Thank YOU

Today for the first time we are beginning to get our lives back.

Exactly twenty-one days ago, in the midst of making mooncakes, Diane announced that she was dizzy. We waited for two more days by when it did not improved, we saw the doctor and from then on it has been anxious ride of coping with dizziness and blurring vision. Of hospital stays, daily injections, MRIs, eye checks... Of feeling so alone despite the many people who have been keeping us in prayer. Of breaking down in tears and being embarrased. Of learning to walk very, very slowly beside my daughter. Of being humbled and asking for more prayers. Of being scared. Of being angry. Of receiving His peace.

We walked at the Botanical Gardens this morning. Half a round before she got dizzy again. For the first time ever in her life, we walked slower than her dad. But we finished the round. Tonight I put in two hours working on my garden and she was there throughout, on her own steam. (I believe I have passed on my appreciation for beautiful plants to my two children.) At last we are seeing light at the end of the tunnel we are presently in. Thank you God for answering our prayers.

I am set to camp here for the day.  We have been here for so many days Diane is now a pro at operating her bed - move it up or down, tilt it or not.  We try to make it as comfortable as we can for her, short walks in the corridor or garden, computer for the day so she may surf or chat with her friends.  

Times have changed since when I took care of Mother years back.  I see so many families who now leave their maids to stay over and take care of their parent while they come in after work to visit and leave instructions.  It is undeniable that money buys ease and advantage.

I am a horrible worry wart.  I should not complain, looking at the sufferings of the Indonesian earthquake survivors.  What we go through is not a fraction compared to them.  Young children, young people, it will be a constant uphill struggle for them all their lives.  We may not be wealthy or have privileges as citizens of a first world country but in comparison, we are living princely lives with regard to our neighbors.  I count my blessings, the majority of them I did not work for or deserved.

I walked into Diane's room and discovered that she had gained a new room mate in the afternoon I was away. There were a few visitors at the new patient's bed. I gathered from their conversation that she had been coughing "very badly" and "non-stop at night". I asked Diane if she knew what her room mate was warded for and she said, "She is coughing up blood."

Only in Malaysia can this happen. Even I, a non-medical staff, can realise that coughing up blood may signify some bad news to come and that it may be contagious. How then can they place a person with a potentially contagious illness with another with a weak immune system?? I walked over to the nurses station and asked, "What are you doing????????" and the staff nurse actually tried to worm her way around by saying, "Don't worry, she hasn't got H1N1 and we checked her, she hasn't got TB." Oh yes? What tests have you made? "We have," trailing off with "they haven't return yet." Irresponsible, that is what. Unadulterated pure stupidity is what. How can you?????

We got our change of room half an hour after I arrived.

It was not even the new patient's fault but she was subject to the offence of our quick evacuation of the room though we tried to be as discreet as possible.

But what if it had been other people far more pleasant than I and her cough is TB after all?