My Beloved Wife and Son - The most dramatic day in 2008
It's the last day of 2008 and I tell myself I better post something. It would be the most dramatic day for my family in 2008. It was the day my wife gave birth to my third child in April and that day's incident is still vivid in my mind.
In the delivery suite, just after 2pm, while I accompanied my wife waiting for labour, my wife suddenly lost consciousness. The nurses called her and there was no response. It was a life-threatening emergency and the emergency was announced through the Public Address System through the speakers to the whole hospital to call for doctors' attendance. A lot of doctors and nurses rushed into our delivery suite. I was asked to wait at the corridor. The gynaecologist had to deliver the baby immediately while my wife was unconscious At the corridor, I saw a nurse shooted out of the delivery suite carrying my baby son and she ran across the corridor to the natal intensive care unit . The baby's heart rate was very low after delivery. A paediatrician from another building across the road ran and rushed into the natal intensive care unit to save his life.
After delivery, blood could not stop and my wife was wheeled into the Intensive Care Unit. In the ICU and then the operating theatre for a major operation to stop massive blood loss, what I could only do is to PRAY. What I am going to say next may be controversial/spiritual to some people and it is up to you to believe (remember: Respect Others' Mental Model of the World). I prayed hard to 'higher spiritual being/form' for her life to be saved and that I would do 2 things: 1)Never eat meat again and to become a vegetarian (life for many lives) and 2)I would donate blood every three months.
On that dramatic afternoon, in the ICU and then the operating theatre, as my wife's blood could not clot and therefore stop, packets of blood transfused to her just flow out from her. A lot of blood (the doctors said 40 packets) has been transfused to my wife. The blood clotted and stopped after three capsules of some form of blood clotting agent is injected into her body. The ICU's cleaner said to me that working so many year, this was the first time she saw a bed soaked with so much blood. I realised the importance of blood donation (and I wish to thank the donors). I also donate blood more regularly, every 3 months, from that day onwards. I used to donate blood during my army days (1989-1991) and only occassionally after that. I donated blood 3 times this year. Till today (31/12/08), in total, according to blood bank's record, I have donated 15 times, since 1989, and I will continue to donate blood.
Both survived and recovered fast in the next few days. I slept at the hospital's visitor lobby the first 4 nights to stay close to my wife and baby. They were discharged after a week stay. During the week, a lot of the doctors and nurses said that it was a miracle that both survived. They said that it was 'fortunate' that it happened during daytime when there were more doctors around in the hospital. It happened during the nurses' change of shift too and there were 2 shifts of nurses there to help out. I could not thank the doctors and nurses more. It was frightening when I occassionally think about it again. I almost lost my wife and baby and my daughters would have lost their mother forever. We tend to take things for granted until crisis happens. I count my blessing and I treasure my wife even more nowaday.
In the delivery suite, just after 2pm, while I accompanied my wife waiting for labour, my wife suddenly lost consciousness. The nurses called her and there was no response. It was a life-threatening emergency and the emergency was announced through the Public Address System through the speakers to the whole hospital to call for doctors' attendance. A lot of doctors and nurses rushed into our delivery suite. I was asked to wait at the corridor. The gynaecologist had to deliver the baby immediately while my wife was unconscious At the corridor, I saw a nurse shooted out of the delivery suite carrying my baby son and she ran across the corridor to the natal intensive care unit . The baby's heart rate was very low after delivery. A paediatrician from another building across the road ran and rushed into the natal intensive care unit to save his life.
After delivery, blood could not stop and my wife was wheeled into the Intensive Care Unit. In the ICU and then the operating theatre for a major operation to stop massive blood loss, what I could only do is to PRAY. What I am going to say next may be controversial/spiritual to some people and it is up to you to believe (remember: Respect Others' Mental Model of the World). I prayed hard to 'higher spiritual being/form' for her life to be saved and that I would do 2 things: 1)Never eat meat again and to become a vegetarian (life for many lives) and 2)I would donate blood every three months.
On that dramatic afternoon, in the ICU and then the operating theatre, as my wife's blood could not clot and therefore stop, packets of blood transfused to her just flow out from her. A lot of blood (the doctors said 40 packets) has been transfused to my wife. The blood clotted and stopped after three capsules of some form of blood clotting agent is injected into her body. The ICU's cleaner said to me that working so many year, this was the first time she saw a bed soaked with so much blood. I realised the importance of blood donation (and I wish to thank the donors). I also donate blood more regularly, every 3 months, from that day onwards. I used to donate blood during my army days (1989-1991) and only occassionally after that. I donated blood 3 times this year. Till today (31/12/08), in total, according to blood bank's record, I have donated 15 times, since 1989, and I will continue to donate blood.
Both survived and recovered fast in the next few days. I slept at the hospital's visitor lobby the first 4 nights to stay close to my wife and baby. They were discharged after a week stay. During the week, a lot of the doctors and nurses said that it was a miracle that both survived. They said that it was 'fortunate' that it happened during daytime when there were more doctors around in the hospital. It happened during the nurses' change of shift too and there were 2 shifts of nurses there to help out. I could not thank the doctors and nurses more. It was frightening when I occassionally think about it again. I almost lost my wife and baby and my daughters would have lost their mother forever. We tend to take things for granted until crisis happens. I count my blessing and I treasure my wife even more nowaday.
posted by Koh Tee Huat at
3:06 pm
