# 4 - Porridge

As I was passing by Room 3,

busy doing my close monitoring chart,

I heard a voice calling me.

Old granny: "Hey, missy! Come and feed me now!"

A 88-year-old lady, shouting so loudly out form her room,

it's time to feed her,

as what she's told me yesterday that her maid will feed her at 6pm everyday.

I pitied her as her hands were tied at the bedside,

just to prevent her from removing all the tubings and monitoring instruments on her.

She seemed to be more restless after being tied up.

That's the part which I can't stand the most,

yet we still have to do it.

We need the close monitoring system,

we want the patients to get well soon and leave ICU as soon as possible.

And that's the only way to control her from pulling the tubings off.

She has been talking to the ceiling and the walls after being tied up,

even as I was preparing her porridge,

she was repeating herself to me,

Old granny: "remove all the strings now, I want to eat."

Me:" I will feed you."

Old granny:" If you don't release me, how am I supposed to eat?"

Me:" I will feed you, don't worry."

Old granny:" You are so long-winded, I said release me, can't you understand Mandarin?"

Me:" I will feed you, you don't pull your tubings, then I will ask Dr to remove the strings ok?"

Old granny:" Haiya, I said release me now, I want to go out."

Started to feed her so as to keep her silent.

She was too hungry after struggling for quite some time to remove the knots.

Old granny:" Have you eaten?"

Me:" Nope, I still have work to do, after feeding you, I have to feed others."

Old granny:"No more porridge in the kitchen?"

Me:" The kitchen cooked for you so make sure that you finish it ok?"

Old granny:" Why you let me finish the whole bowl of porridge? Normally I asked the maid to cook more so that you can eat also."

I was a bit touched at the moment,

though she's fierce when she's scolding me off,

just to be released.

She must have thought that she's at home,

and was complaining why the maid didn't keep some porridge for me.

As I work at the patients' side,

I learn how to really care of them wholeheartedly,

no matter how hard, how tired I am.

It just gave me the satisfaction and pleasure to move on.

Old granny:: Alright, I've finished eating, let me go."

Me:" Where do you want to go? Wait for your sons, they should be coming in a short while."

Old granny:" I said let me go la, you are so stubborn!!!"

There she came again, with all sorts of nonsense, trying to climb out of the bed again.

Me:" Please rest in the bed, and I will ask Dr to release you ok?"

Old granny:" I want to go now!"

Me:" Where do you want to go?"

Old granny:" I want to go and die!!!!!!"

Me:'' NO, YOU CAN'T!"

Old granny:" I'm older than you, so listen to me! Let me go!"

I left her room, there's no point arguing with her,

after all she's tied up.,

that will be the safest way to keep her alive.

However it also showed that,

how important our freedom is,

a person will go nuts if there's too much of control.

But our control towards old granny was of good intention,

sorry granny...