The Hospital

I woke up in my hotel in Santa Elena. I had been in the same room, in the same bed, for twelve days and counting, the longest I had ever stayed anywhere for 4 months. And the closest I have ever come to killing someone. The doctor had said only to walk around if absolutely necessary. Some people might say this is a good way to relax, take some time to rest and regenerate. I say this is a good way to become mentally ill. I felt like I was in captivity, creeping at insanity's door. I had gone a bit stir crazy. But I knew my options. The doctor had made it very clear: lose my mind, or lose my leg. Both would make travel plans a tad more difficult. Well, I was sure I'd already lost my mind somewhere around the age of 7 when I repeatedly got teased by everyone at school because my glasses were so big, so there was no devastating loss there. But my leg, that I wasn't so sure I could get back once lost. I was happy to wait and lay low for a while. Because it is Halloween, I would like to make this gem of a hospital extravaganza sound quite scary. But only for a precious minute I swear. Just take you to your Halloween Hell and back. A quick, friendly, "Boo!" Ready? You will walk to the hospital by yourself, and limp through the emergency doors. You will wait 2 hours to see a doctor with blood dribbling down your leg and onto the floor. A nurse will then escort you, hobbling, into a small operating room that reminds you of the movies when they have those medical tables they use to cut open and torture patients. The room is cold. She will clean your wound, causing you to experience one of the more painful events recorded in your recent history. When she has finished, you look down, horrified, and see for the first time the gaping, bleeding hole just below your knee. The damage you are dealing with finally hits you. The nurse looks at you, wide eyed, and before covering it up, she leaves you. Bleeding. Alone, shivering in the torture room. She went to get an english speaking doctor. And, another nurse. And Harry and Sally from reception, and pretty soon there are 6 people in the little room staring at you, watching as if you are a lab rat. When things settle down, the english speaking doctor finally says to immediately administer penicillin. Your wound cleaned and bandaged but painful just the same, the nurse has sat you in a chair while you await your clear, liquid fire. The nurse sets up the bag of penicillin in the stand and attaches the needle to the long plastic cord with flowing venom coursing through it. You watch as she slips the needle under the skin on the top of your hand, and then blackness. The power has gone out. It's almost over. Penecillin burns. When first introduced into your bloodstream, it feels like someone has slid a searing hot butter knife into your arm and is waving it from side to side inside your veins. You sit in complete darkness as you feel a hot, wriggling snake slither up your arm. The power has come back on again. Your arm seething, you say to the nurse that it is a little uncomfortable, but she has already sped up your drip in order to save time. That turns the temperature in your arm up to about that of the sun, and the butter knife has become a scalpel. The power goes out again, and all you can do is sit, silently in darkness until it's over. That's enough from Hell I think. Happy Halloween! Let's go back to normal now shall we? Well, now I am almost completely healed. The events I just described to you did indeed happen like that, but it really wasn't as bad as you might think. I had to come back to get my leg cleaned every morning for twelve days, making the hospital my second home for that time. After the first few days I was referred to a specialist named Pedro. He was ridiculously good at his job. He was also old, and quite funny. It was enjoyable seeing him everyday. Just to assure you, the pain in my leg only lasted for around 2 days and then it only hurt if you poked it. That bit was mostly for my mother. And as I said I am almost fully recovered. I can officially get on with my raucous adventuring, my sightseeing in Venezuela. Let the risky undertakings begin. With love, P.S: I have included a picture of the hallway in the hospital, as well as one of me in my torture room. I hope this doesn't give you too much of a fright. AND: Not all of you know that I am getting a few of my articles published!! Click these: http://expertscolumn.com/content/hospital-halloween-story http://expertscolumn.com/content/love-aboard-captain-morgans-ship http://expertscolumn.com/content/venezuela-brazil-border-unfortunate-event Click them, read them a million times, send them to all your friends, and comment all you want! Happy Halloween, The Clinically Insane, Newly Recovered Patient.