OPERATION
CHRISTMASTIME
(By Karla
Wagener on December 11, 2021) (For Facundo who watched Ruby while I was in the
hospital. Based on true events, but of
course, not entirely true).
Ruby always
loved Christmas. She loved when her owners
put a funny hat on her and she would bounce around, snapping at it, tearing it
off, biting it and shaking it about until it ended up in pieces. She loved to put on a show and hear their
approval in laughter. She loved when
everybody got together to decorate the tree and was always given a safe
ornament to play with, roughly trying to get it out of someone´s hands, and
growling happily. The Christmas caroling
was especially nice. She got to go along, and barked energetically to accompany
the singers. She was always given treats and if you know anything about Ruby it
is that she loves to eat. Her favorite
meal has always been leftover turkey and a bit of mashed potatoes with gravy.
It was the best time of year - always some fighting, but things got resolved
quickly. Everybody got together and Ruby
greeted each person who came to visit with much excitement.
This year
was different, however. Ruby´s human
¨moma¨ was not well. Ruby could sense it
and even knew it before anyone else. Her
moma needed to have a hysterectomy. So
just before Christmas moma was taken to the hospital for an operation. Ruby was sad and didn´t want to eat. She waited at the gate and didn´t move from
there. She didn´t understand why everyone was so
emotional. She even refused her usual
big ham bone that smelled so good and that she loved so much.
Ruby only
knew she missed her human moma, who had held her in her hand during Ruby´s
first days of life and always took care of her.
She heard her owners talking the next day.
Yes, Grace
is better but what a scare. We thought
we lost her when her blood pressure went so low¨.
The
daughter piped in, ¨Yes, thank goodness she got better so quickly. She told me to leave and not stay the night
because she felt better and only wanted to rest and sleep for the night. On the other hand the nurses brought in
another patient who was having serious problems and it was better for me to
leave.¨
Later when
Grace was brought back Ruby had to be held back by Facundo because she made
such a big happy fuss at Grace´s return. Ruby tried to jump up on Grace and give her a
proper greeting. Once things settled down she heard Grace tell what had
happened in the hospital¨.
¨The woman
next to me was 6 months pregnant and had had blood loss and much vomiting. They examined her and treated her and then
the nurse told the woman there was nothing that could be done for now. The baby was too little and no hospital
anywhere near was equipped to risk a c section.
The pregnant woman got more nervous and vomited even more. The nurse told her she would have to relax
and calm down. Agitation would only make
it worse¨.
Grace took
a little break and drank the yogurt she was given. She ate some of the beets and spinach even
though she was not feeling good enough to eat it. She gave most of her chicken to Ruby and this
made Ruby more relieved, almost back to normal. Still Ruby looked up to Grace
with expressive, sympathetic, compassionate eyes, but happy eyes that Grace was
back and giving her food to Ruby like always.
Moma
continued, ¨The nurse left the room to get more help. I mentioned to the
pregnant patient that the next day was December 8th, the day of the
Conception of Mary when Catholics decorate their Christmas trees in Argentina.
´Yes, I know, replied the patient. I had
planned to decorate our tree with my two small girls, but this happened. We would like a boy with this baby. We have no boy´. Grace went on with the
story, ¨I then told the woman that I didn´t want to interfere but I that I
practiced breathing exercises and it would help her calm down. If she wanted I
could teach her. The woman might have
exploded in anger as I expected but in fact she was very receptive and agreed.
So I told
her to get in a comfortable position which she did. Her husband was there and he did the
same. I told her to take in a deep
breath through the nose counting to ten and taking the air to the stomach not
the lungs. Then let the air go out very
slowly through the mouth, again to a count of ten, gently, smoothly. When you think you have no air left, let go
of the very last of it and repeat breathing again through the nose and out
through the mouth. Picture and think
about some pleasant scene or memory.
Just continue doing this and let yourself relax¨.
Moma gave
the last bit of chicken to Ruby and Ruby devoured it happily. She loved chicken almost as much as Turkey,
but, of course, she smelled it first to make sure she wanted it. Sometimes she was offered inferior food which
obviously she rejected.
Grace drank
a little more yogurt. ¨The funny thing is that a great calm fell over the whole
hospital room. When the nurse returned
she was greatly surprised to find both the husband and wife sleeping soundly
and I was quite relaxed sitting up watching them. It seemed more comical to me still that after
that I had trouble sleeping until very early in the morning. It felt so good and useful to contemplate
life and good auguries. I felt great peace watching them so deep in
restfulness. I imagined the pregnant
woman with her newborn son, decorating a Christmas tree a year from now and the
happiness and union between them¨. Grace
finished her yogurt and told everybody she would like to rest now and see if
she could get some sleep.
Needless to
say, Ruby followed her into the bedroom.
She wasn´t allowed there but this was an exception. Ruby lay at the feet of moma and this helped
her fall asleep quickly. Ruby, however
stayed awake until the very early hours relaxed but guarding, perhaps a little
like a small animal angel. Who can ever
know what profound contemplation went on in her mind about life and her human
companions?
