Sunday, October 21, 2007

Two Angels And One Devil

I checked in at the Oncology Department at 10:00. I was met by an oversealous oncology nurse. She said we were a few minutes behind schedule. It's not my fault. I was there fifteen minutes before the time.

She asked me if I have a companion. I said no one. But my brother is coming in the afternoon.
Then I looked around. Yeah, everyone in that waiting room had companions. To my right was a couple. The man was helping the wife filled out some forms.

To my left was a mother-daughter. The daughter was carrying the tote bag. In front of me was an elderly woman accompanied by a son, may be.

All seats were taken except one beside me. Some were practically standing up. No one approached me to ask if someone's taken the seat.

As I read the Business Week that I grabbed from the magazine rack, it also came to my mind. Why am I alone Lord? Alam naman ninyo, minsan it crosses my mind.

But it was my choice. I do not want to bother people if I can do it all by myself. Then I heard a voice. I thought it was the man seated next to the empty chair who was talking to me.

"But you're not alone. Seated beside you is the most qualified caregiver/companion." Your Angel.I looked at the seat. It was still empty. Is there anyone in that seat that I could not see? I got goosebumps. So I erased the thought balloon.

The oncology nurse fetched me and brought me to the prep room after I changed into a hospital gown. She put the IV. She explained it will be for the medication and sedative that they will later inject before the surgery. Hokey. The IV also would make feel full since I was fasting since the previous day. But with the liquid coming to my body, an equal amount should also come out. I rather hold the IV and go to the bathroom than using the bedpan. I got an embarrasing incident with bedpans. When I also had surgery back home, the nurse gave me a bedpan so I can pee. Then visitors came while the bedpan was under my ass, covered by the bedsheet. They stayed for almost an hour and the bedpan had already made an impression in my ass. *heh*

I have to wait for two hours before the process. They stabilized my blood pressure and waited
for diabetes medications to lower my blood sugar level.

All the time, the monitor and the keyboard of a pc was next to my bed. I remember Lorena. I like to blog . hehehe.

At 12:00 they wheeled me in to a big room where a big monitor for my heart, an ultrasound machine and five people were waiting for me. The doctor, the oncology nurse, two men
another female nurse.

They assembled the "operating table". It just looked like a long narrow table . What if you move and you fall to either side?

Then they attached contraptions on both sides for my arms which have been attached to the
IV, the heart monitor and the sphygmomanometer. Neat.

One male assistant was in charge of the ultrasound. They use the machine to exactly locate what they're going to remove and where. The doctor had to see where to make the incision.

While she's doing the "probe", the other female nurse whispered that I may feel drowsy and fall asleep. She already injected the sedative to the IV. I felt my eyelids becoming drowsy. I was thinking, sige nga tingnan ko nga kung kaya ninyo akong patulugin.

The doctor whispered to me that they would do it from by front abdomen. So the two male assistants got me ready.

There was the "devil". First he cleaned and sanitized the part where they're going to make the "cut". Then he covered me with those purple cloths except for the point marked x.
It was taking him too long to fix the cloths in my chest side. Every once in a while, he would brush his hands in my breasts. Aha, salbahe ka. He thought that I was alredy knocked out. I could not see the doctor and the other female nurses. Then I felt something in my private organ down below. Hindi kasama yon ha. Buti na lang nakatali paa ko.

The process begun. The female nurse asked me if I can feel something. I was about to shout. Yeah, I could feel the sharp object in my abdomen. And I thougt I was sedated.

After the surgery, the other male nurse was responsible for cleaning me up. It took a while because I was a bleeder. The "devil' had already left the room. This other male nurse had to put a lot pressure to the incision for the blood to stop before putting the bandage.

I was a little nauseous when the orderly brought me to the recovery room. Wow bonga. May nakasabit na maliit na TV monitor, there's music and the controls were in the bed. The nurse ordered food for me. Tuna and chicken salad.

A lady who's having a chemo was watching the TV and eating some snacks while seated in the
bed/cum/chair. I do not know the others but the oncology nurse had too many patients to handle and she was working 16 hours a day. It was not surprising that she forgot where she put my papers where they logged in my vital signs and degree of pain that I can take. Just tylenol for the pain. Other painkillers are a no-no.

Kaya when I moved, it's aray, aray pa rin. I have to cancel another doctor's appointment this Tuesday.

Oh the other angel. It's my brother. He came to bring me home.




cathcath's healing


Tags:
,

0 comments: