Page 9 - January 2021 BSTTW Community News
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CONTINUED From Page 8 “GRASS” Only one more operation, but I thought I
another twenty-nine operations. was going to have hundreds of them; and
who was the visitor. Up to now, my most
The second operation put me in more pain. frequent visitor had been the hospital
I was being given a form of cocaine pastor. I told him I was not religious but I
injection to allow me to sleep each night. didn't matter to him. I said I was so pleased
This would knock me out until the early that he visited me; he could speak English
hours of the morning, but they wouldn't give and that meant so much to me. I always
me any more as the drug was addictive. My had a tear in my eye when he came to see
legs were still on the pin and wire frame but me. One day he came with a big book. Ugh,
I was allowed visitors. My friends from I thought, a bible, well it's the thought; but it
Holland came to see me. I became wasn't a bible! He had bought a huge
acquainted with them through a Dutch German English dictionary with over two
shortwave radio station and knew them thousand pages. It was too heavy for me to
well. They heard about my accident on the lift. He had written inside, "My dear patient
news and in the papers and had told the David, in the Umfallklinik, from the catholic
radio station about my accident. I could not hospital priest Karl, 27/9/1977". He had put
have a radio in the room because it would a lot of thought into this gift. I was really
have had to have been specially sterilized. overwhelmed.
Each day I was having another finger Every three days I had to have the
unwrapped. I felt like an overgrown advents bandages replaced. This was by far the
calendar. Physiotherapy became more worst ordeal to go through, but it could not
aggressive as bandages were removed. be avoided. I had to sit in the saline bath.
Finally, I was allowed to have a mirror. I Bandages were unwrapped, that was not
had enough free fingers to hold one. I didn't too bad, but underneath the bandages were
look straight away, a moment to fear, even special gauze strips which had to be
though desired. I saw a twenty year old removed. This involved gentle work with the
male, someone I hadn't seen for nearly a shower head, and an inch by inch peeling
month, with peculiar shaped hair, but no of the material which had stuck to open
obvious disfigurement to the face. I had a wounds. I was one big open wound. I was
small mark but I could grow a mustache drugged before each bath. The only perk
over that. My right eye had a small line was a drink from the shower head.
where my eyelids met.
My special visitor came, a nun. It seemed
I still didn't know if my legs would be saved. strange that I should be visited by a nun.
Doctor Brandt paid me a visit. "You have The nun was also a nurse, a nurse from the
healed well", he said. "I am surprised at first hospital I stayed at. I was pleased to
how you have made progress. You must see her because she managed to piece
have been very fit and healthy before your together the events after my accident. The
accident. If you had been a few years older first hospital "Rheinburg Krankenhouse"
you would not be here now. I think only one was small, run by nuns and used to dealing
more operation will be necessary". "You will more with births of babies. They had done
be having a visitor from the first hospital their best for me and it was only by luck that
where you stayed". So much for a bed had become available in Duisburg,
vegetarians not being healthy, I thought. without specialist treatment I would have
CONTINUED On Page 10 “GRASS”
