About Me

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Be'er Sheva, Israel
Being a doula, I regularly witness miracles. I see blood, sweat and tears, and at the same time, euphoric joy and awe. I help birth babies. I'm also an established orchestra musician, and a religious Zionist. In May 2007 I almost died. I had hernia surgery, and developed an infection 4 days later. It progressed to Necrotizing Faciitis (NF) and I landed in the ICU on a respirator. I woke up from the coma, slowly understanding that I had serious body damage, but everyone was glad to see me alive. Slowly the implications sunk in. While in hospital, my SIL started a website hosted by CaringBridge.org to inform friends and family of progress. When I came home, I took over writing. The posts were filled with blood, sweat, fears, and many tears. It started to feel like I was blogging, rather than simply disseminating information on my well being. This blog was born, about the next phase of healing. The original illness is over, but in the aftermath, I am fighting more rare diseases, and needing more surgeries. There are elements of illness-induced loneliness and pain, as well as plenty of faith and hope. I invite you to join me on my journey!

Thursday, January 31, 2013

On the seventh day in hospital my true love gave to me

One com-fy bed! Ok, I tried to make more rhymes to the song, but I'm not that clever at 6am. When Robert came for his evening visit last night, he had arrived after driving over an hour up winding night roads, after a full day's work. I am always so happy when I see him walk through the door, like my breathing is now restored to full capacity. We hugged; holding on longer than usual. I wasn't in bed, I was sitting in the large chair opposite my bed. I had been talking with a visitor. She took leave shortly after he arrived. I told him how things had been going, and that I don't want to get back into my bed because it was lop-sided. I felt like I was tipping off. I had requested another bed, but was at the mercy of the helper on shift, one who I had appropriately named "Attila the Hun", from my first stay here when I had NF. During this exchange, Robert went looking for another bed. He entered, rolling a bed in, wider than the one I had, and with a mattress twice as thick! He set it up with all my pillows and sheets exactly as I like them. My hero. We soon discovered that the second bed also had it's issues, but was comfortable. Robert then found solutions to each quirk of the bed. My night was so comfortable! Thank you, my true love. I am presently drinking the icky iodine stuff to be prepared for my CT scan, which is supposed to happen at some point tbis morning. There were enough reasons to decide to go ahead with it. Hopefully we'll be able to see if the mesh is involved with the [now shrinking!] infection. We are hoping on a Friday morning release. Boy, are we hoping for a Friday morning release!

6 comments:

  1. That was such a romantic post! I know that feeling of breathing well when you see your love. I could just see Robert arranging anything quickly - what a hero!
    I am envisioning this CT scan to pass by with flying colors, showing a clear result with no infection in the mesh so you can be home with your beautiful family for Shabbat!
    Steve is dropping by today. Consider yourself hugged from me.
    xxxx Rivka aka Sista

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  2. Hurrah for Robert the hero! The tenderness and love in this post brought tears to my eyes. Hoping really hard with you that Friday will see you home
    Flora and I are looking forward to having Shifra with us this afternoon
    Big hugs
    Caroline

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  3. Yes, husbands are great - aren't they?
    Wishing you a Shabbat shalom in your own bed with all your loved ones around you!
    Nehama

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  4. happy you had slight comfort in this difficult time! you should be released at the right time with a total refua! shabbat shalom, rochel.

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  5. I, too, was touched by this post, expressing the tremendous love between you and your husband.

    Best wishes to be home for Shabbat, and for a speedy recovery! Larry

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  6. Hi Sarah:

    Am thinking about you as you undergo your CT Scan....

    I was so touched by your blog describing how Robert found you a bed.. you know it reminds me of an O.Henry story,,Gift of the Magi.. because I could see even though your story was about him getting you the bed.. I saw how you were feeling for Robert because he had to drive so long to see you and that is also the story of how you both mutually take care of each other.

    You do not need to respond to this.. just want you to know... everyone has you in their hearts and we are all hoping to hear wonderful news from the CT scan and that you will be home on Shabbat with your family and recovered from this infection.


    Feel good and be happy and take care of yourself.
    Carol Kover

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