Girl in the Iron Lung Chapter 6 by casket666, literature
Literature
Girl in the Iron Lung Chapter 6
Girl in the Iron lung Chapter 6 The day was busy being a Friday. More people had the day off and came by the hospital museum to see The Girl in the Iron Lung. A class of schoolchildren filed by Megan’s plexiglass dome to say hi or ask questions, like how it feels to be in an Iron Lung or how long you have to stay in there. Megan smiled and answered all their questions! That afternoon two of Megan’s friends stopped by to check on her and say hi! “Well look, it's Megan in a can!” Said Zoe! Megan smiled and said “Very funny”! Sara asked, “Are you comfortable inside this tube, it looks so claustrophobic!” Megan smiled and said “Yes , it’s very comfortable in here! The air I’m breathing has a high percentage of oxygen-induced in it, this keeps my mind clear. They keep the air temperature perfect, not too hot or too cold! Oh, and there are the drugs!” Megan laughed. “Are they keeping you all drugged up, is that how they are holding you here!” Zoe said. Megan started to laugh, but it was hard with the Iron Lung filling and removing the air in her lungs. Megan said, “Don’t make me laugh, it hurts!” As they all slowly stopped laughing, Megan was able to side back into rhythm with her Iron Lung once again taking overall control of her breathing. Her other friend Jennifer was staring it’s the large iron lung and bellows pump moving in and out. She was mesmerized and secretly she’d like to try the iron lung out. Zoe told Megan they had to go meet some boys who had asked her and Jennifer out to a movie. Zoe said, “We would ask you to go with us, but I see your in the can!” Very funny Zoe, I think I will hang out with my nurses. You know me I’m just a stay-at-home disabled girl” Megan said with a smile. Zoe said, “We got to go.” Zoe started to walk away when she noticed that Jennifer was still staring at the Iron Lung. “Hey Jennifer let’s go,” said Zoe. Jennifer broke her trance and said ok, and said bye to Megan and told her she would come to check on her tomorrow. Megan smiled and told them both goodbye timing her words with the cycles of the Lung Lung. Megan laughed to herself, and thought I think Jennifer would like to try out the Iron Lung! That afternoon Dr Hanna dropped by a little early! Megan asked the doctor if she was going out to dinner tonight! “Well, I am going to a business meeting/dinner with the museum committee to go over charity donations for the hospital museum upgrades this week! It looks like we not only met the goal but exceeded it by quite a bit. Dr Hanna said! Wow, that's great! Megan exclaimed. Well, it’s all because of you, as our patient in the Iron lung! Dr. Hannah said, with a smile. Megan smiled, it’s my pleasure! Dr. Hanna said, “I will stop by after the meeting and tell you all about it!” “That would be great!” Said Megan! “I’ve got to run, don’t go anywhere!” Dr Hanna said smiling as she walked away! The rest of the day went as usual. The nurses took care of Megan with great care. The people visiting the hospital museum filed by in a steady stream! Megan enjoyed talking to the children, they would ask the funniest questions! Some of the older folks who came by told me how scary the time was when the polio epidemic was running wild through the country. They told of friends or family who died from polio or spent time in an Iron Lung. The stories were amazing to hear about firsthand. As it got later in the evening the line to talk to Megan had slowed down. Just as the Hospital Museum was closing for the night, Dr. Hanna walked in and said hi to the Nurses and Megan. Dr. Hanna sat down at the chair in front of the iron lung and looked directly into the mirror at Megan's face reflecting there, and said, “We’ll Megan, the committee was singing your praises! This is the best fundraiser event for the Hospital Museum ever.” I didn’t do anything but lay around for a week! Megan said with a laugh. Well the interviews for the newspapers, TV, and Speaking to the children when they came through, it was your caring and easygoing personality that made this event memorable and profitable for the museum hospital! The children will be telling about their visit with you in your Iron Lung to their grandchildren! Thank you, Dr. Hanna, I’m glad I was able to help and I have really enjoyed the experience! Said Megan sincerely! Well great! So we have another full day of the event. Said Dr. Hanna. “So are you going to remove me from the Iron Lung tomorrow after the charity drive is ?” Megan asked. No, Megan, I would like to have you stay in the Iron Lung till Sunday morning or afternoon. We need to stop giving you the Intravenous muscle relaxers and sedatives on Saturday night after closing to let your body clear the drugs out of your system! Also, I would like you to spend Sunday night at my house in the guest room so I can keep an eye on your vitals. Would that be okay with you? The doctor asked. Megan smiled and said, “Yes, that would be fine!” “Great! Now I would like to add another year-appropriate item to make you more realistic. It’s a head wrap, to cover your hair. Said Dr. Hanna. Sounds good! I know my hair is getting a little messy! I could do, with a shampoo! Megan said with a smile. We can wash your hair! We have equipment in the storage room! said one of Megan’s Nurses. Megan said, “Great let’s do it, would love it to have a shampoo right now”! Dr. Hanna said "ok Nurses let's get the equipment, shampoo, and towels! I will get the bandages to wrap up your head after your shampoo!” The doctor and the nurses took off in separate directions to locate what they needed. When everyone returned, they started by removing the plexiglass dome from the Iron Lung. Once removed, one of the nurses rolled a stainless steel tub with one side having a U shape, just like a sink and a hairdresser's shop underneath Meagan’s head. One of the nurses ran over the deep sink and adjusted the temperature of the water. She connected a water hose to the sink and took the hose over to the tub, then filled the tub up with water. So now, we must comb your hair out. The nurse started removing the few bobby pins in Megan’s hair, then untied the pigtails and brushed it out! The nurse started telling the other nurse and the doctor that she had taken night classes for hair styling, just so I could do my own hair styles. The nurse took a plastic cup and started pouring warm water over Megan’s hair. Next, the nurse started shampooing Megan’s hair. Megan smiled and said, “Feeling is so luxurious!” The doctor and the nurses all laughed! After the nurse finished drying Megan’s hair. She put some jell product in Megan’s hair to slick it down. The doctor told Megan she was going to start wrapping her head. Dr Hanna took the gauze wrap and wrapped it around her head just below the hairline around to the back of Megan’s head at the neckline over the ears and around again, till Megan's hair was completely covered. Now how does that feel? Dr Hanna asked. Megan said with a smile “Feels good, I wish we did this from the beginning.” They all laughed! So are you ready Megan for the last full day of being the girl in the Iron Lung Dr Hanna asked. “Yes!” Megan said enthusiastically! Ok, let’s give you your nightly shots, these will be the last. We want you to be off all the muscle relaxers and sedatives by tomorrow after the hospital museum closes. Do you have any other questions for me, Megan, Dr. Hanna asked. No, but Dr. Hanna I just can't believe the week has passed so fast! Megan said! Yes, it has. But you have one more day to educate and entertain the museum guests, said Dr. Hanna with a smile. The Doctor asked the nurse to put the head brace to support Megan’s head and then reinstall the plexiglass dome. Ok, good night ladies I will see you tomorrow! After the nurses had placed the dome back on the Iron Lung and secured it, Megan smiled and told the nurses goodnight. She then fell sound asleep.