Adventures in ambulances is a digital comic that I started, to pass the time in hospital. During 2019, I travelled to hospital via the Wellington Free Ambulance service several times. I.e. several times more than I wanted to travel by ambulance, although I appreciate the paramedic teams who helped me more than I can say. I developed a crush on one of them - he was my literal hero.

The drawings I was making on my phone seemed to follow a kind of narrative, so I made it into a comic. I’ve only finished the beginning of the first episode so far…maybe I’ll do more. I liked what I’ve done so far, so I wanted to share it. Here is Adventures in ambulances, chapter one: paralysed.

Paralysed

I have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1. It’s a hereditary genetic condition associated with tumours of the endocrine (hormone-producing) glands.

As conditions go, it is a disappointment to me. I would prefer plain MEN.

However, MEN1 also provides many opportunities for drama and excitement.

and MEN1 is a more reliable source of flowers.

Like many other people with MEN1, I had some parathyroid tumours.

oh great!

Knowing all this is really going to improve the depression - not!

Now, here’s the one thing you really need to know about calcium - you need it to move. And if you don’t have enough… you can’t move.

So, I have my surgery and go home.

to lie on the couch, eat chocolates and recover.

But something didn’t feel right.

I am moving more and more slowly. It feels jerky. My extremities are tingling and my lips are numbing out.

By the time I get to the blood test place, I can barely move.

Then I can’t move at all.

It feels like the inside of my body is scrunched up tight, like a piece of newspaper you ball up before throwing it on the fire.

What’s happening?

I can’t get the needle in. Her skin’s just like rubber!

She’s gone all twisted... get her into the recovery position.

I can’t move her limbs - she’s like rock.

She’s so cold!

It was very strange. And terrifying.

From the outside, it looked like I was unconscious. But I wasn’t! I was just totally paralysed.

As my body shut down, I tried to tell them what I thought was going on...I was having a stroke.

What’s she saying?!

Every lunchtime at work, I stared at the poster on the fridge as I microwaved my lunch.

Drooping face, paralysed arms, slurred speech… it all fit. But I couldn’t make them understand.

It felt like it took a long time to get to hospital.

It was hard for the paramedics to manouvre my twisted up body into the ambulance and strap me in. I was concentrating hard on getting breath in and out of my throat. Finally, we got there. My perspective on it was mostly ceiling.