About 3 to 4 days ago, I had a cyst on my right elbow. The cyst broke. Then, or maybe before, I'm not too sure, there was swelling on my right arm. Pretty soon almost the whole of my right arm was inflamed.

I felt a little pain when I straightened my right arm, but it wasn't too bad. I had figured it was just an insect bite or something, 'cause around that time, I was learning how to park the 3 tonner at one particular isolated area in SAF Driving Centre which is totally infested with insects, mostly mosquitoes.

So a day went by, then two, and the swelling worsened. I had wanted to report to the Medical Centre, but during that time, my groupmates and I were only returning to Sembawang Camp at about 9 pm, thus going back in our bunk at about 10 pm, with half an hour left before lights out. If I had gone at night, I would most probably be back earliest maybe at 12 am or 1 am. And I would have to wake up at 5 am later on to get ready for training. I had thought the problem wasn't serious, so I figured waiting until I booked out before going to see a doctor wouldn't be a big deal.

Thursday at about 3:05 pm, I noticed that the Hansaplast that I had plastered on my right elbow was dripping liquid. Sitting down beside the Site Office at Kaki Bukit Driving Centre to check my wound, I found that the Hansaplast was soaked. I took it off and when I touched the area near my wound, pus and blood oozed out as one. Quite a bit of them too. And for quite some time as well.

So, that was after tea break. And before my driving training. My instructor saw my wound and asked if I felt okay to drive, and I said I did, even though a bunkmate said he thinks that I shouldn't drive. Put on another Hansaplast and went for my driving lesson.

About halfway through the lesson, the pus+blood combo started dripping on my pants. And at another point of the lesson, I was too slow in stopping at the red light and had to jam-break. Which resulted in my body being jerked forward, where my right elbow hit the driver's door.

A quick check showed it dripping more yellowish-red liquid.

After the red traffic light, I was to make a U-turn. And once I was done with the U-turning (which is not easy, mind you, what with my inexperience and the 3 tonner's messed up condition), my instructor asked if I wanted to stop for a while (he noticed the somewhat bloody mess). I said I was okay to continue since it was time to go back to KBC from Bedok anyway.

Reach KBC at about 4:50 pm. Dismissed for dinner and came back at 5:25 pm. Those who had passed the Highway Situational Problems test were allowed to leave, but those who failed had to stay behind for a quick revision. I had failed due to the fact that the Staff Sergeant who tested me gave me trick questions (as agreed with my fellow groupmates).

Stayed behind until 6 pm. I had called my dad to pick me up and send me to the nearest hospital since Polyclinics are closed and private clinics cost money. Hospitals don't cost anything since I'm in the Army. Haha. :P

At that time, I still didn't think my wound and swelling was anything serious, though. Went to Changi General Hospital and was told by the doctor that my wound was serious and needed to be operated on. I was told that I had to be warded and I would need to stay maybe one or two days.

I was highly depressed. Just booked out, didn't have a good day, hadn't been having good days, was looking forward to the Public Holiday, but went straight from one confinement to another different confinement.

Was operated on at 12:10 am. They removed all the um, stuff, that they found in my right elbow and after I finally really woke up from the General Anesthesia (I was awakened a few times before I was ready because they needed to tell me something or tell me to move, etc etc) at 7:30 am, I was told that I was going to be discharged at 1 pm.

They gave me 10 days MC from 20th Jan until 29th Jan. I will be missing all the trainings that I had tried not to miss. How ironic. During these 10 days, I will need to go for daily wound dressing changes at a Polyclinic or any nearby clinics. Luckily Woodlands Polyclinic is only about 5 minutes walk away from my place.

And on Monday one of the Instructors-In-Charge from KBC will be fetching me from my place to Sembawang Camp to get my MC endorsed. And anytime during the weekdays, any of my Sergeant Majors could show up at my door just to check up on me, ie. spot check on me.

All these just because of one cyst on my elbow that broke and got infected.

And guess what?

There's another one forming on my left elbow.

I'm not kidding you.