My, my, my, that last week was completely enthralling and extremely emotional for me (kind-of like a rollercoaster ride, crazy adrenaline rush you know?). Everything seemed to be going perfect. You know, gifts, birthday coming up. Just when everything seemed to be falling in place, a few days before my birthday, my doctors noticed something strange about my recovery. It wasn’t going as expected.
They decided to try out a procedure, which I like to term as a medieval torture technique, which they hoped might set it on track. To get some improvement, they informed my family that they would have to perform a lumbar puncture.
It was after nearly a month of contemplation , debate and intensive research (done by my family), prior to my birthday, that they had finally decided to perform this procedure. For all my readers, in a lumbar puncture, they insert a needle about 5 inches long into the lumbar vertebra (your spine) to draw out the CSF from your head
This is excruciatingly painful, even under local anaesthesia. Why would anyone perform such a brutal procedure on a 16-year old, let alone me? They explained later, that they had to perform this so as to reduce the CSF pressure in my skull, as they suspected the extra pressure on my brain was hampering my progress. Little did I know, they were also testing the need for me to become a cyborg (a few more logs before we reach there folks…!).
Like they say, “No pain, no gain” – the lumbar puncture worked amazingly and all of a sudden I was talking and moving my limbs better. Finally also, I had passed the test and they started the discussion on when (and if) I was to become a cyborg . To our joy, the effects of the lumbar puncture stayed… for a few days until my birthday.
My friend had only come for a few days, although I would have loved for him to stay for a few days more. So, when he left a couple of days before my birthday, he showed me the gift that he was originally saving for the last, something which I believed was the icing on the cake. It was a compiled video of recorded birthday wishes from my friends, classmates, batch-mates and teachers. Even though I was in the hospital, this video teleported me back to my class and school, even if for a few moments. And although he stayed for barely 3 days, the happiness he brought along with him stayed for much longer. It was almost like I had gotten a happiness hangover (does that even exist?). And my therapists took complete advantage of this. Until now, I would never speak to them except for expressing PAIN, but now, after his visit, they started the session by asking me, “Who was that boy who came to see you?” And, of course, I could not resist but take his name. I suppose everybody except me was looking for ways to make me talk.
Most people would wonder, “How does one celebrate a birthday in a hospital? Sounds weird doesn’t it? Birthday in a hospital?” I assure you, this was not just any birthday celebration, and this was one that I would never ever forget. In fact, I think I would have to write about it in the next log, for all good things come to those who wait …. 15 … next Friday people.