The Trip to the Hip
A story about my experience with total hip replacement surgery.
A story about my experience with total hip replacement surgery.
2AM
Still so restless and now the pain in my gullet was competing with the dulled down pain of my hip. I twisted my body as much as possible trying to find a comfortable way to move the air collecting in my belly. I stretched my hand over my head. I arched my back. I moved the bed to sit up higher. I moved the bed to lay flatter. Nothing worked. Then it hit me. This pain wasn’t air; it was hunger. I hadn’t eaten anything since 7:30 PM the night before surgery. I had been too sick to my stomach to brave hospital food, but now my body was rebelling. I buzzed for the nurse. “What can I get you?” she asked.
“You know when you asked me about having some broth or something…. I think I’m hungry now and that’s why my stomach is bothering me.”
“Do you want me make you some broth?”
“Please. I think it will help.”
When she returned a few minutes later she brought a cup of hot chicken broth, a couple of packages of wheat crackers and some string cheese, and set them on the moveable table tray in front of me. I flipped on the TV and watched some late night show while I consumed my feast. The soup was like a salve going down my throat. It was like my stomach was waiting for it with the open arms of a woman greeting her man home, after a long trip at sea. I alternated between the crackers and the string cheese trying to eat as slowly as I could because it felt so good, so soothing. I think the Tylenol also had something to do with the sudden feeling of comfort. My eyes began to feel heavy and I caught my head bobbing more than once. Finally, I fell asleep, deep asleep, with a cracker in my hand.
Tuesday was over.
