There was an episode in mid February prior to Chinese new year, I have checked in for heart rate issues, or so called palpitations. I didn't get much from the ECG as the doc found my reading was quite normal, except for the heartbeats a lil faster than usual.
Until this one day, I woke up with a significant numbness on the entire left side. I can feel my heart are pounding abnormally. I can see my heartbeat from the clothing from the outside. When I went to the clinic, the doc immediately issued me a referral letter. For some reasons, I still choose to leave my life for the government medical facility HKL.
I was immediately rushed to the ER so they can assess my severity. I have heard many bad experiences about patients being treated badly and unattended. Now that I know, the enormous amount of patients they're receiving, and how they run this almost charity (tax payor's money) so effectively. Knowing that I have taken aspirin and anti clot medication, on duty MD "awarded" me to yellow zone.
Yellow zone or green zone, still need to go back out and get a ticket and wait for their turn for a proper diagnostic. When I look at the number, I'm only 2 patients at the waiting list. But then, it took me more than an hour waiting time before they can run through the red cases. I guess, that's how many people refuses to accept that their condition is NOT severe enough to "wait" for their turn.
After a series of questionnaires with the MD, further confirmation of the ECG, I was again "awarded" with immediate attention required BUT no life threatening sign, severity that "deserved" yellow. I was placed in the yellow zone unit and was told to run further tests and scans before they can decide how to treat me.
Never have I imagine there's so many male nurses working in the ER, especially government medical facility. When I looked at other patients talking loudly shouting at the nurse for not taking care of them, I was the one"proudly" thinking you're having a diarrhea, and you came to the ER shouting at people whilst I have a possibly life threatening heart attack. When the nurse came to check on me, I even thank my Muslim friend for still working despite Ramadan fasting. He grin at me and said it's his job.
And then I was pushed to the hallway and placed behind a few severe road accident cases, to wait for the x ray. I saw people walking passed me and looked at me with a pity face. I can even hear one of them telling their spouse(or girlfriend?) if they ever have their episodes, they will never consider government owned medical facilities, or this is what going to happened to them, by the "roadside". I can't help it, almost rotflmao. I wished I have the strength and energy to sit up and warn them what insurance claim can do to them, and once insurance limit exhausted, they're most probably going to come back here and line up "by the roadside".
X ray shows, my lungs is still black, despite I have stopped smoking for 6 years. Well, this is one thing to proof the internet content might not be 100% accurate, at least not for my case. I guess those gunk and stain will forever be there in my precious lungs for the rest of my life(if I survive this any longer).
Further diagnostic required, so they have pushed me to the CT scan. I am glad it was before the Muslims breakfast. Operators are talking about buying their break fasting meal from the bazaar, oh my... I'm so hungry. By this time, the MD already informed me to get someone there to sign my papers incase I didn't "make it" 😂 I was like, wtf?! You said there's no immediate danger? And now I didn't make it? Well well, MD further explained for precautions, got knows if I need an "upgrade" to the red zone 😂
Home minister brought together our priest, oh my oh my. The priest is so tall, with such outfit walking into the emergency, everyone is eyeballing me as if I'm receiving the final communion. I've got all the blessing and by the time the neurologist came to see me, everyone already taken their dinner(except me). Im grateful for such crazy hour, the specialist still came to see me and explained to me of my medical condition.
I had a stroke, probably during my wake up. It's fortunate that there's no hemorrhage in the brain. Doc explained there's scarred and sign of stroke at the area behind my right eye, directly under the spin. Part of my nerves and motor function affected on the left side. There was no immediate danger, but I will be on aspirin for the rest of my life. I will be placed under home recovery and "awarded" with 2 weeks medical leave and physiotherapy.
At this point, everything is in record. I don't mind to share this out anymore. I can't upgrade my medical insurance anymore. I was discharged in the late PM, and am now I'm going through a serious recovery processes. I thank the government medical facility and I thank god for this second chance.
