Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
“Oh, don't worry about her; the doctor overruled her!”
I was soon decked out in a baggy, green full length gown, large slippers that went right
over my shoes, a great green shower type cap, and a green cotton mask over my face. The
nurse asked me to follow her, and we went through the glass door into the surgery. The
head nurse gave me a withering look but said nothing; the doctor nodded his greetings to
me behind his mask, eyes twinkling.
Judi was sitting up in bed with a large pillow over her midriff so as to prevent her from
seeing the surgery that was about to take place. I took up my place alongside the bed, my
mouth dry, as I tried a weak smile at Jude. I noticed a clock on the wall and the doctor's
hushed mumbles of directives he gave to the nurses. I was not prepared for what took place
next, but swiftly the doctor smiled at Judi, and said, “Right, my dear, we are ready to deliv-
er Dylan. Can you hear me alright”?
Judi responded with a smile and a nod. The doctor had positioned one of the nurses on
one side of the bed, armed with a basin of instruments and clamps and the other, the head
nurse, which I now had a distinct dislike for, was hovering around a surgical apparatus.
Judi's abdomen had been exposed at this stage, and the doctor calmly rested his scalpel
along the smooth white flesh, and slowly drew the sharp blade along, followed by a bead
of blood, which the nurse began dabbing. I looked away queasy and quite shocked; I was
torn between looking away and watching. I was fascinated though, like a bird and a snake,
and returned to the scene in front of me.
Before I could exclaim anything, a wriggling, blue object was quickly hauled out, attached
to what appeared to be a lot of twisted vines. The little animal-like object was soaking wet
and dripping, and, deftly, the surgeon leaned forward with a pair of surgical scissors and
snipped off the vines, and slapped the little blue boy on the bottom loudly, which was fol-
lowed by a healthy and outraged yell and angry surprised crying. This then was Dylan, my
boy, making his grand entrance into the world, that hot afternoon on the 3
rd
of November
1982. I stood there in numb shock and watched, as if in a dream, the nurse holding Dylan
up in front of his mother, who had an amazing look of love, happiness, and disbelief on her
white face; there were tears on her cheeks as she looked at her first and only child. How
she had longed for one for so many years, and there were so many mishaps along the way
with her almost dying on two occasions and here wriggling and crying in front of her was
her newborn infant.
He still looked wet and blue and was decidedly an ugly little monkey! His face was
wrinkled and wreathed in anger as he screamed and cried! Quickly, the nurse wrapped his
cold, wet, little form in towels and whisked him away to clean him, warm him, and register
his birth. The doctor and the other nurse were busy attending to Judi, and I was asked to
