Wednesday, March 14, 2007

A fainting foray

Picture the scene: a woman lying on the hospital floor; another woman bent over her; both laughing hysterically.

Rewind.

My friend's husband had had a burst appendix followed by septicaemia. He'd been in Intensive Care for 3 months and High Dependency for another 2. During that time I'd been in to see him at least twice a week, so I don't know what happened on this occasion but I started getting hot and queasy. I told my friend, Jan, that I needed some air; she could see me going white so she came with me.

I'd just reached the Ladies' when the door opened ... and I fainted.

I came to a few minutes later with Jan leaning over me saying my name. I said, 'Oh, no, not again,' and we both burst out laughing.

Because it had happened on hospital premises the nurse insisted on putting me in the Incident Book. I kept saying, 'I'm fine,' but nobody was listening to me.

Then Jan said I couldn't drive home. I said, 'I'm fine,' but she said she'd phone my husband to come and fetch me. I said, 'No! Don't phone him! He won't come.'
'Why not?'
'He'll be watching the England rugby game on television.'
'When I tell him, he'll want to come and fetch you.'
'No, he'll laugh!'

Jan went off to phone him. She came back. 'He laughed!'

I'm used to this: I come over funny; I faint; I come to; I'm fine. End of story. I don't know why people make a fuss!

xxx

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I suppose I could make some silly statement about passing out while your husband is watching an important game. But, I won't. Hope you are doing fine.

Liz Hinds said...

That's what my husband did!

Elsie said...

If I were there, I'd make a fuss, too. Maybe you're trying to do too much and should relax a bit. Having never fainted, I doubt I'd come to laughing. I admire how you take everything in stride, Liz. I could learn a thing or two from you.