###It was another hospital appointment for Jansen.
This time, it was for lung function test aka spirometer screening. This was his 3rd time doing it but he was still very nervous about it. Due to his right lung only half the usual size, he would need more effort for this test, so he was really panic. He asked the lady in-charge not to clip his nose with clipper as that made him even more nervous. Thank God the lady agreed with him and did not clip his nose.
He needed to go through two examinations today, one was screening spirometry, another was complete measuring of lung volume. For the first exam, he got to breathe into the tunnel using his mouth, started with usual breathing, followed by inhaling real deep and exhaling real hard and also exhale as long as possible following the lady cue. He did this for 3 rounds and got really tired. The lady said, "Great job, Jansen!"
For next test, it was a challenging one according to the lady. Jansen had never done this before so the lady needed to go through with him. For this one, the cubicle's door would be closed, meaning I would not be able to hold his hands which he needed that as assurance. He started to feel even more nervous. The lady said for this test, something would be done to the air in the cubicle to make it harder to breathe, and Jansen needed to persevere to still breathe via mouth. For this test, it was compulsory to clip his nose with clipper to avoid him breathing via nose when the pressure was low. And it had three rounds of difficulty to breathe. At this moment, tears started to come out, followed by crying.
Knowing that it was quite challenging for Jansen who is a CDH patient, the lady said that Jansen could skip this test for this round. And perhaps when he is older and the lung is bigger. At this point, he felt relief but still crying due to feeling overwhelmed. I thanked the lady for being understanding.
A lot of hugs and comfort was given after that. Jansen felt he did not try his best but I assured him that he did. He really hoped there would not be next time which I did not reply him on this.
We walked to our favourite mini playground-cum-garden at the hospital to calm down. My husband was waiting there. Here, we sat down at a hut for Jansen to settle down awhile. We saw a squirrel coming to the hut to eat his food. It was a surprise to Jansen and somehow the squirrel made him chucked and helped him to be okay.
After hospital, it was almost lunch time so husband brought us to a mall nearby for lunch at a coffee shop named Ka Fei Dian. This shop is popular for its toast and coffee and local food. We ordered a Hainanese fried chicken chop with fries and a wonton noodle with roasted chicken. Also an iced milk tea. We chilled and relaxed awhile with playing games on phones, while chitchatting as well. Jansen managed to finally gather his thoughts and shared with us his feeling which made him cry. In short, he just felt totally overwhelmed and the feeling of needing to close the cubicle door made him fearful, like being stucked inside. Although the lady tried to encourage him to feel like an astronaut, he still felt scared.
We comforted him again, telling him he did a great job for the first test. And that his lungs will grow stronger and bigger. Nothing to be worry about. After lunch, we walked around the mall to explore all the collectible shops.
Thankful for today and it was our second last appointment at hospital. Next up would be two weeks from now which is usual appointment with the Respiratory Doctor. As we pray for Jansen to have miracle, we also extend our prayers to those who are not well and are fighting some battles in life.
