My New Birthday- February 20th, 2017

 

So I am reborn- my new birth date is Monday, February 20th, 2017, 7:15am!

But let’s go back a few hours – the process… my last full meal was around 5:30pm Sunday, give it a minute or two each way.. The “supper”- overdone chicken, a bit of mash and gravy and green beans- well not the best of “noshes” – but this is going to havta hold me for at least several days.

 

 

The  first wash- about and hour later, a tech comes into my room to assist me in disrobing. ALL clothes off. I am instructed to wash everything, from between the toes to between what nature gave me. My entire bed is taken apart and remade with clean linen. A few friends stop by to give me strength, Meredith Johnson, her friend Tim, Barbara Williams and her son
Khalid, my best pal Wayne Hypolite and of course the finest Brother a guy could ever want, Harvey Leon Frydman. I am provided the much beseeched tranquilizer- but my gaze still follows the minute hand hour after hour.

The second wash begins around 4am, starters- an entire shave and back hair cut- it takes this poor petite woman over an hour to do the “shave”- yep everything- modesty is out the door at this point. That is followed by another major scrubbing down from head to toe- clean clean and more clean. I remember getting some pre medications- but I don’t remember what they were. 6am, I am taken down from the 9th floor to the 5th floor to await the “operating theater”. All the folks in ICU are ultra nice- the “mantra” as on each floor, “what is your name, what is your day of birth”?

I am wheeled into the O. R. large open, cool, sterile. I am asked to scoot me behind from the day bed to a smaller cradle. The very last thing I recall is the beehive style operation lights floating above me. That’s it- i don’t remember anything else that took place – No sense of time, place or existence- yet I am reborn.

As I wake my brother Harvey is by my side, “Ya did good”, you’re fine”. Breathing tubes immediately harass me. PULL THEM OUT!! yet they stay. Dr. Martinez stops by- gives a thumb up- it will be a few days later that I can actually tell this man- “Thank you for saving my Life”! YOU SAVED MY LIFE! Oh my god! Thank you!

It’s a few days later- my throat is still scratchy- I heal….

The next chapter, the healing process  and then onto Duncaster for rehab – situated in the beautiful hamlet of Bloomfield, Connecticut!!