Dream of the Doulas

Last night I had a weird pre-surgery dream. Not THAT kind of dream. So in the dream, I'm going back to my old (previous) surgeon and telling her about my new surgeon. In real life, I happen to think a great deal of my previous surgeon. She did three different surgeries and found a mass in my knee that a previous doctor said did not exist. So she'll always be my hero (if you think a lionis grateful for the extraction of a measly thorn, think about how much it would mean to get a big mass of junk pulled out of your knee.) I digress. But dear reader/s (in case there really are two of you) I will return to the dream. So, it turns out that this surgery not only involves a new knee but he's going to throw in a new hand. Back to real life for a second: I suffer from from some repetitive strain injury, which is why use voice recognition software. I will leave it at that for now. Anyhow, because I'm getting a new hand as well as a new knee, I realize I won't be able to walk with crutches and I will need a lot more help. The doctor in the dream tests my hand and sure enough it turns out that I need a new one. In the dream hand transplants are clearly normal. So then she tells me that I should get help from a "hospital doula." You know doulas. . . they are the people who help guide you through the birthing process. And now there are doulas (in real life) who helped guide people through the dying process. But no, I had never heard of a hospital doula before. Seems like a good idea, doesn't it? They appear not to exist.

(PS The photo is a modified view from my brother's deck. I thought it seemed dreamlike.)