Days 2-9 - the hospital

As I said at the end of my previous post, my time in the hospital is very amorphous. A combination of morphine, percocets, and who knows what else has made for some gaps in my memory. I do remember how absolutely incredibly awesome my nurses were. Marrin and Mona Lisa (not a nurse, but just as unbelievably awesome), and Helen were there during the day, and most nights Jay took care of me. The multi/non-religious chaplain Alex came by every few days, and even arranged for the gorgeous cheering-up collies to come stand outside my door (I wasn't allowed to pet them as 18% of my body was burned). Vic was my first visitor, Diana and Chris came to entertain me (though I may have ended up entertaining them.... this is one of the visits I don't really remember), and the incredible Stephanie Newton also came. I think. Oh! Dan's parents both came, and Dan was there often. My family was there every day, and my parents were incredible.

My medication caused constant half dreams; I'd close my eyes for just a second and people would be there, talking to me or giving me things and I'd stretch my arm out and wake myself up to find that no one was there. It got very frustrating. At one point I apparently had a dream about miniature whale-rabbit lesbians. Don't ask me, I don't know. Along the lines of the half dreams, I would apparently insert completely random statements into my conversations (obviously they made sense to me...). At one point I was talking to my cousin Aaron (I don't remember this) - we were having a nice long conversation, and all of a sudden I said "And then I had SPLINTERS in my PAWS!" My mom took the phone away from me after that, haha. I also had a very hard time maintaining focus on one thing. Dan and I played Battleship one night, and I had to constantly ask if I'd already gone and whose turn it was. I had huge blisters on my right hand that I was always asking my parents to take pictures of. I think it was the way the light looked through them that I was interested in... plus just how weird they looked.

The biggest thing I remember is that they told me that key to my recovery would be walking. Getting myself out of bed and walking up and down the hall. Mona accompanied me the first time, and came looking for me the second time when I overstretched myself and had to sit in a lounge at the end of the L that is the burn center. She was also the one who reassured me when I left puddles with every step I took with my right foot. Helen did my hair when my dad realized he didn't know how to execute a simple ponytail, and Marrin's constant good cheer helped me stay in good spirits. Jay's jokes and teasing made him one of my favorite nurses.

On the 3rd, we heard early fireworks late one night, and Jay turned my bed so I could see them out the window - I don't really remember them, but I remember someone coming in to take a blood sample and Jay saying to wait until the fireworks were over.

It wasn't all great though. I had a lot of nausea, and at one point was sitting in the shower having my dressings changed when a wave hit me. It happened to be that there was a group of students (and my doctor, though I didn't know it) in the bathroom too, looking at my burns when I called for a bucket. One of the students was faster than Helen (lucky for me!), and all of them got a thorough lesson on my excellent puking skills.

I basically had to relearn walking. As Jay said, we didn't have to reinvent the wheel, just relearn it. While my leg wounds were still open, that was extremely painful. My family often slowly walked down the hall with me as I hobbled along, encouraging me the whole way.

Oops, no good Nooreen - end on a high, not a low! The situation (and medication) brought out the teaser in me, and every opportunity I got ("Okay Nooreen, I'm heading out. Can I get you anything before I go?") I would ask, completely serious and deadpan, for a pony. Tee HEE. At one point Jay and Marrin said I was up for 'Patient of the Year', and I asked if the prize was a pony. ;)

This post is a work in progress... I'll add more as I remember things from the hospital.