21 September 2008
I woke up at around 5:45 am today even though it is a Sunday because I was planning to visit the Grand Palace again and other beautiful places in main Bangkok to try out my newly bought Olympus camera. I woke up to a slight headache though and without thinking twice, I took a 500-mg dosage of aspirin tablet. Then I went on to prepare my breakfast of microwave-reheated rice, sausages, and Chinese chorizo – I know - not a healthy choice but I indulged myself this morning thinking of the physical and exciting itinerary ahead. About halfway through my breakfast preparation, about 10 minutes after I took the aspirin, I felt an itchy feeling inside both of my eyes that immediately caused a light bulb to switch on in my head. I am so familiar with this itchy feeling: I had this approximately more than a year ago after I took a drug containing ibuprofen because I thought it would relieve me of the fever that I had during that time (yeah, self-prescription is VERY dangerous). I immediately went to the mirror and looked at my eyes and of course nothing is visible at that time and I sort of “dimmed” the light bulb inside my head a little bit and went back to preparing my breakfast. Then about 5 minutes after, the itchy feeling was now accompanied with tightness around both the lower portions of my eyes. It got me back to the mirror in no time and yes, the areas that I mentioned were indeed a little bit bloated now. I panicked – yes! I don’t know what possessed me but I immediately went to the refrigerator and got a piece of Hershey’s black chocolate and drank the coffee that I prepared before I started preparing for breakfast. That was so dumb of me – I should have stayed away from chocolates (and instant coffee) since I also had two allergic reactions about 4 years back on chocolates (the ones which contain so much artificial ingredient though like the chocolate powders back home in the Philippines that many local bakeries use to coat/add to their chocolate-flavored bread). As for instant coffee, it’s one of those beverages that contains natural salicylates and acetylsalicylic acid is aspirin – the culprit to the itchiness and bloated areas around my eyes. So, I didn’t eat my breakfast that is ready at this time. I went to the bathroom and got myself ready for the hospital. I was so much in a hurry that I didn’t bother to shut down my laptop and unplug the speakers (thank God nothing happened like electrical short circuits or anything). It’s a good thing too that I didn’t transfer my stuff yet to my knapsack so I practically have everything in my school bag: passport, health insurance card, work permit, and my wallet. I grabbed my bag AND shades and run out of my apartment towards the elevator (yes, I still have the sense to lock my apartment on my way out). During this time, the areas around my eyes were so bloated that I find it harder to see by the minute and I am having difficulty breathing already which is a bad sign because this means that my nasal passages are now constricted due to the allergy. Thank God there was a lift a floor above me (8th floor) so I only waited for a few seconds for it to come to my floor and was inside the elevator and going down to the ground floor in no time. I was hoping to see the guard of my tower on my way out and sure I saw him and told him to help me call for a taxi but he isn’t equipped with conversational English so we just ended up telling things to one another without really understanding each other. I know that he was concerned though gauging from his reaction when he saw my eyes. So I just gestured to him that never mind, I’ll get my own taxi right outside of Parkland. Sure enough, there were plenty of taxis waiting outside and the first taxi in line was driven by a man who looked to be in his mid-50’s and yes, cannot understand what I told him in English but then again, one look at my face and he said, “Thai Nakarin?”, which was the name of the hospital nearest to where we are. I gratefully nodded my affirmation, opened the door, got inside the taxi, and got ready for the ride to salvation. A 3-5 minutes cab ride to the hospital took about 20 minutes for two reasons: the U-turns in Thailand are far and it so happened that the hospital is at the same side as where we’re coming from thus the need to take the U-turn – 2 U-turns actually AND we were stuck in traffic for about 8 minutes because there was this group of motorcyclists who were so into drag racing at 6:30 in the morning and not minding the traffic congestion they are causing. By now, I was really having difficulty breathing and tried to tell the driver that maybe he can alight from the vehicle and tell those motorcyclists that there is an emergency many cars back but of course I cannot tell it to him due to the language barrier. Thankfully, after what seemed like ages, the lines of cars moved and moved and moved and I was right in front of the hospital. I immediately went to the reception area where I asked where the emergency room was but wasn’t pointed to it right away since the gentlemen from reception asked for my passport and health card insurance first and also asked me to fill in a form which I was unable to do so because I really had difficulty seeing already. Sensing this (which they should have right away since my eyes were way so chinky during that time that it would be impossible for someone to think that I was born with it), they pointed me to where the emergency room is. So I rushed inside and was immediately attended by a very soothing nurse – thank God for this! I didn’t even wait for her to ask me questions, I just told her that I took aspirin and got these allergic reactions in less than 30 minutes after taking it. She then led me to an ER bed – and it struck me how silent it was in the hospital at this time of day. Anyway, she immediately attached an IV of dextrose to my left hand, took my blood pressure and monitored my heartbeat. After about 5 minutes of lying there, she injected an anti-inflammatory steroid to my upper right arm that really hurts. The doctor then came and told me that I should be able to breathe easier in about 10 minutes and that the palpitations that I will feel minutes after being injected the steroids are just side effects of the steroids. Then the “people” started coming: people from the reception/admission, nurses, nursing assistants, and they all have one thing in common: QUESTIONS!!! I don’t want to answer these questions until I feel somewhat relieved of what I’m feeling and I bluntly told them that. They respected this and came only again after about 15 minutes. At this point, the doctor told me that she wants to keep me in the hospital so that she can monitor me closely because there is still a chance that I can go into anaphylactic shock, a very life-threatening effect of allergy. My immediate reaction was please, no, I had this before and even though the first time I had this I was also brought to the emergency room (the first time when I found out I am allergic to ibuprofen) and injected the same steroids, the doctor then discharged me after about an hour and simply gave me medications of steroids and other anti-histamines. THIS doctor however, was firm on her decision of having me admitted in the hospital so I told her that okay, she can have me confined but if nothing bad develops or if my condition continues to get better (which I can feel during that time), I will only stay until 5 o’clock. She smiled and asked me if I had something important scheduled for after 5 o’clock and I told her no, I just don’t like the idea of being admitted to a hospital. Again, she smiled and agreed to what I asked. Someone then came with a stretcher but I told him if there is a wheel chair available because I would be more comfortable on it rather than on a stretcher (I told you I am feeling better already and I know that once I was administered the drug, I will be on my road to recovery). Of course there was a wheel chair and I was then marched to my room on the 9th floor of the hospital amidst smiles and get well wishes from the 5 nurses and inside the ER. Little do I know that I will be led to this quite large and well-furnished hospital suite. (I wasn’t really concerned about the bill at this time because my health insurance will take care of it.) Once inside, I made phone calls to two of my colleagues, informed them where I am and told them that I am okay. I also called my head of upper school (principal) and informed him (I actually talked with his wife, our head of school, because my principal was out swimming when I called) of where I am and why. At this point, I didn’t inform anyone member of my family back home because I don’t want them to panic (especially my mother who was so concerned the first time I had this that she had heart palpitations). Until now as I am writing this, they still don’t know. I just don’t want them to worry – that’s all – there’s nothing that they can do that hasn’t been done already and I know that I am always, always in their prayers.
So the long wait until my 6 hours are up starts (which should be at around 1 pm) and within these times, I got 2 visits from a specialist who was so kind and explained to me all about aspirin and NSADs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) which include ibuprofen (of course!) and visits from nurse assistants who took my vital signs, two nurses who came in every 1 and ½ hours, and the cleaning team. One o’clock came and went and finally at around 2:30 pm, the doctor specialist came back along with the head nurse and examined me again, asked me questions again, and told me that I can go home – in about 3 hours yet since my papers have to be processed by the hospital and sent to the health insurance. This actually only took about 2 hours and at around 5:10 pm, I am on my way home! J Oh, I was given medication, which is good for 3 days, by the hospital’s pharmacist and when I asked if there is any medicine that I ought to buy aside from the ones she’s giving me, she said no. Okay, this is great! I also get paid-for medicines! I got home at around 5:20 and rushed to my laptop to save it from it’s running on reserve battery agony and to write this experience. What should have been a sight-filled Sunday turned out to be a “blurry” sight Sunday. :-)
The Kingdom of Siam – where everyday is an adventure. I have so many firsts here: first time that I ever had problems with the labor department during my first 2 weeks (this is solved now though, I am legally working here in Thailand. I have work permits and all.), first time that I lost a new colleague to death due to an accident in a water fall during our staff bonding activity (during the last week of August), first time that I experienced wading through flood on my way to our school bus in the morning and in the afternoon (this started during the 2nd week of September), first time that I am denied a visa to a country (China – due to the strict regulations brought about by the Beijing Olympics and the Paralympics), first time that a dove dumped its early morning gory “glory” on me (and I have to go back up to my apartment and change which caused me to miss the school bus), first time that I explored a place on my own (especially during Saturdays and Sundays-and enjoyed it so much), AND first time that I am admitted to a hospital. Whew! So many firsts – bring it on! Hmmmmm, what could be next? All these are teaching me a lot though on living on my own abroad and creating my chances. Also, my experiences tell me that indeed, experience is the best teacher ;-) On top of that, nothing really is impossible with God. Invoke His name, ask the Virgin Mother to mediate, along with the angels and saints, and everything will fall into place like pieces of jigsaw puzzle falling into place.
Ave Maria!
ebidensya (21 Sept. 2008, Thai Nakarin Hospital)-btw, wrong DOB ;-) 
outside Room 903 (21 Sept. 2008, Thai Nakarin Hospital)
outside Room 903 (21 Sept 2008, Thai Nakarin Hospital)
outside Room 903 (21 Sept 2008, Thai Nakarin Hospital)
outside Room 903 (21 Sept 2008, Thai Nakarin Hospital)
view of Parkland (yellow and green bldgs) outside Room 903 (21Sept2008, Thai Nakarin Hosp)
(I still live in Parkland)
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