Dr. C walked out of the room. Tears filled my eyes and I sobbed. Nothing was worse than finding out you have a spine disorder, and two weeks later finding out that it’s surgery level. The radiologist came into the room to take me for an X-Ray, and she told me that I would feel better after the surgery (I took that as: Happy Unicorns Eating Lollipops and Farting Rainbows, while it really hurts and is NOT HUELAFR {Happy Unicorns Eating Lollipops and Farting Rainbows}). And I do feel better, but I didn’t 4 months ago. They took an X-Ray, and then ordered an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to look for a reason that mine had progressed so fast. I had the scheduled MRI about 1-2 weeks later, and it actually helped my claustrophobia!! It was quite relaxing; the MRI Tech Specialist played music that I chose (Classical to soothe me) and put a color (that I couldn’t see) that I chose up on the wall (teal; which they didn’t have, so I chose blue instead). One hour later, I was finished.

Waiting. When you’re waiting for surgery time to come, time couldn’t go any slower. In the time that we waited, I celebrated my 12th birthday, and had my PreSurgery Labs (urine test, to make sure I wasn’t pregnant and that I was healthy; a chest X-Ray, to make sure I didn’t have pneumonia; and blood taken, again, to make sure all of my counts were up enough).

When we went to my pediatrician to verify the Labs, we got a call. Dr. C had an emergency, and couldn’t schedule any other time but November 10th, and at the time of MY surgery. Eventually it got pushed back even further, to Nov. 10th at 12pm. And then Nov. 9th came.

My friend G (yes, the one who gave me Hope, the stuffed puppy) came over on Nov. 9th, to see my new haircut for surgery and to hang out. We went to Bath & Body Works, and then came back to my house to hang out. J, one of my other BFFs, came over to drop something off and say hi. After dropping G off at her house that evening, my Grandma L came over to visit. (She moved 7hrs away last summer) She brought me some stuff to decorate (stickers and a mini whiteboard), and a dancing puppy which I named “Cocoa Creme” (since it has brown, light brown, and white). After she left, a family friend K came over, and he had a surgery gift for me, too. He gave me a “Hermione’s Time Turner” from Harry Potter World. THE REAL REPLICA!!! J had made me one for my 10th birthday, but this was the real deal. Harry Potter was my favorite series before I read Hunger Games. But I still love it!!

And then the last call came in.

Mom came out of her bedroom. Dr. C was NOT happy (the hospital was too full, and they didn’t have a bed for me).  If they couldn’t find me a PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) bed for after surgery, they couldn’t have my surgery for Nov. 10th at 12pm as scheduled.

SPOILER ALERT: My surgery had just been pushed back another day.