the attack of the cuff

I know I tend to make lemons out of lemonade and if Monday's nine hours in the hospital would have not been on any list of ways to spend a beautiful spring day, there was the good stuff-like my housemate and I getting caught up on our reading (271 pages for me). If only we'd bought pads and pencils, we could have done writing exercises as we waited for this and that.

There was also the excitement of the attack of the blood pressure cuff.

Naturally, they had me hooked up to a blood pressure reading machine that periodically would beep, the cuff would swell then deflate and the nurses could see at some station my reading.

UNTIL...

Although not comfortable, the signal went off and the cuff swelled and didn't let go until I was saying "owww". Just as my fingers were numbing, it relaxed. I'd love to have known that reading.

I mentioned it to faithful Julia. Since I'd been writhing in pain for the entire weekend, she knows I have a high pain tolerance level. I saw a frown cross her face.

The next time the cuff swelled, it didn't stop...it swelled and went on swelling.

There was a ripping sound of Velcro tearing apart.

One end popped open but the cuff was still surrounding my arm.

The swelling continued.

It felt like an amputation or at least what I imagined an amputation would feel like.

My fingers were numb.

Death by blood pressure cuff????

No, I could take it off, except I couldn't.

It was under the sleeve of my hospital gown  and stuck. I couldn't move either the cuff or the sleeve.

Still ripping noises.

As Julia stood to help, nurse Virginie came running in and pulled the attachment that was feeding the Killer Cuff off.

It deflated.

It was saved, I thought, as I rubbed my sore fingers.