OT

Few days ago, I talked about taking a break. Yesterday, I got my break alright. Break from my daily office work and spent a day in the hospital instead. I had the chance to go into an operating theater for the first time in my life.

Scary. Eerie. That was how I felt. The operating theater was big. Empty. Right in the middle of the room, lay still the 'bench' for the patient. At one end of the bench, all these machine stood strong with lights pointing at the operating bench. That is the place where people fought for their lives. Ended with tears. Either for joy. Or sorrow.

I watched the anesthetist put the mask over the face. Puff in puff out. There goes the gas. There goes the patient. Dozed off? Fainted? Knocked down? I felt very scared. Then I was escorted to wait outside.

About 45 minutes later, my phone rang. Pn. Shidah, you may go to the recovery bay. Your son is out. I felt relieved. He is still wearing the oxygen mask and breathed heavily.

Is he awake?
Not yet. Wait.
He coughed. He moved.
The heart beat stabilized. We can pull off the mask.
Do we have to wake him first?
No. Let him wake himself. He's already moving, so he's okay. We can send him back to his room. After 1st one hour, you can start giving him plain water, if he don't throw up then you can give him his milk, or maybe some milo.

He was in deep sleep and in every 15minutes interval, a nurse step in to check his condition. Exactly after one hour, I woke him up. He opened his eyes.

Ibu, badan Imran tak sedap.
Imran nak air?
He nodded.
Before he can take a sip, he vomitted.
He took a sip, then continue sleeping. After a while he vomitted again. Sleeping again.

At around noon, about 3 hours after the procedure, I prepare his milk and give it to him. He sucked. 2.5 ounces. I prepared in case he vomit again. 5, 10, 15 minutes past. No sign of another vomit. Good.

2pm. He asked for rice. Ate. Within half an hour he gained all the energy he needed. He's back to himself again. What an experience! And he is just 3 years old.