Chapter 2: 8 Million For Nothing

The name of the hospital is Rumah Sakit Harum (Harum Hospital), located in Kalimalang, East Jakarta.

My first encounter with hospital.

Entering the Emergency Unit almost midnight, the doctor there first diagnosed me with obstruction which then changed it into gastric pain.

I could not think, I was only craving for anything that could ease the pain. Before I knew it, I was put into a ward.

It was a 3rd class room, a pretty ugly room I must say. My parents wanted to transfer me into a 2nd class room, but the hospital said it was full. Left with no option but staying in that ugly room or moving into 1st class room, my parents decided to take the second option. My husband agreed.

It all turned out that taking me to that hospital was a huge mistake. Not only the price was unbelievably high (yeah coz I had no option for a decent room other than to be put into the 1st class), none of the doctors there ever found out my disease, while I was kept given medication after medication.

The lab tests I took were odd. First day, blood test. Second day, USG. Third day, X-ray. Hey... why didn't they perform all at the same day so they could find out a clue faster? Yet, after a barium X-ray, I was diagnosed with appendicitis.

We began to question and discuss all of these between us.

After a strange "urge" for appendicitis surgery, but mainly a shocking bill, I insisted to go home.

I told the doctor that I felt better, that I could defecate a little... a total lie... so that he would stop giving me medicine and let me go home.

And I went home after throwing away 8 million rupiahs (apprx. US$ 800... considerably quite huge amount of money for room and medication only) for 5 days.

8 Million for nothing.

Yet, I still didn't know what was going on with my body, and the pain remained.

to be continued...