Dr. You Who? (post 2)

The next phone call we got was from Dr. Yoo (you). “Hello is this Bethany?” he said. “Yes” I replied. “I’m Dr. Yoo, the neurosurgeon, I’m with your mother I need you to come”. “Should I come alone?” “Yes, come alone and come now”. I ran through the hospital trying to find the PCU unit that he and my mother were in.  There are many great things I could say about Dr. Yoo but his bedside manner is definitely not his strong suite. Within a matter of 10 minutes of meeting this neurosurgeon I was informed that my mother did indeed have brain cancer and that I’d be lucky if she made it a year. My heart sank and brought me back almost 2 years when my boyfriend at the time walked into our house and told me that my father had just passed.

I guess looking back there is no good way of delivering the news, but at the same time you just don’t want to hear it so abruptly. Dr. Yoo was not done however. He discussed with us the procedure that he thought we should take on. It would consist of taking out the 80% of her brain tumor and leaving the 20% that he felt was inoperable. He suggested treating the remaining 20% and hoping that with treatment we could postpone her life for a few more months.
Jenny, Megan, Donna and Linda, who were waiting in the waiting room throughout the day, made their way back looking for my mom. Linda and Donna went into see her while Dr. Yoo explained the situation to Jenny and Megan. Soon after family and friends started arriving. We huddled closely in the open PCU room and shut the door in order to keep the information quiet from my mother. Eventually I did her her about the tumor, but we waited until we knew more information before she knew the severity. We waited for Steve and Jenelle to come home and for the process of saving my mothers life began.
A few hours later they were here. It was a strange position to be in. 2 years ago I was in Ohio and everyone in my family but me knew that my father had died. They let Pat know so that he could come home and be with me when I found out. Those few hours they waited knowing that I was so unaware of what had happened. This time I was on the other side, hating that my brother was so uninformed. Shortly after he knew, and the family phone calls began. I watched my mom sleep that night, holding her hand, hoping that I would wake up and find this to be just a dream that could be forgotten.
When I awoke the visiting room was full….full of those who we love and whom love us. We rotated in and out. Others sat with my mom and allowed Steve and I to begin the phone calls that we so dearly dreaded to make. Everything was set in motion. Msgr. Duncanson came and gave the anointing of the sick, we gathered around and prayed for the safety of our loved one. We prayed for steady hands and patient minds of those who would be in the operating room.
But the course that we were so ready to embark on was quickly detoured….