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| I was alone when I woke up in ICU. It didn't take long to remember where I was and why. It was apparently after visiting hours because the lights were dim, and none of my family were in the room with me. I wasn't feeling any pain so I gently tried to raise my legs one at a time to see how they were and if they were still there. My first burn so I didn't know what to expect. I was too weak to get them up but there was no pain when I tried, so I wiggled my toes. I sounded a mental "YEAH!" because I could feel my toes and that meant my legs were still attached. Next, I tried raising my arms, gently. I managed to get a look at them one at a time. From what I could tell they were bandaged from the shoulders down, and were strapped to some kind of board in a straight position. I could raise my head enough to see that my feet and legs were bandaged in the same manner. I couldn't raise up too far because of something across my chest. As I looked around the room, I could see a clock on the wall to my left, and an IV stand on my right. I wondered where my family was, and how the kids were taking this. Over and over, thoughts of the accident would flash through my mind and I would push them away because they were too frightening. A nurse padded in and checked the monitors and my vital signs. We didn't talk because there were three tubes running through my nose down the back of my throat that were pressing against my vocal cords. I couldn't even whisper (As mouthy as I've become, I bet there are some who wish the tubes had remained permanent). One of the tubes was from the breathing machine and went to my lungs. The other two were run to my stomach for food and medicine. The nurse could see that I was awake, and she told me her name, but I don't remember what it was. I stared at the syringe she was about to inject into my IV and she said, "This is morphine for the pain." Finishing that, she softly padded out, and I was alone once more. I was feeling very much afraid, and was relieved when the drug started to take effect, and I drifted into forgetful oblivion. My family was standing over me when I came to the next time. I was glad to see them. Of course I couldn't talk or ask all the questions that were screaming in my head, but they answered most of them when they brought me up to date on my surgery and prognosis. They asked me if I were in any pain. All I could do was shake my head no, but at least I could still do that. I was under heavy sedation so I don't remember anything that was said except that. |
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