Sister Mother

Chapter 39

Addie

Surgery Day To-Do list

· Reply to Uncle Jason, Kevin, Mags, Brennan, Vance and Jesse, who all sent good luck text messages.

· Let everyone sleep in just a few extra minutes. I'll be sleeping most of the day, so they need it more than I do.

· When Gabe knocks on the door, put on your "I'm not worried so you shouldn't be" face.

· Sit next to Beatrice in the taxi. She hates hospitals more than any of us, so she needs the most comfort.

· Check in. Get height and weight measured. Blood pressure. Temp. When the nurse hands you a cup, tell her you've been extremely sexually active so they should triple check the pregnancy test. And maybe do a blood test as well as a urine test. Just in case.

· Sign the consent form. Don't read over the risks. They've already been explained to you and you can recite them by heart, so don't bother reading them. Just sign the damn papers.

· Put on one of those ridiculous hospital nightgowns. Ask the nurses why even though this is the best hospital for Little People, I am always given a nightgown with polka dots, animal heads, or rainbows. Inform them that although I am aware I will soon be having people looking at my insides, I would like to enter the O.R. in something decent. Remind them that you have brought this issue up several times over the years.

· Make Leo, Gabe and Beatrice laugh as much as possible before you go in. The more jokes, the better. The more time they spend laughing, the less time they spend worrying.

· Remind them to eat today. Give Leo my credit card. Steal Leo's credit card. The man has spent too much money on us and he isn't going to spend another dime. The man isn't even working but he bought us dinner last night. If he keeps being Snow Shoveler, I will ask Dr. Martin to sew his credit card into my hip.

The second we got to Pre-Op, Beatrice climbed up and sat beside me on the bed. I had my vitals taken no less than six times. One of the nurses came back and told me that I was not pregnant (phew). Leo and Gabe sat in chairs next to the bed. We all made small talk as we waited for Dr. Martin to arrive. Before he did, we saw Dr. Tanzer, the only anesthesiologist in the world whom I trusted to intubate my curvy, narrow airway. She listened to my lungs, chatted with us for a few minutes and then she said the words I prayed I wouldn't hear today.

"I was so sorry to hear about your parents," Dr. Tanzer said. "They were such good people and we all miss them. You just let us know if there's anything extra we can do for you."

I nodded and squeezed Gabe's hand. One of us said thanks, but I'm not sure who.

Dr. Martin and Carol arrived, gowned, gloved and masked.

"Okay." I took a deep breath and hugged Beatrice. "Get me a soda, okay?"

She had a surgery tradition. As soon as Gabe or I were sent down to the O.R., she'd get a soda from one of the vending machines. She wouldn't open it until it got warm, and she wouldn't sip it until we came out. She also told herself not to panic or worry too much until it was room temperature.

"What kind?" she asked.

"Whatever has the most sugar."

She sniffled onto my orange shoulder. "I don't want to lose another mom."

"You will never ever lose another mother. I promise, Beatrice."

"Okay," she said, but she still didn't let go.