The saline drip continued long after the man in white had packed up his tools and left. For the beginner its operation is a real novelty how the small wheel controls the rate of flow, and how different people prefer different rates. I didn’t know how fast it was meant to flow, but I always made a mental note of its original speed, thinking that I could make sure that it kept dripping like that when I was alone.
It seemed so important to me. In the early days I spent sleepness nights, keeping vigil on the endless dripping, regularly altering the mechanism.
I was far too concerned.
The drip would stay in place for stretches of up to twelve hours at a time, and it was very uncomfortable at first. It is a strange experience walking to the bathroom with your IV. drip stand trailing behind.
I had no recollection of the last time I had vomited, and nausea seemed a mild discomfort. I could put up with both, to achieve full recovery. At this time I still did not really understand the disease or my future prospects, so in a relaxed state of mind, I fell into a dream. About an hour was to pass before I really felt sick.
Pale yellow which bordered on colourless would best describe the walls. The brightness they reflected was hated each morning as it supplemented the even fluorescents prematurely fired into action. I never appreciated the early starts to hospital routine. It seemed ludicrous that I should be awoken at 7 a.m., only to lie looking at the ceiling for much of the day. I understood the reasons why, some days later.
My bed was designed for good posture rather than comfort, with its wooden support for a relatively thin mattress. Its hardness took several nights to get used to. It was a temperature controlled environment, where only one blanket was usually required.
Violent vomiting followed very soon after nausea had taken hold. It was then that I discovered the real function of the stainless steel kidney dish that had previously held my watch. Was it going to be big enough? It seemed so small.
Revulsion hit me.
This is quite a write, thank you for sharing this.