My first clinical trial experience: Discharged!

Yes, I'm out from the hospital after my 1 day 2 nights stay at Loh Guan Lye Medical Centre. I went there to join a clinical trial study (Check out my previous post here.) and here I am... writing my experience for people to read lol. 

First off, Loh Guan Lye Medical Centre (Let's just call it LGL MC :P) is not actually their main centre to carry out these studies - they just rented it for the time being. 

Well, being a first-timer myself, I've done several mistakes that I think you can easily avoid by being aware of it before you actually reach the location for the clinical trial. Tips for first-timers:

1. Don't bring any food stuff or medication unless absolutely necessary. - They will do a bag search when you reach there and take away (the stuff taken will be returned to you after the completion of the study period) all prohibited stuff. You can still eat any food you bring right up to 12 midnight though. Unless you plan to do so or have like a gastric problem or something (I brought some Actal just in case my gastric flared up during the fasting period), save the hassle and don't bring any of the prohibited stuff. 
2. Water bottle is allowed, bring only plain water. - It's best to bring only plain water. Isotonic drinks are considered as 'food' and have to be finished before 12 midnight or they will take it from you. Energy drinks are a no-no since they contain Xanthine (They will inform you beforehand to not take any food/drinks that contain Xanthine before you join the study).
3. Bring some entertainment with you. - It will be a long, long wait, so bring your laptop/ smartphone with plenty of entertainment/work to keep you occupied. The internet is pretty fast there (I can play online games there lol) and does not block YouTube or games, but it does block torrent. You can bring movies to watch.
4. Bring toiletries and a plug extension! - The facilities there are pretty much complete, but you still have to bring your own personal items. I'd recommend you to bring a plug extension (just in case your charger is too far away from the electrical socket). 
5. A loose jacket. - The air-conditioning there is absolutely chilling, especially at night. Seriously. Having a loose jacket means you can roll your jacket sleeves up above your elbow. This is necessary for the cannulation which I'll be explaining later on. You can bring an extra blanket as well.
6. Be prepared for the fasting. - Eat a heavy dinner and if needed, bring a bun or bread for a late supper (must be eaten before 12am). 
7. Drink plenty of water. - You won't be able to drink water 1 hour before and after taking the medicine, so my suggestion is to drink plenty of water once you had the cannula inserted (before they take away your water bottle for the two hours). 
8. Put a warm water bottle to the place where you want the cannula to be inserted. - This helps the nurse to find your vein easily (and will relieve you from extra pain) - hence, no more multiple needle punctures = less pain. You can fill your bottle with hot water at the hospital - don't need to bring a thermos.
9. Bring a cup for gargling, mainly - Trying to wash your face or gargle with a cannula in one of your arm is bothersome since you might be trying very hard not to bend it at 45 degrees lol. So, in this case, a cup is very useful. (Further explanation in the paragraph below)
10. Take a bath BEFORE you get the cannula inserted - Trust me, this saves you loads of trouble of trying to wash yourself without bending/wetting your cannulated arm. This means waking up at 6 am (right after the morning call) and rushing to the toilet to bath first (if there are too many people). Or, you can get a plastic wrap for your cannula (to prevent it from being damp) from the staff if you really need to take a bath after having a cannula in your arm.
11. And just in case, bring a backscratcher or at least a very long, yet not that flexible ruler. - Seriously, it's no laughing matter. With a cannula in one of your arm (that I was trying very hard not to bend it too much) and you get a persistent itch at the back of your other arm's shoulders, it's hell! I had to use my ruler to scratch that itch lol.
12. Stuff that's available there: Water heater, hot, cold and warm water dispenser, clothes hanger x 1 (for your towel), thick blanket, wifi and the usual hospital stuff (bed, bedside table, drawers etc).

Since this is my first time being hospitalised, I'd say that hospital beds aren't really bad. The hospital smell (of medicine and detergents) doesn't come into the room -thank goodness! :) But you can expect not having a room to your own - dorms with curtains around your bed that you can pull if you needed the privacy. 

Okay now down to the 'bloody' parts lol... If you're not familiar with cannulation, google it up before going to the study. This is actually my first time having a cannulation as well and I gotta say, although I'm expecting it to be painful, it's no as painful as I thought. Once the cannula goes in, you'll feel throbbing pain there for around several mins to half an hour but be prepared for occasional pain throughout the day (As you move the arm). With a cannulated arm, you will quickly realise that you tend to rely on the uncannulated arm more and it does give you the feeling of the troubles that one-armed people has (to some extent). However, despite this, the arm with the cannula is still usable - you can still exert pressure using that arm or lift it up. Hence, I can still play games and type stuff lol :P 

But for bathing, it's a bit troublesome because you aren't supposed to get it wet and you'll need to wash yourself using only one hand. Cupping water for gargling after brushing your teeth is also a hassle since I try my best to not let my cannulated arm bend at 90 degrees. It's slightly painful to do so (and I can actually feel the needle lol) but it's doable.

The area around the cannula will feel sore, especially after blood was taken via the cannula or when you exert pressure using that arm. Oh and do not press the cannula - so you'll need to adjust your sleeping position in order not to accidentally press on it lol. 

If there are any blood leaking out or intense pain from the cannula, immediately raise your arm (the arm with the cannula) - this will slow down the blood leakage - then find the nearest nurse. Anyway, if you feel weird  or experience any weird symptoms after taking the medicine (for the clinical trial), go to the nearest nurse as well.

Well, I guess that's about it. I'm just sharing my experience with you all... who knows, we might see each other there one day lol :P

Check out my previous blog post on this clinical trial thingy: Human guinea pig. All of this are done to help more affordable medicine reach the market. So, it's a rather noble cause. :)