts at 1.45pm, expected to finish at 2.15pm but less then 5 mins into the test, baby keep moving and turning inside till the machine unable to detect her heartbeat. The midwife came to adjust and 'find' her heartbeat yet baby isn't cooperative enough. So ended up the CTG machine was let off to another patient in another room while they let my baby 'rest' first. (By the way, the CTG machine they used on me at 8.45am was in fact an old machine, that's why keep saying I got contractions!)

Getting too boring and impatient with the wait, Hb and I went down for coffee and bread. Expected to have the CTG ready by the time we went back, still have to wait about 1 hour. Finally, CTA starts at 4.20pm and went smoothly till 4.45pm when the machine suddenly auto stop. Thinking it might because they set the timer, I called for the nurse.

They came and checked on the machine, it shouldn't have stop itself and they also said that my test is still not up to the standard. This time, I blow my top. I told them: 'Baby is very active inside, keep turning and moving around, I can't possibly put my hands inside my womb and stop her from moving right?! I had enough of waiting and CTG and I want discharge NOW!'

Before the nurse could say anything, I continue....: 'This morning your doctor told me I can discharge at 1pm, just because you all never let me redo the CTG in time due to the 1st test is not satisfy, now I got wait for 4 hours and I got to pay the hospital another half day bill for the so-called miscommunication you all had among yourselves! And I also came to know that 1st machine I used was actually an old machine that is why it detect that I got contraction yet I didn't feel anything myself! And I'm sure this is also the reason why I'm been sent up and down yesterday!'

Then finally, I decided to listen to the nurse explanation (coz I'm abit tired of saying already). She apologised that they had the miscommunication and for the old CTG machine is because originally this Ronald MacDonald family room is not for women, it's only for children and when the hospital decided to open this ward last month as an isolated ward for H1N1 case, they had to borrow the CTG machine from Women's ward and the nurses there are not train to take care of pregnant patient as they were not from Women's side.

Ok, I reluctantly accepted their apologies and explanations but I insisted I wanted to be discharge then the nurse explained that I need to sign an AOR (at own risk) form as the instruction passed down from the doctor is to let me discharge only if the CTG test is satisfy.

Then again, I had to wait for the MO (medical officer) to come and let me sign the AOR and discharge form. It's already 5.30pm yet the MO still haven't come so Hb went outside to the nurse and asked them: ' Are you all trying to test our patience?' The nurse quickly explain that the MO need to see finish the patients in the clinic 1st. Hb got very angry and asked them: 'Your clinic is 24hrs, so you expect me to wait 24hrs just for that MO to come up and let me wife sign the papers?!'

Very soon after, the MO finally appeared. I heard the MO asked the nurse before she came into my room: 'Who's patient is she?' The nurse reply: 'Doc KT Tan's patient.' The MO came in and greeted me with a big smile of hers and show me her very white tooth. She apologised for being so late and let me sign the forms and asked me what medicine do I need. I can stop Tamiflu as I'm H1N1 negative but got to continue with the womb relaxant med.

That's not all, I still need to wait for my medication. So I finally left the hospital at 6.55pm, just before the 6.30pm news end. While at the car park exit, IU insufficient fund coz the total car park charged is $10.10 while Hb cash card only have $7 inside...

That's my experienced in KK with not experienced nurses.