Appendix Anxiety

23 January 2002

I had to go back to my husband’s cycling diaries to remember back to this time in our lives. He doesn’t always write what’s happening; they are more about the distance he cycled, how long it took, and how he felt afterwards. However, if there is what he feels is a “momentous” event, he writes it in.

And lo and behold, there on the 23 January, 2002, was a "momentous" event!
My ten-year-old daughter went into the hospital to have her appendix out. She had been having pains for the previous seven days, and the Doctors finally decided to remove them.

We went into my office where I worked, first thing in the morning on the day of the operation, and while I was working, she wrote a letter which I wasn’t allowed to read until she was under anesthetic.

I saved that letter, which is written the way she talks, fast without pausing in between. I took photos of her in hospital and scrapbooked them. So today I took out her album, and went back in time…….

Here is the letter she wrote, spelling and grammatical errors verbatim.

Dear Mommy saussage,

Just think when I go under the whatever you call it make sure that they check that I am asleep and when I wake up I want to see you so I can squeeze you.
I will probably sleeping when you are reading this letter!! Mom, hopefully, I will be dreaming nice things! Hopefully!

Mom, I love you so much! And you love me so much! Make sure they don’t give me vegatables! Please! Come to see me tonight.

I am missing you in the under machine. Make sure I am sleeping before they oberate (operate}and I hope I see you after the oberate when I wake up!

Mom when you come tonight please bring more pyjamas to sleep in for the next night. Tell them I don’t want to sleep by my self. I want to sleep with other people around me.

Mom I love you so much and will miss you so much. Mom, if it is not my apenicts (appendix}please don’t shout at me! I hope it is because I want the pain to go away.
Mom tell them I like chips and so on. Tell them I hate coly flower, tomatoes, vegatables and so on. Tell them what I hate!

Love Rainey

From her letter, it is quite clear that her biggest concerns were about making sure she was asleep, and about the vegetables they were going to feed her. Wish all our problems were so easy to solve.

Needless, to say it all went well, with a ever-fading scar to show the tale.

Oh! And I got her permission to use her letter!

455 words