This is a true recount of 15 Nov 2005...

Syncope: loss of consciousness resulting from insufficient blood flow to the brain

I was visiting my uncle, who got hurt at work, at Changi General Hospital. The duration of my visit was rather short and I was feeling a little giddy during my half an hour stay there. I gladly sat down when one of my relatives offered me the seat, despite knowing that I should let the elders sit instead. Just when I thought that I was ok enough and when the visiting hours was over, I stood up(feeling real giddy) and bid farewell to my uncle and 2 of my distant relatives who were there to visit my uncle too. I can still remember very clearly at the point in time, I stood upright but the surroundings were spinning, faster and faster.

I took my leave. Striding out the next footstep after my farewell....

"boom!"

I only felt a hard hit on my left side of my face and I lied on the ground, unconscious. I couldn't feel anything. I wanted to open my eyes, but my eyes seemed to do otherwise. Lucky enough, I fainted in a hospital and help was therefore offered real fast. I totally had no idea how long I was unconscious for.

"miSs..are you okay?? Can you still hear me?"
"Help her lift up her legs.."

I was able to hear all these and regained consciousness. All I saw were nurses and a doctor attending to me, they asked me what happened etc.. before helping me up to a bed.

Still feeling weak, they asked for my particulars and took my blood pressure. It was very low.

"Miss, I will have to put you on drip because your bp is very low. Please bear with it, it will be a little bit painful" Urgh..why must this happen to me? I felt as if I was dying or thought I had contracted some terminal illness!! Tears were flowing down my face when I was lying on the bed while the nurse put me on drip, that was what they called "little bit painful". Next, they perform ECG on me, I have no idea what it stands for but it was done by putting metal plates on different parts of my body to measure my pulse rate or whatever the machine was to measure.
Oh yes, and they definitely did took some of my blood for laboratory test. (when I was home, Mum was complaining that I was having low bp and yet they took my blood. *lol*) By that point in time, I felt perfectly alright, gone with the giddiness too.

I was transfered to a wheelchair and pushed to the Accident & Emergency Department to see the doctor. His final diagnosis was: Syncope. It could me due to some extreme of emotion changes such as too stress, or feeling very sad after visiting my uncle. Strange enough, I didn't feel the extreme emotion in me after the visit. I had to take a x-ray of my skull to check for any fractures as I felt pain on the left side of my face. Fortunately, there wasn't any fractures, but there's a baluku on my face=( I got to see how my skull looks like, was thinking that it would be great for me to take one of those films home, but I wasn't allowed to do so=(

Dr. Baisal is a real nice doctor!! Friendly and not intimidating at all. He also said there was no need for me to be warded(maybe I said he's nice because of this too) Waha..I felt relieved, real glad to know I am ok=)

Had to report at the nurses' station for my drip thingy to be removed. Man...the pain was...just unbearable for people like me for has got a low threshold of pain!! When the male nurse manager took out that needle for me, I almost had a 2nd episode of fainting. Gosh..the needle was about 3.5cm long!!! *fainT* Until now, I dare not remove the plaster on my wrist, I am afraid to see the "hole" caused by the needle. oopS..

My grandma cried upon seeing me at the A&E, I think I gave her a bad scare!!=X I had a bad shock too, I thought that I can no longer see my loved ones and friends nor can I enjoy life like I normally do. At the short moment of unconsciousness, I felt that life was really so fragile. Nurses were carrying my head to wake me up. Somehow, I was very afraid that I will lose each and every single thing, which I had in my life, be it tangible or intangible. I was so afraid of death because there are simply so many dreams that I want to fulfil...

Don't you think that life is fragile? Our system breaks down, sometimes without even giving the slightest warning. so...be nice to the people around you for one day down the road, you do hope that people remember as someone worth remembering!!:)

Health is Wealth. Treasure Life b'cos it is simply so unpredictable.

Shayna sang @ 7:17 AM

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