On Helicopters
The proper way to see Hong Kong is via a nighttime helicopter tour. I’ve viewed the renowed skyline from ferry and plane, but only the helicopter perspective allowed me to experience the height and depth and density all at once. From the ground, the skyscrapers become a thick forest of glass, steel and concrete in which all but the largest buildings are lost.
From the helicopter we could see each tower independent of its neighbor, could watch the roads snake up and around the mountains, and discern how he city comes together as a whole with neighborhoods spilling into one another. The night city lights yield a spectacular display from that vantage point, one I’ll never forget.
I would, however, recommend against the hospital landing at the end.
How it started
It’s been a busy month. I spent November in the United States. First in New Orleans for the ApacheCon conference. Then in Pennsylvania both visiting family and drumming up business and investment for my startup. I arrived back to Hong Kong just in time for Maeli’s 4th birthday which she celebrated on Lamma beach with twenty-some friends. An interesting side note: of the dozen or two children that attended Maeli’s birthday party, she was the only American. Oddly enough, there were no Chinese children either.
Only four days after returning to Hong Kong, Justin Erenkrantz and I flew to Beijing to host an Apache Meet-Up and BarCamp. Meanwhile, Jenny was busy entertaining visitors here in Hong Kong (our new stunt cyclist friend Ines and later Jevgenij from Lithuania) all while preparing for the Banyan House Christmas Fair on the weekend.
It was at dinner after the fair that Maeli’s breathing took a turn for the worse. I had just arrived back from Beijing and took the family into the village for hot pot. Maeli, already a bit ill from a cold and possible allergies due to her new kitten, choked on a throat lozenge. She quickly recovered, but was left unnerved and coughing incessantly. We cut dinner short.
For the rest of the evening Maeli struggled for breath as she battled what became a severe asthma attack. When it became clear the medication we had at home was insufficient, we took her to the clinic. That was the began our our night helicopter ride and two days in the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.
On Hospitals
We landed on the helicopter pad at the hospital and were fast tracked through the emergancy room. Maeli had relaxed, but her breathing was still forced and shallow. She was admitted to the hospital for two nights. Jenny stayed the first night and I the second.
Maeli received regular inhaler treatments, daily steroids and constant monitoring. In fact, her care at the hospital was thoughtful and comprehensive. Unfortunately, I can’t say say the same about the treatment Jenny and I received.
Nethersole almost goes out of its way to make the stay uncomfortable for visitors. Imagine the worst airline service you’ve experienced: the inconviences of no phones or internet, the pain of inadequate seating, bad food served at strict times and places, a staff mobidly bound to rules and regulation. The hospital succeeds in emulating the worst of these in a passive aggressive attack on the family of the ill, as though they ought to suffer along with their kin.
The visitor seating sums up the situation. Despite being permitted two visitors during the day, each patient bed is provided only one small, hard plastic chair. In order to tease and punish anyone foolish enough to stay the night by the bed of a sick child, a soft lounge chair is provided. No blanket or pillow, but at least a softer chair for the night. Until 6:00 AM that is, at which point a nurse will wake you and inform you of the urgent need that all lounge chairs be stored back in the closet. Tired and cold, you spend the rest of the morning back in the hard plasic chair.
I would go on, but my laptop will soon run out of battery power and despite an electical outlet being within reach, I’m not permitted to use it, so I’ll have to finish these thoughts later.
On Healing
Maeli is back at home now. The docters wanted to keep her yet another night, but her breathing had returned to normal and she was understandably restless. And of course, neither Jenny nor I wanted to spend another night there.
A friend who had been through a similar experience with her daughter here in Hong Kong agreed that Nethersole tends to keep children there longer than other hospitals. Unfortunately, it’s one of the few that has a helicopter landing pad and a decent pedicatric unit.
So we brought her home and let her sleep in her own bed for a night. Jenny just got back from taking her to the clinic this morning. Maeli will be on a number of medications and inhaler treatments for the next week to help her heal. While we were at the hospital, Minda returned the kitten to the local animal clinic and gave the house a thorough cleaning.
In case you’re wondering, we don’t have health care insurance here. In fact, we’re in between proper visas, so we’re paying for this adventure out of pocket to the tune of HK$6,600 ($850 US). If our visas had been processed by now, it would have only been HK$250. Even at the “visitor” prices, I’m impressed with how inexpensive comprehensive health care is here in Hong Kong. Something I’ll miss if we return to the United States.
Finally, many thanks to all who expressed concern over the last two days. We truly appreciate the support and care of friends and family we have here and around the globe. It’s good to know just how small the world is sometimes.
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