Letting Go

Chapter 1

I waited in line to check in. I cannot explain how nervous I was walking into the hospital. I still couldn't get my mind to comfortable understand that I needed surgery on my back. All the doctors have said that my scoliosis curve was too severe to handle. So they made me agree to get a spinal fusion. So here I am now, waiting in line to check into the hospital. As soon as the receptionist said, "next," a tingly feeling went down my spine. I tried taking deep breaths or counting to ten, but nothing seemed to be working. My mom told me to calm down because everything is fine, but that really didn't make me relax either. My mom then says, "Lizzy Hilton for her 8:00am appointment. She will be seeing Dr. Jones for the spinal fusion surgery." Again, a cold chill raced down my spine as soon as I heard those words. Then the receptionist says, "Yep, here she is. The nurse will come and get her in just a few minutes to prepare her." Now I felt the years forming in my eyes. All I kept thinking about in my head was, "This is really happening. I'm going to be the girl with rods and screws forming her back. Why did this even happen to me?"
Of course I didn't say any of this out loud because I didn't want my parents to worry about me. Even though I could see it in their facial expressions that they were paranoid themselves. Then, what happened next went by so quick that I had to make sure my head was processing it right. The nurse called my name, but before I went in I hugged both of my parents and they then both told me good luck. The nurse then showed me into a cold room and then told me, "Lizzy, before your operation you must change into this hospital gown. When you are done just hit that yellow button to indicate that you are done. We will then give you an IV and take you down to the operating room."
I quickly nodded my head so that I could be alone. I was so scared and anxious that I couldn't even handle seeing another person right now.