Night of 11 April 2011

Hah...hah... Very Ah Q, perut cramp like hell still can make fun of the big watermelon.

Welcome Wayne Wai

Promise to be a good boy.

Terkejutnya...

Oh, yah, forgot to mention, my medical bill sums up to USD 22k.

If not of insurance, boleh mati kudasai in ang-moh country bcoz of the exorbitant bill. In Msia, people already kao-pek-kao-boh if c-section hospital bill is MYR 6k.

Let x be the medical bill amount and f(x) be the amount we need to pay after insurance coverage.

f(x) = x ; x<=4000

f(x) = 4000 + 0.2 (x - 4000) ; 4000 < x <= 24000

f(x) = 8000 ; x > 24000

Day 5 of 5D4N Stay

16 April 2011, Saturday

18:00 - Finally, checked out from the hospital and balik rumah. Upon stepping into our cozy apartment, I suddenly had a feeling of "ah... home sweet home". It was as if I was kidnapped for 5 days.

Life is fragile. Who knows I would not be able to return home when I went out to work on Tuesday? Ever since, I asked hubby to drive careful when he goes to work every morning.

Day 2 of 5D4N Stay

13 April 2011, Sunny, Wednesday

8:00 - Having accompanied me for the whole nite, Mr Book went out for breakfast.

8:30 - Cervix dilated 3 cm. My doctor, Dr Bacalar asked another doctor to rupture the water bag, in the hope that the action might increase uterine contraction. The doctor came, examined, found that the baby was still too "high" up, +3, and thus he decided not to rupture the water bag.

9:30 - Dr Bacalar came. Unlike his usual self, in which he used to tell me it's usual to have this pain and that swell, he told me that I'm having an unusual contraction here. The Pitocin level has been increased to level 16, yet, I didn't have the contraction I'm supposed to have. He took the bold action to rupture the water bag, just like rupturing a water balloon inside me, he repeated the action 5 to 6 times. Gush of warm water inundated the bed I was lying on. My socks were all wet too. Then, he sat down from across the room calmly and asked me whether I wanna wait for the contraction to take place, hopefully, or have a caesarean surgery instead. I told him, it took me 22 hours to dilate 3 cm. For a natural birth, needs 10 cm opening. Mathematically, it'd take me ages to reach 10 cm. Thus, without hesitation, I opted for a caesarean.

9:45 - Things happen as fast as lightning ever since I nodded on having a c-section. When I was signing paperwork to give consent on a surgery to be performed onto me, Mr Book came back from breakfast and a short walk for fresh air. He was shocked to find many people in the room preparing for a surgery. Dr Bacalar informed him that I agreed to have a c-section. The nurse gave him surgical clothes to put on. Meanwhile, 2 other nurses attached a catheter bag to my urinary tract before I realized what was happening. Then, I was instructed on what to do when given anaesthesia. I started to tremble uncontrollably.

9:55 - I was seated on a wheelchair and wheeled to the operation room. It was icy cold. My tremble turned into seismic shake, just like recent earthquake in Japan. I tried to stifle the tremble to no avail. The nurses wrapped my arms with hot towels. Then, the anaesthesia was injected into my spine. Very quickly, I was put on the operation table with my 2 arms spread apart, forming a “t” letter, just like Jesus was nailed to the cross. Then, Dr Bacalar came in, introduced me to another doctor. Both of them performed the surgery together. I could feel they drew something on my lower abdomen with a pen. In my mind, I recollected the TV comedy scene where the doctors played tic-tac-toe on the patient before cutting the flesh!

Hah...hah... dunno why, these 2 days, I still could joke with the nurses and while lying on the operation table, I still could think of a TV comedy scene!

10:13 – I heard “ong-wah-ong-wah”. One of the nurses announced the time “10:13 am”. Mr Book busied himself operating my Nikon D3000.

The doctors stopped chatting. Not a good sign. Dr Bacalar told me that they discovered a cyst on the right side of my uterus, near the ovary. He told me that they’re taking the cyst out. My mind was pitch-black during that time. I just mumbled, “ok”.

After Little Wayne was cleaned and screened, he was brought to the left side of my head. I’m very thankful and grateful that he came to this world safely.

I lost tract of the time-keeping.

Still numb, I was transported to the most expensive room I’ve ever stayed (USD 1,500 per nite).

13:18 – Mama Peh reached Chicago O’Hare airport.

14:20 – Mr Book went to the airport to fetch Mama Peh.

16:00 – I woke up upon hearing Mama Peh’s voice.

Day 1 of 5D4N Stay

12 April 2011, Sunny, Tuesday

10:00 - Telling a colleague that I should be done with the report by 11:00.

10:35 - Felt a gush of warm water coming out from ... Oh, oh... water has broken. My first reaction was to dash to the toilet. On the way, I bumped into a colleague. As she was going to greet me, I said, "大锅了". Then, only realized that she doesn't speak Canto. I switched to Mandarin, "穿水了". The expression on her face changed to a shocking one, "那，你赶紧去医院啊！"

11:00 - Instead of having done with the report, I reached the Alexian Brothers Hospital.

11:10 - Checked-in. Nurses came to plug in many wires and cables, to give me IV drip, to ask me a list of 101 questions and to draw blood to check haemoglobin level.

12:45 - Had first pack of antibiotic IV fluid. I need the antibiotic bcoz I was tested positve for Strep Group B test.

14:00 - Related undone office work to a colleague.

16:45 - Had 2nd pack of antibiotic IV injection. Cervix dilated 1 cm only. Had small dose of Pitocin thru IV injection to increase uterine contraction.

......

22:45 - Cervix dilated 1.5 cm only. Dosage of Pitocin was increased.

22:35 - Read an sms from Mama Peh in HK. Then only I knew that she has Maxis international roaming. I replied that I'm already admitted in the hospital. But too late, she didn't receive my sms as it was already boarding time heading to Chicago O'Hare from HK Chek Lap Kok.

......

Had an uneasy sleepless nite. Crampy tummy. Bloody urine. Painful back.

Pre-5D4N Adventurous Stay

11 April 2011, Sunny, Monday

Having back pain like usual, having swollen calves and feets like usual, having more tummy crampy feeling than usual.  Couldn't even sit straight in the office.  The uncomfy feeling was more intense after dinner at a restaurant. 

Gifts from Zurich colleagues

Got a surprise baby shower today at work place. I was working hard on balancing my numbers, and the telephone rang. Manager called up asking, "are you coming for the meeting?" Oh gosh, not again, I forgot there's a meeting? Frantically, I went downstairs to Conference Room C on the 3rd floor, carrying my numbers with me. Before stepping inside the room, I saw colleagues from predictive modeling team. I thought it must be those kind of "company high level ambition talk" meeting. Upon putting my foot in the room, I saw food, I saw presents... Oh... oh...

Fancy Restaurant

Fancy + pricey <> Good taste. Satu kali cuba dah cukup. I was attracted by the name of "Bombay Chopsticks". Actually, this restaurant served chinese food cooked by Indian chefs.