Pablo's In Surgery

In the triage room, Jo Ann and I held up our palms and asked Pablo to punch as hard as he could. We asked him to say 'Get out of my body, Bumps! You're not welcome anymore!'

Our little angel made the surgery hall separation easy this time. He fell asleep on his own while waiting in the pre-op. As he slept, Jo Ann, Grady and I leaned onto his bed. We kissed his head, whispered prayers into his ear, and let the moments pass. I quietly sang the first half of David Bowie's 'Life On Mars' into his ear. Couldn't remember the second half.

Sometime in the middle of all that, Dr Stein explained the procedure to Jo Ann and I, and made an ink marking on Pablo's side. I signed the surgery consent form. Dr Stein's team of top-notch assistants, nurses and anesthesiologists filed in one after the other, each explaining their aspect of the procedure. Even though we've been through five or six other surgeries, I appreciated the detailed info. The care and consideration from Dr Stein's team allowed us to jump from one moment to the next, one foot in front of the other, one step at a time.

Dr Mascarenhas popped up to see us in the pre-op as well. Of course, his presence made us feel secure. He is our guide.