I remember that. And I was a bit worried they might screw them right through into my brain.’
Wendy laughed. ‘No chance. One of the screws is spring-loaded so that they know as soon as they’ve attached to the outer table of the skull. They don’t go any further than that.’
Martin was eyeing the band of metal curving over the top of his dark curls. ‘It looks like one of Olivia’s headbands when she hasn’t put it on properly.’
‘There’s an attachment at the back that I don’t think you’ll be able to see,’ Wendy told him. ‘That’s what the weights hang from.’
‘And the weight is stretching my neck so that the bones get back into alignment, right?’
‘We’re hoping so. The next X-ray should let us know whether it’s working.’
‘And what happens then?’
Wendy put the mirror down. ‘That will depend on how well you’re doing. It’s possible you might need an operation to stabilise the fracture.’
‘And if I don’t?’
‘You’ll stay here in Intensive Care for a few days.’
‘Why?’
‘We just like to keep a specially good eye on our new arrivals.’
A list of potential complications from a high spinal injury flashed through Wendy’s mind but she had no intention of frightening her patient by describing any of them. Paralytic ileus, where the small bowel ceased functioning and caused an accumulation of fluid and gas, was a common cause of death if unrecognised within the first forty-eight hours due to aspiration of vomitus. Paralysed patients were unable to cough adequately and death from respiratory arrest could be sudden.
Wendy glanced at the monitor beeping quietly and steadily beside the bed as the ECG spikes drifted across the screen.
Cardiac problems were also significant due to disruption to the vagus nerve that influenced heart rate. Something as simple as using suction or turning a patient could stimulate a vagal reaction and provoke a life-threatening slowing of the heart rate.
Respiratory problems were also high on the list of potential complications. Ross had had a bad spell with his breathing for a day or two when continued swelling of his spinal cord had led to a temporary increase in paralysis of the muscles required for breathing. Martin’s recent blood gas results, showing the level of oxygenation, had been good, however.
‘You get a lot more tests and drugs in the first few days as well. Like this infusion.’ Wendy checked the IV cannulation site in Martin’s arm for any sign of irritation and then ran a practised eye back up the line to ensure that the infusion was still running smoothly.
‘What is in there exactly?’
‘Methyl prednisolone. It’s a steroid that’s supposed to minimise any ongoing damage to the spinal cord. You only get it for twenty-four hours so it will stop by tonight.’
‘Do I get this tube out of my nose then?’
‘Probably not. You might have that for a day or two. It’s important because it helps to make sure you don’t vomit. That can be a problem when you can’t move.’
‘Where do I go when I get out of here?’
‘Into one of the wards.’ Wendy put on gloves before changing the bag attached to Martin’s indwelling urinary catheter. She made a note of output. Martin was unusually talkative for a new arrival but it was part of her job to deal with any concerns her patient had about his immediate future.
‘Will I be by myself?’
‘No. The wards have four beds in each room. Most patients find it’s much better to have some company.’
‘They’re all people with spinal injuries here, aren’t they?’
Wendy nodded. ‘Not all from accidents, though. Some diseases like cancer can cause spinal problems and some come from birth defects like spina bifida or cerebral palsy. And not all the injuries are recent. There are people here at all stages of recovery and lots of return patients who come back to have their kidney function checked or some other problem sorted out. Coronation Hospital is a specialist spinal injury and rehabilitation centre.’ She smiled at Martin. ‘It’s the best in the country.’
‘How long have you worked here?’
‘Nearly three years,’ Wendy responded. ‘Before that I worked in the intensive care unit of Christchurch Hospital and before that I spent a few years in a specialist spinal hospital in England.’
‘You don’t look old enough to have been working for that long.’
‘I’m thirty-two.’ Wendy grinned. ‘I just look younger because I’m so short.’
‘Is that why you wear your hair all spiked up like that? To make you look taller?’
Wendy laughed. ‘I hadn’t thought of that. I cut it short because I do a lot of outdoor stuff, like running and rock-climbing. Long hair’s a nuisance.’ She reached up to run her fingers through the blonde tufts. ‘And if I don’t put gel in and scrunch it up then it looks like some sort of weird lid.’
Martin smiled but his face was pinched and very pale.
‘How’s the pain level?’ Wendy reached for the button on the monitor to take a blood-pressure recording.
‘The worst bit at the moment is the back of my head. It really hurts.’
Wendy jotted down the blood-pressure measurement and moved to the head of her patient’s bed. She carefully slipped her fingers under the occipital area. It was a problem spot for pressure sores and she checked carefully for any matted hair that might be making complications more likely before she began rubbing the area gently. ‘Does this help?’
‘Yeah. Thanks.’
Wendy rubbed in silence for a minute. Martin’s eyes were closed and she hoped that he might be able to sleep for a while before any visits from family, doctors or other staff members, like representatives of the radiology or physiotherapy departments.
‘I’m thirty-two as well.’ Martin kept his eyes shut. ‘But even if I do end up in a wheelchair, it doesn’t mean my life is over, does it?’
‘Of course not.’ There was no chance Martin would escape the fate of being confined to a wheelchair. The best he could hope for would be retaining some function of his arms and hands. Ross had regained almost normal neurology in his upper limbs now. He was even getting some sensation back in his legs. Unfair luck as far as Martin went. Ross had fallen nearly five metres onto a surface jagged with broken concrete. Martin had dived into only one metre of water but his life had changed irrevocably. Wendy hoped he would be able to retain at least part of his positive attitude in the coming weeks.
‘Some people do amazing things in wheelchairs,’ Martin continued. ‘They can still drive cars.’
‘Sure. I know of someone who got their pilot’s licence.’
‘There’s
