I just read through this topic over two months later. It seems like something that happened to someone else, but I read about or saw the movie..
I know I moaned about the food and I suppose they do have patients with sodium related issues and cut back the seasoning. The nurses were utter stars as they always are. I have not been sick often, but had one frightening experience over 30 years ago where I nearly died. The British National Health Service and the most wonderful nurses kept my alive. I won't get into politics other than to say both the NHS and the nurses are treated shamefully. I love them all. I did have a couple of odd experiences in Chinese hospitals many years ago, but remember absolutely nothing about the food. In retrospect, those visits (2005 and 1997) seem amusing. Perhaps this year's will do the same some day.
Less sure about some of the doctors. Some were nice, but the guy in charge of my case was an arrogant prick, who misdiagnosed several times and actually told my daughter in London (indirectly) that I had heart failure! My ailment was not in the slightest bit heart-related. Naturally, my daughter completely freaked, booked her ticket from London to China to take back my remains before I was able to tell her I was fine, but starving!
It did take a few weeks to get back to full strength and regain the weight that I lost. I'm a skinny thing at the best of times, despite my eating habits. One Chinese colleague once told me that "All the female staff want your body!" I told him to tell them to queue up outside my apartment door and I'd see what I could do! To my great disappointment he only meant they wanted to lose weight.
I just want to say now, that the hospital nursing staff were a delight and also all the eG people who wished me well and hoped for my speedy return to normality really helped in the darkest times. Thank you. I also want to thank my two dear friends, the first of whom took me to the hospital in the first place and stayed with me all night despite having a busy work schedule the next day. And also my dear friend J, who was away on business during my hospital time, but looked after me when I got home. Love them both.
OK, before this sounds like an Oscar acceptance speech, I will just say again. Thank you.
