Friday, May 20, 2011

May 16, 2012

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5:30 A.M. I've been up for an hour. Josey continues to do pretty well, just a mild fever. The antibiotics are doing their thing, especially since the raging infection was cut away. I never would have thought I could do such a thing, but as they say, "necessity is the mother of invention". Yesterday I was just a simple man, and today I'm a surgeon. May I never have to repeat the experience so long as I live...

8:30 A.M. The three of us have had breakfast. Once again, Kevin has fixed us a delightful meal from what storage goods we have stashed. Powdered eggs and spam, mixed up with bacon bits, dried onions and peppers, with a side of instant potatoes. A meal fit for a king, given the circumstances. Josey woke long enough for a few mouthfuls and half a bottle of water, which put my mind somewhat at ease. I know she's dehydrated, and still a bit "shocky". Far from out of the woods yet, but improving.

After she fell back asleep I checked her wound. It looks good, if that can be said of something so horrendous. I cleaned it with alcohol, changed the dressing, then propped her stump up on a pillow to keep it elevated. There is a lot of swelling, which is to be expected I suppose, but the skin is not off color. Nor is there any discharge other than a little blood.

1:00 P.M. Kevin shot a rabbit this morning, and it's meat was mixed up with some canned veggies for a soup. It was delicious, and Josey had nearly a bowl full. She's doing very well, thank God. She's drinking more, and the color is returning to her face.

Her temperature is down to 99.9 degrees. I'm hopeful that the worst has passed, and I can soon fabricate some sort of prosthetic to get her up and walking again. She's a spirited woman, and being bed-ridden is not on her agenda. She's already griping that us men folk have no sense of cleanliness or organization as far as the camper is concerned.

10:15 P.M. Josey is asleep after dinner and a round of pain killer and antibiotic. I cleaned up while Kevin tended to his Mom.  Then I stepped outside for a couple shots and some "unwind" time. Didn't realize it 'til just now, but I was wound up tighter than a drum. This whole ordeal has tested me to the limit, and now I can definitely feel the effects...

As I sit here outside in the cool night air under a star lit sky, I've had time to reflect on what's happened. Seems to me that I simply went "robotic". All emotion was swept aside, and my actions were almost automatic. I did what I had to do, no more, no less. And when it was done; when I was satisfied the danger had pretty much passed, the emotion came flooding back in. Like a ton of rock dropped on me all in an instant. Maybe that's how a soldier felt in the heat of battle, cold and calculating. When the battle was through, the weight of it all came crashing down on top of him. I can only speculate of course, having never seen combat. Then again, maybe I just have, but the opposing army could only be seen through a microscope...

2 comments:

  1. Good job Mayberry. Your written is improvin!

    Really Mayberry, thanks!

    s4r

    ReplyDelete