A selection from
by William Martin
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this is page 175
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"Not at all. The first one will just be batting
practice. When he gets to you, he'll be all warmed
up."
A comforting image. I thought about it for a
moment and decided there was no point in finding anything new to worry about.
Rex went home shortly after the anesthesiologist
left, and I found myself, like Charlie Chaplin
in that famous picture, caught up in the gears of a
quite large and efficient machine. First came a
"clear dinner," consisting entirely of water in
several forms: Jell-O, pineapple juice, fruit ice, and tea.
Then came a steady stream of technicians, nurses,
and administrators. Aaron rearranged some items
in the room and asked me how many pillows I
thought I would need, recommending that I order
an extra just to hold against my stitches when I
coughed, to fight the pain. That proved to be an
excellent suggestion. Nick brought a plastic
device with a breathing tube attached and showed
me how to raise and suspend a little plastic float
for a second or two by inhaling and holding my
breath. He said I would find it a difficult feat after
the surgery, but must remember to attempt it
every hour or two whenever I was awake.
Another technician arrived with a wheelchair
and said he needed to take me to the X-ray lab.
He seemed surprised when I told him I could
walk. "Are you sure? It's on the third floor." I
end of page 175
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