I can't read the emails either way, so as long as you get them and translate them, that's fine.
posted by Larry at 10:22 AM

oops. i mistranslated something. previously, i said,

"food going down the wrong pipe probably led to the infection."

it should have read,

"it's not for certain that food going down the wrong pipe led to the infection."

sorry!
posted by jylo at 10:16 AM

i replied [3 goo jeh]'s email. and if you agree with what i wrote, email her yourselves as well.

Hi 三姑姐,

I'm rather distraught that I won't be receiving the updates anymore. For me, I feel better knowing exactly what's going on. I'd rather have details than only a vague idea of what's happening and worry about all the possibilities. That's how it was with 大伯父: I worried much more because I didn't understand what was happening physiologically and that troubled me. I had so many questions that still remain unanswered.

So it is in fact knowing what's happening that is saving me from the emotional distress you fear. I'm relieved to hear of signs of strength like combative behaviour or the energy to converse. I'm delighted he still knows Chinese poetry and that he recognizes who comes. Yet at the same time, I'm also more grounded in my expectations of what is to come when I read about the pneumonia and need for a nasogastric tube.

Furthermore, I feel better connected to family through the emails. When 大伯父 was in hospital, I felt so helplessly detached. While I acknowledged that there was nothing I could do, I felt unanchored: unsure not only of how he was doing, but also of whether my anxiety paralleled that of my family. I find strength in commiserating together--and cope the same way too.

If you think it's best to exclude my generation from the updates, I honour your decision. However, I respectfully request that you reconsider. I know everybody is stressed but we can only do what we can, hoping and praying that it's enough. I appreciate all your work in keeping us updated: your efforts have undoubtedly not been in vain.

Justin 宜凱

posted by jylo at 4:01 AM

(sorry i've been a little behind on the updates.) update from 10/19:

我已經聯絡了置富浸信會的何牧師明天20/10(星期四)早上10:00左右到醫院探爸，此事請代禱。

另外，想到每天的電郵可能帶給大家很多情緒上的困擾，因此這次以後，關於爸的消息不再發給興略、惠心、欣、繼賢、宜瑋、宜凱、宜中、宜均、宜芊，和天一。

translation:

i've contacted rev. ho from chi fu baptist church and he will visit on thursday, 10/20 at around 10am. please keep this in your prayers.

also, as the daily updates may cause you emotional distress, from now on, news about [grandpa] will no longer be sent to: [leuk suk], [sum goo jeh], [yan biu jeh], [gai yin biu goh], eric, justin, dan, ivan, iris, and [tin yat].

lawrence and roberta, do you still get the emails then? as i've already said, i feel more comfortable knowing what's going on.
posted by jylo at 2:52 AM

update from 10/18:

爸在醫院的第18天。

家的報告是: 爸今天沒發燒，胃口不好，至中午為止，只喝了一杯奶。

每天這樣寫電郵，會否影響你們的情緒? 尤其是下一代，你們當中，誰不想天天看報告的，請告訴我，好讓把你的電郵地址刪去。我這樣說，是基於業哥病發那一段日子，我和郭常在天行身邊講電話和討論業哥的病情，他感染了那種危急的氣氛，又因為擔心我們受不住打擊，因而情緒上很焦慮，這是學校老師觀察到他有問題，跟他談起來，我們才知道的。我很懷疑是否有必要讓那麼多人背負這個擔子。

translation:

this is [grandpa]'s 18th day in hospital.

a report from [dai goo ma]: today [grandpa] did not have a fever, but his appetite wasn't good. by noon, he had only had a glass of milk.

does receiving an email each day affect your mood? especially those of the next generation, if anyone does not want to receive an update every day, please let me know so that i can remove your email address from the list. i say this because when [dai bak fu] was in hopsital, [tin hang] overheard me and [3 goo jeung] on the phone discussing the details of [dai bak fu]'s condition and he sensed a certain desperation and feared we could not take it. consequently, he became very anxious. we only found out when his teacher at school observed this and told us about it. i doubt that it's necessary so many people shoulder this burden.

i, for one, am in favour of receiving the emails and hearing how things are going. it makes me worry less, beacuse i have better details, and feel more connected to the relatives in hong kong. do people agree?
posted by jylo at 2:40 AM

the previous update was from [3 goo jeh]. this also is from [3 goo jeh] and follows an email from [2 goo mah] that had a few questions for her.

爸在醫院的第18天.

他已經很長時間吃全打爛的食物, 甚至粥也是再打爛的. 老人家不能進食, 多是負責吞嚥的肌肉失了控制能力. 不能吞嚥, 要插鼻喉進食道, 用灌的方法代替口嚼, 或在肚子開個洞, 插喉直接把食物送入胃. 兩者比較, 前者對較少感染, 但病人不好受, 也有說會習慣的. 後者較舒服, 但較易感染. 一旦感染, 也是很難過關的, 能吃就表示可以把這些問題推後出現.

據護士說, 肺炎一般的成因有兩個. 一個是食物走進氣管,引起發炎; 另一個是臥床太多, 肺弱受感染, 爸是兩個可能都有.

昨天從來兩個護士口中知道有一種叫凝固粉 thickener 的東西(無色無味的), 可以加進流質食物中(包括水), 讓它變成 baby food 般的半固體, 這樣可以減少老人家嗆的機會, 這是醫院常用的東西. 我已馬上買了一罐, 也通知了Susan.

另外一個護士朋友說私家醫院會用最好最貴的藥, 這些藥可以把各類型的病毒打死 , 因此也有可能會好的, 公立醫院用藥有規定先用廉宜的藥, 不行才用較貴的藥, 最貴的藥多要病人自付, 有時因此會延誤了醫治的時間.

我昨天跟群哥商量過請牧師到醫院的問題, 他說他今天會去接洽牧師.

懷哥說有幾天收不到電郵, 我把我每天送出的電郵集合在word file, 現在我把它附上, 其他人不用重復看了.

translation:

this is [grandpa]'s 18th day in hospital.

he's already been eating mashed food for a while--even congee is mashed up. when elderly people lose the ability to swallow, it's because they lose control of the muscles that handle swallowing. unable to swallow, they end up needing a tube through the nose to the oesophagus or a tube directly through the wall of the stomach. between the two, the former is less prone to infection, but far less comfortable although it's possible to get used to. the latter is more pleasant, but prone to infection. and once there's an infection, it's hard to overcome it. being able to eat would put off the need to address this issue.

the nurse said there are 2 usual causes for pneumonia. it's possible that food enters the trachea and starts an infection; for those that are in bed a lot, the lungs weaken and are more susceptible to infection. it's feasible that [grandpa] got it either route.

yesterday the two nurses that came knew of something called thickener (colourless and flavourless) that is added to food--including water--to turn it into a semisolid consistency like that of baby food. this cuts down the likelihood of choking and is often used in hospitals. i bought a can and have told susan about it.

a nurse friend of mine told me that private hospitals tend to use the most expensive drugs. these drugs can kill all germs [broad-spectrum antibiotics]. because of this, it might be good. public hospitals have regulations to use the cheapest drug and not more expensive ones. the most expensive ones are paid for by the patient and possibly delay treatment.

yesterday i talked to [my dad] about bringing a pastor to the hospital. he said that he'd get in touch with the pastor.

[3 sook] said that he hadn't received emails every day. i've compiled the emails from every day into a word file and attached it.

if anyone needs the word file, email me. some of the messages in it i hadn't read before.
posted by jylo at 2:26 AM

Referring to latest update: While I feel bad that Grandpa's talking while eating possibly led to the latest problem, I also feel encouraged in a way because talking--hopefully--is an indicator of energy. Who sent that update by the way?

I feel better with the alias changed...there's nothing super top secret, but I appreciate that this site is confidential.
posted by Roberta at 12:40 AM

10/17:

爸在醫院的第16日

爸本預計可在星期六出院的, 但星期六他出現有低燒, 所以目前仍要留院, 今天尚未有消息. 星期五晚上我在醫院看他吃飯, 他吃了很多, 但因為不停說話, 不斷嗆. 說不定是食物進入氣管引起發炎.

translation:

this is [grandpa]'s 16th day in hospital.

originally, [grandpa] was supposed to be discharged on saturday, but he had a fever so he had to stay. no news yet today. i watched him eat on friday evening. he ate quite a lot, but because was talking, he kept on choking on his food. food going down the wrong pipe probably led to the infection.

thank you for removing the alias.
posted by jylo at 11:48 PM

update from friday, 10/14

爸在醫院的第11天

今天下午郭在醫院傳來的消息，爸進食有進步，醫生說可出院，但出院的時間未定。

今天晚上約見營養師。

這次的問題暫獲解決，大家可以鬆一口氣，但長遠計，我們要為爸物識一個老人科的醫生，因為不能吞咽的問題終有一天會出現。

translation:

this is [grandpa]'s 11th day in hospital.

the news from [3 goo jeung] this afternoon is that [grandpa] has had progress with eating and that he can be discharged from hospital. the time of discharge has not yet been set.

this evening, there is an appointment with a dietician.

now that this round of problems has been resolved, we can all take a deep breath and relax. but in the long run, we need to get [grandpa] a geriatrician as his swallowing problems will at some point surface again.

phew...
posted by jylo at 1:49 PM

update from 10/12. this comes after [3 suk] sent an email asking how the urinalysis went (among other questions).

這是爸入院的第九天。

我這兩天很忙，無法一一回答你們的問題。醫生每天出現的時間都不同，沒有人能全天候在那兒等。有沒有做小便化驗我不知道，郭不知道，家也不知道，昨晚conference call中也沒有人提及此事。

爸昨天只喝了半杯奶，和一點點兒粥+湯。如離開吊針的營養，大抵不行，Susan說如果現階段把他接回家，她沒有信心應付。今天據郭和家說爸很累，沒法把他叫醒吃東西，這是僅有的資料。

我們覺得爸不需要林興波醫生，因他的核心問題不在心臟病，不必每天付1000元診金給他，另外杜仁廉是個外科醫生，爸需要的是個內科醫生，因此他也不適合，加上醫院有護士私下跟我們說這兩個都不是好醫生，叫我們考慮其他選擇，所以現在四出找辦法，當中困難不少。吊針使用的時間有限，不能長時間使用下去，爸又不肯吃東西，情況是非常嚴峻的。他的問題還不在小便報告如何等問題上，所以大家也不去追問。

translation:

this is [grandpa]'s 9th day in hospital.

i've been very busy these past two days so i can't answer each of your questions. the time the doctors show up is different each day and there isn't anyone who can stay the whole day waiting. i don't know whether urine testing was done and neither do [3 goo jeung] or [dai goo ma]. in last night's conference call, no one brought it up.

[grandpa] drank half a cup of milk yesterday and a tiny bit of congee + soup. it wouldn't work to take him off parenteral nutrition. susan says that she doesn't think she'd be able to handle [grandpa]'s care at home in his current condition. [3 goo jeung] and [dai goo ma] said today that [grandpa] seemed very tired and there was no way to get him up to eat. that's all the details i have.

we feel that [grandpa] does not need dr lam as the core of his problem isn't cardiac in nature--there's no need to pay $1000 each day for his visit. dr to is a surgeon and therefore is also not the most appropriate physician: what [grandpa] needs is an internist. in addition, the hospital nurses privately told us that both of these doctors aren't very good and suggested we evaluate other options. as a result, we've been scrambling everywhere to find what alternatives we have and it hasn't been easy. the IV can only be used for a limited amount of time and not indefinitely and [grandpa] is unwilling to eat; the situation is seriously grim. his problem isn't how the urinalysis turned out or such so no one's been pursuing this.

i guess we're all just worried and a little too stressed...

eric, to which email are you referring? i don't remember getting one like that. and, yes, i am rather surprised hearing what you had to say a few days ago. it's good to hear though.

roberta, if you don't want to log in just to read posts, you can visit the site to which the contents are published: http://cc.losir.com/.
posted by jylo at 12:25 AM

Oh and yes, the adults do know about this site. In a recent email, "3 sook" mentioned the URL to everyone.
posted by asiliat at 9:34 AM

Adding my thanks to Justin for translating the posts. I'm keeping up with the news via my mom, mostly, but I also wanted to log in and see how you all are doing as well. I am, however, having a very difficult time accessing Blogger, whether to read or to post. (To answer Justin's other question, I personally haven't mentioned this site to anybody.)

I, too, am of the opinion that, if Grandpa has not expressed otherwise, everything that can be done should be done (within reason, as long as it doesn't carry some terrible risk or side effect). I don't believe it's up to anyone but him to decide when to let things go. Even if one doesn't take into account religious issues (and this is not a knock against religion; I go to church myself), I believe at the very bottom of it that life is precious, and the decision to not continue is an irrevocable one.

In the meantime I haven't given up hoping.
posted by Roberta at 2:31 PM

Like the adults said, if grandpa didn't ask to not be treated, we should do everything to give him another chance at life. It's good to hear he has the strength to be combative. It gives hope. As long as he has a positive attitude about living on, I'll worry less about his health and about his soul.
posted by Larry at 11:02 AM

As always, I feel like I'm the missing link, a quasi bridge between the "adults" and the "kids".

I definitely feel that they should do everything possible to get Grandpa better. This is not a selfish need, but a desire to see him come to know Christ. At his age and condition, a miracle may need to occur before that can be done. Be strong in your faith and pray earnestly. I even suggest fasting for a day. I've done it once, and it really brings you closer to God, as each time you feel the pang of hunger, you are reminded that our lives are fragile and we need to trust in the Lord for His grace to provide for us. Each time you feel queasy, you pray and thank God for letting you fast and then to pray for the situation you are most concerned about (In this case, Grandpa's eternal hope.)

I know that is strange coming from me.... But I guess in times of anguish, the Holy Spirit reminds me that it's still living inside me.

What's important here is to remember Grandpa in your prayers. I also suggest kneeling by the bed and praying before sleeping, and a short prayer at the beginning of your day. Doesn't have to be long.

Finally, don't JUST pray for Grandpa. If you were the father, you'd get sick and tired of hearing the same thing from your kid too. So make sure you THANK Him for listening once in a while. ;)
posted by asiliat at 10:26 AM

thats what i assumed you meant, so my answer still stands. am i misunderstanding your question?
posted by yodaslap at 12:08 AM

the latest update is from 10/10:

這是爸入院的第七天。

今天不會做胃鏡，因杜醫生無法抽空，要等明天再做。

據郭今早所見說，爸很惡，精神稍好，揮拳打人，不但打Susan，連護士也打，因星期六三次嘗試插胃喉，受了不少苦。現在要碰一下他，他也發惡。今天心跳比昨日稍慢，是63次，血壓較低，下壓50，上壓一百零幾。

昨天他能喝奶，但不多，也要像哄孩子般哄他，才喝一點兒。今天醫生說要給他一點粥，他的腸臟需要纖維。

translation:

this is [grandpa]'s 7th day in hospital.

he won't have endoscopy today as dr to isn't available; he'll have to wait until tomorrow.

according to [3 goo jeung], [grandpa] has been upset and more alert. he is also combative, not only hitting susan but nurses as well. after the 3 attempts to place the NG tube on saturday, he's had his share of discomfort. now whenever someone needs to touch him, he gets upset. his heart rate today is slightly slower than yesterday: 63 beats per minute. his blood pressure is rather low at 100-something over 50.

yesterday he was able to drink some milk, although not much. it required coaxing him like a kid before he'd drink just a bit. today the doctor said to give him a bit of congee as his intestines need the fibre.

btw did anyone tell any adults about this site?
posted by jylo at 5:37 PM

i kind of meant about the end-of-life issues...
posted by jylo at 5:36 PM

mainly helpless and anxious
posted by yodaslap at 10:51 PM

yikes, this one was long!!

今早群、猷、翹見到林興波醫生，對爸的情況有了較清楚的了解，下面簡述各個問題：

林、杜兩醫生給爸做了幾個主要器官的檢查，結果是每個器官都有退化現象，一則沒到危險地步，二則根本沒有甚麼可做。如前說過的，肝酵素高，功能差；腎退化，但未到洗腎階段；肺照出來有白點，也是退化，肺退化加重了心臟負擔，影響一邊心房發大；胃臟未能了解，因沒有做胃鏡。

目前要面對的是他進食的問題。他口腔發炎(是由種菌結果證實的) ，咽部很痛，目前醫生把消炎藥滴在他口中，但由於他控制蓋住食道或氣管那處肌肉的能力有問題，用這種方法可能導至消炎藥連唾液會跑進氣管，引起肺炎，因此建議由鼻孔插喉進入胃部，一則可以送進食物，二則可以用藥，代替放在口中，減少肺炎的機會，時間大約放一星期，但實際時長要看情況。再補充一下，醫生說適合用針打進去的消炎藥，藥性太強；經吊針輸給他的藥，副作用多，由胃部吸收的藥最適合他。

家、群、猷、翹、尾商量過，決定讓爸試用鼻喉，理由是他從沒說過不願意再活下去的話，如果我們甚麼都不做，等於代他做了終結性命的決定，我們沒權這樣做。他雖然已經98 歲，但天曉得他的壽命該有多少，要是他該有105歲的(隨便說個數字) ，我們沒權不讓他活下去。如果是沒有希望的絕症，就有理由不再做甚麼。醫生和護士都說有些老人用這種方法治好病之後，可以恢復進食，我們沒理由不讓他試一試。

中午、下午都試過插喉，但不成功，我們都認為一定是爸不合作所致，但也很體諒他。黃昏的時候，杜醫生親自動手，還是不行，他說在食道有個地方像有東西堵住似的，因此放不下去。他建議星期一給他打小量鎮定劑，然後用胃鏡看清楚到底是甚麼問題，並順道放入胃喉。如果我們有甚麼意見，要在星期一早一點的時間提出。

翹提出要通知純叔，因這是爸在港同輩最親的兄弟。

星期天只有杜醫生會巡房，大底不會給他做甚麼的。

translation:

this morning, [my dad], [4 suk], [3 goo jeh] caught up with dr lam and got a better understanding of [grandpa]'s situation. here's a synopsis of the issues:

drs lam and to examined [grandpa]'s major organs and concluded that each of them appear to be deteriorating. firstly, none are critical; secondly, there isn't much that can be done. as mentioned before, his liver enzymes are elevated and his liver has decreased function; his kidneys are also deteriorating, but not to the point where he needs dialysis. chest x-ray showed light spots on the lungs, indicating lung degeneration. the lung deterioration is exacerbating the burden on his heart, leading to the enlarged heart chamber(s?) on one side. no news about the stomach as endoscopy has not been done.

what needs to be dealt with now is his feeding issue. his oral cavity is infected (as corroborated by the presence of bacteria) and his throat hurts. the doctor has tried dropping antibiotics into his mouth, but because of his inability to control the muscles that cover the oesophagus and trachea, this method of administration may lead to lung infection as the medicine and [germ-filled] saliva enter the lungs. consequently, the doctors recommend placing a nasogastric tube for both feeding and administration of medicine to reduce the chance of lung infection. the NG tube will probably need to be in for a week, but the actual amount of time required depends on how he responds. moreover, the doctor said that antibiotics suitable for injection are too strong; antibiotics administered through his IV set would have too many side effects--adsorption through the stomach seems to be the most appropriate route for him.

[dai goo mah], [my dad], [4 suk], [3 goo jeh], and [4 goo jeh] talked things over and decided to let [grandpa] try the NG tube with the reasoning that he hasn't mentioned anything about not wanting to live any longer. if we do nothing, that would be the same as deciding to end his life; we have no right to decide such things. even though he's already 98, only the heavens know his ultimate number of years. if it be 105 years (for example), we have no right to not let him live on. if it were a hopeless terminal illness, there would be reason to do nothing. both doctor(s) and nurse(s) say that some elderly people have returned to eating normally after being cured through such treatment: we have no reason to not give this a shot.

this afternoon, they tried placing the NG tube but were unsuccessful. we think [grandpa] was not co-operating, but that's understandable. this evening, dr to gave it a try himself but still had no success and he said that it seems like there's a spot in his oesophagus where something is blocking the tube and that's why they haven't been able to place it properly. he suggests using a small dose of tranquilizer before using endoscopy to investigate what the problem is and at the same time place the NG tube. if we have any opinions, they should be expressed before early monday.

[3 goo jeh] brought up the fact that we should notify [2 suk gong (shun suk gong)] as he is [grandpa]'s closest relative living in hong kong.

on sunday, only dr to does his rounds and he won't be doing anything much.

how do all of you feel about the situation? i know the "adults" make the decisions, but i'm just curious...
posted by jylo at 5:39 PM

Yeah, thanks Justin. It's good to hear he's doing better. We'll keep him in our prayers.
posted by Larry at 8:50 AM

justin thanks for translating the msgs. I can read enough to understand what it's about, but you are better at reading cantonese than me.

D70 users: There's a new service bulletin from Nikon. Free repairs on certain issues, if needed. Y'all probably already know about it....

http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=13688&p_created=1127751253&p_sid=qKLkLdRh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD0xODUmcF9wcm9kcz0xOSw1NiZwX2NhdHM9fmFueX4mcF9wdj0yLjU2JnBfY3Y9MS5_YW55fiZwX3NlYXJjaF90eXBlPWFuc3dlcnMuc2VhcmNoX25sJnBfcGFnZT0x&p_li=&p_topview=1
posted by asiliat at 2:28 PM

update:

這是香港時間10月7日上午郭在醫院來的報導:

今天爸的情況很好:
痰已經稀了，像正常人的痰，除今早由護士抽痰之外，還懂得自己吐出來。
會飲奶，消除了要插胃喉的疑慮。
皮膚恢復正常的水份，血管也不像昨天那樣收縮。
目前仍有的問題是心跳不好。此外杜林兩醫生都主張照胃鏡，但照胃鏡的原因還未有機會問清楚。

translation:

this is the 10/07 morning update from [3 goo jeung]:

today [grandpa] is doing quite well:
his mucus is thinner, like normal. aside from having phlegm removed by the nurse this morning, he's been able to spit it out. he's drinking milk, so there's worry of needing a feeding tube. his skin is also better hydrated now and his blood vessels aren't as shriveled as they seemed yesterday. the only thing that remains a problem is his heart rhythm. drs to and lam still advocate GI endoscopy but we haven't had a chance to clarify why.

posted by jylo at 11:49 PM

next update:

這是香港時間10月6日上午郭在醫院來的報導:

今早見到林醫生，他說爸的體質仍然很弱，又因年老和多臥床，他的氣管和肺都很弱，建議他照內窺鏡(郭聽不清楚是照哪個器官，這手術很不好受，我們可以不同意做的)。心房體積較大，心跳不規則，肝酵素較高，但未到危險程度。

現在他補充了營養，體力漸漸恢復，身體的水份回升了一點，但仍需繼續補充，要慢慢來，不能太急。昨天抽了痰，但仍未完全清除。

以郭所見，今天他較精神，痰少了，說話也較多，能認人，Susan用針筒喂他喝水(以滴計算的)，他用手撥開，又罵Susan, 並且時常要把手腕上的病人資料圈、和手背上的吊針入口(俗稱黃豆)、膠貼等東西弄走。

translation:

this is a report from [3 goo jeung] 10/06 morning:

when dr lam came this morning, he said that [grandpa] is still weak. as a result of his age and that he is often in bed, his respiratory tract and lungs are rather weak. he suggested endoscopy ([3 goo jeung] didn't quite hear of which organ; it's not a pleasant procedure and we can choose not to have it done). there is some cardiomegaly (enlarged heart) and arrythmia. his liver enzymes are on the high side, but not yet critical.

now that he's better nourished, his strength is slowly returning. he's better hydrated now but still needs to slowly continue the hydration process, not rushing things. yesterday he cleared some phlegm, but there's still some left.

[3 goo jeung] thinks that he's more alert today, has less phlegm, is talking a little more, and is able to recognize people. susan gave him literally a few drops of water through a straw, but he brushed her away and scolded her. he also has been trying to take his hospital armband off and remove the IV from the back of his hand.

posted by jylo at 1:02 AM

next update from 3 goo jeh (yi):

我昨天下班之後去了醫院一趟, 見到心臟醫生林興波, 他初步用聽筒檢查, 沒發現心臟有甚麼問題, 但會在再做心電圖, 驗血結果是肝功能差少少(exact wording), 肺, 喉都沒有問題. 入院的時候, 他身體很弱, 缺水, 血糖低, 手腳都冷. 應該是吃不下東西所致.

目前, 杜林兩位醫生都說所有營養會從吊針輸給他, 待體力恢復之後再嘗試進食.又囑家人給他留小便化驗.

爸聽我報上名來之後, 記得阿翹是誰, 就我所見, 手腳都暖, 也睡得很安祥, 昨天他醒來的時間很長, 因為由早上做運動, 發現他不妥, 去看醫生檢查, 到入醫院整個過程都沒有睡過, 所以很累.

昨天見過爸的除榮哥, 郭, 我之外, 還有繼賢. 猷夜晚要上課, 尾仍不宜去.

translation:

after work, i went to the hospital for a bit and saw dr lam. preliminary examination with a stethoscope showed that there wasn't anything wrong with his heart but he will do another ekg. blood tests show that his liver function is not the best (exact wording: "cha siu siu"); lungs and throat are ok. upon admission, he was very weak, dehydrated, hypoglycemic, and with cold extremities--most likely because he couldn't eat.

as it stands, dr lam and dr to agree that he will be given sustenance through IV. after he regains his strength, they will try oral feeding. they also request that his urine be kept for testing.

when he heard me say that i had arrived, he understood who i was. from what i saw, his hands and feet were warm and he had been sleeping well. yesterday, he was awake for quite some time: from when he had exercise in the morning, found something wasn't right, went to see the doctor, to when he was admitted to hospital, he hadn't slept at all and was very tired.

yesterday gai yin [biu goh] also saw [grandpa], as well as [dai goo jeung], [3 goo jeung], and me. [4 goo jeung] had class in the evening; [4 goo jeh] still ought not go.

posted by jylo at 11:59 PM

adrian, thanks for the update. here's an email forward i got that 3 goo jeh (yi) sent to 3 sook (kau kau):

爸入院是今天中午的事情，他最近發燒，痰稠帶血絲，喉痛不能吞嚥，昨天不吃飯(早已是全流質)，但還肯喝奶，今天連奶都喝不下，身體非常虛弱，現在在港中分科，主診是杜仁廉，杜醫生說他心臟有早博(我所知道早博不是大問題)，而且很弱，介紹了林XX醫生看心臟，又說爸要吊鹽水，驗血，照肺。現在靠郭和榮哥在醫院打點，尾家中兩孩子病了，她怕自己也帶細菌，只能做聯絡的工作。兩個菲傭都說會陪夜。現在所知如此。

translation:

[grandpa] was admitted to hospital this afternoon with fever, frequently bloody phlegm, and difficulty swallowing. yesterday he wouldn't eat (even with a liquid diet already), but was willing to drink milk. today he wasn't even able to drink milk and was very weak. he's at hong kong central hospital and his attending physician is dr to. dr to says that he has an arrythmia (which i believe doesn't pose much of a problem) and that he is weak. he's called in dr lam for a cardiac consult and said that [grandpa] needs a saline drip (IV), some blood tests, and a chest x-ray. we're counting on [3 goo jeung] and [dai goo jeung] to keep tabs on things at the hospital. [4 goo jeh]'s two kids are sick so she's afraid that she's carrying germs herself; all she can do is help relay information. the two filipina maids are willing to stay the night at the hospital. that's all i know.

adrian, if you have a chance, double check my translation. for some reason, the chinese won't publish right but it looks okay inside blogger. thanks!
posted by jylo at 12:43 AM

thanks for letting us know, its a huge relief considering i didnt know anything beyond the fact that hes suddenly in the hospital.
posted by yodaslap at 11:29 PM

Grandfather has been admintted into hospital....
don't worry,
from what i know, he just got fever
he has got difficulty in swallowing, due to sore throat and his weak throat muscles.
this is what i know at the moment, i'll update u if i know more.
posted by Cheung, Adrian (^^) at 10:00 AM