Random Thoughts by Pauline

January 2018

 Last Christmas

I had never imagined that I would be left home alone for Christmas! Oh, yes, there was Mimi, the 11-year old Pekingese I adopted a year ago.

I was discharged on December 22, winter solstice, just in time for the traditional festive dinner with family. The doctor instructed me to wear that hard gear for a month so that the fracture in the knee joint could recuperate. But Hong Kong Women Teachers’ Organization had planned an exchange tour of 40 teachers to Chengdu from December 23 to 26 with me as the group leader. I could but forfeit the paid tickets. The Vice-chairperson and the Consultant had to take up the leaders’ role. 

To make my fate even worse, I had earlier allowed my helper to take extra days off since her mother was in town. That would mean from December 23 to 26, the situation was me, an old woman and Mimi, an old dog sitting in front of the television watching whatever programmes we were fed with. I began to contemplate how I was to spend the Christmas night.

At about 6pm on 24th, came Teresa, my youngest sister with her basket full of goodies – salmon sushi, pizza, pasta and even the Christmas cake from my favourite cake shop. That was a very pleasant surprise because she has a phobia of dogs and Mimi has a phobia of strangers. I could not imagine the two of them spending a quiet silent night together in the same room. But that evening, except for the initial few barks, Mimi settled down very quickly. Teresa could sit comfortably without fidgeting or worrying that Mimi would bark.  

Miracles do happen. After all it was Christmas! 

Random Thoughts by Pauline

January 2018

The treatment

Mandy and Ken kept me company until I was admitted. Their drowsy eyes told me they were very tired. They even brought my helper from home to get me a change of clothes. I felt so indebted.

My knee was x-rayed right after. Luckily, no bones were broken or dislocated but the kneecap was very swollen. I had to wait till morning to be examined by the orthopedist. At about 11, I was wheeled to the room of Dr. Chang, the Resident Consultant in Orthopaedics and Traumatology. He suggested magnetic resonance imaging of the injury to evaluate the situation of the ligaments and cartilage within the knee joint.

That took place after another hour. Later in the afternoon, Dr. Chang showed me the images taken earlier. Fortunately, there was only a slight bone fracture but the joint was surrounded by fluid causing the swelling and the pain. He suggested arthrocentesis or using a syringe to draw out the fluid so as to reduce the swelling and therefore, the pain. However, l had to endure twinges during the process. Arthrocentesis was a treatment I had never heard of but I did not think I had a choice. So I agreed.

With the needle inserted and the doctor’s hands pressing hard on the swelling, three syringes of dark red blood were drawn. To distract me from the pain, Dr. Chang joked with me saying that the process was like milking a cow. And I replied saying that too bad, the blood was not good enough for donation. Here was one good doctor with a heart!

I was discharged the next day, 22^nd of December, winter solstice, carrying a heavy knee brace to actually immobilize the right knee joint for it to heal itself! But home is on the third floor of a building with no lift!

Random Thoughts by Pauline

January 2018

 The accident

In the late afternoon of 20th, Friday, I was careless and missed the last step as I walked down the staircase after a meeting at The University of Hong Kong. My 120-pound plus weight landed on my right knee. My friend Mandy, who was with me, though petrified could still say that I should go to the clinic nearby immediately. I gestured that I would have to sit there for a few minutes before I could stand up. It must have been an awful sight.

Two other events had been lined up for the rest of the day. I limped to the two meeting places and managed to present myself properly. But by 10:30, the pain crept in and I could hardly move my foot without moaning. The injury had to be taken care of. Ken, Mandy’s husband who had arrived to take her home drove me to the emergency ward of the Baptist Hospital. By then, the slightest movement of the inflamed right knee would bring chronic pain enough to make me scream. It was already 11 at night.

I was the 15^th patient waiting to be attended to by the one doctor. If each would take up 10 minutes, my turn would be past midnight. As expected, the doctor examined me at 1:00. He insisted that I would first be x-rayed and then hospitalized. Might as well because there was no way I could walk up to our apartment on the third floor of an old block with no lift service!