Fall \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Harvest Moon<\/p>\n
Drove into the city yesterday to Abbott-Northwestern Hospital. \u00a0Checked in and had to add, along with my name and date, the time to several spots on various pieces of paper.<\/p>\n
After a brief wait, I went to the area for ritual preparation of the sacrifice, removed all my real world clothes and exchanged them for a purple garment made of paper. \u00a0Many people asked my name several times, my surgeon, Dawn Johnson, came and autographed my groin. \u00a0A nurse\u00a0anesthetist\u00a0found a big vein, asked if she could use it and I said sure.<\/p>\n
The IV went in there. \u00a0Then, the first of the Versid. \u00a0It could better be named Lethe after the river of forgetfullness that flows through Hades for that’s its function. \u00a0I saw the operating theater. \u00a0Felt them lay my arms out in a cruciform manner. \u00a0“Just like an execution,” I said. \u00a0“Oh, no. \u00a0I don’t think so,” a nurse said. \u00a0It was, though.<\/p>\n
There was a large tray with many sharp instruments, a number of tables and screens and such that looked as if they stayed there between operations, waiting for some future use. \u00a0Above me were two lights with mica like scales, I assume to give even, penetrating light.<\/p>\n
There were scratch marks on the giant arms that held the lights.<\/p>\n
Then, I woke up as my gurney careened (to me) down the hall passing light after light, door after door, the sacrifice already given and I missed the whole thing. \u00a0Forgot it.<\/p>\n
In the recovery room my nurse’s name was Helen, whose face launched a thousand ships. \u00a0My consciousness danced in and out, opening the screen, then closing it. \u00a0Kate came back and I was very glad to see her.<\/p>\n
By 2:30 pm we were in the Rav4 and headed back to Andover. \u00a0We drove in, something happened of which I have no memory, only wounds and we returned to our house.<\/p>\n
Where, since then, I have been in the care of nurse, nurse anesthetist, pediatrician\u00a0and after hours physician, Kate. \u00a0It’s been good to be in her ward.<\/p>\n
Now, with the aid of Vicodin, I ride through the adaptations my body must make to this insult. \u00a0But, an insult with a purpose. \u00a0The hernia repaired and a mesh installed. \u00a0Or, so they tell me.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fall \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 Harvest Moon Drove into the city yesterday to Abbott-Northwestern Hospital. \u00a0Checked in and had to add, along with … Continue reading Surgery, I had, they tell me<\/span>