Post-Surgery Fun at the Hospital

Generally, it is not a pleasant experience to have surgery in which a virtual hardware store is dumped into your broken body and from which you wake up feeling like you will never ever again be able to muster an intelligent thought. Generally, your entire hospital stay will be downright miserable and you definitely won't want anyone taking pictures of you.

Oh no -- absolutely, positively no pictures because you look really really, really bad and totally miserable.

However, even such dismal experiences sometimes contain moments of levity. Attempting to wash my hair with a newfangled wet-dry "shampoo bag" in a hospital bed comprised that moment for me.

When I could stand it no longer, I asked if I could have my hair washed. Since Elisabeth was visiting me, I figured she could maybe shampoo my head over a bucket... or something. Surely the hospital would have some way for me to wash my hair!

Tina the nurse informed us that they did, indeed, have a "very easy and fun" way for patients to wash their hair and that she'd be happy to bring us a "shampoo cap."

Moments later, she returned with this -- a shower cap which apparently contained something (not sure I'd call it shampoo) that, when heated in the microwave, became wet and warm. All one had to do was put the cap on and massage one's hair through the cap!

It actually felt great and I had high hopes for a full, clean (if not perfectly coiffed) head of hair once it was over! Elisabeth and I even took turns "washing" my hair!

Yes, we had FUN in the hospital! Even the nurse took part ("all my other patients are in pain and grumpy and not nearly so much fun!") and snapped some photos.

Once I removed the cap, my hair felt just like it does after a real wash and condition. The comb slid right through it and I could hardly wait till it dried to a nice, soft, silky sheen.

I combed it and combed it... and then fell asleep. When I awoke it was dry -- but looked just like it had when I fell asleep, except now that it was dry, it looked greasy, streaky, and disgusting!

But it was oh-so worth the few moments of post-surgical fun!