My Dad had symptoms of ischemic stroke that occurred for the first time 10 months ago. Two weeks ago, he felt weak and felt numb on his face. Mom and I decided to take him to the doctor the next day. Early morning, she knocked my bedroom door telling me my Dad's condition was worsening, so we took him to the ER. My Dad hates hospital, so when we told him that we were taking him to the ER and he did not reject it, it can only meant that it was worse than 10 months ago.
It was still dark when I drove my parents to the hospital, which is only 2 kilometers away from our house. He was soon treated by the doctor. His blood pressure was high, 180/90. While I waited for the papers, my Mom was always by his side. I couldn't hold my tears when waiting for the operator to refresh the registration system, so we could apply for the room and the CT scan. I barely hold my tears at the ER when I saw my father was in tears. I knew that he felt helpless when lying on the ER's bed. Seeing him feeling that way broke my heart.
My Dad has always been the one that will be there for us. He cried for several times knowing he was the one that would need help from others. My Mom and I tried to smile to comfort him, telling him that it's time for him to let others to help him and it's natural. Still, my parents did not want me to inform my brothers and sister that Dad was hospitalized. I only texted my uncle that we took my Dad to the ER when we were about the leave the house that morning. But, that morning my sister called, asking about my parents, and I could not lie.I told her not to tell my brothers, but she told my elder brother. Three of us promised to each other not to inform our younger brother since he just flew to Jogjakarta the night before for mission travel. I only informed him the following day.My father had never been treated at the hospital since 1991. So, it was rather a shock for his sisters and brothers and the family from his side when he was hospitalized this time.
My dad was hospitalized for 4 days, and he hated lying on the bed with the infusion needle. The doctor said that there was block on his artery impacting his left body. The doctor was kind of upset to my dad (and us) since my Dad never took medicines for his hypertension. Well.... of course the doctor did not know how my father is... and we didn't know either that my Dad has had hypertension. He used to have it very long time ago, but then he was always OK...
My Mom never left him alone. So, I was more like the courier for them: taking their clothes home, washing them and bringing the clean ones to the hospital, bringing my Mom's meal and water, picking the medicine... that sort of things... I and Mom spent 4 nights at the hospital, and we joked that it was a camping holiday. I took 3 day leave from the office. My parents did not allow my sister and my sister in law to come to Pangkalpinang yet. They even asked me not to tell anyone in the neighborhood that Dad was hospitalized. So, I tried my best to avoid meeting my neighbors. But, on the 3rd day, I had to sweep the falling leaves on the yard that already covering our front yard, and... my neighbors on the front house caught me sweeping and asking where my parents were, since they hadn't seen Mom and Dad for 3 days...and I could not lie.. My parents did not allow my nephew to visit him in the hospital either... especially with the Covid-19 outbreak, we tried not to let children to be at the hospital.
I was about to start my car to the hospital that Tuesday morning, after washing their clothes and prepared my Mom's meal when Mom called telling that the doctor allowed my Dad to go home that day. When I arrived there, my Dad was already dressed and sit on the chair. My Mom had finished packing "our camping stuffs". It was only like 15 minutes from the call until I arrive at the room! ( I looked for big bags to pack the camping stuffs first). The infusion needle was still inside my Dad's arm. I went to meet the nurse, and gave me the prescription I had to take to the drug room before leaving the hospital. There were many people waiting for the medicine, so the lady there asked me to return in 50 minutes to get the medicines. I came back after one hour to take the medicine, but there's vitamin for the nervous system that was not ready. The lady said she would call me if it was ready, and I left her my number. My Dad couldn't wait until the vitamin ready, so when the infusion liquid in the bottle was almost empty, she asked me to call the nurse to release the needle. Oh well... the vitamin could wait, and it was only 2 Km away from home... so... mid day, My Dad, and my Mom... was home...!
My sister came to Pangkalpinang last weekend with her youngest. My parents only allowed her to stay for 5 days since we were kind of afraid there would be lockdown regarding Covid-19.
I arrived home at 09.20 yesterday. My parents, sister and nephew were on the front porch and yard. The thread that there would be lockdown that may stop my sister and brother's family in bekasi for coming home for Ramadhan and Eid next May made my Mom and my sister cried when they said goodbye. I myself tried to hold my tears... Her present and my nephew's laughs at home were my comforts these days, and imagining if they couldn't go home in May because of Covid-19 make me sad.
I took my sister and my nephew to the airport after 2 stops: at the Date store for my sister wanted to buy dates and wild honey for my parents, and souvenir store to buy his husband's favorit snack: fried Siput Gung-Gung. The airport was rather quiet yesterday as people refrain to travel. I hold my sister when we said goodbye. We were kind of afraid if my nephew was not allowed to get into the plane since he was having flu. I waited at the airport until my sister texted me that they could enter the waiting room. My office is only 5 minute drive from the airport, so I told her if my nephew was not allowed to get in the plane, she should call me so I could pick them up at the airport. At 11.44, she sent the picture of my nephew on the plane to our family WAG. I feel relieved and sad at the sad time... there won't be the funny conversations before bed with my bed like we had for those 4 nights...
I hope the the outbreak ends very soon...
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