ODE TO SURGERY

The brain is not up to poetry, but this is still an ode to surgery. What a fascinating experience. Smooth operation from point A to Point E, above, just before my ride was coming to take me home. I needed no pain pills and didn’t have a whisper of uneasiness.
The nurses were dedicated and competent and smiled the whole time. I was very impressed at how hard they work; they multitask; they fill emergency demands with a smile; nothing seems to ruffle them.  I had a required four hours, plus a happenstance two more hours in the recovery room to watch the ballet of patients in, nurses attention, patients out; to get acquainted, to laugh and joke and meet the many players and watch various patients thread through their paces. Wake up. Sit up. Talk, cough, wiggle your toes and fingers.  A neck surgery, thyroidectomy, appendectomy, and ectopic pregnancy rupture, and so on. And, the drug ATM, a marvelous machine where drugs are dispensed by the scan of your wristband, thus assuring that the patient gets the correct drugs, no harried nurses error. Such a deal.
Throughout the hospital, The hand sanitizing stations are used by office workers, janitors, visitors and nurses alike. Dispensers are everywhere you look, and used repeatedly without the horrible dryness typical of the old harsh anti-bacterial scrubs. Gleaming, clean comfortable. I’m grateful for the marvelous care I got at St Joseph’s Hospital in Stockton.


On the way to surgery, my truck cab filled with smoke. I’d forgotten to release the emergency brake. I’ve owned that truck since 1994. Go figure. I arrived at my brother’s smelling like a roasted marshmallow. I stopped for gas and at the laundromat near the station was a couple waiting for their clothes to finish.  I couldn’t resist asking:  “Do you always bring your chicken with you to the laundromat?”  The guy obviously didn’t want his picture taken. She told me the chicken belonged to the nursery next door, which I figured. They feed it bread crumbs whenever they do their washing.
I slept deeply, woke up late. I’ve read a book and expect to be quiet and catch up on my reading for a week. Thanks to all of you for your good wishes and good cheer