The best one yet! A private international hospital experience, Sino United. A whole other world.

Since having the internal bleed following the thyroid biopsy I have had a neck and chest full of pooled blood which as shifted through some stunning colors.

The swelling has been reducing but frustratingly slowly. And I still have limited mobility in my neck, can’t, for instance lift my right arm above my head to put my hair up very easily ( important now that the super sweaty season has arrived in Shanghai)

Concordia has been amazingly supportive. I have been blanketed in prayer and showered with love and care in the form of a Soup Rota, flowers and kind messages. I have been so touched.

The HR department were concerned about me and suggested that a I have a follow up appointment to double check that it was safe for me to fly home on 10th. They made me the appointment and sent me to the top private hospital in Shanghai, Sino United, which it turns out is owned by one of our Concordia Families.

This was a whole different experience with everyone speaking really good English, communicating effectively and the atmosphere was very calm and peaceful, unlike the over crowded state facilities.

Dr Tong took one look at me and said, ‘woah!’ In all his career he has never seen a bleed like this after a thyroid biopsy. I have also done some research and what happened to me is apparently extremely rare. All medical procedures carry a risk and I was just unfortunate on this occasion.

By this stage I knew that although shrinking the clot was still there. I had resigned my self to hearing that my flight home would probably be need to be delayed.

Dr Tong did a CT scan and said that not only is it too dangerous for me to fly at all, but that the clot is too big for my body to reabsorb naturally so I need to have surgery urgently to remove it. Being in the neck the clot could become infected and the infection would spread quickly through my body.

Interestingly, the CT scan at Sino alone cost more than my entire bill from the state hospital!!!

I was paying 800 rmb per night for the private (but no frills) room at Shanghai East. This is about £90 and because this hospital doesn’t have a direct billing arrangement I had to pay everything up front on discharge and claim the money back from the insurance company (which believe me is a pfaff!!!)

Sino United, on the other hand does direct billing with the insurance company so I don’t have to pay anything and charge more like 10,000 rmb per night (approximately £1116) so a HUGE difference, but then again a much preferable stay.

It was like having a staycation in a swanky hotel but without the pools, bars and spas and with people sticking sharp implements in me every so often !!!

Sino provided everything. Toothbrush, phone charger, disposable knickers, pyjamas. The lot! All I really need to bring was myself and a book!

So while everyone else packed up their classrooms and waved goodbye to the kids I was wheeled into surgery. It was hard missing all the end of year celebrations and not being able to say goodbye to people properly but I knew that this had to be done.

I was on my own this time, but that was fine as their English levels were fantastic. Everything was explained very clearly to me and staff took their time. Sino United is modeled on the American Mayo Clinic and the level of care was outstanding.

Surgery went well and they liberated a tennis ball sized blood clot, which was frankly, bigger than I thought it would be. I felt relieved and lighter almost immediately. I do have a drain and stitches in my neck, which is less than comfortable and I have had many bags of antibiotics through IV. They DO however have poles on wheels which means that you can use the bathroom independently, unlike the state hospital where someone had to unhook the bag and accompany me to the loo!!! Not a dignified experience!

None of the other doctors that I had seen had suggested a follow up to check how I was doing. I got the impression that they were all too busy dealing with the huge overcrowded state wards to do that. They only had the capacity to be reactionary.

The food here is also like a hotel. I haven’t had much appetite but the breakfast looked really cute.

I still had congee (rice porridge) which is bland and easy to swallow and fortunately something I like.

This morning I ordered the ‘western’ breakfast but somethings were not quite en pointe. I got a large sandwich and a big bowl of mayonnaise! Wasn’t expecting that.

The nurses were very kind, caring and more like the nurses are back at home. I could ask questions and I felt that they were caring. They checked in on me regularly and even chatted to me. This was so different to my previous hospital stays where the nurses were busy, perfunctory and did not show any compassion. They do only medical procedures and your relatives and friends have to do everything else.

I am on the mend now and when the stitches and drain come out next Saturday I will then be able to fly home (all being well) Yay. My summer is delayed but not ruined. We have booked airport assistance to help me with my bags and with the transfer so that is a weight off my mind. I have been told that I will have a scar on my neck and if I want cosmetic surgery to remove it I can but that’s not covered by the insurance. I’m not bothered about that. I see it more as a battle scar. A reminder that I survived.

And most importantly I can feel my Qi again. The blockage has gone so now I just need to rest and let my Qi work in the healing. What happened to me was unfortunate but I feel so lucky to have survived it.

Soon I will be back to my Taiji.