The Agony of Waiting

For the past several years, I was always the patient inside the operating room, having been operated on two caesarean sections and one discectomy and herniectomy (procedures done on my herniated disc). I was never on the other side of the fence: the relative waiting outside the operating room. Not until my sister had her uterus, an ovary, and a fallopian tube removed (total abdominal hysterectomy and unilateral salphingo oophorectomy) last week. When I asked her if she wanted me inside, she declined. She insisted that I wait outside with our mother.

History: Her multiple myomas appeared more than ten years ago. She had already undergone myomectomy (removal of myomas) at that time but they reappeared again after several years. Being busy in the corporate world, she ignored to follow up her condition until she started experiencing heavy monthly flows. She then learned that new growths had appeared.

Aware of her condition, she managed to go on with life as if nothing is wrong with her, with me and our mom pressuring her to undergo regular medical follow ups. After eight years, she finally agreed to undergo operation. She was set to be operated on but with no definite date yet because she find it difficult to leave her work temporarily. Until she had profuse bleeding last week which finally made her realize that there is no more turning back.

She lives in Quezon City with my mom while I stay here in Pangasinan with my family. I had to travel four hours to bring her to the hospital for admission. I had to stay with her during her hospital days. I had to see to it that my mom will not worry too much, that everything will be fine.

The waiting: They brought her in at 12:00 noon. Seven hours later she was still inside. I can see the anxious face of my mom. She is terribly worried. There is nothing I can do to make her feel comfortable. She won't even allow me to part from her even for a minute. The time is ticking, soon there will be just us in the waiting area. What is happening inside? Is she okay? Why haven't they called us yet?

Finally, at past 7PM, my sister's name was called. The doctor said she is okay. That's when I heard my mom sigh. I saw her relieved though we have to wait three hours more before they bring her in her room.

Such is the difficulty of waiting. Sometimes it's better to be the one waited for.