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Wednesday, November 9, 2011

In The Valley - Part 10

Reyla tells the Guardian that the next thing she remembers is being brought to their Chief.  Priya asks Reyla to describe how she felt upon waking.   Thinking back as she answers Priya.  "I was sore but otherwise  felt normal.  I noticed that my top was a bit tighter than normal but I just attributed it to swelling from where I was stabbed. Other than feeling slightly lightheaded, I felt OK."

I drift off to sleep as I listen to the Guardian's story. I am suddenly back in the hospital waking up after surgery.  Sharp, burning, pain radiates across my chest. My arm is weak from where the lymph nodes were removed. I am heavily bandaged across my chest and wrapped in an Ace wrap.  I try to move and the pain is so intense I want to cry but my throat is sore and dry.  As usual, I have been out for hours after surgery because I am difficult to wake from the anesthesia. The nurse tells me to eat ice chips to soothe my throat.  Cancer has begun leaving its marks on me.  It has taken my breast, what next.

The only family I have in this city is standing beside my bed when I awake.  She tells me that I did well in surgery and that the doctors will come to see me soon.  I cannot even think because of the pain.  I try to smile so she won't worry yet I only manage to grimace.  So I just whisper, "I'm OK".

The nurse tells me that I need to use a breathing machine when i try to cough.  She explains how to use the machine but I must be still high because it makes no sense to me.  I can't even move that little ball an inch.   I start to remember waking in recovery and being told to breathe. The next thing I remember is being painfully moved onto the hospital bed.  I'm told that was hours ago.  Guess I must have passed out.

I am told by the nurse that I can't have anything to drink until I am able to urinate.  Yet another indignity to endure, the bedpan.  It is hours before I can even attempt to urinate.  They have been pumping my body full of IV fluids.  The nurse is concerned that I have not been able to go so she does an ultrasound of my bladder.  She tells me that it is very full and I should try to go. 
 
That was an experience I don't want to repeat.  I started and stopped several times before I finally finished. I am running a fever so I am given medication which soon puts me back to sleep.  The next morning, the plastic surgeon removes the Ace wrap and changes my bandages.  Later, I am given juice and jello for breakfast.  I eat the jello.  I am not hungry.  The nurse helps me to get up and I slowly walk down the hall.  Dr. Beale is there when I return to my room.  He asks if I have eaten and I tell him only jello.  He orders the nurse to give me a regular meal. He also tells me to stay until the next day.

 As I am eating, I began to see dark spots and my head starts to hurt.  I am nauseous and cannot eat any more.  I tell the nurse what is happening and she tells me to try to rest.  It is so noisy in that hospital that resting is difficult. After a fitful night, I try to eat breakfast again  and the symptoms return.  After making arrangements to go home to my dark, quiet room so I can get over the headaches,  It takes hours for the nurse to bring my release papers.

Finally, I arrive home and immediately go to sleep in my nice quiet, dark room.  I return to the Guardian Gemira.  She continues her tale of battling the enemy that has attacked their home and its people.