6 Dec 2004 - Hari ini dalam Sejarah (Today in History)
Reached Buenos Aires on 5 Dec 2004, feeling a slight breathlessness but overall fine. Met by staff of the Malaysian embassy. Excited at the prospect of my first visit to South America. Noticed most of the cars here are of French or European make. Reached the hotel. Tired. Slept well thru the night.
6 Dec 2004. Woke up feeling lousy. Breathlessness acute. Went out to buy water and found myself gasping for breath after a few steps. COP 10 was to start morning today but I decided to go in the afternoon until I feel better.
It was not to be.
Condition got worse. The breathlessness got worse when I lie down. Little did I know fluid were accumulating in my pericardium and right lung; the doctors eventually drained nearly 2 litres of fluid from both organs.
Called Gloria who is the 2nd Secretary/Head of Chancery at the Malaysian embassy. She met me and the rest of the Malaysian contigent at the airport yesterday. She sent her staff Marianna to meet me and get me to the hospital.
Reached the Hospital Aleman and was asked to do an x-ray. The x-ray taken was bad because of language problem. I thought the x-ray technician was asking me to breathe when I shouldn't!
The doctors were unsure what is causing the breathlessness. A ultrasound scan was performed. The doctors discovered fluid in my pericardium. An operation to drain it was decided. In the meantime, my breathlessness got worse. I threw up the dark spaghetti I had for lunch, and even shit in my pants, although I didnt know it.
Gloria and Mr Cheah the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were beside me. Mr Cheah and Gloria later went to my hotel to get my handphone to get my sister's contact number. They called my sister to inform about my condition. They also called the Yoke Ling of the Third World Network.
Another crisis was also brewing on the financial side. The hospital wants a deposit of RM60,000. They are willing to treat me and discharge me the next day if they don't get the deposit. Yoke Ling scrambled to get the funds. TWN was willing and able to put up the funds but need time, so Dr Saradha and Datuk Thana (both in Malaysia at that time) helped to get the Malaysian Embassy to act as guarantor for the funds. With that guarantee and subsequent deposit of the funds from TWN, I was able to stay on the hospital for 6 days.
So the drainage operation proceeded. I was given local anasthetic, a tube was poked into the middle of my chest. I hardly felt a thing and can see dark red fluid being drained from my chest, through a tube into a glass canister on the floor. Nearly 1 litre was drained. The doctor said I can breath better now that the fluid is gone. I surely can...
(...next: 7 Dec 2004)
6 Dec 2004. Woke up feeling lousy. Breathlessness acute. Went out to buy water and found myself gasping for breath after a few steps. COP 10 was to start morning today but I decided to go in the afternoon until I feel better.
It was not to be.
Condition got worse. The breathlessness got worse when I lie down. Little did I know fluid were accumulating in my pericardium and right lung; the doctors eventually drained nearly 2 litres of fluid from both organs.
Called Gloria who is the 2nd Secretary/Head of Chancery at the Malaysian embassy. She met me and the rest of the Malaysian contigent at the airport yesterday. She sent her staff Marianna to meet me and get me to the hospital.
Reached the Hospital Aleman and was asked to do an x-ray. The x-ray taken was bad because of language problem. I thought the x-ray technician was asking me to breathe when I shouldn't!
The doctors were unsure what is causing the breathlessness. A ultrasound scan was performed. The doctors discovered fluid in my pericardium. An operation to drain it was decided. In the meantime, my breathlessness got worse. I threw up the dark spaghetti I had for lunch, and even shit in my pants, although I didnt know it.
Gloria and Mr Cheah the Undersecretary for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were beside me. Mr Cheah and Gloria later went to my hotel to get my handphone to get my sister's contact number. They called my sister to inform about my condition. They also called the Yoke Ling of the Third World Network.
Another crisis was also brewing on the financial side. The hospital wants a deposit of RM60,000. They are willing to treat me and discharge me the next day if they don't get the deposit. Yoke Ling scrambled to get the funds. TWN was willing and able to put up the funds but need time, so Dr Saradha and Datuk Thana (both in Malaysia at that time) helped to get the Malaysian Embassy to act as guarantor for the funds. With that guarantee and subsequent deposit of the funds from TWN, I was able to stay on the hospital for 6 days.
So the drainage operation proceeded. I was given local anasthetic, a tube was poked into the middle of my chest. I hardly felt a thing and can see dark red fluid being drained from my chest, through a tube into a glass canister on the floor. Nearly 1 litre was drained. The doctor said I can breath better now that the fluid is gone. I surely can...
(...next: 7 Dec 2004)
posted by Hee Boon at 5:24 pm
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