What is Geriatric?

Well, I got to know another medical term this week.

Mom's case was transferred from Orthopedic to Geriatric clinic at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

After consulting with Dr. Vincent Yeo, Mom's back pain due to spondylosthesis can only be managed with medication and therapy, instead of an operation to correct her worn-off and narrowing of the spine column that is pinching her nerves.

I had to take another day off work to take Mom to see Dr. Ian Leong for her first time cum follow-up of Mom's condition after 2 weeks of medications from her Orthopedic.

So far, the medications have been quite miraculous to say the least.


Mom has gotten enough sleep she deserves everyday from 11:00 at night all through to 7 and sometimes up to 9:00 in the morning! She wakes up feeling refreshed and cheery most days now.

She does not wake up screaming in pain at night, the time when the acute pain strikes the most due to the pinching nerves when she lay down to sleep. A little twist of the body would trigger the involuntary spasms that wakes her from her sleep... that was very often.

More frequent these past few months but without Dad by her side, helping to ease the pain by massaging her legs. Though the doctor said it was useless to do so, it was enough for Mom to have her life-long companion beside her. Not any more since early January this year, when Dad passed away.

That is why I consider this course of medications not short of a miracle! Only wish we could have gotten it sooner, so at least both Mom and Dad did not have to go through the hard times with her frequent attacks.

Mom mentioned to me one time while we were talking over the phone. Dad uttered his worried mind if he was no longer around to help Mom whenever she had those attacks. I hope Dad is looking down on us now and see that Mom is well now.

She is sleeping well every night nowadays and had not had any acute attack since the course of medications started two weeks ago. I am so relieved for Mom and so happy that Dad's wish for Mom be to be well has come true.

Today, this pleasant and wonderful doctor, Dr. Ian Leong has prescribed a lesser dose for Mom for both night and now day time, to hopefully reduce further any symptoms of attacks.

Mom skipped her breakfast this morning because she overslept and only had time to get dressed for the appointment when I arrived to pick her up at her home.

She was so hungry that her stomach growled so loudly that it paused Dr. Ian from talking further until it stopped. We all had a good laugh in Consultation Room 14.

"Hopefully this dosage will not make you oversleep much... you will be able to wake up at about 7 or 8 in the morning." Dr. Ian said with a big smile.

We were really ecstatic and with Mom growling tummy, we headed to the cafeteria to eat an early lunch. We totally forgot about collecting the medicines from the Pharmacy.

Instead, we did some window shopping at the adjacent Novena Square Mall. Sat at the atrium for a long while after we got tired, chatted for quite sometime but was totally clueless that we had not picked up the medicines until we almost reach Mom's place.

We had another good laugh in the cab when I told Mom about our slip-up. I figured I drop by the hospital the next day during my lunch break to collect them.

It was so funny. It had been a very nice day!