ANA Discussion Forum

AN Community => AN Community => Topic started by: Soundy on July 13, 2007, 03:09:25 am

Title: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: Soundy on July 13, 2007, 03:09:25 am
The hospital I had surgery at is a Catholic Hospital... I am not Catholic ... I am not
anything really... have my ideas and beliefs and don't allow myself to be pegged anything

anyhow... when I was in recovery I opened my eyes... to my left I saw a nurse and to
my right the anathesiologist ( Jody)... she was looking at moniters and he was looking at me
smiling... with a tube still down throat and strapped down with sand bag weight on my
belly to prevent that incision from hemorageing again and oxygen in nose I didn't smile
back... I closed my eyes...

he was talking to me and holding my hand... he would ask stuff and I would squeeze or
poke with finger appropriate number of times... my eyelids were so heavy and the lights
made pain shoot through my head ....but he wanted me to open them again... I don't
know how much time had elapsed

I opened them again... Jody is there and nurse is gone but my doctor was there...and at the foot
of the bed smiling was a small black gnome... that's right a gnome... the doctor and Jody
were talking to me and asked if I was OK... all I could do was stare at the gnome...

it was a lady gnome... her chin just over top of foot board... but since the bed was raised and belly
high on the doctor this would make her about 4 feet high...My eyes grew heavy and I closed them...

later they took out tube from throat ....sprayed my throat with stuff to sooth it ... a little later I opened
my eyes and the gnome was gone... I looked around but it is only me . Jody and
the nurse again...

He asked me if I remembered the doctor being there... I said yes... then he asked me my birth date .
where I was , where I lived etc etc ... they did this for the whole time I was there with different
questions... he then asked me what I was staring at earlier... I told him I was seeing things
and a little black gnome was standing at the end of my bed... poor guy almost choked to death
laughing... brought others running to see what was wrong...

When he came back to his senses he told me ...that was not a gnome ...it was a nun ...
Sister Mary something... she had come by to pray for me and was just finishing up when I came
around... her habit was a deep maroon with the wimple lining a cream color... she was just about
the size of my 9 year old ... Jody said she was in her 80's

I wish I saw her again when I had my senses about me ... when I go back up on the 17th I may
go by hospital and see if I can look her up... she was kinda cute for a gnome ...I would like to
thank her for stopping by to see me
Title: Re: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: ppearl214 on July 13, 2007, 03:19:35 am
Soundy,

thank you SO much for sharing that with us! Brought a smile to my face for being so early in the morning!  I know of the type of "gnome" you speak and have experienced many myself.  What a sense of inner peace knowing that your Sister-Mary-Gnome (not written out of disrespect) was there for you, helping to watch over you and had you in her heart and prayers.... what a lovely story to share with us.

And for all those getting ready to go through AN treatments..... I have a feeling good gnomes are watching over you too!

Phyl
Title: Re: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: pearchica on July 15, 2007, 09:50:28 pm
Oh GIRLS! I am LAUGHING SO LOUD!!!  I am in tears!  THis is a contender for the Giggles Hall of Fame.  Saint Mary- the Gnome! maybe that's the religious order we can start for the AN crowd and heck she can be our patron saint!  As a catholic who has some serious doubts about the church, thanks for reminding me what is good about it, sweet nuns who pray for you to get well. (And yeah, I for the most part had nice nuns in my childhood and yeah, one of my nuns was really short now that I think about it...)

Please let me know how Sr. Gnome is- she sounds really cool.  And thanks again Soundy for making my Sunday night!  Annie
Title: Re: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: lora on July 17, 2007, 01:10:34 am
Oh Soundy--That has made me laugh like nothing has in a long time!!!!  The tears that I thought had dried up are pouring down my face! ;D  Are you sure it wasn't my Great aunt Grace????  God love her--she is 96 and prays for me daily--rosaries daily at St Peter's Basilica the whole bit...I think she convinced the Pope to participate--I wonder if he would know Sister Mary Gnome...
Title: Re: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: Joef on July 17, 2007, 02:40:53 pm
LOL ... it "allmost brought tears to my eye"  ;)
Title: Re: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: Sue on July 17, 2007, 04:11:51 pm
Oh my gosh, that's like something right out of a scene in a movie.  Monty Python maybe, but a movie "nun"-the-less.   ;D

Great story.

Sue in Vancouver USA
Title: Re: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: Omaschwannoma on July 17, 2007, 04:39:21 pm
THANK YOU VERY MUCH SOUNDY!  Really enjoyed reading this one and those comments that follow--definately one for "the books". 
Title: Re: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: Soundy on July 17, 2007, 06:44:23 pm
Oh Soundy--That has made me laugh like nothing has in a long time!!!!  The tears that I thought had dried up are pouring down my face! ;D  Are you sure it wasn't my Great aunt Grace????  God love her--she is 96 and prays for me daily--rosaries daily at St Peter's Basilica the whole bit...I think she convinced the Pope to participate--I wonder if he would know Sister Mary Gnome...



EEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK... I went for post -op today and for most part things are right on target... went
by the hospital and asked for the Good Sister/Gnome... her name is Sister Mary Grace...I almost fell over
as I had read your comment when I was up early this morning unable to sleep...

She was a very sweet little lady... I even told her I had thought I was hallucinating when I opened my eyes
and she was at foot of my bed... she got a good giggle... and told me that in all her years she has been called
a penguin ( when habit was black and white)  and other less desirable things  but gnome was new... I thank
her for thoughts and prayers and she just smiled and kinda bowed to me saying it was all in a days work ...
glad I looked her up
Title: Re: Just a Little In Recovery Giggle
Post by: Captain Deb on July 30, 2007, 02:59:03 pm
I had to bump this up--it's such a hoot!

Capt Deb 8)