en mode mineur –
La nouvelle compagne de chambre. Ses questions constamment répétées, ses plaintes, ses ronflements et ses cris dans la nuit, ses errements. Ce matin, je comprend: elle souffre de déficience intellectuelle, même après trois répétitions, ellecomprend à peine les informations les plus simples.
Mais le manque de sommeil m’atteint. Jambes flageolantes, tête à l’envers, au lieu d’aller marcher, je craque et je pleure pour la première fois depuis… je ne saurais dire. Longtemps. Les infirmières me rassurent: un coup de mou, le manque de sommeil… On va déplacer la nouvelle compagne vers une chambre surveillée, ce qui sera mieux pour elle…et pour tout le monde.
Heureusement que le soleil est de retour et qu’il y a des coins d’ombre dans le parc. Une autre patiente me propose sa chambre pour la sieste. Ça n’est pas de refus.
Dans la réserve de livres plutôt limitée du centre, j’en trouve un de Jean Lacouture sur Malraux. Au moins, j’en saurai plus sur cet homme, et aussi sur sa propension aux “embellissements pathétiques”.
Quant à la marche de santé, elle devra d’abord attendre une bonne nuit de sommeil.
in minor mode –
The new room mate. Her repeated questions, her complaints, her snoring and her cries in the night, her wanderings. This morning, I get it: she is afflicted with an intellectuel déficiency, even after three identical answers to the same question, she barely understands the simplest information.
But the lack of sleep gets to me. Wobbly legs, messed up head, instead of walking, I crack open and cry for the first time since… I can’t say. A long time. The nurses reassure me: a bit of a downer, the lack of sleep… The new room mate will be moved to a protected room, more suitable for her…and for everybody else.
Luckily, the sun is back and there are shady areas in the park. Another patient offers me the use of her room for my afternoon nap. I’m more than happy to accept.
In the center’s rather limited book supply, I find one by Jean Lacouture about André Malraux. At least, I’ll know more about this man, and also about his propensity to “pathetic embellishments”.
As for the health walk, it will have to wait for a good night’s sleep first.
iknowiknowiknowblog 
Dear Cherzlb,
,
Somehow I stumbled onto your blog, and I find myself participating in your recovery from what seems to have been serious, yet successful heart surgery. Go for it!
I too live in Southwestern France (Dordogne). In my case, I’m a native English speaker (US) and a rather mumbly French speaker who is rarely sure that I’ve said what I meant to say.
Needless to say, I’m enjoying your take on life, even in your more desperate moments. I’m happy to be here with you. That’s it. I simply wanted to leave a word of thanks and a bit of encouragement.
Margaret Loyon
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thank you, Margaret. I’m grateful for the French medical approach both to the surgery and to the immediate post-op recovery period. Hate to think what this would have been like in, say, the U.S.A or – god forbid – in Erythrea… Recovery has its ups and downs but, on the whole, there’s a small step forward every day. Best to you.
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