Ana L.

Garcia
English 1101
Sarah Hughes
Photographic Memory Narrative Final Draft

December 14th
October22,2001wasabeautiful,sunnyfallday.Theairwascomfortableand
crisp.IpickedupmymorningcoffeeasIusuallydidandwentintowork.Youre
stilllimping?Elsieasked.Yeah,Irolledmyeyes.Itsactuallygottenmuchworse
almostintolerable.TheswellingcomesrightbackassoonasIstand.Elsie,who
wasthemanagerofthefurniturestoreIworkedat,lookedconcerned.Yousee,forthe
pastmonthorso,Idbeenhavingswellinginmyleftlegaccompaniedbysharppain
inthecalfarea.Thepaininmycalfmuscleisbestdescribedasbeinginthemiddleof
abasketballgamewhenacrampsuddenlystrikes,paralyzingtothepointwhereyou
falltothefloor.Youneedtogotothehospital,Ana.Andsinceyoureapparentlytoo
stubborntogo,Imcallingyouraunttocomepickyouupandtakeyou,Elsie
scolded.Shewasright,Iwasstubborn.Iknewdeepdownsomethingwaswrong.My
mentalitywasifIjustwaitedlongenough,itwouldgoaway.Ihadnochoicebutto
lethercallmyaunt.Thepainwastooexcruciatingtobearanylongeritwastime.

SincemyauntwastheHRmanagerforthebusiness,itmadesensetocallher
insteadofmymother.Shewasfifteenminutesaway,workingatadifferentlocation.I
gotacallfromthereceptionistatthefrontofthestoretoletmeknowmyauntwas
comingtothebackofficetofindme.Assoonasshewalkedin,Elsiegreetedher.
Sorryforhavingtocallyou,Rosa,butIhadnootherchoice.Everydayshecomes
in,shelooksworse.Youwererighttocallme.Iknowhowstubbornshecanbe.
Lily,areyoureadytogo?askedmyaunt,callingmebythenicknameusedonlyby
myfamily.Yeah,letsgo,Iresponded,defeated.Onourwaytothehospitalmy
auntlecturedmeabouttakingcareofmyself.Itoldhershewasright,butjustdidnt
thinkitwasabigdeal.Whenwedontthinkitsabigdealiswhenitturnsoutthatit
actuallyis,shesaid.Maybeshewasright,butIthoughtIhaditallfiguredout.
Afterregisteringatthehospitalandgivingmysymptomstothetriagenurse,I
wasescortedtomyownbedintheER.Thenursegavemeagowntochangeinto
whileanotherwaspreppinganIVtoinjectintomyarm.Needlesandmassamountsof
bloodaremykryptonite.Ibegintogetclammy,myhandsshakewithnervousness,
andtheclosertheneedlegetstome,thefainterIbecome.Isallthisreallynecessary?
ItsapainImfeelinginmylegforChristssake.Itsnotlikeitssurgeryor
anything,Ideclare.Beforeshecanrespond,agroupofdoctorswalkin.HiAna.
Canyoutellmewhenyoustartedtonoticeanydiscomfortinyourleg?AsIdidwith

thetriagenurse,IrecountedexactlywhenIrealizedthepain.OK,sojusttomake
sureIhaveitalldownyoustartedtonoticeswellinginyourlegaboutamonthago.
Thepainstartedaboutaweekafterthat.Graduallyyoustartedfeelingthepainmore
severeandtheswellingtobemoreprominent.Thishasaffectedyourwalkingastime
wentby.Todaywasprobablytheworsepainyouhavefelttodate.Yourbosswas
worriedaboutyoubecauseshetoonoticeditwasntgettingbetter.Shecallsyour
aunt,yourauntpicksyouup,andhereyouguysare.Doesthatsoundright,Ana?
Yougotitdoc.Good.Imgoingtorequestforyoutobeoffyourfeet.Weare
goingtoputthesebootsonyourlegstohelpcirculatethebloodsinceyouwontbe
gettingup.ImalsogoingtoorderanUltrasoundofyourlegtoseewhatscausingall
thisdiscomfort.ItsveryimportantyoustayoffyourfeetuntilIhavethoseresults.
Soundgood?Yeah,Iguessso,Ireplied,startingtogetannoyed.
TheUltrasoundroomwassocold.Ididntunderstandthat.Imean,sureits
keptlikethattokeepbacteriaandvirusesfromspreading,butacoupleofnotchesup
onthethermostatcouldnthavehurt.OnceIwasplacedonthebed,thenursedimmed
thelightswhichbroughtthissenseofrelaxationintheroom.Thetechnician,dressed
inlightbluescrubs,camein.Shecouldnthavebeenolderthantwentyfive.Howare
youdoing,sweetie?Isthisyourfirsttimegettinganultrasound?Yes,andImabit
nervousaboutit.Ireallydontknowwhatthesemachinesdoorwhattheirpurposeis.

Itdoesnthurt,doesit?Ofcoursenot!Iwillputjellyonthiscameraandrunitup
anddownyourlegandseeifwecangetsomegoodpicturesforthedoctor.Aftera
fewminutes,acoldfeelingonmylegstartlesme.ThatscolderthanIthoughtit
wouldbe,Isaid.ItllwarmupasIcontinue.Itriedtomakeoutwhatwasonthe
screen,butallitlookedlikewasachannelthatcouldntgetgoodreception.Sheran
thecamerafrommyhipallthewaydowntotheankleonthefrontsideofmyleg.
Aftersnappingafewpictures,sheproceededtodothesametothebackpartofmy
leg.Onceshereachedthecalfarea,sheremainedfixated.AfteraboutfiveminutesI
askedherifalllookedokay.Nothingtoworryabout.Justtakingthepicturesthe
doctorhasrequested.Iwasntbuyingit,though.Herfacehadconcernwrittenall
overit.Afteranothertenminutes,IwasdoneandtakenbacktotheER.
ItwasntlongbeforethedoctorcameinandtoldmeIhadabloodclotinmy
leftcalfthatwassixincheslong.Overthecourseofthemonth,ithadstartedtraveling
towardsmyheart.Anothertwoorthreedaysandthatclotcouldvetraveledtoyour
heartandkilledyou.Youreluckyyoumadeitheretoday.Weregoingtoputyouon
bloodthinnersimmediatelytogetthatclotundercontrol.Stunned,Ibegantocry.He
toldmetocalmdownandnotworrysinceIwasalreadyinthehospital.Wheresmy
aunt?Iasked.Shecameinwithme.Shehadgonetocallmyfather,itseemed,and
wasnowgreetinghimatthehospitalentrance.Thedoctorthenbegantopushonmy

stomach,justlikeeveryotherdoctorsappointmentIveeverhad.Yourstomach
seemsprettyhard.Whyisthat?Absofsteel?Ijokinglyreplied.Webothknew
thatwasaliealiethathedidntfindamusing.Heaskedwhenwasmylast
menstrualcycle.AsIpreviouslytoldthenurse,itwasabouttwomonthsago.Iwas
irregularsoitwasntuncommonformetomisseveryothermonth.Becauseyour
stomachISsohard,Idliketoorderupanultrasoundofyourstomach.Ijustwantto
makesurewerenotmissinganything.Iagreed.Hey,iftheyregoingtorunallthese
teststoeliminatewhatswrong,doittoday;thatwayIdonthavetocomeback.
Insteadoftakingmebacktotheroomwheretheinitialultrasoundtookplace,Iwas
wheeledintoaroomthatwasfifteenfeetaway.Iassumedthatroomwasprobably
busybefore.Thefamiliarcoldsensationstartledmejustasithadbefore.Twodoctors,
onenurse,andthetechnicianwereinthissmallroomwithme.Itfeltabitcramped.
Afterrunningthecameraforafewmoments,thedoctorsays,therearethefingers.
Thatsamazing!,Ithoughttomyself.Howcantheyseemyfingersthroughmy
stomach?Theresthehead.Letsmeasureit,thedoctorsays.Atthispoint,Imin
uttershock.Hastechnologyadvancedsomuchthateverythingonthehumanbodycan
beviewedthroughthestomach,usingatoolthatresemblesatelevisionremote
control?December14th.December14th?Thatsmymomandmybrothers
birthday,Isaid,confused.Ilookedatallofthem,theylookedateachother,andthen
lookedatme,allofuswiththesamebewilderedexpression.Yourepregnant.Seven

andahalfmonths,noless.YourbabyisdueonDecember14th.Allthebloodinmy
headleft.Forthefirsttimeinmylife,Iwasspeechless.Mybodyfeltlikeitwas
buriedincement,andsomeonehadjusthittheoffswitchtomybrain.Allthesounds
escapedtheroom.Iwaslyinginbedindeadsilence,intotaldarkness.Thefeeling
thatyougetrightbeforeyoupassout;thelastanythingyourememberseeing,hearing,
orfeelingthatswhatIwasexperiencinginthatmoment.Onceitregistered,my
immediatereactionwastocry;andcryIdid.TenminutesagoIhadjustfoundoutthat
Iwasafewdaysfromdeath.NowImbeingtoldthat,notonlywillIsurvive,butI
willbewelcominganewlife.Anxiety,apprehension,worry,andnervousnesshitme
simultaneouslylikeabrickwall.
IfIwouldvegonetothedoctorwhenIfirstfeltthediscomfortinmyleg,the
outcomewouldhavebeenthesame.Istillwouldvebeendiagnosedwithabloodclot
intheleftcalfandIstillwouldvebeenpregnant.Lookingbackonthemonthsthat
leduptothathospitalvisitIneversawsymptomsthatwouldleadmetothinkthat
anythingwasoff.Morningsicknessneverhappened,nordidweightgain.Contraryto
thebelief,Ilostweight.ThedoctorsthemselvesevensaidIdidntlookpregnantfor
beingasfaralongasIwas.Iwentfrombeingaregularnineteenyearoldtoan
expectingmotherexperiencingahighriskpregnancy,andIonlyhadalittlemorethan
amonthtoprepare.Nowtotellmyboyfriend.