On Monday we left for the hospital very early to get ready for TJ’s CT scan. The procedures in China can be described as do-it-yourself (for lack of a better word). We have to (a) obtain a note from the doctor stating what tests need to be done (b) queue up at the counter to settle payment for the scan (c) make appointment with the CT scan ppl (d) go up and inform the nurses in the ward tt we’re taking him down for CT scan (e) find the movable bed to transport tj in (f) carry him to the bed, making sure that he’s covered nice and warm (g) move him to first floor via passenger lift (h) wheel the bed out into the open where it’s cold, across the road to the CT scan office (i) carry him onto the CT scanner (j) wait for the scan (k) reverse steps (i) – (f), (l) go downstairs to the CT lab to obtain the results (m) try to find tj’s doctor to get him to look at the scan results.
Sounds complicated? It actually is, so many steps that we all have to rush up and down, very confusing steps for a non-native, especially for us Singaporeans, spoilt by our excellent healthcare system.
But the radiologist’s prognosis is good! Basically the fluid in his chest cavity is mostly reabsorbed, his liver, spleen and kidneys are healing well. So that makes all the trouble worthwhile. Only thing was that we couldn’t get hold of his doctor cos he was busy in an operation, so we had to come early on Tuesday to try catch hold of him. After understanding the situation, he finally realized tt tj will be evacuated with a specialized medical team and probably in those medical-equipped planes, so he told us tt tj can be discharged as early as today.
The big BUT is that we’re still waiting for the head office/insurance company/evacuation company end to come up with a reply as to what they’re gonna to do. We had to wait till tonight ‘cos everyone in the west is on Xmas + Boxing day holiday. Pls lah, how can a 24 hr evacuation company not have doctors who can speak Chinese, and not have anybody standing by on a holiday? We have been emailing them more than a week ago reminding them of the upcoming holidays and telling them we DON’T wanna have to wait for them to slowly come around after he’s been discharged. Just want them to be more transparent abt things.
As of 9pm, the medical evacuation company just called tj up telling him their very very rough plans, involving buying him a first class ticket (fully reclined), complete with oxygen tank and medical personnel. Which sounds fine and dandy, but the flights at Xianyang airport are mostly domestic flights, which don’t have fully reclining first class seats. Well it might be possible to ambulance him to another city nearby, but it seems to me that Xi’an is already pretty well connected to everywhere else. Ambulance ride to Beijing will take at least 8 hrs (assuming no traffic jams) which is crazy cos tt’s longer than the airplane ride from Beijing to S’pore. Trust them to come up with the cheapest alternative. So now they’re gonna work thru today settling the logistics etc. Which pisses me off ‘cos we’ve been writing to get them to do something more than 1 week ago and they only start planning now? Gosh.
Hope for the best.
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