ggrrrglrrggllrg… pfft…

cliclick…

shift weight, squrrrshh damp sheets, look down, grenades full, buzz call button

rrglglgrrg movement, waking redpink puff protruding from swollen skin under transparent plastic can see the peristalsis in-and-out altered biology, protean, mostly water, mainline of saline and leaking liquids from every orifice and incision. Dry bitter sleep taste, take a sippp

grrgllggglrggrrg… pffffft…

plastic bag ballooning a bit, if vital organs unnecessary then what constitutes?

Door open, nurse, “Hey, you buzzed?”

“Yeah, my drains are full, I fell asleep and they overflowed.”

“Oh, okay, no worries I’ll empty those for you, and we’ll get you some clean sheets, stat..”

He quickly left and came back with drainage supplies.

“How’s your pain?” 

“It’s okay, my stomach is starting to move a little bit.”

“Oh, I see, some gas, that’s very good news, we’ll be able to upgrade you to a soft GI diet, maybe for breakfast tomorrow. And that means we’ll take out the catheter soon so you can go for a walk, sound good? Speaking of which, gotta empty that too.”

“Yeah, sounds good, thanks.” Tethered in every direction, wish I could just cliclick…

but can’t fall asleep until they change the sheets.

“Alright, Let’s get you dry and on to the chair so they can change the bedding. I’m gonna bring the IV and the rest of your bags over to this side, okay?”

“Thanks, also the compression stockings.”

“Right,” krrtcchh velcro off my calves, free to move but can’t engage core muscles, lower the bed with remote, twist hips to swing feet with momentum and hold onto the armrest to slide over into the chair.

“Okay, and I’ll have someone come in with new bed sheets, just a minute.”

“Thanks.”

“Anything else you need?”

“Could use some Nystatin powder for a couple red spots.” chchchch
“Okay, I’ll bring some in shortly.”

Open the laptop connect, well wish messages from sister at school and other friends… oh! and one from Tara:

Hey, Paul said you just had surgery, just wanted to let you know that we’re all thinking about you and can’t wait to see you again when you return. Feel better!

! 

She graduated, see me again? Maybe got a job in town or a research position with a professor. Have to do the next surgery and maybe another depending on my surgeon’s decision. Could be back by next fall, in the loop healthy and stable, walk in the woods off the grid, soccer, parties, see Tara again…

Door opened, staff member with bedding, “Hey champ, how’s it going? Got some clean sheets for ya.”

“Thanks, I’m alright, how you doing?”  

“Good man, same old, another day, you know? You had an okay night?”

“Yeah, slept through it for the most part.”

“That’s great, that’s what we want.”

Quick hands stretch pulled precise hospital corners.

“Alright, should be good to go. Let’s get you back into bed.” Up from the chair with the armrests, grabbed his forearm and he helped me sit back down on the lowered bed. Difficult to move a couple feet right now, hope I can go for a walk when Tom comes to visit tomorrow.

“Alright, you good?”

Compression stockings back on? Too constricting.

“Yea, all set. Thanks.”

“For sure, feel better okay?”

“Will do.”

Slide down into cold fresh clean sheets, move legs to make friction and warm them up, find the button…

cliclick…

               .

               .

– – –