Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Day 3 and we’re not really sure of much. What food ingested carried the offending virus that lay in wait and attacked Wei in a moment of weakness that caused the devilish yellowing of the eyes and face? Which of the ABCDE types of hepatitis is it? How long would it take and would medical insurance cover it?
What is for certain is that the authorities are concerned. All of a sudden Wei’s liver has become political. The street “hospital” called me today and asked detailed questions about the possible cause of his hepatitis, urging me to boil everything and change everything Wei used, requesting a germbuster squad be allowed to cleanse our place. Does one feel reassured or disturbed about this breach of privacy by the hospital?
There is a dearth of entertainment options at bed 24, floor four of the infectious diseases unit, Zhabei district hospital. Wei is simultaneous pleased at my presence and jittery about contagion. He is as usual, far too serious about what I think are farcical concerns – “this place is full of germs!”…
December 21, 2006
Things took another change for the worse. The morning cookathon was a breeze, that is, until 9:02 when another one of those course-altering SMS’s came. Wei has hepatitis B, the B may as well stand for Blasted, Bloody, Bingo, for all the connotations and stigma it raises in contemporary Chinese society. Worse than AIDS, writes one blogger on Sina. Wife has hep B, husband files for divorce, goes another headline. When will the discrimination cease? Come the media cries.
Thankfully we are one of those insular couples. We don’t need mahjong/poker partners or dinner companions. Wei doesn’t need to face persnickety employers. I would no less divorce him over this than I would bite off my own head.
December 23, 2006
An interesting exercise, to google the same thing in Chinese and English – for example, hep B. The Chinese pages are as numerous as China’s carriers of the virus, with advice ranging from disinfecting everything, stop having sex, eat more celery, don’t believe in scam doctors, to the intricacies of how you can detect absolute recovery, many more are dedicated to fighting discrimination. Meanwhile, the US government says nothing about isolating patients with the disease, advocates bed rest and a balanced diet, the UK government says there’s nothing wrong with sharing cups or crockery. When Wei tried to walk me out of the ward today, a nurse asked – suspiciously, “where are you going?”, as if he would try to make an escape.
I am alternating between being rocked to my core about this disease, and again, maintaining that surface calm. When avian flu is taking up press space and air time, the size and seriousness of this potentially fatal disease – goes unnoticed. Perhaps that’s why billionaires set up funds for certain diseases – the proximity to oneself stuns one into action. China needs to set up regular screenings for this disease. Dentists like the one where Wei contracted the virus should be ordered to conduct proper sterilization. Do people even realize what a horror it is to get hepatitis and how important one’s liver is?
Our home – once sparkling, alive with our energies and laughter, now gathers dust in silence for most of the day. It is my crash pad. I look at the forlorn cake-making utensils in the cupboard. It is funny how I love to bake when Wei is home, but now cannot imagine spending a pleasant few hours pottering around the kitchen alone. I only use it to cook one meal a day, the lunch I take to Wei. The dining table is now storage space for things to take to hospital. The internet – once a shopping paradise for our trip needs, a 24 hour booking service for hotels and plane tickets, is now a mine of information about the disease.
If hope was anything, if prayers were worth anything, I hope and pray that Wei gets well soon. | 
发表于 2007-1-3 10:33
