UNEDITED
Not all storms come to disrupt your life, some come to clear your path.
Those are the words that Justin McCallister has been repeating in his mind since the day he was diagnosed with a non-cancerous brain tumour that's been causing partial...
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Justin
The next morning takes me back in time.
Just like the morning of my first surgery, I'm required to shower using these special bars of soap. They're pink and make me smell like the hospital. I also need to choke down my meds. And, even though I want to eat something for breakfast, I'm not allowed anything but water.
The early hours of the morning pass by too quickly and I find myself walking the familiar halls of BC Children's Hospital too soon. If it weren't for Addie's hand, my toque, and having familiar faces around me, I would've run by now.
Am I crazy for giving them a second chance after they failed to do their job the first time? Am I crazy to believe in that small bit of hope that this is actually going to work?
I can't figure out the answers because my mind is spinning.
I know the pre-surgery shit too well, and I'm not a fan of it.
But no matter how badly I want to run, something keeps tugging me forward. Hope is like a small flicker of flame - it can either be snuffed out or it can ignite and create the biggest blazes. And I think my hope is currently level with the latter option, just at a slower rate.
Once we're in the pre-operative holding area, I have to part ways with everyone to get changed into a hospital gown, removing everything but my socks. Next, a nurse rubs some weird white ointment on the backs of my hands that's supposed to numb the area and make it easier for them to insert the IV. It doesn't take long, so I'm quickly reunited with everyone. I'm even given one of those blankets they keep warm for their patients. I wrap that around Addie and I.
To be honest, those heated blankets are really the only perk about this place.
As we're waiting for the next step, my stomach growls. Addie nudges me. "Why can't you eat before surgery?" she asks.
I shrug. "I actually don't know," I reply, realizing it myself. Huh. You'd think I'd know after going through this process once already.
"That would be because when you're under anaesthetic, your body's reflexes are temporarily stopped. So, if there's food and/or drink in your stomach, there's a risk of vomiting or regurgitation."
Addie and I both look up at an older nurse that's standing in front of us. She's wearing dark green scrubs and her greying hair is tied up in a bun.
"Ew," Addie says, wrinkling her nose. "That's disgusting."
"Understandable," I say at the same time.
The nurse smiles. "Are you ready for some more preparation?"
"I guess," I reply nervously. It's not like I have a choice. I signed the papers. I'm in this whether I like it or not. "Can Addie come?"
