Flight of the Keloids
6 January 2005
Less than a week into the new year and I was in for surgery, to remove two keloids that was clinging to my earlobes.
Keloids, if you don't know, are excessive healing due to scarring or wounding of the skin which results in a round, hard "ball"-like flesh. The doctor said it may be due to genetics, though none of my kin had any similar occurance. For me, I had pierced my ears during my rebellious mid-teen years and unfortunately, my skin had took it rather badly and all I got was the two meat-balls on my as battle trophy.
Anyway, so I didn't eat or drink anything in preparation for my surgical procedure, a move which left me easily irritated and numb the whole morning. And after school, I "MRTed" to Singapore General Hospital Ampulatory Surgery Centre where my delicate excision was going to be carried out.
There, I was given a plastic name tag on my wrist, and was made to lose my clothes, including my boxers and made to wear a blue robe and another kimono, also a paper umm... showering cap! Not to mention a paper underwear, which was packed in this plastic bag like a tampon or something. I accepted it as standard medical procedure for surgery, however I was pondering if the nurses and doctors in the operating rooms have to wear that too, especially if for the whole day. rofl...
Anyway, I was quickly escorted to the operating room and soon, I saw a teenager coming out. Later I learnt that he had a tattoo laser-surgically removed from his shoulderblade. Ouch! I think that must have hurt. Little did I realise my situation isn't gonna be any much easier. A rather chatty and friendly nurse wearing mask ushered me to the operating table, which looks rather like a large ironing board. The operating surgeon was Dr Leo, a friendly, young doctor had seen me 3weeks earlier for the keloid problem.
The operation started just before 3pm, and They shaded my eyes with a wet piece of cloth and applied some alcohol all over my ear and face. Then, came the injections, two of them. They were definately the most painful part of the operation. I am usually okay with injections, but am not too sure why this time, they were so painful I had to dig my nails into my fingers to distract myself from the pain.
The rest of the operation was quite smooth as I can't feel a thing. The nurse chatted with me and the doctor as the operation went on. She talked about her two sons, one of them taking his "o"-level exams this year, the other awaiting his results, as well as her sister's sons, who have both graduated as doctors. Her sister had migrated to Australia for a long time (to Adelaide), and her children had grew up there. Now, her sons, all grownup, had both got hitched. The eldest to a Scottish "ang moh" woman and the younger one to a Japanese. The nurse told me that her sister was upset that she's like not getting any heirs. hmmm... In my point of view, I guess growing up in cosmopolitan Australia, one can't blame the sons for choosing to wed someone outside their race. The environment brought them up that way.
Anyway, my operation ended rather quickly and I was soon guided out by another friendly nurse who informed me that things are rather busy today as they are short of one staff. I then changed out of the kimono and paper underwear and changed into my clothes, thereafter, I waited for further instructions.
When the instructions were given, by a senior nurse who's a China national who spoke rather good but heavily accented English, I went to get my medication and left. Feeling very much like myself, sans the keloids and the weird paper undergarment.
Here's a rather sick pic of my dressing, after the good riddance of the keloids. Byebye Keloids!
Less than a week into the new year and I was in for surgery, to remove two keloids that was clinging to my earlobes.
Keloids, if you don't know, are excessive healing due to scarring or wounding of the skin which results in a round, hard "ball"-like flesh. The doctor said it may be due to genetics, though none of my kin had any similar occurance. For me, I had pierced my ears during my rebellious mid-teen years and unfortunately, my skin had took it rather badly and all I got was the two meat-balls on my as battle trophy.
Anyway, so I didn't eat or drink anything in preparation for my surgical procedure, a move which left me easily irritated and numb the whole morning. And after school, I "MRTed" to Singapore General Hospital Ampulatory Surgery Centre where my delicate excision was going to be carried out.
There, I was given a plastic name tag on my wrist, and was made to lose my clothes, including my boxers and made to wear a blue robe and another kimono, also a paper umm... showering cap! Not to mention a paper underwear, which was packed in this plastic bag like a tampon or something. I accepted it as standard medical procedure for surgery, however I was pondering if the nurses and doctors in the operating rooms have to wear that too, especially if for the whole day. rofl...
Anyway, I was quickly escorted to the operating room and soon, I saw a teenager coming out. Later I learnt that he had a tattoo laser-surgically removed from his shoulderblade. Ouch! I think that must have hurt. Little did I realise my situation isn't gonna be any much easier. A rather chatty and friendly nurse wearing mask ushered me to the operating table, which looks rather like a large ironing board. The operating surgeon was Dr Leo, a friendly, young doctor had seen me 3weeks earlier for the keloid problem.
The operation started just before 3pm, and They shaded my eyes with a wet piece of cloth and applied some alcohol all over my ear and face. Then, came the injections, two of them. They were definately the most painful part of the operation. I am usually okay with injections, but am not too sure why this time, they were so painful I had to dig my nails into my fingers to distract myself from the pain.
The rest of the operation was quite smooth as I can't feel a thing. The nurse chatted with me and the doctor as the operation went on. She talked about her two sons, one of them taking his "o"-level exams this year, the other awaiting his results, as well as her sister's sons, who have both graduated as doctors. Her sister had migrated to Australia for a long time (to Adelaide), and her children had grew up there. Now, her sons, all grownup, had both got hitched. The eldest to a Scottish "ang moh" woman and the younger one to a Japanese. The nurse told me that her sister was upset that she's like not getting any heirs. hmmm... In my point of view, I guess growing up in cosmopolitan Australia, one can't blame the sons for choosing to wed someone outside their race. The environment brought them up that way.
Anyway, my operation ended rather quickly and I was soon guided out by another friendly nurse who informed me that things are rather busy today as they are short of one staff. I then changed out of the kimono and paper underwear and changed into my clothes, thereafter, I waited for further instructions.
When the instructions were given, by a senior nurse who's a China national who spoke rather good but heavily accented English, I went to get my medication and left. Feeling very much like myself, sans the keloids and the weird paper undergarment.
Here's a rather sick pic of my dressing, after the good riddance of the keloids. Byebye Keloids!
posted by SkyCruiser at
5:45 PM
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