Monday 29 September 2014

PH Goes to Hospital


Dear friends, readers and fellow bloggers, if you are wondering why I have been silent, not replying to your comments and not dropping by your blogs, it is because I was hospitalized due to dengue fever.


My life was transformed into a living hell by a few pesky Aedes mosquitoes. It started off with high fever one evening which left me feeling drained. After dinner I did not even have the strength to take a shower and I went straight to bed. The next morning, I was a lot worse. I woke up with high fever, a throbbing headache and I could hardly summon the strength to get up. After dragging myself up to the bathroom, I flopped down in bed again and laid there till late morning. 

When my condition did not improve, I suspected that I had dengue and went for a blood test the next day. Within a few hours, it was confirmed. To cut the long story short, I had to be admitted. I was very apprehensive, not knowing what to expect as I have never been hospitalized before. But I knew there was going to be a whole lot of poking to draw blood. Yikes!!



What you see up there is the drip stand which was to become my Siamese Twin for the next few nights. I used to watch medical dramas on TV and always find it amusing to see patients dragging their drip stand with them. It's no laughing matter I tell ya. Plugging and unplugging and dragging my twin with me to the bathroom was quite a chore. Besides, I had to retain my pee in a cardboard bedpan so that the nurses could monitor my fluid output. It was a very tricky maneuver and very troublesome as this Madam pees a lot!



Ah, hospital food! I have heard a lot of jokes and jibes about hospital food and there you have it, my breakfast. Fried rice. It was not bad actually except that the portion size was a bit too small for me. I need 3 portions of that to be full. So I had to supplement with bananas.


My snack of choice at the hospital.

There were hits and misses as far as the food was concerned. The dinner you see below was inedible. I could only take the watercress soup (empty bowl). In the other bowl was fish in a soup with celery, carrots and ginger. I am sorry it tasted awful.



I had to send an SOS to my partner to buy me "chap fan". This was what he got me (snapped halfway through my meal) - rice, braised pigs ears, chicken curry, taukwa, brinjal and ladies fingers. I told you I am a big eater.


This is what I call food!

The best part of my hospital meals? The dessert. Though not exceptional, it was lots better that the main course. Look at this. Creme caramel.





The highlight of the morning is ticking off the menu during breakfast to select my meals for the next day.



Don't get excited about the chicken dishes because they are made from skinless, boneless (and tasteless) chicken thighs. The meat is tough and has a certain smell. I couldn't finish this piece of ginger chicken.



It brought me back to my days in the science lab. That piece of chicken reminded me of meat that has been preserved in formaldehyde. Ughs!!

A few days into my stay, I developed what is known as the dengue recovery rash. I was as red as a cooked lobster. And it was very itchy. But I took care not to scratch and I was given some medication for that.




Another thing that happened was my hand became swollen. See how pudgy my fingers became. It was really difficult to get any decent sleep at the hospital because the nursing team comes to my room every 4 hours to monitor my temperature and blood pressure. I get woken up at 2:00am and if I have fever, another nurse will come by 30-35 minutes later with my meds. So you see, no sooner had I fallen asleep, I would be woken up again. But the nurses are only doing their job and I commend them for their dedication.


My hand became swollen and it did feel very tight and bloated. The swelling has since subsided.

I was taken off the drip and the needle was removed two days before I was discharged. I can't tell you how happy I was to be free from my Siamese Twin!

As of today, I am back home and on the road to recovery. I am still very weak and have been sleeping a lot. I will slowly make my rounds to your blogs to catch up on what I have missed so far. Meantime, I am hoping to bounce back and start wielding my whisk and spatula again real soon! See ya!

124 comments:

  1. I had dengue a couple of months back too, so I know how u feel! Hope u feel better soon - papaya leaf and crab soup is said to be able to bring up your platelet count. :)

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    1. You too, Yen? Oh yeah, I had the papaya leaf juice. Vilest and foulest thing I have ever drunk in my whole life! I won't mind the crab soup though :)

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  2. May God bless you with a speedy recovery! Take care

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  3. Oh dear, Phong Hong, I hope you are well already by now.. First thing is I see the IV in your first picture.. Thought of G and his high fever.. I heard all the wards are full with dengue cases.. I know how it feels to be hospitalized, although I've never been hospitalized.. But G was, remember? I had to be there with him all the time, and it feels like I'm in hell, really, with noone to turn to (my husband needs to work and nobody, not even my mum will come here and stick with G for the whole day, stick around for a few hours can la).. Hope you are feeling better now :)

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    1. Hi Louiz! I am feeling better, thanks! But still tired and my brain still feels foggy. Oh yes, I remember G's ordeal and to imagine a tiny little kid having to go through hospital stay is really sad. Anyway both you and G survived and so did I. I hope to get better in the days to come.

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  4. Oh dear PH.... I doakan u moga cepat sihat yer.... my daughter & husband pun pernah warded sebabkan denggi... sakit semua sendi katanya... rehat secukupnya dear...

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    1. Terima kasih, MaDiHaA! Seksa lah kena denggi. Sekarang ni pun macam masih letih dan lesu. Saya akan cuba rehat dan mudah-mudahan cepat pulih.

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  5. Oh dear Phong Hong, glad that you're recovering. Please take care and rest well. Be good girl to take those prescribed medicines, ok! Then you have all the energy to bounce back and 'whack! whack!' & sharing of all your yummy good food with us. Wish you speedy recovery !

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    1. Hi Karen! Thank you for your encouraging words especially the "whack! whack!" LOL! I really like that!

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  6. Hi Phong Hong, This is really no joke. I used to have a bottle of anti-insect spray in my bag especially I want to go to gardens and crowded places .... just in case ...
    Have a good rest and I'm sure you'll be up and strong as a Wonder Woman :)

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    1. Thank you, Ann! I should arm myself with anti-insect spray too. Mustn't take the risk of a second attack!

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  7. Hi Phong Hong
    Im sorry to hear you have dengue. Since you are back home now recuperating, do drink lots of fresh juices to bring back your energy and strength. Take care and rest well.

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    1. Thank you, Mel! I will be sure to keep my fluids up and to rest :)

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  8. Morning Phong Hong, i was thinking about you...

    Take care and rest well...

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  9. Hello my dear Phong Hong,

    Sorry to hear that you had dengue. Hope you are fully recovered. Hmm after reading your entry, I feel like spraying the whole house right now. I hope we don't have to experience whatever you've experienced. It sounded horrible!

    I was admitted to a hospital twice, besides the two times when delivering our babies. But I had a good time there. Hahaha... The food was okay and I think, why I liked being hospitalized THAT time was because, I need a 'vacation' and it came at the right time. So that really makes a difference maybe.

    Anyway, here's wishing you a speedy recovery and take care my friend.

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    1. Hello, MamaFaMi! Thank you for you kind words. I am still recovering, feeling tired and hazy. Don't ever get dengue, it is horrible! Spray the house and protect yourself and your family.

      I laughed when you said you had a good time at the hospital hah..hah... I needed a break too from my job but not like this lah hah..hah... Anyway, thank God that I am on the road to full recovery.

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  10. Have a good rest .... take care. Hope you can recover soon. Good Day!

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    1. Thank you, Joceline! I hope to recover soon :)

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  11. Oh your poor thing!!! I was wondering why I did not see you around for so many days - kept clicking your blog to see if you had any updates.

    I hope you are all right now. Did you take papaya leaves? They say it will cure dengue fever instantly, dunno true or not. Take care. Kill all 'em moskies!!!

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    1. Thank you, Arthur! I am feeling a lot better though still lethargic. Oh, I did drink the papaya leaf juice. Gaarhkk!!! It was awful! But since it is a remedy, I took it for 3 days straight. It probably helped. I'll be more careful with mosquitoes from now on.

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  12. Hi Phong Hong, sorry to hear that you had dengue. With the drip and poking, it really no fun. Plus on top of the hospital food are cater for the sick, obviously it's tasteless and less flavor. I know how you feel.

    Anyway wishing you speedy recovery, get well soon. Take care.
    Regards
    Amelia

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    1. Thank you, Amelia! Now I feel like I want to eat so many things after the lousy food hah..hah... But I know I must take it slow....

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  13. Oh my dear Phong Hong, i hope you have a speedy recovery. This reminded me that last 2 years my hubby also admitted hospital because of dengue. I still remember i keep looking for papaya leaves and blend the juices for him. Finally his platelet count started to increase and can be discharged. Oh..very scary experience to me. Take care my friend.

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    1. Hi Esther! Thank you! I had the papaya leaves juice too. And hope never to have to drink it again hah..hah...

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  14. Hope you get better soon. I got the Chikungunya virus when I went home a few years ago. It is very similar to dengue. It attack all the bones and joints. Man, it was so painful. It took me over 6 months to fully recover. Do take care.

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    1. Thank you, Gertrude! Goodness, 6 months to recover! When my doctor told me that I have another 2-4 weeks of recovery I almost fainted LOL!

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    2. The achy joints just refused to go away. I walk like old lady for months especially up and down the stairs :(

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  15. gosh! hope you have a speedy recovery...however, have to say that you r still as humorous as ever:)
    octopusmum

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  16. hi Phong Hong, Sorry to hear you have been unwell. It's good to think that despite the situation, food was never too far away from your mind! Here's wishing you speedy recovery.

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    1. Thank you for you kind wishes! Well, knowing me, food is always on my mind hah..hah...

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  17. What a terrible thing to happen - pesky mozzies! Hope you feel your normal self soon. Best wishes from Carole's Chatter

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  18. Ouch...sorry to hear that you have been hospitalise. Speedy recovery to you. Ahem ...try papaya leaves . heard it works

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    1. Thank you, Meow! I had the papaya leaves. Yucks! But no crab soup LOL!

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  19. No wonder you were quiet!

    Poor thing.

    Speedy recovery!

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  20. Oh dear Phong Hong, too bad you have to be hospitalized. No one likes to be warded and glad that you are already discharged. Thanks God you are recovering well.
    Do take care dear, have lots of rest and wishing you speedy recovery :)

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    1. Thank you, Ivy! I am hoping to get well soon. No fun being sick :(

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  21. Hello Phong Hong,

    Do rest well at home and full recovery soon! Good that you suspect it is dengue very quickly and got the dedicated care in the hospital. Take good care!

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    1. Thank you, Mun! I'm glad to be out of the hospital :)

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  22. Hi PH, wishing you speedy recovery and looking forward to see your cooking/baking again. Take care!

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    1. Thank you, Veronica! I can't wait to start cooking and baking again!

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  23. Glad to know you are home now, speedy recovery for you and take care.

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    1. Thank you, DG! Appreciate you coming by :)

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  24. Hi phong hong, sorry to hear that u were hospitalized but glad to know that u have recovered from dengue fever. I frequently visit yr blog n tried some of yr recipes n they were very good. Thanks for sharing. Hope that u have a speedy recovery n back in action. Look fwd to more yummy recipes from u :). Take care.
    Madeline

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    1. Thank you, Madeline! It gladdens my heart to know that you have tried my recipes :)

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  25. Oh Dear!! Speedy recovery to you, PH!! My regret is putting up the Bugslock a bit too late.. if not, you would have purchased a few and wore them so that the mozzies will stay away from you! Anyway, good to hear you are back to your usual humour self.. I really was wondering what siamese twin you meant.. hahahaha.. so you are back to your usual self, humoring us with jokes! And the food.. wow..you can even tick your own menu.. not bad leh... on the positive side, I am sure you have lose some weight here, right? : Anyway, take care... and do keep us updated!

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    1. Thank you, Claire! Eh, lose weight? hmmm.... LOL!

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  26. Take good care of yourself and glad you are recovering. Yes, it will definitely makes you weak but I am sure you will regained back your strength very fast in days to come.

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  27. Hope you are feeling better soon.....up there is trying to tell u to take a breather!

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    1. Thank you, cuz! I prefer taking a breather in other ways :D

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  28. Those tiny fellas can really cause us big human beings so much suffering eh! Good to know you are now rrecovering, PH. Take care ya, dont over exert yourself.

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    1. Thank you, Esther! I'll be sure to get plenty of rest!

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  29. Hi Phong Hong,
    Oh dear, I did thought about you, am wondering whether are you on vacation. Sorry to hear about your dengue fever. Glad to know that you are now on the road to recovery. I know how it is in the hospital, there's really no rest at all. My son was admitted for dengue fever almost two years ago, and I stayed with him in the hospital during his four days stay there. You are right about the nurses come and go (especially when one is sleeping!), and they are only doing their job. Now that the worse is over and you are back home, take care of yourself, drink lots of fruit juices. Rest more! Your whisk and spatula can wait until you have completely regained your strength. Take care, PH!

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    1. Hi Joyce! Thank you! The worst of over now though I am still feeling weak and tired. The doctor told me that I it will take a few weeks to fully recover. Yikes! But it is what it is and I will try to get plenty of rest.

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  30. Oh dear Phong Hong, hope you're well now. Don't worried the dengue fever will be over in 7 days. The fever will normally goes up then down then up again. Same as the blood pressure, will stay very low on the first 6 days then slowly going back to normal again after that. NuSkin G3 will helps other than crab soup, 100plus, bittergourd juice, etc.
    Best wishes, Kristy

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    1. Hi Kristy! Thank you for your well wishes! It has been more than a week now and I am slowly recovering. I will keep up with my nutrition and get lots of rest!

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  31. Alamak, I was wondering where have you been. Seems like pretty serious case to me. Hope you get well soon!
    By the way, which hospital? I thought the food in private hospitals nowadays are more edible. Need to avoid those that do not catch up with times.

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    1. Thank you! I'm on the slow road to recovery. The food was OK on certain days. I really liked the spicy fish I had for my first lunch there. I guess I wasn't there for the food hee..hee...

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  32. awwww, no wonder Phong Hong was missing from the blogsphere for the past week.. we almost wanted to go and lodge a police report if we are not seeing any updates from you this week, hehe.. just kidding, hope you are getting better now and a speedy full recovery to you, we miss all your baking and cooking~~

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    1. hah..hah...SK, you made me laugh! Thank you for your well wishes and I really want to get well soon!

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  33. It is good to hear that you are now at home. Take good care of yourself, PH.

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  34. ah, surely no fun at all getting admitted to the hospital.. i would be as apprehended as you because i've not had the same experience too *touch wood*.. anyway, looking at all the photos you have taken, at least we knew the situation wasn't as bad, since you still have not forgotten about blogging and took as many photos as possible while you were in the hospital, especially never have left anything about food behind!! this surely is an informative ones to let us know how it's like being admitted..

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    1. Oh yes, I still remember to take pictures of food hah..hah... Thanks to my partner for lending me his phone. But even though the food was so-so, I still didn't lose weight :(

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  35. there are a few remedy i have heard of that are helping in the case of dengue:-

    1) juice papaya leaves and gulp just one teaspoonful, scientifically proven, but the smell is super disgusting one may not be even able to bring it near your mouth

    2) drink the soup of small bittergourd double boiled with frog (tin gai).. this one is easier to consume..

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    1. I have tried the first one. Ugh!! Very terrible taste but I drank it anyway because I wanted to get well. The second one I have not heard until now. But seriously, frog....

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  36. Oh dear! Sorry to hear about this!

    Dengue is really scary, hate those Aedes mosquitoes!!

    Anyway glad that you're recovering, do take care ya! Don't worry about blogging la, rest more first.

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    1. Thank you, Hayley! I still don't feel well but I am sure I'll get better.

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  37. I was wondering why there wasn't any postings for awhile. Thought you have gone for holiday. Poor thing, I know how it is when one is down with Dengue. My nephew had it 3 times and I was with him most times. Lots of blood drawing and testing but the good thing is you can eat whatever you like if you have appetite for food, hehehe!. Take care.

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    1. Hi Kimmy! I cannot imagine what it is like to get it 3 times! One time only and I am feeling so half dead. I am still tired as of today but I hope to get better as the days do by. I will take care, thanks!

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  38. Hi Phong Hong ,
    So sorry to hear that you've had dengue & hospitalized . Glad to know that you're recovering & back home . My sister had dengue few years back & she was very weak for a couple of weeks . So do take care & have a good rest . Wish you a speedy recovery , dear friend ;)

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    1. Thank you, Kit! I am still weak and how I wish to feel normal again.

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  39. Phong Hong,
    I wish you a speedy recovery. You are really dedicated - evening describing your hospital meals.
    Get well soon!

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    1. Thank you! I thought it would be fun to talk about hospital food ha..ha...

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  40. Hi Phong Hong try take some kiwi fruits. It does help in the phelets count. Wish u speedy recovery

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    1. Thank you, Iclim! I'll try to get kiwi fruits :)

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  41. Speedy Recovery Phong Hong. Do rest well too.

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  42. Oh no, get well soon, in the meantime, get a lot of rest

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  43. Hi Phong Hong glad to know u r on the road of recovery. Take good care of yrself, I miss you leh......
    BTW did u try the home remedy like juice of papaya juice, crab soups, bitter gourd with frog soup?

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    1. Hi Christine! Yes, I only tried the papaya leaf juice. Yuks! Horrible taste but I drank it because I wanted to get well hah..hah....

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  44. Waaa...my friend was telling me he saw your failed cheesecake and showed me your post, that brought me to this post! Glad you are alright now....did you manage to loose some weight during your hospital stay? :P Looking forward to more bakes from you! :D

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    1. Hi Jeannie! Me lose weight? Muahahhaha!!!

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  45. Hi Phong Hong,

    I didn't like the feeling when I saw your post title with the pic of your hand with needles... PH goes to hospital!!! Geez!!!

    After reading your post showing all the food that you ate, I'm getting this feeling that you are becoming ok. Rest well and hope to see you in full action soon :D

    Zoe

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    1. Hi Zoe! I am getting better, thank you! Still feel tired though.

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  46. Oh dear! Oh dear! I am sorry that you got hospitalized. I am very terrified of dengue fever and keep chanting mantras to protect me. My office had 3 cases and they all recovered while my neighbourhood had over 10 cases where 3 died. So sad and frightening.
    You still could blog and make me laugh! I was hospitalized once for over a week for appendix rupture which was so serious until doctor told my family to get prepared for the worst. I could imagine myself with all the hard times you had ~ so vividly. My crystal ball says Phong Hong will be up and baking in the kitchen soon! Cheer up friend!

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    1. Hi TM! Thank you for your well wishes! Am I glad you pulled through, so scary! My case is nothing compared to that. I am getting better, though I still feel weak and tired.

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  47. Hi Phong Hong - poor you!! My hb had dengue before and I know it is NOT a pleasant experience. Get loads of rest and fluids and soon you will be back in your kitchen cooking and baking up a storm again!!!

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    1. Thank you, Diana! It is a horrible experience as I am still weak and tired. Hoping to bounce back soon!

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  48. Phong hong!! i hope you are getting much better now..my mum had dengue 2 years ago and it took her quite a while to get back to normal self. She gets tired easily even after several months after that. Pls take good care during this period ..like confinement...hehe...wishing you a speedy recovery!

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    1. Thank you, Lena! I am still tired and my brain feels fuzzy. I never knew that dengue is this bad!

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  49. Oh my goodness! I hope you get better soon! But I like how even when you were in the hospital, you kept us updated on your food adventures.

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    1. Thank you, Cathleen! Food is always on my mind hah..hah....

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  50. OMG!!! I'm so sorry to hear that! Yes, I've seen and heard that it's really awful to be down with dengue. It's a great way to lose weight tho...ok...bad joke...but by the amount you're eating...neh.
    It's a good sign having a good appetite.
    Feel better soon. Takes awhile to regain your strength.

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    1. Thank you, Ping! You are right, there's no way I could lose weight hah..hah.... I really want to get well soon :)

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  51. Hi Phong Hong, thank God you are getting better. Rest well.

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  52. Hi ph sorry I am late to know this piece of bad new! Hope you are much better now ans speedy recovery. Take care.

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    1. No worries, Jess! I am getting better, though it feels so slow, thanks!

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  53. Hi Phong Hong, I was wondering why I haven't seen a new post from you in a week...even though I'm not posting that often, I do pop in to check your latest. I'm so sorry about the 'dengue' you came down with...no fun, and very dangerous! Glad to know that you are on the mend now; pretty scary there, for a while! Hospital foods are not what you would normally eat...good thing you were able to indulge from 'outside' yummy food. Do take care, dear friend...don't be in a rush to cook or bake...main thing is for you to fully recover! Big hugs, and wishing you a full recovery!

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    1. Hi Elisabeth! Thank you for your concern and well wishes. I do miss my cooking and baking but I know that I have to take it slow. I am hoping to get well soon!

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  54. Get well soon, Phong Hong. Hope you recover soon and do take plenty of rest!

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    1. Thank you, Cheah! I will make sure I get plenty of rest!

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  55. Hi Phong Hong,
    I miss you la!
    Sorry for my late visit.
    I had dengue a few years back so I also know how you feel too. I hate most when going to pee carrying the drip stand along. Yucks!
    Hope you have a speedy recovery and drink lots of liquid.
    XOXO
    mui

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    1. Hi mui mui! Don't worry :) Oh, so you know how I feel! hah..hah... no fun being stuck to the drip. Thank you for coming by!

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  56. Hi kawan,
    So sorry to know that you came down with dengue! That picture with the drip really wrenched at my heart. Remember to get lots of rest and drink lots of water to get well soon!

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    1. Thank you, Aunty Young! I am feeling very much better now :)

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  57. Oh dear! I hope you are well by now.
    I have been reading your blog although I don't leave any comment.
    Love your cooking and baking. Looking forward to see more to come!

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    1. Thank you. Amy! I am feeling lots better now :)

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  58. Thank God, you have recovered and are up and about cooking and baking and blogging!

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    1. Thank you, Busygran! I am all good now :)

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