26 Apr 2021 – Resting And Healing
Fri: continued throwing up in the early morning – the side-effect of the GA to last for ~24hrs! Breakfast – a cup of tea+a few spoons of oatmeal and finally managed to keep that down.
Dr Gerald Tay, an excellent Dr, a Dr with the insight of the patient’s well-being seen from both sides, ie the Dr’s&the patient’s side. Was told that I was well enough to be discharged, but if needed to, just stay on – decided to wait&see how I will feel later.
2cm of this nuisance gland has been removed which has been over producing calcium and now the calcium level is back to normal. Its amazing that a tiny little gland like this can do such damage to the whole system!
https://www.uclahealth.org/endocrine-center/high-calcium
By lunch, managed to keep all my food down (fish, veggie, rice&apple – ate nearly every bite) and also with dinner (beef, veggie, rice&orange – eat every bite). Knowing that I would get a more peaceful&quiet rest in my own 4walls and felt good enough to care for myself, chose to be discharged not wanting to deal with the hospital environment for another night.
Those who were concern about me not staying another night have not experienced a public hospital with 7ppl(C-ward) in a room and there are ~10rooms with only half wall-divisions! Pix downloaded. Was expecting it to be busy&noisy (I think all the rooms were full), had both ear-plugs&eye-blinder packed with my toiletries which came into very good use.
Appreciations to all the Drs, nurses&staff of SGH. Nice colourful paintings looking hopeful on the hospital wall, ie if you can imagine what hope looks like! Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness – Desmond Tutu. Cab-ride/S$17, good taxi-driver, knew exactly how&where to drive, did not try to make conversation and deserved S$3tip. Home by 2000hrs (an extra day charge if discharged after 2000hrs), washed and crashed by 2100hrs.
Sat: after 10+hrs sleep&rest, feeling refreshed with no discomfort or pain on this lovely wet morning, a perfect day with a cuppa&a book to heal&rest. Walk in the Woods/BillBryson is a better read 2nd time round, read it before the hike, but enjoying it better now after the hike!
The scar as it is today will be needing scafs&chokers when out, so as not to scare anyone as it is not Halloween yet!
Sun: condolences to son-in-law for the passing of his step-grandmother Smith (97). Prayers&thoughts are out to Jeff’s stepmother, Dee&family.
Thank you to Carmel, niece&nepehw for visits with all the yummy foods. Am now well-stock with all kinds of food for the week. Tkx for this share from Glenn in the Philippines, reminding him that I am the 1st and only female from SIN who has completed the AT Thru’Hike from 30Apr-3Sep2005, age 55 then!
Mon: a good Monday and week ahead – enjoy this last week for Apr2021. Condolences with prayers&thoughts to all effected in the Indonesian submarine, KRI Nanggala402 now confirmed drowned with all its 53ppl on board.
From Garry20Apr: Trip around the block #8. The West Macdonnell Ranges- West of Alice Springs. Like so much of the NT, the landscape is the real attraction. The area overflows with deep gorges, folded mountains, sharp chasms, waterholes, changing rock colors, vegetation (or lack of), and every feature from a high school ‘mountainous landscapes’ study imaginable!
Ellery Creek Big Hole. Cold n deep! Stanley Chasm.
The waterhole at the bottom of Serpentine Gorge is not so great. Believed to be home of a bad snake. No swimming allowed but not inviting anyway. Bushfire sculpture.
From Garry24Apr: Trip around the block #9. West of the settlement of Hermannsburg, best know as the home of Aboriginal watercolour landscape artist Albert Namitjira, and also the large Lutheran mission, is the amazing Palm Valley! Here, on the edge of the Tanami Desert, is a valley dominated by towering Red Cabbage Palms. The steep walls of the gorge are also home to age old cyclads.
Waterhole camp-site. Morning view south
Eating like a thruhiker! Courage, strength and patience as you heal. I tell people about our occasional correspondence, when I am mentioning that people can hike at all ages. People can heal as well.
Wed 28Apr2021. Greetings from an AT Thru’hiker from the tiny Red-Dote in Singapore! Healing&recovering well, but not quite ready for another thru’hike yet – lol. You take good care, stay healthy&safe there in the US of A.