CHAPTER 7, COMING OUT OF THE COMA

As I wrote in chapter 6, when in a coma (at least in my case) you are aware of everything around you, even if you cannot understand all that is being said or done around you. In my case certain things come to mind that puzzled me when they were happening. Like when the nurses kept asking me how I felt today and did I sleep well. All the time I was asked these questions, they were always lifting my feet and scraping the bottom of them in some manner. I was not able, no, let me rephrase that. I didn't "want" to answer them because over time I had come to realize that if I did nothing and responded to nothing, I was removed from my bed, washed, placed back in my bed and left alone until more people came to see me. I had no idea of time and since my eyes were always shut, I only remember different shades of gray and black in my vision.

I also remember that I had many "attachments" to my body. I did not know at the time that they were tubes and different monitors for my vital signs. I only knew they were there and they did not bother me. I also remember that many people came to see me. I was told over and over that these people were my relatives. Again and again I would hear talk of who I was and who loved me and who was praying for me. I heard laughter at times and more often than not, I also heard a lot of crying. I often felt hands on the few exposed parts of my upper torso. This was very limited to just my fingertips on one hand and a portion of my left shoulder. Apparently I was still severely disfigured and had already lost nearly half of my body weight. My doctors had not done any reconstructive or plastic surgery on me yet because it was unknown when or if I would come out of my coma, so early on, I had been transferred to a coma center where I remained for the next 9 months.

This brings me to the title of this chapter. It had been exactly 9 months and 4 days that I had been in that coma. Everyday some member of my family had been there to see me. On this particular day I remember the person that they always called my sister, was very upset this day. She had been the first to arrive that day and she was full of memories of how when growing up I had always protected her and had taken everywhere with me. I remember her being so close to me that I could feel her breath on me. I also felt her holding the bed and as she became louder and more agitated she shook my bed rails very, very hard ! I remember feeling a sharp pain and as I opened my eyes to look.....I saw her staring right at me ! Quickly, I closed my eyes and turned my head away, just as I saw her running out of my room. Too late! The damage was done ! Rushing back in the room, I heard my sister and at least 2 nurses coming towards me. "He opened his eyes " !! She kept screaming this and they kept asking me to open my eyes. The nurses were trying to ask me as calmly when I heard my sister pushed the closest one away and said.."I want my brother back" and then slapped me hard across my face! My eyes flew open and stayed open. I remember the brightness hurt me for a few minutes and I also remember the nurses saying something about getting tubes out of me. The pain of my first breath after the tubes came out of my chest is one to this day I will never forget. The burning feeling in my throat and lungs from my first breath on my own and of feeling so vulnerable and helpless.....More to follow!