NHE (near hospital experience)

maybe i don't give myself too much attention that even a crucial episode in my alone-life i almost forgotten to chronicle. mas nauna pa yung lcd and the gastronomic trip keysa ito. hehehe. in fact, it just came to mind when last sunday xtian called me up from the province where i also got to talk to my cousins and mamang. it was in my conversation with xtian's mom that i mentioned in a matter-of-factly about the near hospital experience two weeks ago.

i felt nothing unusual during the day and on to the time i bid muffin goodnight after reminding him not to make pupu or pee inside the house during the night.

i remember, it was quite warm in the room that i needed to switch on the aircon and set the timer to 2 hrs. i knew that by then i would have caught up with sleep and the temperature in the room would not matter anymore. it was nine in the evening and everything set for smooth and easy nocturnal trip including a soft music from the player.

hours later i was jolted from sleep hindi dahil mainit na sa room. the aircon is mum. the player is still playing. and everything inside stood still in the dark. including myself. it was not a case of bangungot. hindi ako makagalaw because of the pain that's coming from my abdomen. a slightest movement brought excruciating pain that's tearing my being apart. sobrang sakit talaga. it was the first time that i ever experienced such pain.

hoping and praying that it was something like kabag, i forced myself to adapt to different positions. shit, to no avail. sooner i realized that sitting on the bed was far more better than lying. the pain was relatively bearable sitting.

it's a fact that sleeping is not a problem to me. i am the type who can sleep anytime and anywhere or whenever inspiration hit me. hindi namamahay. kesehodang nasa sasakyan at malubak ang dinadaanan. but that moment i just couldn't bring myself to sleep while sitting.

not because i strictly adhere to the boy scout motto: laging handa, but i always see to it that the travel bag in the car has the essential hygienic items including tshirts panlabas at pantulog, undies, boxer shorts, hankies and even socks. of course meron ding kikay kit: deo, facial wash, shower gel, powder. i also have at two pairs of shoes and slippers in the back compartment for comfort and ease. bigat kaya ng laging naka-safety shoes sa work throughout the day. hahaha. besides in my kind of work, especially during summer, kailangan magpalit ng tshirt at mag wash-up. kung hindi para kang paksiw na may sukang pinakurat pagdating ng tanghali.

2am and the pain still didn't nudge a bit. feeling woozy from lack of sleep, i decided to drive myself to the hospital. de la salle is no more than 5 mins drive from my place. i tried dragging myself out of bed but i just couldn't walk. sobrang sakit. nakakahingal na sakit.

rousing the neighbor from sleep or summoning a friend at such an ungodly hour was way nakakahiya. even if it was a matter of life and death. siguro i'd rather expire na lang. hahaha. besides, ok, granting may darating nga, how can i let them in ni hindi ko nga kaya maglakad how much more navigating down the stairs pa!

i resigned. what can happen will happen anyway. i stayed on the bed sitting. awake till 6am when the pain somehow gave up on me and subsided to a tolerable level. it was then that i gathered my pillows and headed downstairs. lunged them on the sofa and prepared tea for breakfast. i'm no pill popper, i'd rather go on water therapy instead, kaya tiniis ko ang sakit magdamag than take non-prescribed meds.

it was the longest one hour sleep that i ever had.

i phoned in sick. i saw a doctor later in the day. gallstone, liver, pancreatic problem. he couldn't tell. 14 caps of parazole plus to be taken once a day and a referral for an ultrasound test is all. no alcohol and cigarettes the doctor quickly added. i violated the former on the 12th and the latter on the 10th day. though in moderation, if that will count at all.

i completed the doses yesterday and the ultrasound test i am yet to take. walang time e. meron pang 'fasting' preparations and considering that i need at least a day to do it all including the results. hayz.

then the pain came back again today. not as intense as when it first happened though. just a pricking sensation this time. i searched the net for possible side effects of parazole and from what i gathered parang palliative lang din. babalik at babalik ang spasm including hyperacidity after quitting the meds.

now i'm considering ultrasound.