We had been constantly reminded, as a medical student of course, to always remember aortic dissection as one of the differential diagnosis when patient came in with pain radiating to the back. Not only this was stressed upon by our medicine physician, even the books quoting Prof T.J. Danaraj mentioned that he reminded the authors so.

I never had checked what's a dissection (frankly speaking, because no one in the ward presented with that and I was rather lazy), and neither would I know that it's actually the tear of inner and middle layer of the aorta and it's a serious complication from abdominal aortic aneurysm (or triple A which the doctors called). When we was asked in class what are the differential diagnoses of a chest pain we always looked to the one who answered "aortic dissection" with awe, thinking 'this guy must be revising Talley all the time!' because after listing out all the GERD and musculoskeletal causes of chest pain everyone was exhausted and left it.

Until my own grandma was presented with the exact same thing.

Had been thinking of this aneurysm thing when mom told me the blood vessel in grandma's tummy was up to 4.8cm and few surgery options were given and an implant may cost up to RM40k. And how grandma was against it until it was an emergency days ago and it was done. One day in ICU and few days in surgical ward. Having to visit her day by day made me to be first ever so close to this woman who gave birth to my dad. Brought bedpan and put on a yellow clinical waste plastic bag to let her pee. Wiped her with the wet tissue so big that i can put my whole hand in (like a glove hahaa never seen beforee) and adjusted her bed up and down and up. Listened to how the doctor close her mouth tight to let her inhale the anaesthetic gases because her mouth was peer muscle without the denture to support. :) Being scolded because i prepared drinks before asking if she wanted to drink it. ><

And worried for days that my chinese new year will be in hospital.

Now I'm at home, having grandma sleeping soundly in a room next door after eating aspirin, brother coming back tomorrow :) Chinese New Year at home. Officially 22. One year with him :) Nothing else to ask for :) Happy birthday to meee