Home » » Herbal Therapy » Hallucination and Saving Grace

Hallucination and Saving Grace

© Kathern Welsh

I woke up to a flipped room once again, and quickly set it straight by focusing on the rail of the bed. I was no longer afraid when this happened and congratulated myself on how quickly I could set the room right side up. Of course, once in a while it wouldn't flip back right away and it would take several tries to get it right. As I stared at the ceiling, I could hear voices and heard and felt a quiet rolling sound.

Well, the rooms rolling around again, I thought to myself. I wonder where it will end up this time. I listened closely and heard whispering but couldn't make out any words. I looked over at the aide with me. She was just reading a book and didn't seem to hear or see anything else. I tried to sit up and she looked up and asked what I wanted.

"I need to go to the bathroom," I explained.

"No dear, you have a catheter, you don't need to get up."

"Oh, I forgot," I mused. "That's nice...I don't feel like getting up anyway."

A nurse came in, greeted us cheerfully, and proceeded to take my vital signs.

"They'll be coming to get you for a chest x-ray before long."

"Do I have to get up?" I asked her.

"No, I don't think so. They'll just wheel you in the bed."

She put more medication into the IV and I soon felt the familiar darkness engulf me. I was being pushed on a gurney and we were soon inside the church with the TV screen and the multi-leveled tiers. As I looked around I could see my sunflower smiley face pillow hanging on a pole just to my left and in front for all to see. Attached to it was a long cylindrical device that looked like a small rocket. I was placed in a standing position in the front row on the left and everything was a little hushed, but you could hear people talking to each other.

The male nurse came over to me and put a clip on my right index finger and said, "Keep this on your finger and do what you have to do."

It looked like the oxygen clip I'd had on before and I asked him if that's what it was.

"No, this is something different," he explained, "and it's very important that you do what needs to be done."

How do I know what needs to be done if no one tells me what to do, I thought, remembering the other times I'd heard that phrase.

The copyright of the article Hallucination and Saving Grace in Herbal Therapy is owned by . Permission to republish Hallucination and Saving Grace in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.