DEC 10 — I spent Friday night in the Emergency department.
No, I wasn’t having complications but a friend was.
I’d persuaded her to first see my GP nearby who prescribed her medication, monitored her for about 20 minutes and then wrote a referral for the hospital.
It was a large, fancy private hospital because it’s apparently the only place my friend’s work insurance covers and it was nothing like the chaotic frenzy I would see in hospital soap operas.
The waiting room was nearly empty, with more staff than patients but even then it took quite a while for my friend to be seen
A friend told me that there’s no difference these days, private or public when it comes to waiting, even private hospitals make you wait a long time but at least it’s on cushy chairs with free drinking water.
One of the patients had to have it explained to him that his insurance didn’t cover his particular situation and if there’s one thing that should be simple, it’s insurance.
We should have a national health insurance scheme that covers everyone instead of this over-reliance on private insurers.
One woman in the ED, when she heard her tests would cost at least RM800, said she would go to a public hospital instead.
This, despite her having medical insurance.
My friends are telling me they can’t get appointments earlier than February at public healthcare facilities.
So many people are turning to public healthcare now, perhaps due to the rising premiums and perhaps also because of the horror stories about insurers finding too many reasons not to honour their policies.
Just another day in public healthcare in Malaysia then, with doctors fleeing, patients increasing and the government suggesting we buy private insurance instead so we can go to private hospitals.
It’s all rather infuriating.
Every day my arms continue to vex me with how stiff they get but perhaps this is the Universe’s way to get me moving, because if I do not move I will become a human statue, only able to write my future columns with my eyes.
Last night after work I underestimated how tired I was mentally and almost burnt one of my stainless steel pots
So I gave up on cooking and ordered fried chicken.
No lectures on how “unhealthy” that is please, I’d had congee for dinner for three nights straight and steamed vegetables every day, so let me have my crispy skin and fatty meat.
I’ve tried giving DeepSeek a chance (to help me with a meal and exercise plan) and because it uses less power/water (for now) but when it told me to again eat congee when I wanted Indomie, I think asking some code to make your decisions for you is not a step up, evolution-wise.
Next week I’m back at the hospital for more quality time with an IV.
I think all the pain and tribulations haven’t hardened me.
Quite the opposite; I’ve learned to sit with my ego, understand its fragility, and put aside any notion of pride, dignity or false modesty.
There is no place for shame in a chronically ill person’s world.
I think of the vines in my backyard, my flourishing gardenia bush and how no matter how I prune them, they keep growing and grasping for the sun.
So I too will seek the light, even if I burn a pot or two on the way, and I will not ask a machine if I should have Indomie today.
Being human is a gift and I hope as a society we remember that before we devolve into organic sludge, existing only to power data centres.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
