THE AGGREGATE EXPERIENCE - 07-06-10

THE AGGREGATE EXPERIENCE - 07-06-10

• ANOTHER HOLIDAY, ANOTHER DAY

The first week of July, along with 4th of July celebrations, has left just as quickly as it came. Its swift passage somehow made my absence less troubling, but nevertheless, isolated and unable to join in the Independence Day festivities was frustrating as well as maddening.

The weekend was not without some spectacle, however: through the mini-blind covered window I was able to capture a few splashes of mixed colored streams of light stretching high into the air only to be overtaken by gravity and deposited beyond a stand of trees off in the distance. Throughout the night and into the early morn small concussion explosions could be heard about the area signaling the more adventuresome pyrotechnicians were out in the field.

• THE ART OF LUNACY

I have frequently referred to my experience here as the sequel to “One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.” The level of untreated insanity in this place (this unit in particular) is truly astonishing and provides for some of the funniest commentary and exchanges I’ve ever witnessed. To be sure, these people should not be housed in a rehabilitation facility, rather, they should be placed in an asylum where proper treatment can be provided. But there not, and I have to laugh.

I’m in a room with six beds each separated by a floor to ceiling curtain hung on track. Only in the past couple of weeks have all six beds been occupied. Since I’ve arrived to the unit in February one of the room’s inmates has never left his bed (but for his weekly bath) and has remained ensconced behind the closed curtain. He’s been behind “the curtain” for almost one year. Keep in mind; his is a self–imposed prison. He can very easily leave his bed should he choose to do so. Being a resident and citizen of China and here illegally, the hospital has requested the Chinese government to pick him up and return him to his birthplace. China has flatly denied the request and refused to pay for the patient’s return to the motherland. HAH! So he languishes here where the hospital is forced to provide him medical care.

In defiance of the medical staff the patient refused to eat a couple of months ago citing the incompetent kitchen staff as compared to Chinese cooks and the lack of fresh ingredients. After days of fasting the doctor then gave him an ultimatum: either eat the hospital food or be force feed through a gastrointestinal tube. The goofball is now reluctantly eating. It’s funny to watch the nursing staff shyly open the curtain to see whether he’s alive. Each time they’re met with a very Chinese sounding “fuck you!”

Another guy, an elderly Chinese fellow, recently was admitted to the unit suffering from a stroke. He told everyone he’s a kung fu master. Well, someone looked him up on Youtube. Believe it or not the guy has several videos posted. They show him hitting himself in the head with a hammer without any apparent pain, showing his mental control. Let’s figure this one out: repeated hits to the unprotected head with a hammer…, stroke. Master? Now the guy, bed ridden, yells throughout the day “sandwich!” Two minutes after he eats his regular meal he yells, “sandwich!” The guy is only about 5’5” and weighs no more than 120 lbs. How many sandwiches can one small guy eat? And time doesn’t matter to this guy. It could be six in morning and he’s yelling for a sandwich. The other night it was three in the morning when I heard screaming coming from several directions. It was this lunatic yelling for a sandwich and another guy telling him to shut the fuck up. The sandwich fiend only started yelling louder. I hit the nurse call button for the supervisor. The guy next to me, an older Japanese man with a strong Japanese accent joined the shouting match yelling, “You no kung fu master, you fucking idiot. Shut the fuck up. You have no respect!” The Japanese guy succeeded where everyone else failed. Not a word was heard from the sandwich hound for the rest of the night. For the time being the sandwiches have been slow in coming. Every once in a while you’ll hear him yell “sandwich”, when he becomes annoying our Japanese friend politely reminds him of repose and community.

The trick to being surrounded by lunacy is to enjoy it.

• STATUS

Given the July 4th, holiday there was no therapy yesterday. I’m hoping to walk today during my 3:00 session. I continue to get stronger at all levels. I can now hold my left arm parallel to the ground while keeping my wrist from bending. The bending of the wrist was causing me significant pain. The whole movement of my forearm was being affected by the weakness in my wrist.

Although still not functioning, my right bicep is also getting stronger. There are more examples of little achievements which may not amount to much, but when you start at less than zero, any positive growth is a blessing.

• WEIGHT

As a result of eating 4th of July Jell-O with whipped cream and blueberries I only lost one pound. HAH. Not true. The Jell-O had nothing to do with it. I’m down 98 lbs. I weigh 205 lbs. By next weighing I will have lost 100 lbs. I only have 30 lbs to reach my goal of 175 lbs.

Keep in touch. Remember it could be worse.

Listen to the silence.