Cut for Courage

I fasted since 10pm last night. My mouth felt horrible. I was asked not to drink water too. How could I? I only had very little water to swallow my chemo pills in the morning. Papa and Sis Joyce accompanied me. We reached Ward 7 at 6am. The nurse directed me to bed 4 which was in a room.

The room was pathetically small and rundown. Bed sheet was stained. The ceiling looked dirty. I couldn't wait to get the surgery done and go home. The nurse asked me to change to the operating gown. We waited for the doctor for a long while. The doctor said I was #4 and hopefully I could get my surgery in the morning. Geez, my mouth was very dry. I didn't know how long more could I last.

At about 10am+, the nurses came to wheel me into the operating theatre. I was 'parked' outside the operating theatre for 30 minutes. It was cold. Nurses, staff walked in and out of the operating theatre. It was like a marketplace. Noisy. The noise was the nurses' chats and gossips. I empathized myself. I wondered if anyone actually notice me.

Finally, an Indian man came. He asked my name and wheeled me into the operatin

g theatre. I told him I had radiotherapy and my mouth and lips were very dry. He poked a needle on my left forehand. Then, a lady covered my mouth with oxygen. She asked me to relax and pray. I knocked out.

"The surgery is done", a lady told me. She woke me up. They pushed me back to the Ward. There was a plaster and my neck felt tight. Doctor ordered me to stay overnight. I could hardly move my head and neck. My neck was very stiff. It hurt a lot. Suria kept massaging me but it didn't ease the pain at all. I could hardly sleep. My neck was killing me.

A few doctors came to see me at about 8am the next morning. I could be discharged. I had to keep the wound dry.

This is my cut for Courage