Flash Back 2001

Tonight, I just came from work at Albert Heijn* (Dutch Supermarket) as a cashier. Tired, but I am actually really into my work, finishing my website, but I said to myself, no,.. Nia, it’s weekend, you’d get fade up with your work by the end of this month if you don’t even give time out for yourself. Thus, I decided to lie down in my roommate’s bed, typing something for my blog.

Then, I realized a big thing that I’ve never shared to others yet, a big secret. For you that have known me since in the high school, you could probably remember some days when I was absent from school; I was 10 days off from school. For others, it was in my last grade of high school. I will share to you what had happened on those days.

September 2001
I was so busy. I couldn’t even breathe. I’d a lot of homework and exams, not mention extra courses that I followed. Now, I still have to go to my mathematic lesson. I am so tired.
(I felt something in my stomach)
Oh no, it’s my gastroenteritis. I always have problems with my stomach. If I am too tired, or eat something inappropriate, I would get those symptoms: stomachache, air in my stomach and also noisy in it. Strange!
I just ignore it now! I don’t care. I am a little bit late for my mathematic lesson.

(The week after, in the evening, just came out from the toilet)
No way! I got diarrhea. My gastroenteritis hasn’t been over, now another stomach virus comes to my life. I hate that! I think I will drink some Chinese pills to stop my diarrhea. It’s not bad, but still, annoying! Hm,.. tomorrow I will avoid eating something spicy.

(Next day, early in the morning, awakened by terrible stomachache)
Oh,.. it’s really painful! I can’t stand it anymore. I really need to go to the toilet.
(Thus, I went to toilet, but nothing happened but pain that was getting worse. It was just a strange pain that I’d never felt before. I wasn’t in my period, but it was similar pain, even worse.)
“Mom, I have stomachache. It’s really hurt! It’s not like a normal stomachache I have!” I cried to my mom because it was so painful.
My mom told me to take a rest, to sleep in her bed. She took some medicines and a hot water bottle to redeem my pain; she also rubbed some Chinese oil. Thanks mom!
I felt better, but still, something weird happened in my stomach.

I didn’t go to school that day. I woke up a bit late in the morning, and my mom suggested me to go to the hospital to check what actually happened with me.
(In Indonesia, people can’t go to the doctor in the morning. Doctors open normally in the evening. Thus, if people need medical aid in the morning, they normally go to policlinic or hospital.)

(I went to a hospital, quite far from my house.)
At that hospital, a female doctor check out what wrong with me was. Suddenly she just comes up with an idea that it was my gastroenteritis that got worse. She then gives me an injection to redeem my pain and some pills to be taken home.
Okay,.. I am quite relieved. Thus, I am fine!

I go home and sleep, again.

(Late in the afternoon)
I woke up. Oh thanks God, I am okay! Although I still feel something in my stomach, but it is better. I went to a dining room to eat.
Afterwards,..
It was the worst.
I feel terribly pain, again in my stomach.
Even worse than what I felt in the morning.
I can’t even walk. I crawl to call my mom.
She comes, shock with my condition.
She lifts me up and rapidly brings me to the hospital.

In the car, I lie down in backseats, not even think of anything only pain in my stomach
Lord, what happen with me?

Shortly, one doctor after another come to investigate what I have. If I could be unconscious in that moment, I would! It is so painful, not only my stomachache, but also dodgy investigation that they do.
Finally, a smart-look doctor comes up with his investigation.
“Your daughter has appendicitis. She has to be in a surgical procedure tonight.”
My mom is surprised, and me too.
But, finally we are quite relieve because we already know my sickness.
The doctor adds, “She needs to be x-rayed first before she would be in a surgery.”

Some nurses bring me to the second floor of the hospital.
Honestly, I am really excited with this surgical procedure. It seems like a movie, you know. In the movie you’ll see a cancer patient, brought to a chemo room or operation room. Cool!

(in the x-ray section)
Wow! It’s a cool machine. I feel exactly like in a movie. All the machines are like in the movie. You know, like when a woman, investigated in this kind of room, and in the end the doctor would figure out that the woman has cancer. Cool!
(I was being investigated, x-rayed, really long)

(I came out from that room, and saw my mom waiting outside the room)
My mom raises a question to the nurse, “Nurse, what time will my daughter will be operated?”
“Hm, actually 8 o’clock in the evening, but now, we have to ask the doctor, because she actually doesn’t have appendicitis” answers the nurse.
My mom confused, “What? So what does she actually have? What happened in the x-ray room?”
The nurse worriedly answered, “She has tumors in her ovary.”

The world seems not moving. I see my mom. My mom stares at me. No one moves; no one talks.

(to be continued)