I was very nervous about this, but not because of the procedure. it's that 'slight' issue I have with the language and how people at that particular facility have treated me thus far: rudely, coldly and condescending. I had thought punkin would have been with me, but she'd decided to bail...
so, there I am, punkin had got me settled and went off to get the kids' lunch. my bracelet was attached, and the 2 a's in my middle name, marjaana, queried. I was wearing a hairnet and a gold foil blanket over some thin fibre sheet. it was amazingly warm. I had plenty to entertain myself with, i'd brought both a book and my phone. silly me, I thought i'd be able to use the phone for translating, but - naturally - there was no available service as punkin had declined it... so I played backgammon. still it got old real fast.
oh well, it ought not to take long.... it was almost noon....
yeah, right, what was I thinking, i'm in france! they're ALWAYS late, but eventually a tall, dark and handsome came to fetch me. after checking my name, making sure I really needed the 2 a's, we flew through the hallways like in a movie scene.
he parked me, wished me good day and left. then I was taken into the operating theatre, after once more going through the name and the 2 a's. inside there were people everywhere and I was introduced to at least 6 doctors,+ nurses, aids, whatever. they all marvelled at my name, asked about the 2 a's but once told I was a finn, they nodded as if that explained everything. yet only one had ever met a finn, and she'd been a swede at that. they were the most cheerfully lot one could wish for, I must have shaken a dozen hands. there was a woman to my left and man to my right. it was 1.36...
I was rolled into position, a cannula stuck into the vein at my inner elbow, a mask over my mouth (hang on now....?), sensors here and there. the mask was removed, the lines hooked up, 2 doctors smiled broadly "say good night!" "night!" I smiled and...
...woke up. looked at the clock: 2.12.
around me there were 8 people, still out cold, all wrapped in their gold foil, like specimens in a sci-fi movie. the staff was their break by the sound of it.
this was our bedding:
I loved the 'king tut' look!
after a few minutes I was told the diagnosis (i'll live), then handed photos of my insides and a detailed diagnosis in a letter to bring to my GP.
2 hours later punkin and the kids came to spring me, she had to sign me out.
and here i'd worried for nothing! I understood enough to get by and even when I got stuck, either was explained again, in a different way, or the person would know enough words in English that I could paste it all together.
