Crawled Into the Hospital—4 Days Of Agony Before Recovery
Walked Out Slowly...With a Lesson on Health, Wealth, and Faith
I just got discharged yesterday from a 4-day stay in the hospital after a rough bout of gastroenteritis—think food poisoning, but worse. I’ll spare you the graphic details, but let’s just say I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
It hit me like a freight train: high fever, relentless vomiting AND diarrhea, full-body weakness and lightheadedness. The first day was the worst, I couldnt keep any fluids in my body, and I kept vomiting out all liquids.
At one point, I could barely stand. I literally crawled into the emergency department.
By the time I got to the hospital, I was so dehydrated that the nurses in the triage room had difficulty drawing out my blood because my blood has become too viscous and thick from the lack of fluids.
Yet, in the midst of it all, I felt strangely calm.
Not because I was strong. Not because it didn’t hurt. But because of two things: faith and preparation.
1. Health Is the Third Ultimate Resource
Over the years, I’ve come to see life’s true resources in this order:
God – Our source, anchor, and eternal security.
Our mind – The vessel God uses to think, discern, create, and make decisions.
Our health – The physical foundation that allows us to do what we’re called to do.
Health is often the most overlooked resource.
We burn it to earn wealth, only to later spend that wealth trying to get our health back. But in those four days in the hospital—disconnected, dehydrated, and humbled—I was reminded: without health, nothing else moves.
Have you heard of this saying?
We may have 99 problems…but when we’re unwell, we only have 1 problem.
2. Insurance Protects More Than Just Your Wallet
Here’s the second truth that landed hard and fast: my insurance paid for at least 95% of the full private hospital bill.
That’s not just money saved—it’s peace of mind secured.
I didn’t have to hesitate before heading to the A&E.
I didn’t have to Google whether I could afford a specialist.
I didnt have to wait hours and hours at the public hospital just to be seen or to get a bed.
I didn’t have to bargain with myself between comfort and cost.
I simply focused on one thing: surviving and recovering.
That’s the real value of medical insurance—it lets you show up and receive care with courage and clarity, instead of fear and financial stress.
What This Teaches Me (and Maybe You Too)
Prepare before the storm. No one plans to fall sick. But we can plan to be protected when we do.
You can’t earn if you’re in bed. Even passive income doesn’t matter if you’re flat on your back and unable to enjoy or steward it.
God’s grace covers the unseen. I could’ve gotten sicker. I could’ve gone uninsured. But by His grace and a bit of wisdom, I didn’t.
I walked into the hospital weak and thought I’d meet my maker that night (it was pretty bad for me, I couldnt even eat for at least 2 days, and it was the intra-venous (IV) drip that sustained me and re-hydrated me.
For the quiet lessons in suffering that remind us what truly matters.
If you’ve been putting off getting your health insurance in order, maybe this is your nudge. Not out of fear—but out of love. Love for your future self. Love for your family. Love for the calling you haven’t yet fulfilled.
I walked out lighter (literally), slower… but deeply grateful. For my health. For medical insurance coverage.
Stay healthy. Stay covered. Stay grounded in God.
– Nigel
View from my hospital bed where I lay 95% of the time during that 4 day stay