My Cancer Story

Part 2 - A two cm long scar

Part 2 - A two cm long scar

(Period of time: the 29th of August and three days afterwards)

29th of August 2010: 

The day before my surgery had arrived. I wanted to stay in the hospital the night before because I didn't want to get up at 5am to be in the hospital at 6:30am. When we came into the hospital we had to wait at first (as always when I go there) but not for a long time. A nurse showed me where my room was. Because I had a special health insurance I was allowed to be in a double bedroom instead of the usual ones with four beds. 

When we went into the bedroom I saw the woman who I shared the room with. She was a person of short stature and had a surgery on her leg four or five month ago! She already was there for so long! 

But, anyway, when we came into the room she introduced herself and said that her name was...I am sooo sorry. I forgot her name! How could that happen?! It started with an 'S'... let's say that her name was Sabine because that could actually be true. (I'm so sorry!) 

Sabine was around 28 (sorry if I'm insulting you!) and she was sooo nice! I arrived around lunch time and Uschi (a really nice nurse who lived in the village next to ours) brought us our meals. Sabine told me that the hospital was really good and that the food was the best hospital-food she ever had (and that has to mean something because hospital-food is usually pretty gross!). And it really was good! 

After we had our meal my mom helped me to put my clothes into the closet. When we were finished we went for a walk and had a coffee in a nice little cafe. 

We came back around 8pm. My mom said goodbye and that she'll be here tomorrow before my surgery would start. 

I was soooo scared! I never had a surgery before and now I was alone in the hospital and I knew NOBODY! But Sabine calmed me down and asked me if we'd watch a movie together. I said yes and we watched Shrek on her laptop. It was fun and I forgot about my anxiety. When the movie was over we switched off the lights but talked and told us why we're here, if we have siblings, and other stuff like that. 

Then we we're too tired to go on and decided to sleep. I had the bed on the window, so that the cold, blue moonlight shone through the curtains. I couldn't sleep (what a surprise) but neither could I read or something like that. I cried. I was so scared. But I thought to myself, that it'll be over in a few hours and I'll never have to come back or do it again.  

I was so wrong....

30th of August 2010: 

Surgery-day! I was soooo scared.  

I woke up early (around 6:30am). As I lay in my bed I heard nurses pushing tea-carts with breakfast through the corridor.  

At 7am a nurse came inside and told me to get up. She gave me special stockings. I had to wear them, because they should prevent that I get thrombosis. I wore them and got ready. When I was in the bathroom my mum and my dad arrived and wished me good luck. When I came out of the bathroom the nurse gave me a sop because I was so nervous. Strangely I didn't cry.  

I sat on my bed and we waited for the sop to affect me. It took around 2-5min and I calmed down.  

Then I should lie down on my bed again. One nurse and one male nurse pushed my through the hallway. My mum was still with me and in my hand I had two little lucky charms that I got from my best friend: A little pig and a sheep. We got to an elevator and that was the last time I saw my mum. She couldn't go with us. Be both said goodbye. 

We arrived at a special door. We went inside and then it looked like an elevator again. When the door behind us had closed I recognized some men with a tray. I had to lay down there and they've put a white and warm blanket over me. Then I had to take off all my clothes! All of them! Luckily I was under the blanket! Then they fetched more warm blankets and putted them on top of me. It was sooo warm! The door in front of us opened after the nurses went outside with my bed and clothes so that no germs or bacteria from outside and from my bed could come in. As he pushed me through another hallway the male nurse (around 24 years old) recognized me crying again. He was soo nice and cute to me! He said: "Look, there's Manuel. Say hi Manuel!" And the guy with his surgical mask waved at me and said 'hello' and I smiled. 

We went into the preparatory room. I was about to have the surgery in the operating room 1. 

The male nurse said goodbye and good luck and went away. Now I was alone with Manuel. He was around 24 as well and he couldn't have been sweeter to me. He asked me what school I go to, if I had siblings.... 

Then he placed a mask over my mouth and nose but still asked me stuff. I breathed normally and suddenly fell asleep... 

I woke up six hours afterwards. I opened my eyes and everything was blurry. Then I saw people coming in my direction. They asked me if everything was ok and I said yes. Well, I didn't say it, I nodded. When I arrived at my room my mum and dad were there, but I just wanted to sleep (but first I threw up; sorry for the details!). The nurse gave me some pain killers and then I think I just slept. 

Most of the time I was sleeping, then I was awake and tried to eat, then I was sleeping again. 

Then I tried to say something, but I couldn't! I just could talk as if I had a really bad cold. The nurse said that that would go away after some time. 

The three days after the surgery went by and I just remember sleeping.  

Oh no, there was this really important part! 

Sabine left shortly before my surgery, which was really said! I could talk with her a lot. But a few hours after my surgery a new patient arrived. A 70 year old women, called Mrs. Elser. She was horrible! She had a husband, called Gerd, who was so fat, that he breathed so heavy every time he came into the room, just because he had to climb the stairs to the first floor, where our room was located! Anyway, Mrs. Elser complained about EVERYTHING! And when I say 'everything' I really mean it. As I said the food was good there, but on our first evening sharing a room together, she couldn't stop complaining! She started with the food: "This bread is so sour! And that's not a proper butter, why do they have to add yoghurt?!"  

And even worse: She farted the whole time! The whole time!!! Luckily it didn't smell!  

One night she went into the bathroom and because of the thin walls I could hear everything! And then her husband called her. And she had her phone with her! So she answered the phone and said: "Gerd! Why are you calling? I'm sitting on the throne!"  

OMG. She was really telling him that she sat on the toilet?! I couldn't believe my ears! 

The day afterwards she had her surgery on her left knee. At 7am Uschi came into our room, smiling at me, because she really liked me, probably because there was finally someone young to look after and not only grandmas. :D  

She gave Mrs. Elser her stockings. And the complaining continues... She said that her previous doctor had given her a special cream for her leg and now it always hurts when she tried to put the stocking on. Three nurses tried to get her into the stocking, Mrs. Elser was whimpering and Uschi always turned around to me and had to suppress her laugh because Mrs. Elser was such a wimp.  

Moments like this always made my day in the hospital! :D 

When they finally got her into the stockings they took her with them and I was alone. Finally. But I started to sleep again, what a surprise. 

When Mrs. Elser got back from her surgery she wasn't tired at all. She sat in her bed and waited for Gerd. Her butler (well, that's what it looked like). When he came, breathing like a steam engine and he brought her the newspaper, she looked at him and said: "Gerd, that's only the economy part! I want the feuilleton part!" 

Gerd: downstairs, upstairs, breathing, giving her the newspaper. Fine. 

Then the nurse brought her lunch. "That's so much and so rich! You can't give a patient such a meal after a surgery! That's not good for my stomach! Gerd, please bring me a Pretzel." 

Gerd: downstairs, buying a Pretzel, upstairs, breathing, givin her her Pretzel. 

Haha  

The days went by and on the 3rd of September 2010 the doctor removed the white patch. I immediately looked into the mirror: only a two cm short scar. Nothing more.  

I was happy about it and I felt good. I was already in my normal clothes and waited for the doctor to bring the results from the labor. I waited for nearly two hours! 

And then the worst part began...

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