i was challenged

i had a challenging day. yup i had.

i woke up today with a start....because it was grandma coming into my room sobbing. imagine my shock when i heard her voice. and imagine her climbing the 15 steps to get upstairs in her condition.

the previous two nights, i did not get my sleep at all and yesterday night, i was sleeping like a log till 10.30a.m. when i was woken up.

grandma was paranoid. she was scared that i had left the house and deserted her. i told her i was just sleeping in my room.

then she had to climb down the stairs, step by step again. so i was holding my breath till she reached the final step.

i went to check her breakfast on the table in the kitchen. she had finished whatever she made but her vitamin pill was there on the table. i guess she just left grandpa there sitting at the table having his breakfast alone while she climbed her way up.

then when she got down, she sat in her chair and continued sobbing silently. i heard her saying how aunt had converted to christianity lah, and had gone to the bad side. how everyone was turning bad. she also said how she worried i was taken to the evil side when she did not see me. of course all these were not true.

i did not even dare to go out of the house to get my newspaper. i phoned dad to get it for me.

then i called the clinic asking if they had x-ray for the spine and hip since we wanted to get grandma checked after her fall. the clinic did not.

so i called aunt in kl and poured out what happened in the morning to her. then she talked to grandma. phew.

i went online to get the phone number of the hospital here. trust the internet for everything you need. the phone number was found and i called asking about the kind of x-ray they have, and yup, they have the machine.

it was too late to go to the hospital already, so we prepared to go for the afternoon session which started at 2p.m.

we reached the hospital at 2.30p.m. and gosh....i waited for 30 mins just to get registered!!! and that lady sitting at the registration counter deserved a big slap on the face for her non-smiling and cold attitude. she gave me my change in all crumpled and almost balled up notes! that bitch! i was cursing inside me already.

then we waited for another hour before we were called into consultation....and that too because i enquired about priority service for the elderly. there was no one at the information desk previously. when i saw a lady at the enquiry desk, i went to her and ask her about priority for the old. there was a sign which states that elderly is one of the groups of ppl who will get priority.

the lady was kind enough to bring my card straight into the consultation room and told me to wait outside. so i jumped a few numbers in the end.

and nowadays, a patient got to hold her own patient record. previously the patient's record cards were all brought in to the doctor's room by the nurse and we waited for the name to be called.

now, after registration, they give you a number, with your stack of patient record and you wait at the waiting area for your number to be called. i mean, is it proper to have the patient holding their own records? what if was so fed-up of waiting that i decided to leave and bring my records with me??

anyway, i told the doctor about grandma's fall and that i wanted x-ray. so we got the x-ray. the lady at the x-ray department was already anticipating me...hahha....she asked me if i were the one who called in the morning and she told me she was expecting me. lucky for all these proper services with warmth by the people really doing the job in the hospital. it is those front liners who make the experience so bad.

ok, there was no fracture seen in the x-ray but the doctor told me that because of aging, bone edges have become less rounded and hence they are slightly jagged due to calcite build up. hence, when grandma moves, the bones might rub with her soft tissues causing her pain.

grandma got painkillers, calcium tablets and cream.

then, tomorrow we are going back again for blood test to check sugar level and stuff because grandma complained to the doctor that she urinates a lot at night and not during daytime.

and....i asked the doctor about getting diagnosis for dementia. and guess what, they have visiting psychiatrist twice a month in the hospital. i told the doctor grandma's symptoms. but the doctor said since grandma was not really forgetful, it was quite unlikely to be dementia or alzheimer.....hmmm...she said it was more of paranoia. anyway, i have got her to fix an appointment with the psychiatrist come 21 december. we are going to tell grandma that it is just further check-up for old people. she is willing to travel to this hospital and not kl. so this is better than nothing, at least we will get some opinions.

and i finally reached home only at 5p.m.

my handphone battery was long long dead by then because something was wrong with the phone's usb. damn it! i had been charging the phone the whole afternoon before i went to the hospital and no energy was transmitted into the phone!!

so upon reaching home, i tried and tried and tried and tried....till i felt like buying a new phone or smashing the one in my hand at the moment....and finally, it started charging after i pushed and pulled and twisted and replugged. now i have to be wary when charging my phone....i have to make sure i get the right angle so the charging starts. haiz...

and i only collected the dry washings at 7p.m. after i came back from bringing the dog for a walk. no running today. i was all drained, mentally and emotionally drained. physically i am still fine.

then at dinner, grandpa was complaining about his stomach again and he had very little. and then i was worried whether the dishes would be enough for dad and me. well, luckily my dad is really a small eater at night, hence there was more than enough for me.

now, the washing machine has stopped spinning. it is time to hang the washings. grandma is sitting there slumped in her chair and still refusing to go to bed. yesterday, she was not sleeping although it was past 11p.m. i have to sweep and mop the floor after this. and i still have to read the day's paper which is still untouched.

aiyoh....what a challenging day.....and i even went to youtube just to listen to bad day by daniel powter so that he can sing away my bad day.