If I Awake

Chapter 1

Present Day:

"Mom? Dad? What's going on? Where am I?" I say as look around a dull hospital room, whats going on? How did I get here? When did I get here? I have things on me that are hooked up to a machine, something in my nose to help me breath I'm guessing and a needle in my arm that goes to one of those things to give you fluids.

"Shh sweetie it's okay your safe." My mom says while she rubs my head and she has a tear going down her cheeck.

"Why am I here?"

"Well, it's not easy to say but' my dad pauses and wipes his face, why is everyone crying?'you were in a coma."

"Wha-what? How? When? I don't understand." When did this happen? It couldn't have happened, I remember everything thats been going on.

"Calm down Melanie, it's okay now. Your okay."

"Calm down? Mom I've been in a coma and I don't rememer how it happened or how long I've been in one!" I can't calm down because it seems like none of this is true, so many things have been going on and I remember all of it.

"It's been two years sweetie." What?

Okay so let me tell you some things, just to fill you in. Well the things I remember, I'll start from where I remember. When I was ten I was diagnosed with a head cancer and then later i found out I was in the 10 to 20% of people who end up with hypercalcemie. Hypercalcemia is when you have an usually high level of calcium in your blood and it's the most common metabolic disorder that is associated with cancer.

Treatments are things like treating the underlying cancer and replacing fluids that got lost with vomiting and having to pee a lot. There is also medications to help stop the break down of bones and there is steriod medications and of course the lovely chemo and radiation to help treat the cancer. I was taken out of school and my parents hired me a tutor, ever since the cancer my parents don't want me leaving the house because of all the side affects I have.

Let me say this, my parents want me to stay locked away in the house yet they want me to have friends. I don't see how that could happen if they never let me leave. Since I was diagnosed the only time I left the house was for doctor appointments, emergencies and to go grocery shopping with my mom. The friends I had before I got sick, I couldn't even tell you where they are now the only friend I have is my dads friends son. His name is Aron and he's become a best friend to me because he's been here for me during everything. When he's over and I get sick and vomit, he has no problem with holding my hair for me, it's sweet actually.

Okay now that you know all of that I can get to what I remember, I was 17 and I spent everyday the same. I wake up, take my medicine, have breakfast watch tv for hours, eat lunch, take more medicine, watch tv, go and have dinner take more medicine then go to bed. Of course there was talking between my parents and I, but it's never anything interesting.

Flashback:

My life has never really been easy, no one's really is actually. But if you have some kind of sickenss, it just makes it worse because of all the things you go through on a daily basis and having to worry if your going to wake up in the morning before you go to sleep. I'm Melanie, Melanie Baker daughter of John and Karen Baker. I'm an only child, I guess when my parents found out I was sick they decided not to have anymore kids because they always have to take care of me. That makes me sad to think that I was reason for having no brothers or sisters, I'm the reason they don't go out and do anything besides go to work. But they have different shifts, mom works in the moning and dad takes care of me and then dad works and night and mom takes care of me. It's all one big circle, my tutor comes to my house Monday - Thursday, Friday - Sunday is her days off. Her name is Lisa Hughes or Mrs. Hughes whichever, she's a sweet women actually. She's been my tutor since I was ten and has kind of become a part of the family.