This post is just to express (briefly) in writing how grateful I am for my second life. I've had a near-death encounter last month, and guess what, it is related with the first one.
So last month, I had abdominal pain which I thought was just gastritis that comes from time to time. That morning of May 7, I had that weird feeling in my tummy but I managed to come to work. By lunchtime however I could no longer eat and despite the meds the pain didn't go away. It went on until the next day even if I visited the hospital for relief the day before and I didn't stop throwing up. That was when I knew something was really wrong because I don't throw up because of gastritis.
It turned out I had intestinal adhesions. So what are these? When you've had a previous major abdominal surgery, you're in a great risk. Mine was ruptured appendicitis. WebMD says that adhesions are "bands of scar tissue that binds two parts of your tissue together when they should have remained separated."
In my case, my intestines tangled because of that previous surgery. It's an inevitable thing because I had a major operation before....and it will be like that for the rest of my life because I underwent surgery again. Last May 12, I had that surgery to untangle the kink!!! Well it wasn't that easy. Before the surgery, they put a tube on my nose for three days to let the bile pass out so I would stop throwing out. It's an SOP because it's way for relief and supposed to be a non-invasive treatment. But of course my luck is different that I needed surgery again. But that-- a tube on one side of your nose-- was just the grossest thing and the loneliest thing ever.
It was such a depressing time to be sick that I don't want to go through again. I am happy to be alive-- and yes, I was praying the whole time. I stayed in the hospital for nine days, and I wasn't allowed to eat on most days. This challenge was definitely harder than the first.
I am grateful for my friends and family. Recovery was faster than the first time maybe because I've been through it before and I know what kind of pain to anticipate. I am trying to take greater care of myself. God is good. Thank you Lord, the best and the greatest.
