3 at 4

During Paul’s hospital stay the one consistent, constant question was, “What is your pain level on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the highest?”   For the first two hours from the time of the accident until the time the morphine in the ER started kicking in the only way to describe his pain was excruciating.  He didn’t use words or numbers, just  “AAAAAYYYYYY” (not sure if that is how you spell it.)

During the next 20 hours his pain was managed down to 7 or 8 by the shots of morphine.  Having had regular shots of morphine myself back in the 1970’s post surgery following a bad car accident I know firsthand what relief that drug can bring.  But it brought his pain down only to 7 or 8.

Then came the epidural given to him during surgery and that relief from pain.  Immediately post surgery he was in that place of post-surgical anesthetized bliss.  Which lasted for eight to ten hours, and allowed me to have a few hours of sleep at home.  I still remember that night fondly.

The day after surgery pain was down to a 6, starting to be managed more by the hydrocodone pain pills than the morphine shots.  And the pain was a good pain, the soreness of a successful surgical incision combined with the beginning of physical therapy pain.

At 4 a.m. I heard it.  It was Day 2 after surgery, and I was awake but sleepy in my Peter Rabbit comforter.    Nurse Julian was giving Paul his pain pills and asked what his pain level was.   Paul answered, surprise and a smile in his voice, “It’s … a 3.”  

A 3 at 4, what a beautiful sound.