it's day 3 in Room 1471 and i'm waiting to fart.
actually, i just did.
why this preoccupation with farting? because when you've had your guts cut into and rearranged, making sure your bowels are in working order is pretty damn important. so in addition to waking me up every two hours to check on my pain, they've also been asking me if i've farted, yet. and so, yes, i have. at 6.07 am, i have farted and my bowels are in good working order.
a word to the ladies of chicago: if you need work done, or need to have a baby, the new Prentice is the place to have it. i have a single room, a flat screen tv, access to my internet, a great view of the MCA and the lake and the nurses here are so super nice. the floors are hardwood, the walls are (wait, another fart) also wood and you'd think you were in a cute boutique hotel rather than a hospital.
being a patient is so alarming. the weakness is a surprise. realizing how vulnerable your body is - but also how resilient - is amazing. the day of my surgery, just 8 hours later, i could barely move my legs to the side of the bed. it took all my strength to lift my head from my pillow. but this morning, i've been up since 5, i've changed into my own gown and robe, washed up, peed (and farted!), walked around a bit, been examined and made my bed.
of course, the pain meds help, too. oh, the meds. i love you. you are my friend.
and i love my friends. they came en masse yesterday to visit and we had to close the door, we got a little loud. thank you, friends, and thank you to folks who've been emailing me their best wishes. they've been gratefully appreciated.
ok, i guess i should tell someone i've farted.
4 comments:
Mazel tov! Happy farts!
Good to hear what the new Prentice is like. Once when I was in the old Prentice, the floor I was on had previously been a psych ward, I think. The bathroom was...something. Somehow absent of anything that one could hang oneself with? And the room had dented walls and whatnot. I mean, it's better that they opened up an extra floor for OB/GYN rather than telling me "sorry, we haven't got any open beds," but that particular room was so dingy. The others were much better—though not remotely stylin' like the new ones.
You made your own bed in the hospital? Are you on crack, lady?
Do you get to order your own food from a menu? When I had PK they had Dove bars on the menu. Free Dove bars whenever I wanted them! Bliss.
Yeah, you made your own bed?? Glad to hear you're in a nice room and farting. And lucid enough to write even though you are in love with your meds.
Roomie's chiropractor told her that the Prentice has a bread pudding that they're known for. alas, i could not order the bread pudding because that was not on my menu.
i was on the boring, post-op menu, where they feed you food with absobutely no flavor while everyone else gets to have lasagna and mac & cheese.
it really was like a hotel; they had room service!
liza, it took me ages to write than post. i kept getting confused by the keyboard.
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