Wednesday, August 1, 2012

The Unforgettable Experience


The Surgery

Night grew within. The devil inside me awakening, or should I say the infestation of
my appendix. It was a regular night just like any other but something wasn’t in order.
I was glad to come back from school on a Friday evening. I was finally done with my
homework (I like to finish my homework as soon as I come back from school) and I
decided to hop on to my computer and play videogames. As I was playing, a strange
feeling came along and started to daunt me very badly. I thought it was nothing
serious so I decided to give it a rest and just sleep early for the night. I woke up the
next day feeling completely off my regular self, the pain being double from last night
and it left me shocked because it came from a different place but still near the
original origin of the pain. Alone but not lonely I was feeling accompanied by the pain
which didn’t seem to be relinquishing at any time soon. I did not now what to do but
luckily my parents came soon after. “Dad. I have a excruciating pain in my stomach
since last night.” My mother thought alike with my dad. It was just simple stomach
ache, but something inside of me knew it was deeper than that. Something was lying
beneath it all just waiting to be uncovered and cause chaos. In my favour, there was
something that took my mind away from the pain on TV. My family sat around me so
that they could make me some company and not leave me alone with the darkness
lurking beneath. I can’t remember what had happened after I woke up 2 hours later.
It seemed that I was being taken away by the world created by my mind (I was
sleeping.) I thought the pain had finally gone away with that pill and that good 2 hour
rest but I was proven wrong soon enough when the pain came back to wince me. At
this point it seemed to be something serious even from my parent’s point of view. It
was a Saturday night and we decided to pay the hospital a visit to check if everything
would be fine soon. The drive there appeared to be interminable and I felt the pain
worsening with every passing hour. We finally arrived at the hospital which is Hell to
everyone. From the looks of it, it appeared to be a bad hospital but it was one of the
few close and open. After a long 40 minute wait, a Doctor finally called out our family
name : “Vigan Osmani?” said the Doctor. “That would be my son,” Answered my
father. He appeared to be confused and sad about the way I felt. The first thing that
had to be done was to take a blood sample out of my veins. I know, it seems
daunting but I seriously didn’t feel the pain, probably because my stomach was
keeping my head really busy focusing on the pain. Sadly we had to wait another 30
minutes for the samples to come and show if there was any bacteria or other
suspicious things hiding in my blood which was the factor of the pain. My dad was
scared that if it were bacteria it would be something more serious than a regular
virus or a simple stomach ache. Time was passing by so slowly, and the pain didn’t
seem to give me a break at any point. Finally, the doctor came back with a assuring
face, which gave me a grin as well. The blood was clear and most happily: No
bacteria. “So what is it doctor, what’s causing me so much pain?” I asked in a
confused manner. “You just ate something bad. I’ll give you a painkiller and it should
be gone by tomorrow.” He seemed sure. Well we were back home and the painkiller
wasn’t doing anything to relieve the pain away. I couldn’t stand it. It wasn’t letting
me do anything yet hardly sleep but somehow I finally succumbed. The next morning
the pain had tripled and yet again, came from a different origin. This time I felt it
come from my lower right abdomen. My appendix was the main cause of this pain I
thought. It must’ve been. My parents were out on their morning coffee and I had to
call them and tell them it was an emergency. The pain at this point was so
unbearable I was absolutely unable to rise from my bed yet do any movement. My
parents came very quickly and I was sure they might’ve broke a few speeding tickets
but they had arrived. Once I told them where the pain came from, their faces
immediately had swollen down and they had a hopeless look. This shook fear in me
and it gave me the urge to ask: “What’s wrong, what does this mean?” I asked them.
My dad isn’t someone who hides things from me so he honestly said: “Well, it could
mean you might need a operation son.” He said devastatingly. That point had
instilled the biggest fear that I ever felt inside of me. A surgery would be life changing
and I already have something that has changed my life, my vision, which is extremely
terrible. “An operation, are you kidding me?!” I responded extremely disappointed.
My parents knew that the pain was almost definitely a crime of what had appeared
to be Appendicitis. I took hold of our iPad and did some research on this new word I
learned that could be the change of my life, while my dad was on the phone with his
co-worker trying to figure out a good hospital for me. As I was researching I stumbled
across something which completely brought upon me a new true level of fear. The
title of the article was “Death by appendicitis.” At that point I had started to shiver
while thinking I could lose my life at only the age of 14. My family assured me that it
wasn’t that big of an operation but they could not take away the inevitable pain
inside. My mom was packing some of my clothes in a bag and it left me confused.
“Mom, what are you doing?” I asked her. “Well, if in the worst case scenario you are
 to have an operation you most likely have to spend the night or more at the
hospital.” My most feared thoughts could come alive. Being trapped in hospital with
nothing to do but wait and think of how the world is shaping out without me.
Everything was packed and I was ready to go face what was about to be bestowed
upon me. What struck me the most was: What were the odds that I would be having
surgery on the day of my brother’s birthday? Yeah, they seemed to be very low but
they somehow enveloped. The bumps during the road were causing me so much
pain and at a few points I was telling myself “Bring me death please, just end it I beg
you.” After a devastating drive we had finally reached the what appeared to be the
best hospital in Panama City. I was barely capable to walk, and I finally sat down. We
waited about 20 minutes for someone to come and do a check on me. They inserted
needles inside my veins and they had to do another blood check. The symptoms
appeared to be a positive match to the ones of Appendicitis, and that didn’t look well
for me or my parents. We were waiting for a experienced doctor to arrive, and it
took a good hour for him to finally reach us. During that time my parents kept the
thought of the pain away while trying to establish a conversation. When the doctor
arrived, we all looked happy. He was very experienced with the type of surgery and
he was a good person. He knew English which was the most assuring part to me. He
asked me a few questions about the pain and did some analysis. We had to wait
approximately 2 hours for the report to come back which held the key to my future. I
was starting to shiver again, and I was extremely anxious to know what I was about
to face. The doctor said they had to do one more final analysis to be 100% sure I had
Appendicitis. They took me to a room with a weird machine. I was asked to sit down
with my stomach lying upright straight and just be calm. They put a extremely cold
liquidly substance which scattered around my stomach and put the object around it
just like in a pregnancy test. This made me feel embarrassed to be honest, but it had
to be done. The reason for this test was to check whether the origin of the pain was
indeed the appendix and to see whether it was about to burst or not. After a few
minutes the doctor came with a paper in his hands saying: “I am afraid you are
required to do the surgery.” He said sadly. We received this information in a
disappointing manner and my father had to ask about the procedure which had to be
done. He knew how it would be done but what we did not know was that, along with
technology doctors had developed a new way to do the surgery. Instead of cutting a
long line on my stomach they just had to do 3 little dots. This procedure was way
more accurate and in every possible way better from the old one. The outcome was
also better. I just realized that there would be a outcome. I would have to face 3 little
scars for the rest of my life, but once again it had to be done in order to save my life.
The doctor gave us a few minutes to make me ready for the procedure and to say
goodbye to my family. I couldn’t set myself in the place of my parents. Their own
creation was about to receive a change for life and there was absolutely nothing they
could do to fight it but let me go and have faith in the doctors who were about to
execute the procedure. We were set and the bed I was on was being taken to the
room where the operation would be held. My family came with me till the room
where we would part. I noticed my mother cry and I remember the exact same
words she said to me: “Don’t be scared son, you will be all fine.” She said trying to
assure me. What scared me was that, for once in these two most miserable days of
my life, I was not feeling pain or fear, for real the pain had vanished but this was the
cause of so much pressure. We entered the room. I parted with my parents, and now
my future was in the hands of the doctors. They slowly started to insert the
anaesthetic in my veins and this excited me. I always had been curious how it works
and I finally was about to test it on my own body and see how I would just fall asleep.
I was put on the operating table, and that point I lost control of my body and the
shivering finally came back, a shiver I could not control. I was shivering so much that I
felt my whole body move and that was the point I started to feel that old fear again.
The doctor asked me some questions like “What is your school like?” or “Where are
you from?” Questions like that so that the anaesthetic would take over me and the
surgery could start. Onwards from there on, I cannot remember falling asleep or
anything just when I was about to be reborn as the new operated me.

 

Post Surgery


I had woken up from what appeared to be the endless pulling away from the hell
within to find myself in a bed with a lot of sheets to keep me warm and a hot breeze
flowing from the machines of the bed. That was the most tired part that I had ever
felt during my short yet eventful life. I could barely speak, I did not know what to say,
couldn’t look around and I just felt like sleeping some more, going back to that
endless dream. Soon a person came to check whether I was awake so that they could
call my family and the doctors to check on me. God, I could honestly not move a limb
and only talk in a subtle manner. I felt outside of my body not being to control
anything. Shortly a few visitors had arrived to see me. I was so happy to see them.
They all followed me to my room which I was supposed to spend the night in. I
couldn’t think about anything or anyone I just wanted to rest. I needed to take a lot
of pills in order to keep the post pain away. My brother and parents stood next to me
and I felt very safe. They would remain in the room for another hour until eventually
it was 11:00 P.M. and they were arranging who would spend the night with me.
Someone had to go home, feed our cat and keep the house clean. After a long talk
between them, they decided that my father would stick with me until tomorrow. I
said goodbye to my mom and brother and I also told my brother: “Sorry for ruining
your birthday bro.” He was fine with it as long as I was going to be fine and be home
by tomorrow. I was awaken by some nurses and my dad who asked me whether I
wanted a shower or go to the bathroom. I actually did need to go but about the
shower I seriously said: “Are you kidding me?” It took 4 people to take me to the
bathroom and I couldn’t move alone because of the post external pain. I still
remember the pain as if it were yesterday. After I reached the bathroom I real
ised I couldn’t do anything and there it happened. I had passed out. That was the first
time I ever faded away. I woke up only about 20 seconds later but it seemed to be as
a whole eternity. “Why can’t these people just let me sleep?” I thought. I woke up
with a woman rubbing a paper cloth with a strong alcohol odour around my nose to
wake me up and keep me calm. They rubbed it around my face as well. It really woke
me and my senses. I had two extremely cold plastic bags filled with ice on my
stomach to take the post pain from the operation sites away. Achh, I can feel the
pain as I write this right now, and I know it will always and eternity haunt me. I finally
took a look at my stomach and I had 3 paper cloths strongly glued to my stomach on
the spots they had operated and trust me: You don’t want to feel that pain.
Whenever I wanted to move or do anything I had to call for help. And very soon the
anaesthetic and the strong medicine were taking over my body and they made me
vomit. This was another part of my experience in which I just felt like dying. I had
puked a lot and it hurt every single part of me, mentally and physically. I had puked
my guts out and at last I stopped. I could rest again and fall asleep. The last sight
before I would be taken away by the dream world was the nurse inserting the
painkiller inside the infusion. Not short after my sleep, I had woken up again which
wasn’t a surprise now, and I started to yell for my dad: “BRING ME THE BOX, I HAVE
TO VOMIT AGAIN.” I said not sure of what I was feeling. I puked hard again and my
dad was there to support me at all times. He called in the nurses and asked why I was
puking so much. They said that it was normal due to the painkillers. The internal pain
had finally gone away but the ashes it left were also very disrupting. Whenever I
would move it would hurt me a lot.

At last, it was morning again. I woke up to see my mom’s face greeting me along with
my dad and a few nurses. They had brought me some food which to be honest
wasn’t really good. The feast was good and it had given me energy again after so
long, yet that energy came to be vanished once more when I had to vomit. The pain,
it was always there, never leaving me alone. It had become my new companion, but I
certainly wanted to get rid from it. I kept being assured it would go away in a few
days but I wouldn’t know. Soon, a visit from the doctor who was in charge of the
surgery gave me hope again. He was a really fine man and doctor. He’s the kind that
you just feel safe with. I told him about the pain and he said that it was perfectly fine
and normal that I was experiencing them. One part that finally had me grin for the
first time was when he said: “If you do good, I will promise that I will release you and
by tonight, you can go home and move on with your life.” My parents had different
shifts to stay with me. My dad would only visit during his job breaks, while my mom
was always there with me. I got pulled away from real life to fall asleep for a short
while. I woke up due to the pain but I woke up to see a good sight: My mom had
brought me her extremely well cooked and loving home food. I was glad to be eating
something good so I could be able to survive the rest of the day. I couldn’t eat a lot
but I did eat enough so I can resist for about 10 hours.

The clock was ticking 5:30 P.M and by this time my dad would be released from work
and he would come to stay with me. Once he arrived he told my mom to go home
and rest:”Don’t worry. I’ll take care of him, you go rest.” I felt like puking again and I
was right when I puked 1 minute later. This would be my last time puking my dad
assured me while he asked the nurses not to give me any more painkillers and that I
would be fine without them, I was actually alright for about 2 hours until I felt a
burning pain inside of my stomach again. I was glad that it wasn’t coming from the
site of my appendix but from the centre of my stomach, yet it still hurt like hell, but
at least I had stopped puking. I had one last sleep before it became night and I saw
my mom and dad both waiting for me to wake up and waiting for the doctor to arrive
and for him to decide whether I was ready to be released or whether I was to be held
for one more night. My dad was starting to get pissed of due to the doctor being a
little late, but he finally arrived. They were discussing payment info and once they
settled that the doctor checked me and said that I was ready and could leave the
hospital. I was so happy to hear those words. I was about to leave the place which
caused me so much suffering. I was getting dressed and I tried to walk around for a
while, just to be meeting the horrific external pain again. It was really life sucking to
be honest. I walked for about 5 minutes and then I decided that I couldn’t do it
anymore so I went back to the bed until some final paper work was being done. They
were assigning a few after pills in case of major pain. The entire crew came to say
goodbye and I was really astonished by how good they took care of me, but now it
was time to move on with my life and go home. I was put on a wheelchair until I
would get in the car. The pain was really killing me, but I was only thinking about my
future after this interminable pain would somehow finally go away.

A few days had passed and the pain was still, always there with me. I had to meet the
doctor again so he could take the paper cloths off of me and tell me how I was doing.
He told me that I was the easiest patient he had operated on. He told me the pain
would go away in about 3 days and then he took the cloths away from me. It was
then when I and the freedom I was seeking for so long finally crossed paths and came
together. The doctor was right, the pain and I shared our final goodbyes and it
decided to go hunt for another host which it could infest and be locked in so it can
cause chaos once more. I experienced what evil really means and It is not something
that is pleasant. I had experienced rebirth as a new human being. I had experienced
whole new feelings I thought I would never feel that past week. I had experienced
how much I really mean to my family. I was taught some valuable life lessons but
let’s be honest everyone. Let’s start again. Hello it’s me. Its so nice to meet you, feels
like the 1st time.