Experiencing the 3rd gate in my life – LIKE A BAD HANGOVER

                                          My first "sick/drunk" experience - Photo Herman C.

For Vietnamese version, click here - Đọc tiếng Việt ở đây:

Experiencing the 3rd gate in my life  – 
LIKE A BAD HANGOVER

Today, like any other day, is a beautiful day
This early morning, there is low flying fog
Then, the mellow sun warms the gentle space
My beautiful wife took me to the hospital for an Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD).
This is a medical procedure to see if the intestine has an ulcer or not
This is my first time to experience such a procedure, even though previously
I have witnessed what my parents went through.
Perhaps, this was another sign of me getting old.
What I fear most is the needle and withdrawing my blood, but now I have to face it
Herman Chan, a nurse took care of me and put the IV needle into my flesh.
Mindful breathing—taking deep and powerful breaths in and out—is the method I've used in every situation
And it was also effective in this case.
The IV needle was in the skin, and I felt the rushing of the Sodium chloride solution
My right arm started to pangolin (a burning sensation) and warmed up the skin.
I almost felt the loudness and quietness of the ocean waves.
Then I lay there relaxing, waiting for the endoscopy
In the operational room, two more nurses greeted me,
including a male Vietnamese nurse, named Lan Cao and a female Filipino nurse.
Dr. Yasser Al-Antably gave me an anesthesia (sedatives medication) and I started to feel drunk
I just remembered that they put something in the mouth to prevent my mouth closing and perhaps they put the "camera/endoscope" into it ... and I fell asleep...
I remembered the great Vietnamese poet Nguyen Du has taught us:
"When, late at night, wine fumes had all cleared off,
One’d start from sleep to sorrow for oneself.”
Being drunk can be suffering for you and for others, not only to torment each other.
So, moving forward
Do not over drink or get wasted.
Once at home, waking up, I still felt drunk.... no one in sight...
Except for my gentle and loving mom, who was sitting quietly near my bed with her worried eyes
In that "drunk" process, I remember vaguely how I got home and how long I slept
I only know that my brother-in-law, Le Minh Tue, drove me home
because they previously refused my admission without a driver.
Whatever happened in the process tarnished progression,
I don’t remember clearly.
No wonder the doctor told me not to drive or drink alcohol for another 24 hours.
Thus, the moral is DO NOT drink and drive since you have no control over you whatsoever.
The dawn
The loved ones around you
the chill wind or an old hill
and all things considered
or all existence - is simply beautiful.
For the first time on the sick bed, it is as if I experienced an old aging phenomenon.
Thus, life is fragile
and has many hurdles,
We will overcome its hardship with serene, mindful and optimistic attitude.

Sacramento, December 29th, 2012.