While in Traction

In Traction

A couple of years ago, I had an accident while riding my motorcycle and broke both of my legs.  I was hospitalized and put in traction where I stayed for more than a month.  The day of the operation, my two sisters came to see me.  My mother had died two years before.

I said, “Hi Linda, hi Donna.”

They responded, “Hi Dave, how are you?”

I said, “Not so good, I am afraid.”

My mother asked, “Are you in pain?”

I said, “No, they gave me some pills.”

“What is that contraption you are in?” asked Linda.

“He is in traction," answered Donna.

“What is that?” asked Linda.

“It is so that his bones can be kept in proper position and immobile so that they can heal properly.” Donna said.

Donna asked, “How long will you have to stay in that thing?”

“At least a month,” I said. 

“I glad it isn’t me,” said Donna.

“I guess I will just have to take the best of it,” I said.

The rest of the time was spent in small talk.  The girls stayed about an hour before leaving.  Before Donna left she said, "You look really good in traction."

The comment puzzled me.  I wondered what she meant.

I was in a double room.  The guy in the next bed had broken his leg also.  Later that day his wife and sister came to see him.  After they said their hellos, both of them saw me in the next bed and got curious.  The came over to see me and asked, “What happened to you?”

I said, “I had an accident on my motorcycle.”

One of them asked, “Did you break both of your legs?”

“Fraid so,” I said.

The same one then asked, “Is that contraption you are in, traction?

I answered, “I think that is what it is called.”

She then asked, “Is that why you legs are elevated and there are weights and pulleys on your legs?”

I said, “Yes, it is.”

The sister asked, "Does the nurse have to help you pee?

I said, "No, the nurse's aide does."

The she asked, "Does that bother you?” 

I said, "Yes, but I have no choice."

She said, "Well, it is a good thing that you have learned to get over your modesty."

The wife replied, "I certainly wouldn't want to be in that contraption."

The sister said, "But he looks good in that contraption, doesn't he."

The wife said, "Yes, he does."

Then they went back to my roommate.  I wondered what they meant by those remarks.

The next day my sisters came back to see me.  They brought two friends.  I was glad to see them. Laying in bed in a hos[ital is boring, visitors of any kind are always welcome.

Donna said, “Hi ,Dave how are you?”

I said, “About the same as yesterday.”

Donna said, “Well, you don’t look worse for wear.”  Then she said, “I brought two friends along.  I told them about you and they wanted to come see for themselves.  This is Peggy and Barbara.

I said, “Nice to meet you.”

Peggy and Barbara both said, “Nice to meet you.”

Peggy then said, “Is being in traction painful.”

I said, “Not really.”

Peggy asked, “How do you pee?”

I said, “The nurses aide brings me a male urinal.”

Peggy asked, “How about number two?”

I answered, “The nurses aide brings a bed pan.”

Peggy asked, “Does the nurse have to clean you then?”

I said, “Not the nurse, the nurses aide.”

Barbara asked, “Does that bother you?”

I said, “Of course it bothers me, but what choice to I have.”

Barbara asked, "Why are your legs elevated?"

I said, "They told me it helps circulation.  The heart pumps the blood up to the brain and the elevation allows the blood to drain back to the heart."

Barbara asked, “Can I have my picture taken with you?”

I said, “Sure, why not?”

Peggy stood beside me at the head of the bed while Barbara took the picture.  Then Barbara stood beside me while Peggy took the picture.  Both of Donna’s two friend were very friendly and quite attractive.  When they said goodbye I said, “I hope to see you again.”

They both said, “Can we visit you again?”

I said, “Please do.”

Then they said, "Can we bring friends?"

I said, "I love visitors."

Later that day my roommate's wife came to see him again.  She brought two of her friends.  After they said hello to my roommate.  Mrs. Sutton brought her two friends over to see me.  She said, “My friends are curious about you.”

I said, “As you can see I am in traction because I was in an accident on my motorcycle and broke both of my legs.”

One of them said, “Are you in pain?”

I answered, “No.”

She asked, “Isn’t that position uncomfortable?”

I said, “It is as comfortable as it can be under the circumstances.”

She asked, "It looks uncomfortable to have your legs elevated like that."

I said, "They are elevated to help blood flow to the legs."

One of them, Caitlin, then said, “You’re cute, can I take a picture of you?”

I said, "You think I am cute?

She said, "I definitely think you are cute.

I said, “Thank you for the compliment.  Sure, if you think I am cute, I'd love to have you take my picture?”

Then the other girl said,."I think you're cute too, can I take your picture?"

I said, "Thank you for the compliment.  Sure, take my picture." 

They said, “Goodbye,” and left.  I thought it odd, they had spent almost all of their time with me.

The next day the two friends of my sister. Peggy and Barbara, came back to see me.  I thought that was awfully nice of them and was glad to see them..  They came with two other friends.  They asked me the usual questions about whether I was in pain or uncomfortable, toilet functions and why my legs were elevated.  Then they both wanted to have their picture taken with me. I wondered why all these girls wanted to have their pictures taken with me.

I said, “Sure, I will be happy to oblige.”

This went on for the rest of the month.  Not only did my family and friends come to see me but numerous girls also came to visit.  Funny thing, they always asked why my legs were elevated and then wanted to have their picture taken with me. I thought to myself, boy, why did I get so popular all of a sudden?  I concluded that the numerous female visits I was having was due to sympathy.

After a week  was was able to stop using the bed pan but I had to call the nurses who then helped me into the bathroom where I relieved myself.  In order to do this I had to be taken out of traction.  Every day it was a different set or nurses and nurses aides.  When I had to do a number 1, the nurses aide would hold the male urinal for me.

During the time I was in traction, there was also a steady stream of female medical personnel.  At first, they were interns or medical students who came with my physician.  Then they were nurses and nurses aides who worked in the hospital somewhere.  They would always ask my permission before coming in and I always gave it to them.  One day, I even had a whole class of nursing students.  It was most disconcerting because they were giggling the whole time even though their instructor told them to stop.  One of them asked to take my picture.  I let her. Then the other ones wanted to take my picture also.  Then they wanted their friends to take my picture with them.  What is it with all this picture taking?

A month after I had entered the hospital, I was finally discharged.  I had to be in a wheelchair at first, and then on crutches but after a year I was able to walk normally.  A year out of the hospital, I ran into one of the girls who had visited me in the hospital.  She saw me in a store and said, “Hello, how are your legs?” 

I didn’t recognize her but I said hello back.

She said, “You don’t remember me, my name is Caitlin, I met you while you were in the hospital and were in traction.  How are you know?”

I said, “I am a lot better.  I am walking normally now.”

She said, “That’s good, I am glad to see you better.  Then she said, “You know I still have my picture  of you while you were in the hospital.  Would you like to see it?

“Yes, I would.  ” I said.  "Funny thing, when I was in the hospital nearly every girl who visited me wanted to take my picture."

She said, "I know." 

I said, "You do?"

She said, "Let me show you the picture."  Then she took out her phone and showed me the picture.  There I was in the bed with my feet elevated.  Despite the fact that I was covered with a blanket, one could see under the blanket.  There I was, spread eagled and exposed.  Not only had I been exposed like that for over a month but now there were dozens of pictures of of girls standing next to me with my genitals exposed.  Pictures I had agreed to!

Now I knew why I was so popular and why the girls all wanted to have their picture taken with me.  After she saw the shock on my face, she smiled to herself, looked at me and she said, “Yea, you sure were cute with your legs elevated like that!”