+ Life | Afternoon Mom

Promised to fetch her and Dad at 1:00pm. I was fortunately I was on time.

We reached SGH's SNEC or Singapore National Eye Centre half-an-hour early as the appointment time was at 1:4pm.

At Subsidised Clinic 1, our queue number was 0308. The last number displayed was 0288. Within 10 minutes, we got her name registered and then the trail of wheeling in and out of Mom from room to the next started with a new queue number 1682 ...

Stop#1 Room 16 Eye Screening.

• Directed to the waiting area and waited for about 5 minutes.
• Both her eyes were checked and tested by a nurse about 10 minutes.

Stop#2 Room 18 Eye Specialist.

• Directed to wait at the same waiting area for next routine.
• The attending Staff Nurse dropped a dilating eye drops to both her eyes.
• She had to wait for 10 minutes to let the eyes get dilated before the doctor saw her.
• Once in, a series of medical history and allergies were asked by the doctor.
• 10 minutes and a further eye examination by the doctor, she was asked to go for a thorough eye scan with an Eye-Scan Specialist.

Stop#3 Room 20 Eye Scanning.

• While waiting, the another round of drops were administered by the Staff Nurse.
• A green "BE" round sticker was pasted on Mom's blouse for monitoring before she entered.
• 10 minutes again to wait for the eyes to get dilated while the Staff Nurse kept checking her eyes prediodically.
• She then felt really glaring and had to wear dark glasses she brought from home.
• Finally wheelled her into the room where the Eye-Scan Specialist then asked a few more questions on her medications, etc.
• I get to witness a technological advancement when the doctor used an E-Z Scan AB5500 for the whole of the session.
• An eye drop on both eyes again and then an Infrared pen on the left of the equipment was used to point, touching her eyeballs while he took numerous readings of the back of the eye from all angles of the cornea. The results printed on a series of thermal printouts.
• Then he did an ultra-sound of the eyeball using another blunt pen on the right, from the top of the eye socket, with her eyes closed. Another series of printouts. The whole procedure was over after less then 15 minutes.
• Must have been a wonderful tool to a doctor.

Stop#4 Room 18 Eye Specialist.

• This time the attending Staff Nurse did another drop on her right eye which actually had a burning sensation.
• She had to wear her dark glasses to keep off the glare.
• We had to wait almost 20 minutes before we get to see the Eye Specialist again for follow-up with the scanning results.
• She is confirmed suitable for Cataract surgery.

Step#5 Room 19 Eye Surgent

• In less than 5 minutes, she was in with the Lady Eye Surgent.
• With her advanced cataracts, she had to have the surgery done latest by this week.
• Else there may be complications if the lens were to burst.
• She had to be put as an urgent case.

Stop#6 Room 29 Surgery Administration

• A 10 minutes wait in from of the planning room to get the day surgery date fixed and surgery payment papers settled.
• Unformtunately the latest slot available was only in mid March.
• I highlighted the urgency mentioned and we had to see another Eye Surgent to confirm and perform it as he was available this Friday.

Stop#7 Room 21 Eye Surgent

• Less than a minute, Mom was checked by a young Dr. Markus Lim.
• It took him less than a minute to confirm that Mom needs urgent surgery and he was going to do it.

Stop#8 Room 29 Surgery Administration

• Back to the admin officer and she scheduled us for Friday, 10 February 2006 at 12:30pm
• Signed a few Medishield papers as Dad was going to pay for Mom's surgery through his medishield account. I being the witness.
• It is costing S$888.00 deductable all from Dad's Medishield account. No cash required.

Stop#9 Room 23 Health Screening

• And with that... off we went to have Mom's urine and blood sampled and her blood pressure checked.
• Her blood pressure was unfortunately high, she must have been very nervous.
• Another nurse had to recheck to confirm.
• Yes, it was over 200!
• Another Doctor had to come to give a final confirmation of her condition.
• She was asked to get her Woodlands Polyclinic doctor tomorrow afternoon to reassess her blood pressure medicine dosage to be able to be within control it before she can have the operation.

Stop#10 Counter 5

• Finally, we get to leave the place once we made payments.
• It cost S$92.00 for all the checks and specialist.
• Thank goodness its affordable. Kudos to the government for taking care of the people.

Stop#11 Pharmacy

• Last stop, was to the pharmacy to collect her eye drop medication for the operation.
• 10 minutes wait and we got her eye drop and instruction to follow a day before and the morning before the surgery.
• The drops costed S$6.80 paid in cash.

DONE! Now early dinner before I sent them back to their home.

We headed to SGH Food Court to have my Mee Baksoh while Mom and Dad had Nasi Padang. All dishes of Indonesian origin.

Wow! What a full day, but all worth the time off work.

Do not worry Mom, everything is going to be alright. Sincerely.