This Week I Was In Hospital. What Happened?

Photography: Mitchell Pettigrew
Headpiece: Flora Fascinata
Makeup: Marie Le

Earlier this week I self-admitted myself to the Emergency Room @ QEII Hospital.

For chest pain and dizziness.

I stupidly drove myself to the hospital - still having dizziness and couldn’t find a park even within 10 mins walking distance from the hospital.

And so I drove back home and caught and UBER in.

Thank God the ride from my place to the hospital wasn’t long.

Within an hour or so waiting in the Emergency room, I was called in by one of the nurses to do my blood pressure, temperature and Oxygen Saturation.

They gave me some Nurofen and asked if I was allergic to it and said no.

They did my ECG too.

They also took swabs off of me for COVID and Influenza A.

These swabs ended up negative.

I was then told to go back to the waiting room and wait.

I waited for about 2-3 hours or so until the doctor called me in to give temporarily a bed.

Luckily, my chest pain subsided and no more dizziness.

They put a cannula in me and drew out some blood out and put me on a drip.

Also a chest xray.

From the tests, there was no sign of chest infection or pneumonia - thank God.

I was diagnosed with a viral infection and this is my third day taking anti-biotics.

What a crazy week.

But you know what I learnt from this whole experience?

That I need to slow down.

I was made a redundant and had to leave my place in a span of 2 months or so.

But yes, I have a new job now.

But yes, I found a new home now.

But no - my health has suffered quietly in the midst of things and it’s because I couldn’t regulate my stress levels properly.

So ended up in hospital to get some ‘real me time’.