A Cancer Story

Chapter 8

You were so utterly emotionally and physically exhausted when you got home, that you crawled in bed with your clothes on and fell asleep with the light still on.  The next morning, you were awoken to your mom shaking you that it was time to get up and go.  You sat up in bed and rubbed your eyes.. just hoping that if you moved slow enough that the operation wouldn’t happen.  Unfortunately your plans were thwarted by your mom hurrying you along.  You put on pajamas since this was a surgery and went and got in the car with your mom.  You nervously twiddled your thumbs.  Brain surgery was big operation and you were absolutely terrified, but you would not let anyone know that.  

Once at the hospital, your mom checked you in and you both sat in the waiting room waiting to be called in.  You kicked your feet back and forth under the seat like a little child.  You were frantic to find anything to calm your nerves which felt like they was a war going on inside your stomach.  Your mom reached over and grabbed your hand and squeezed it.  That moment of love caused you to get the relief you were needing from the butterflies.  Your name was then called and you nervously followed the nurse back to what would become your room.  You sat on the side of the bed as the nurse explained what would happen in the surgery.  One thing that took you by surprise was that the nurse said that in order to reach the tumor they would have to shave part of your head.  You started crying, you knew you’d be losing your hair eventually but not yet, not now.  You mom hugged you as you cried and the nurse continued to explain what you would need to do to get ready.  You tried to compose yourself but it was no use.  Soon there were no sounds to be heard just tears endlessly rolling down your face.  You didn’t bother to brush them away.  

Once changed into your hospital gown and socks you lied in the bed and waited for the nurse to return.  The nurse returned in a couple minutes but to you, it felt like a millennium and she started to hook you up to the iv and the medicine that would put you to sleep.  Once hooked up she left and it was just you and your mom in the room.  Your mom put the subject on her crafting class that she was a part of, to try and help but your mind just couldn’t stay on one subject for long  Soon your thoughts became blurred together and your eyes began to close.

You are awoken by a beeping noise and for a moment you’re all confused of your surroundings and felt very very tired.  Then it came back to you what all had just happened.  You had just had the surgery on your head.  Hopefully it all went well because you probably wouldn’t of woken up if it wasn’t.  You kick your feet around trying to stretch them out.  You open one eye and then the other.  Looking around at your surroundings.  Your mom is asleep with her head on your bed and her glasses in hand.  You reach over and gently run your hand through her hair.  You wanted to sit up but the weight upon your head made you remember you probably shouldn’t.  Your mom reaches over and grabs your hand.

“mom..” you croak

“i”m here sweetie, what is it?”

“w.what happened?”

“well the doctor told me they were able to successfully remove all of the tumor in your brain.  The doctor wants to keep you here for several days to make sure everything is alright and then we can go home.  He wants to start you on the chemo right away though.  So in a day or so he is probably going to start it so you may end up being here a little longer..”