Donna in Hollywoodland

Infections, Blackouts and Nightmares

I was so happy to see the Breast Surgeon this morning. She cleaned out the incision that got infected. Tho, after a weekend on antibiotics, it looks about 75% better.

Then she patched me up with all new gauge bandages.
The incision on my right breast, half of which was infected, got packed with gauze. It looks like the incision split open due to the infection.
I really didn't look at it, it was to gross for me. Just as long as she bandaged it up so I couldn't see it.

Usually at the Doctor I think I act like a grown-up adult. But having to deal with an incision which half was open and infection ... well, I regressed to about the level of a six year old.
"Put a bandage on it. I don't want to look" I told my Breast Surgeon. "Put a bandage on the other two incisions too."
"But the two other incisions are healing wonderfully, they don't need gauze anymore" replied my Breast Surgeon.
"No, no - put bandages. I swear I saw a spot of blood. I think they were leaking."

She took me to the mirror, and showed me that the incision on my left breast, and the one under my armpit were both just fine.
I didn't care. It was all to much, I wanted gauze over them.

It was kind of like "Mommy, Mommy - fix my Boo-Boo".

She gave me instructions for my shower tomorrow. Which involved removing the gauze. I hope I can handle it.

After that doctor appointment, I needed to get away. I had an AMC Coupon in my purse which was close to the expiration date. The kind they sell at your company for around five bucks.
I figured from Glendale I'd just head up San Fernando Road, and go to the AMC 16 Theatres in Burbank , to catch "Red Eye".
Yes ... a Thriller would get my mind off of the yucky infection, and the doctors appointment.

I stopped in alittle Greek Restaurant for lunch before the movie. Looking through the menu for food that I will allow myself to eat was kind of difficult. No cheese, No Beef, No processed foods. Since its a restaurant, I doubt no preservatives.
I settled on a Chicken Pita Wrap - there was lettuce and avocado in the wrap. With an Ice Tea.
It came with a huge pile of french fries. I allowed myself four - the fries weren't that good anyway.
Dang, have my dietary habits changed since having breast cancer surgery.

At the movies - oh, this is to funny - what kind of snacks can I get ?
I usually get Red Vines , even though it has artificial red dye in it - the label says "No preservatives and No fat".
But I didn't feel like candy right now.
So I settle on... hmmm, okay - bottled water is the best.
And a Cinnamon Pretzel. Its kind of starchy. Maybe my stomach won't know its not popcorn.

I settle in for the One o'clock show with about six other people.
We watch all the advertisements.
Then nothing. Just a blank screen.
The low lights are still on. Oh, no - projection problems ?
I play with the games on my cell phone to kill time.

Soon, the Manager comes in. He makes an announcement that all the lights in the City of Burbank are out. And they don't know when they are coming back on. They will have to give us a coupon to see another movie at another time.

So everyone in the movie theatre had to file out, pick up our movie coupon, and leave.
As I was leaving, there were a few people trying to find out where, outside of Burbank, was another AMC Theatre so they could use their coupons
that afternoon.
I sure hope they didn't drive anywhere just to see a movie. (Turned out that half of the City of Los Angeles was in a black-out. Something around Two Million people affected.)

We had to walk down the steps - no escalators - to the mall area below by the ticket booth.
I decided to hang around for a bit, in case this was a short term thing, and they would start up the movies again.
And I didn't feel like driving back to Hollywood with no traffic lights working.
I just watched all those people stream out of the AMC 16 with their popcorns and sodas in their hands.

Of course, when something like this happens - people who are strangers and would never normally talk to one another start to gab.
All these Single people who hang out at matinees on Mondays by themselves, just chatting away.
One lady was convinced it was the terrorists, and she was worried, she didn't know what to do. She didn't want to drive home either without traffic lights.
(Turns out it wasn't terrorists. Just a DWP employee, who messed up and cut the wrong wire. Seriously. A stupid little thing like that, and half the city is without power.)

I ended up sitting on a bench next to a guy calling all his friends on his cellphone, to see if they were also blacked-out.
Well, that sounds like a good idea.
The first person I called works in Encino .
His advice : Drive home now. Because all the offices are letting their workers go home, and soon the roads will be a mess.

So I drove back to Hollywood. And everyone on the street seemed to be behaving themselves. Going slow. Stopping at all the intersections.
Taking turns going through the intersections. For the most part anyway.
I was really surprised at how civilized all the drivers were.

The closer I got to Hollywood, the more traffic lights were working.
When I got home, my alarm clock and microwave needed to be re-set. But I had power.

Well, I didn't care about the power. I needed a nap.
The Doctors Appointment, followed by a Black-out, must have drained me.
My nap turned into a Four hour deep sleep.
And I had Nightmares ...

As I dreamed, I was in a half asleep, half awake state. I was trying to get myself to wake up, and I couldn't do it.
I felt a large hand, holding both my hands, and holding them down on my chest.
I could swear someone else was in my apartment.
I kept saying to myself "Wake up, wake up, theres someone in the apartment."
But I could not get myself to wake up.
Eventually, I fell back into the deep sleep.
And when I woke up, I realized it was all just a nightmare.

I guess I could interpret the dream. In the dream, I was powerless. Someone was holding me down.
Like I had wanted to get away from the Infection by going to a movie. And I couldn't because the black-out happened.
Is this how I felt about dealing with Breast Cancer Surgery ? The infection in my one Incision ? The Black-out that Los Angeles just had ? My possible future chemotherapy and radiation ?
Its pretty scary when you can't control what is going on. And you can't get away from it either.