Memoir

           

 The clock struck three o’clock in the afternoon in early February of 2017, the air was cold but not completely freezing. The type of cold that pants and a long sleeve shirt could keep you warm in.  However, I wore shorts that day, my pants could not fit around the large mechanical brace that was stabilizing my knee.  At about this time I was laying down on a hospital bed in the surgical unit of the orthopedic care center in Easton MA, my mind is running faster than a cheetah with nervous thoughts about what was about to happen. With my mother sitting in the chair next to me, we waited in an uncomfortable silence for the nurse to walk in.  

            The curtain pulls back, “how are you feeling today?” asks the nurse.  “Hungry, very hungry” I reply, “good I take it you followed orders and haven’t eaten since 10 last night?” the nurse asks again.  “yeah it was very hard to do I hope you know” I reply again with a nervous tone.  But it wasn’t the fact that I didn’t eat that made me nervous.  I was about to go through my first surgery ever in my life on what my orthopedic surgeon told me was one of the largest bucket handle tears he has seen.

            My right medial meniscus was torn almost halfway across and most likely couldn’t be repaired.  So, I had a right to be a little nervous.  I remove the large brace from my leg with help from the nurse, my knee was stuck in a slightly bent position, the torn piece was lodged in between my femur and knee cap, making laying down in that bed even more uncomfortable.  The pain I was in was almost unbearable, and I have spiral fractured my fibula, and hairline fractured the same one right after I recovered.  I have felt pain before, but none like this.

            The nurse had my mother fill out questionnaire and sign off on the surgery, meanwhile three more nurses entered the room.  The original nurse stood on the left side of the bed while the other three stood on my right.  They tried to distract me by talking about football and I was slightly thrown off guard when out of the corner of my eye I saw the other nurse preparing something.  I looked sharply to the left and saw a bright blue plastic package with a small needle in it. Immediately I knew what was happening, “my mom told you I didn’t like needles, didn’t she?” I asked.  Everyone laughed.  “Yes” the nurse said, “don’t worry it won’t be that bad”.

             I was not worried about getting the IV, the problem was that in my mind the needle would stay in my body and I would move my arm and cut the vein on the inside.  When I expressed my concerns about the needle she gave a demonstration.  The needle was practically a vessel used to insert a flexible plastic tube that stayed in place no matter where I moved my arm.  Feeling more comfortable I decided to take up the conversation about football while I was administered the IV, I felt a slight pinch but it was nothing worse than a normal flu shot I would get during my physical each year. 

             The IV was in and I was feeling good, the worst part was done all that was left was the surgery. Then a male nurse came in, he had a shaven head with a scruffy beard and carried a red bag.  “He is the one who is going to put you to sleep” said the nurse.  “With what? One of the tools he’s got in that bag?” I joked. “Actually, yes.” said the male nurse.  At that point he pulled out a needle that had to be 2 inches long and a half inch thick.  My eyes got wide with fear, everything about needles that I was scared about came back to me.  I started to move like I was going to get up off the bed, then I remembered that I couldn’t walk so it turned out to be a nervous shift.

            The nurse laughed “don’t worry” she said, “that is not going anywhere near you, that’s how he puts the anesthesia into the IV”.  The sweat that had been running down my face quickly dissipated an I felt better once again.  The anesthesia felt cold when it got to my veins, it was almost soothing like taking a cold shower after a long workout on a muggy day.  I said, “see you in a bit” to my mom and then the bed was moving.

            The sleep drug had already hit my system and I started to feel tired, “where are we going” I asked.  “To Disney World buddy, to Disney World” said the nurse.  I laughed and kind of shook it off, but part of me also believed him.  It had to be the drugs in my system, I was already feeling loopy.  The doors opened and for some reason I exclaimed “YOOOO WHAT IS UP GUYS!” to the doctors.  They all laughed and asked how I was feeling, “tired” I replied. “good you’ll be going to sleep soon just close your eyes and the surgery will fly by” said Dr. Palvovich, my surgeon.  As soon as I was in place for the surgery to begin I was asleep and on my own way to Disney World.