To see how we reached this point,
if you don’t already know, then scroll back to December’s blogs where you will
find out!
February 21st An easier start than we had expected. Initially one
of our neighbours was going to come with us for a check up which would have
meant getting up early enough to leave Wuzhishan before six. As it was we were
packed and ready by ten to nine. Check the boot, it’s worse than going on
holiday!
We had a nice day for it
too, check this view.
Traffic was fine, nowhere near as busy as we had expected. After a
three hour drive, we arrived safely and presented ourselves to the cash desk.
Where else? The young lady asked for my passport, yet again, but surprisingly
didn’t phone upstairs to check on availability of beds. “This is looking good.”
I thought; I was wrong! No ‘single bed’ rooms available and no ‘two bed’ rooms
either, we had to settle for a ‘three bed’ room. I was not a happy teddy I can
tell you. Later on, after I had been for a walk around and seen what appeared
to be empty bed spaces, we were told that they had been ‘paid for in advance’. If
that’s possible then why on earth didn’t they tell us when we arranged the
appointment? As usual, on checking in it was blood pressure time, 119/85, not
too bad considering the mood I was in by now.
Anyway, they showed us to the room, here’s Huan
getting comfy, that’s her pillow which she may well need later.
This is what Huan will be
sleeping on tonight. Someone will come in and ‘unlock’ it to allow it to unfold.
We brought a sleeping bag and you can probably see why we need the pillow. I’ll
get another piccie later when it’s in ‘bed’ mode.
Organisation seems to be a
bit off today, or should I say almost non-existent. I wasn’t given my three
little phials for my morning widdle and poo samples. It seems they don’t have
any to spare! No hospital pyjamas either, probably for the same reason. We were
then told we could go out for lunch but to be back by half past two for the
doctor. We came back, he didn’t! The nurse came around four for another blood
pressure check, 117/75, getting better. We went out again around four thirty,
for dinner. Don’t tell my ex-students but it was KFC, and it was probably one
of the blandest chicken burgers I’ve ever eaten. Just in case you thought we
didn’t have enough in the car earlier, Huan also decided to go shopping. Don’t
ask!
The doctor still hadn’t
come back, we will now not see him today. And here’s the last photo for today.
Because we are in a ‘three bed’ room, and because of my bed’s location, I can’t
use the laptop there. Instead here I am in the large waiting area.
February 22nd Terrible night’s sleep, not unusual in a hospital ward I suppose. I had
thought that Huan would have kept everyone awake with her snoring all night.
She didn’t, because she hardly slept either. Early call came at quarter past
five, BP time, 134/85. What do you expect, waking people in the middle of the
night! As they had delivered my sample bottles last night that was another job
out of the way, and a quick photo of Huan before going back to bed.
Half an hour later the nurse was
back to take more blood tests, only four this time, not six like biopsy time.
After that they let us out for breakfast, soup noodles for both of us.
At half past ten, lying there bored, the orderly
turned up and asked why I wasn’t in pyjamas and on my way for a CT scan. We
told him that we hadn’t been given any jammies yet and we hadn’t been told what
time to present ourselves at the CT department. So, here I am in my hospital
issued pyjamas, waiting to go in. Very fashionable eh?
Here I am being zapped,
this time for some reason, on my chest.
Out again for lunch, this time a
little Muslim restaurant and a Ròu jiā mó (肉夹馍) each. It’s a sort of shredded meat sandwich, very nice too. Back at the
hospital it was another visit to the cash desk to top up the deposit, this time
by another ¥5,000.00, going up quickly this time.
Both of us had a nap in the
afternoon, topped and tailed on the hospital bed! About quarter to three we
were asked by another orderly to follow him to the Ultrasound department. This
has to be one of my least favourite departments. Not because of what they do,
but because of the amount of time we are kept hanging around. I eventually got
‘seen to’ around quarter past four. This was different to the last one; it was
a colour scan of my heart. I could have been sure I was here for prostate
problems! Huan of course was doing her best but the translation was getting me
very worried. 1) It’s not a big problem. 2) It’s a little problem. 3) It’s not
really a problem. Back to the ward where the doctor said “Méishì” which basically means ‘Nothing.’ He also
told us we were basically free for the weekend, apart from the mandatory
temperature and blood pressure checks twice a day. Nursie checked mine for the
afternoon routine, up a little more, 138/91, probably the stress of Chinese
hospital planning!
Out for dinner again and as the weather had deteriorated we went
back to the Muslim restaurant. I chose, (by looking at pictures of course), and
we had Xīnjiāng dàpán jī, (新疆大盘鸡), or in
English, Xinjiang Large Plate Chicken. Although I say it myself it was an
excellent choice, one we will be having again. When we do, I’ll take a picture
for you, I promise.
Back to the hospital, blog
updating for me, laundry for Huan, (remember the shopping up above) and then “A
Touch Of Frost” for both of us.
February 23rd Well Huan slept well, she was snoring before I got to bed. Our
neighbours complained in the morning that we were both snoring! It’s the
weekend so we had a lie in; the nurse woke me at half past six for BP, 143/88,
going up! Out for breakfast and then back to wait for the doctors. Nothing
happened, it’s the weekend, no doctors so out for a nice walk, Espresso, walk,
lunch and walk back to the hospital. We walked eleven and a half kilometres!
Once back, we waited for the next BP reading, in
the end we had to ask for it, 143/88, same as this morning. So much for the
walk and the rest afterwards. Out for another walk and dinner, only three
kilometres this time. Shower, blog and Frost finished the day.
February 24th What a
miserable day! Morning BP 144/96, afternoon 143/83. Is it something about
hospitals? Apart from that nothing much to report. We were free all day but the
weather was too miserable to go out walking. After my mid-morning temperature
and pulse check we thought we would go out for a drive. Unfortunately, someone
was parked too close behind us, in the middle of what is signposted as a
helipad, so we couldn’t get out. Evening time was trying to help Huan with her
pad to check the lottery numbers, It took a long time, and it was to no avail,
we failed again!
The evening was much the same as
usual, but I did a little people watching before I went to bed so I thought I
would explain something about Chinese hospitals.
First, food and drink – Chinese
hospitals do not supply anything except a flask of hot water. If you actually
need feeding, you have to either go out or order in. Around eleven last night I
spotted a delivery driver, (motorbike) running towards the lift. It could have
been for the staff but somehow I doubt it. They work for a company called
Meituan, similar to Uber Eats I suppose and they are mushrooming in Hainan . I must say that in Haikou
Second, visitors – What I
remember from the UK
Lifts – Because of the hordes of
visitors at all times of the day, with or without food, the lifts can be very
busy. We have walked up the stairs only once, well seventeen floors is a bit
much!
February 25th half past five, no weekend lie in, BP 141/88. English weather again!
Had to go for breakfast in my jammies and dressing gown. I was already feeling
a little rough after yesterday’s walk in the drizzle. At nine, the disorderly
orderly was back telling me I had to go to the Nuclear imaging section. First
the nurse gave the injection through what appeared to be a strange looking ATM.
I guess she had to play safe. They then gave me a set of
instructions, drink, drink and drink again! The second instruction I didn’t
really need, wee, wee and wee again! Third one, make sure you flush the toilet
extremely well each time. Fourth, do not walk within a metre of children or
pregnant women. Fifth, emphasised, DO NOT go in the lift with children or
pregnant women. Sixth, come back at twenty past eleven to be ‘nuked’, avoiding
all children and pregnant women of course. How can you tell in the first
trimester?
I was then ushered into quite a scary machine.
Lie down, (no language skills needed), strap me in with instructions, “No
moving! No speaking!” You are then rolled in until you can see the crosshairs,
and then elevated until your nose is almost touching them. My imagination was
working overtime, wondering if this is what it felt like to be buried alive!
Here’s the machine, which had the wonderful model name of “Hawkeye 4”; that
impressed me!
The weather was still atrocious, and I believed I had caught a bug
waking in the rain last night, so we had sandwiches from the little shop again.
Not cheap by Chinese standards but we both enjoyed them.
We bumped into our American patient, (Brandon), after lunch, he has
bladder cancer. I wouldn’t fancy his treatment at all and in fact I’m not going
to tell you. You’ll have to Google it! We also met Mahmoud from Iraq
Window man back from his operation after lunch, for him it was
gallstones. I have to find ‘Only when I laugh - three guys in an NHS hospital’
for Huan to watch, I think she would really enjoy it.
Updated bill arrived too, no worries yet; we still have quite a lot of
credit!
News from the doctor, operation could now be Thursday or Friday, a
week after I was admitted. I have to admit though that the hospital is
extremely full. It seems that all the patients waited until Spring Festival was
over before checking themselves in!
Just to add to my woes, my temperature at lunch time was 37.6, at
tea time, (or dinner time whichever you prefer) it had gone up to 38.5. She
wants to tell the doctor. For me, it shouldn’t be a problem, not with another
three days to wait! Blog catch-up, Jack Frost and book to end the day.
Last temperature reading of the day, up again to
38.8, a little worrying for the delay it could cause. Sweated all night though
due to some medicine they gave me.
February 26th Not much to report today, still a bit
feverish so no walkies apart from lunch and dinner. I skipped breakfast,
weather still rough. Morning BP, (05:30) 137/77, temperature 37.2. Second
temperature reading at 09:30, up again, 37.8. Mid morning we got them to change
my bedclothes and pyjamas which were wringing wet. Half an hour after that we
got the latest bill, including the new bedclothes and pyjamas! Afternoon BP up
again, 154/90, I wonder if it’s the money. Night time temperature still 37.8,
now even more worried about extra delays.
February 27th Morning BP 150/86, I wonder
sometimes about these wild fluctuations but the nurses don’t seem in the least concerned.
While Huan was out having breakfast, (I skipped it again today) the Head Honcho
made his rounds with all the interns in tow and the doctor who is looking after
me. Good news, surgery tomorrow! Bad news, more needles! First the nurse gave
me a test to see if I was allergic to the general anaesthetic, I guess
something may have changed since December. Then they took some blood to verify
my type just in case I need a transfusion!
Next was a ‘military shave’, so
called because the last time I had to do this I was in the army. Remove all the
hair from just below the boobs to just above the knees! Next up was the surgeon
who confirmed it would be a full prostatectomy and that I would possibly need
some drugs afterwards. I presume he is referring to chemotherapy but I’m not
sure. He seemed happy enough with my shave.
Nurse back with some
kind of drip to help with my fever/cold and some kind of inhalator drugs used
with the hospital oxygen supply. Here I am, on the vape!
Nurse back again, she was not
happy with my shave and insisted she do it again for me. I tried, honestly I
did, but ‘he’ wasn’t listening to me and slowly sprang to attention. I’m busy
apologising, Huan said I was blushing and the nurse just blasé, said “It’s the
same for most men”. Not exactly fair though is it, when they’re going to ‘chop
chop’ me tomorrow!
Sent Huan shopping while I had a
little nap, I had managed to break my reading glasses so needed a new pair.
Message learnt for the future, take the spare glasses which we do actually have
at home.
After lunch it was the
anaesthesiologist’s turn to question me. You have to wonder what they do with all
the information that is shared on the hospital computer network, and whether or
not they all actually trust it. Still, better safe than sorry.
Another vaping session
and another BP, down, I don’t know how, to 119/50. Perhaps I read the 50 wrong.
After dinner it was another part I
don’t like, drinking a litre and a half of water with added electrolytes to
make you go ‘number twos’. Isn’t it amazing how fast you can drink the same
quantity of beer! This had to be finished in forty minutes and it wasn’t easy.
Next is the waiting, last time it was four hours, who knows this time. Anyway,
enough of that.
Next up was a meeting with our
doctor and the signing of all the necessary forms. This time there were
actually some English translations on the risks, and the side effects, of these
kinds of operations. At least the doctor and I were able to get Huan to
consider the possibilities. I’m not worried and I don’t want Huan to be either,
but it is better that she is aware. The funny part at the bottom of the form
was “Many other accidents”!
Another drip, another vape,
another walk around the hospital grounds, another blog update, another episode
of Frost another temperature measurement, (37.1), and that’s it for now. I’ll
be back shortly!
PS Middleman promoted from 17th
floor to 19th. Some years ago he had a pacemaker fitted and his
heart check before this operation showed he had a blood clot, hence the
transfer from Urology to Cardiothoracic Surgery. They can operate on his testes
when he returns! New neighbour moved in, henceforth known as Middleman of
course, but he doesn’t wish to share his problem. (He’s shy Mary-Ellen, he’s
shy!)
February 28th Operation Day!
Lovely start to the day, 06:00 BP 131/82, temperature 36.0, nurse sticking
suppositories up my bum! All followed by a shower. I then took a leisurely
stroll down the 6th floor Operating Theatre where I was given the
number 18. “Oh my God!” I thought “I’ll be waiting for hours.” Well a few
minutes later someone came to collect me and took me to Operating Room number
18, big sigh of relief. I don’t remember much more apart from some idle chit
chat with the theatre staff so it’s Huan’s turn. Transcribed from her notes
with minor editing.)
“Bob went in at 08:30, I saw the doctor and
signed some more papers to allow Bob to have drugs to sleep. Walked around,
found a balcony. Some tears came.”
“Still worried, went to
waiting room, watched the TV.”
“Bob not out, still
worried, can’t sit still so walked around, checked the operating theatre door.”
“Went back to the small
room where the doctor showed me what he had taken out of Bob. He said it looked
good but would be sent away for more tests. I didn’t feel hungry, still waiting
for Bob. Two o’clock Bob out. He doesn’t remember but he said he loved me and I
told him the same and gave him a kiss. Took him back to the bed where I saw
many pipes coming out of his body!”
I’m back! In the ward, dozy but not allowed to drop off into a deep
sleep for at least six hours. By eight o’clock I was feeling a little more
human, couldn’t see the damage though. Health monitor connected on my left hand
side, drugs dripping on the right hand side and oxygen in the middle, what a
palaver! I have no idea what the drugs are but they certainly seem to target
the right areas, all four of them. Yes, Huan told me I have four new holes!
Also very impressed with the health monitor, watching my BP return to more
constant levels was good. So, no walking, no food or drink, no reading and no Frost,
only sleep was allowed. Have you ever tried sleeping with your body wired up
and piped up? It’s not easy!
March 1st Happy St. David’s Day! Early
morning BP 111/67, temperature 36.0. I guess I must be healthy even though I’m
a little ‘holy’. The pain of my first widdle was not good, brought back some
very unpleasant memories I can tell you. The widdle is fed to a bag of course
and to get there it passes through a tube stuck down the middle of my sausage.
Panic not dear friends, no photos for you to see here! There is a second bag
collecting blood from what I guess is the larger of the four holes. Where the
terminus is though I have no idea.
Doctor’s rounds, “Move your body, eat a little
soup.” Personally, the way my belly feels at the moment I’d be happy never to
have a number two again!
Nurse’s rounds, “Breather more and deeper”. One of them was beating
my back while giving this advice to help me bring up some phlegm!
Bed bath from Huan. Not feeling sexy in the
least! Back on more drips followed by a short nap. We woke up to find today’s
bill, here is Huan presenting it. This one was ¥21,000.00. At least
we should be OK for any further charges.
The
rest of the day was taken up with more vaping, dripping and napping. Had some
soup for dinner, hope it doesn’t reappear too soon! We did go for a walk in the
evening to visit the other Lǎowài (老外). ‘foreigners’, Brandon (USA) and Mahmood (Iraq
No
laptop this evening, only another book, “70, Not Out”, very apt eh?
March 2nd Still not sleeping so well, partly the
‘connections’, partly the ‘hospital bed’ and a big partly ‘snoring’! This
morning I was woken at 02:15 by Huan emptying my bag, yes, it’s family’s job
here, not nurse’s. At 04:30 I woke up again and could not go back to sleep due
to the other five occupants, (of a three bed ward), snoring their heads off. I
walked around for about an hour and a half, never saw another patient awake,
never saw any nurses either! The rest of the day was the usual, vaping,
dripping and waste disposal. We did manage an episode of Frost before bedtime.
March 3rd I must be OK now, no BP this morning, only temperature. That was
normal. We had a couple of short walks to break up the routine! Mind you, the
routine was broken anyway when Flora came to visit bringing with her some
chicken soup. Home cooked lunch made quite a change! Thank you Flora! More
mundane stuff until the evening when I decided to update the blog and transfer
all mine and Huan’s scribblings from paper to laptop. All photos were uploaded
to the computer too and here’s one of me ‘back at work’!
March 4th “Monday,
Monday, so good to me!” No lie in, no BP either, temperature, sometime before
six o’clock 36.9. That’s probably because I was sweating cobblers all night and
woke with a heat rash yet again. It’s been there for a couple of days now,
mostly through sleeping on my back and being very worried about turning over
and becoming disconnected. Huan suggested antibiotics, I said most definitely not!
We’ll ask the doctors when they come round. Huan took a photo but you can’t see
as much as I can feel!
Doctor’s rounds, not much to say, no ‘forecast’ of events, but he
did suggest the Chinese version of Calamine Lotion for my back. We’ll give it a
go.
Nurse’s rounds, washed my naughty bits and put me back on more
drips.
Intern’s (?) rounds, changed all my dressings.
It seems I will have to keep them for at least another three or four days but
he has no idea when I’ll have my pipes removed. Huan said three of my ‘new
holes’ were almost healed. I can’t see them so she kindly took another photo.
Don’t worry, naughty bits are well hidden!
Nap, drips, lunch, nap, drips, dinner, all food brought by Nurse
Huan! Finished another book too and started the next one, looks like I may run
out before we leave.
Today’s running bill brought to us, we are down to less than ¥2,000.00 of our deposit now. Looks like another visit to the cash
office tomorrow!
A pleasant end to the day with visitors galore. First in was Jake
followed shortly thereafter by Podraig, Patrick and Flora. We had a nice chat
for a while with some of the gory details but not all. When they left Mahmood’s
wife and entourage turned up. We talked about why Mahmood is always angry. I
gave my tuppence worth but I’m not sure they believed me. Finally we had
Mahmood himself and his Mr Fix-it for want of a better word. At least I wasn’t
lonely today.
Finished the day with a little walk around followed by some Frost.
March 5th I wonder if the nurses slept in today, we weren’t woken until 06:30,
unusual for a weekday, and no BP or temperature taken. (They did take my
temperature two or three times later in the day.) After breakfast Huan gave me
another rub down, avoiding all the pipework of course. My back is slowly
improving but Calamine is still needed.
Doctor’s rounds, not a lot to say,
blood pipe should be removed in two or three days. No news yet about the tests
done on my removed prostate.
Nurse’s rounds, wash the naughty
bits, which look suspiciously like a plucked chicken with a straw down his
neck! Reconnected more drips to my left hand port.
I mentioned before
that families end up acting as nurses in China
I must admit I would be floundering without Huan. I mean, I wonder
how many other patients had a Subway Turkey sandwich for lunch!
Around half past three my drip dripped its last drip and along came
the nurse. She not only removed the bottle, she didn’t replace it with another
one, and, she removed the ‘port’ on my hand. Huan told me that they said there
would be no more drips, just antibiotic tablets twice a day. I just hope
nothing got lost in translation!
We managed to get out for a walk so that I could
see the sun, breathe the air, and we could buy some dinner to take back
upstairs. Here’s me somewhere in the hospital grounds, as you can see I’m in an
extraordinary amount of pain!
After dinner we visited Mahmood, his wife had smuggled in a slow
cooker, she’s making ‘Bird’s Soup’. This is some kind of small bird, described
to me as a pigeon, but I wonder if it's smaller than that. It is supposed to
accelerate the healing process! Managed to escape back to our room before we
were force fed!
It was eight o’clock before we were able to get
on the computer tonight. There was no space available on the mains extension,
(ours by the way), due to number of patients, and their visitors charging their
phones and pads. Still, we got on early enough to complete the blog and watch
some more Frost.
March 6th What a lousy night’s sleep! Middleman is going
under the knife tomorrow, we now know he has prostate cancer but not as malignant
as mine. However, in his case it has spread to the lymph nodes. Despite that
they are only removing the tumours and not the whole thing. Anyway, he had his
son and daughter and their respective partners and his granddaughter visiting.
You would think that a prerequisite for an operation would be a good night’s
rest but it was after midnight before ‘lights out’ took effect! I was awake
again at one and again at two with quite a lot of pain in my ‘little brother.
Yesterday the plumbing support had failed and as the nurses were busy Huan had
tried to fix the new one for me. Between us we must have got something wrong
because there was no ‘flow’, hence the pain. I think I sorted it out in the end
without disturbing anyone.
After breakfast we had the big boss’s weekly visit so everything had
to be tidied up and/or hidden. In he came, along with the ward doctors, the
relevant surgeons and a horde of interns. I gave up counting at twenty five! He
is happy with the progress of my recovery, seems to think I’m very strong. Must
have me mixed up with someone else! Still waiting for the pathology of the
removed prostate to see if further treatment is required.
I had a personal intern come in after that to
remove my ‘blood plumbing’. To my surprise it didn’t hurt at all, here’s a
picture of him starting the job.
And here’s the result, all
four holes visible. He said it will take about a week for this one to heal
over, it will not be stitched as the others were.
He then redressed all the wounds. One less bag to carry around,
perhaps in a day or two the other will go as well, although I may need Granddad
nappies for a while!
Next up was a nurse to replace the urine bag, it
has to be done every three days. I must have been asleep for the last
changeover.
Another nurse was up next, this time with a survey for me to answer.
I had to tell Huan to stop answering for me! I had no negative comments for her
anyway.
Walk around the ward area, lunch, another Subway, bacon this time,
nap. Walk out again before dinner, ended up somewhere outside the hospital
grounds. However, that is not unusual here in China
With all the visitors, just for today, we decided that using the
laptop in the ward would not be so easy, all those visitors would want to
charge their phones on our extension so we went back to the large waiting hall.
Sorted out the blog and the photos before watching another episode of Frost.
March 7th Still in the large waiting room, very noisy in
here tonight. So, last night was a bad night’s sleep again, nobody else’s fault
this time, I just had a permanent ‘need to go and have a pee’ feeling. Nurses
late this morning, well after six-thirty. However, I wasn’t complaining, I was
already awake. No temperature taken this morning or for the rest of the day.
Huan has been promoted! As the longest serving patient in our little
ward, the other patients and their relatives, go to Huan for advice,
information and reassurance.
Doctor’s rounds, hosepipe to remain in place for another three days!
Yesterday, Mahmood was very angry, especially with the helpers
provided by his wife. Today no one wants to help his wife, (who it seems may
not be a wife after all). She can’t stay as she is off signing a contract
somewhere, so she asked Huan to help. Huan being a dummy, with a big heart,
agreed Luckily her assistance was minimal and over once we had delivered Mahmood’s
lunch.
Bad news! I have finished all my books. The hospital does have a
bookstore and I had seen English titles there. However, whereas the Chinese
books are real, the English ones are like theatre props, fake.
Good news! We got a ‘negative’ bill this afternoon. The hospital has
reimbursed us for drips and drugs that we haven’t used. I’ve no idea; I just
accept whatever they say.
Little walk out to buy dinner. The weather was
miserable, still is, so we couldn’t sit on a wall in the car park. Instead we
sneaked into what turned out to be the staff canteen on our floor. We got away
with it and I have to say it was great to sit at a table again.
And so the end of another boring day, well apart from some more
Frost, and the first episode of Cheers. Huan couldn’t keep her eyes open for
two Frosties!
March 8th Usual sleep, I’ll be so glad to get this last bit
of plumbing removed even if I do end up wearing nappies for a while! Wrong way
round today, Nurse’s rounds came before Doctor’s. Naughty bits washed again
with Middleman’s son getting a good eyeful.
Doctor’s rounds, the pathology tests have come back. It seems my
prostate, despite looking fine on the outside, was rotten to the core on the
inside. In their words, “Very bad!” As a result I will have to have hormone
therapy, not chemo. We’re not exactly sure what this means, I’ll be visiting
Dr. Google when I return home. What they did tell me was I would have to have a
needle every month, (aaaaaarrrgghh!), for thirty six months at a cost of ¥2,000.00
each time.
Next thing was another nurse with a random temperature measurement,
all fine of course.
She was followed by the accounts lady who gave another ‘negative’
bill. Looks like we got a rebate on the pathology tests, aren’t we the lucky
ones?
Just drifting off into an afternoon nap, topped
and tailed with Huan, when another nurse appeared. She was there to give me the
first of the thirty six injections. Cue cold sweats, beating heart etc. I’ll
never get used to needles! This one is not a drip, it’s not delivered by vein,
instead it is a subcutaneous one, into my belly area. The pain was very minimal
but the fear wasn’t! The drug is made in the UK ,
just down the road from Sheffield where my
daughter lives, in Macclesfield. Despite being made in the UK
Coincidentally, today is International Women’s Day and I am starting
hormone treatment. Will my children be calling me Mum in three years time?
Out for a walk within the grounds again and we found
a nice stone table to sit and eat our dinner. Here we are enjoying the food.
March 9th Another weekend, another long lie in, nearly half past seven before we
saw a nurse. Half my dressings were falling off, Nurse Huan fixed them!
While Huan was out getting
breakfast I took my usual walk around our department, ‘Urology Surgery’ and I
noticed something odd, to me anyway. The department naturally caters for both
genders but it would appear that 90%, or more, of the patients are men. I
wonder why?
Went for a walk before
lunch, about two kilometres. I found a route outside the hospital without too
many people.
For some reason most Chinese
people turn a blind eye to wandering Chinese patients in their hospital issue
pyjamas, but some seem to almost look down on foreigners doing exactly the
same. We had lunch, two KFC wraps, sitting in the car, with music and A/C!
Naptime overran today,
we had nearly two hours, hope we didn’t snore too much. Out for dinner where it
was noodles for Huan.
And fried rice for me. What
do you think of the snazzy attire?
After dinner we went for another walk, just
over another two kilometres in fact. We found a lot more villas, this little
island, Hainan Dao, seems to have them everywhere. No good for us though, apart
from not being allowed to buy one, they are also too expensive.
Shower time followed with Nurse Huan helping out to make sure the
water was kept away from my various dressings and from my external plumbing.
She was under orders not to ‘get naked’ just in case.
Evening time gave us our last episode of Frost and some more Cheers.
I’ve come to the conclusion that weekends in hospital are mind numbingly
boring, even more so when you have no treatment and have nothing to do except
wait for Monday morning!
March 10th That was the best ‘non-drugged up’ sleep yet! I
didn’t wake up until half past five, even missed Huan emptying my wee wee bag
at half past two. Kept dozing then until quarter to eight when it was time for
my daily rub down by the nurse!
Lazy morning We packed some things up and took them out to the car
before lunch, we should be out of here tomorrow.
Another long nap time for me, shorter for Huan though, the TV was
probably disturbing her.
The weather was bad again today so no walkies, only to collect
dinner, which we then ate in the large communal waiting room.
This evening, Huan was telling me how they washed the floors, with
water only. Of course the water gets dirtier as they go round! There is
certainly no ‘hospital smell’ here!
Blog update and Cheers. Minor worry when I emptied my bag, there was
a small blood clot in there.
March 11th The nurses were late again this morning, very
unusual for a Monday. Ordered to clean everything ready for doctor’s rounds.
They still hadn’t turned up by quarter past nine, but the head nurse had. I bet
she was wishing she hadn’t with the grilling she got from Huan! I’m still in
the dark of course.
Doctor turned up at quarter to ten with two
interns in tow. The intern I knew removed my dressings before the doctor then
removed my stitches. I wonder what they would do without their phones because
they were using the two intern’s phones to shine a light so the doctor could
see what to cut.
The dressings can be taken off after three days by which time we
should be home. The doctor wants to keep me in until tomorrow morning, not
really sure why but I’m not complaining. Hopefully, we’ll be on our way before
lunchtime.
Huan went shopping before lunch. Guess what
these are?
I fancied a complete change for lunch so when Huan had finished her
Chinese feast I had chocolate cake and coffee, truly scrumptious it was too!
Back in the ward by half past twelve, plumbing still in, naughty
bits washed again. I thought I’d have a little nap. Too late! The nurse reappeared
at one o’clock to remove the plumbing, which, if you haven’t realised, is a
catheter stuck down the end of my little brother! I do not want to repeat that
in a hurry, it’s a very uncomfortable feeling indeed! Thank God I was asleep
when they put it in!
The weather is still not so good so no walkies before dinner. I met
Dr. Tim on the way back in to the hospital, always good to see a smiling,
friendly face. We had a nice little chat, he may visit tomorrow before we
leave.
Back in the ward where the first job was to write a letter of
appreciation, as requested by the head nurse. She wanted it in English despite
the fact no one will be able to read it! I had to make sure I mentioned the
important doctors by name, then include the other doctors and interns and all
the nursing staff of course. I was happy to oblige, they all deserved it!
More ‘Cheers’ then bedtime, for the last time in this bed I hope.
March 12th And so we come to the last day. I had my first
sleep in ‘granny nappies’ last night. To my surprise they were dry this morning
but then again I had been up three times in the night. Dr. Zhang came to visit
before he disappeared into the operating theatre again, he’s a very busy man.
He advised me to only wear the granny nappies when absolutely necessary. He did
agree with me that a three hour drive would be in that category.
Next up was a VIP meeting with all the team
concerned with my procedure with the exception of Dr. Zhang. Even Dr. Tim was
on hand to translate for me. Lots of info given, questions answered, my jokes
explained for the department director’s benefit. Chinese people take everything
very seriously whereas we Brits make a joke out ‘bad things’. My first return
visit will be to Dr. Tim in six weeks time for another PSA test. Here’s the ‘A’
Team!
So when all was done only
the formalities of escaping remained, this entailed a lot of hanging around. To
ease the boredom a little, Huan started packing the car. We needed the bill for
the last day so that we could go and recoup anything left from our deposit. It
went well today, we managed to get what was needed before lunch so didn’t have
to hang around until half past two as we did in December. A little more waiting
for my antibiotics and then we were off, before midday. The last photo op was a
‘goodbye’ to our fellow inmates, the chap in the centre takes over Huan’s #1
position!
So, a summary – I came in here with a ‘healthy libido’, ‘fully
functional plumbing’, a ‘slightly defective prostate’ albeit ‘firing blanks’ of
course. I am leaving with a ‘decreased if not deceased libido’ for the
foreseeable future, ‘incontinent plumbing’ for anything from a couple of weeks
to a year or more, ‘no prostate’ at all, ‘probable erectile dysfunction’, and ‘firing
nothing at all’! Oh, and I have four new holes in my belly! I will also be having
female hormones injected once a month to try and lower my testosterone which is
what the prostate cancer needs to live. Hence my jokes to the director about me
growing boobs, golden locks and singing soprano! None of this of course is the
fault of the hospital, rather it is my fault for not having a PSA test a few
years ago. Take note all you fellows reading this.
As for the hospital, well, if you have to stay in a Chinese hospital
do not expect gleaming walls and floors, bright sparkling bathrooms, the smell
of antiseptic in the air, the bedside manner you are used to in the West, obvious
organisation and planning etc.
What you can expect though is care that is second to none. Some
doctors have a modicum of English but you may need help with translation,
that’s where Huan came in. Without a doubt the doctors were superb before,
during and after my procedure. I cannot thank the nursing staff enough either,
they were also brilliant, and happy with it.
So that’s the end of this one off blog, we’ll
back to normal viewing at the end of March. It’s goodbye from me, goodbye from
SWMBO, and goodbye from my (very dejected) little brother!
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