Waiting to be rolled to OR.

So now Katie is in her private room and the nurses quickly get her settled. She is still begging for something to drink and everyone is declining her request. They were waiting for the word to get her ready for the OR. I watched as the sun come up over the city. It was just Katie and I. Kenny had gone home to take Devin to work and to get things settled at the office. The nurses had changed shifts soon after we arrived on the floor and we had to go through the same process all over again. Katie still asked the new nurses the same question, "Can I have something to drink?" and the answer was still no. She looked at me and told me to never take water for granted. I was trying to keep my fears safely tucked inside. As the sun began to shine, shortly after 8:00 AM Vicki and Mrs. Agee arrived. Kenny came soon after that. Around 10:00 AM the informed us that it was time to go. They had explained that they would have to insert two screws and that she would be down for at least six months. That they knew that she would not be able to walk on that foot for three months. She would either use a walker, crutches, or a wheelchair. After hearing all of this, I was still in denial about what was happening. As we prepared for her to leave her room, the nurses told us that we could go with her but to say our good-byes in the room. Then it hit me. I suddenly felt so alone. There was Kenny with his mother and his sister. There I stood all alone. I had no one there to comfort me. I couldn't imagine Kenny being any comfort and he wasn't. I looked at my little girl and then I finally realized the seriousness of it all. She was about to go into major surgery. There was the possibility that she would have some permanent damage. The tears began to flow. I tried really hard to hide them from Katie. The nurse wanted to talk with Katie alone and asked for all of us to step outside the room. There stood the three of them and I alone. I just walked away. As I walked back, it was Vicki who approached me and hugged me and Mrs. Agee followed suit. It was some comfort but it wasn't right. I had called Auntie around midnight the night before to let her know what was going on. I knew that she would not be able to find her way around MCV. I had called Debbie at 5:30 AM to tell her and she doesn't drive downtown. Billy was at work. Devin was who knows where. I could have called anyone at church to come but I didn't. So there I stood. They finally wheeled her out of the room and we headed for the elevators to the Fifth floor. As we were headed to the operating room, the VCU director of education came to get the information about Katie's school so that she could notify them of what was going on and to set up home schooling. Katie thought, great I finally get a good excuse to miss school and they are hitting me up for homework as I head for surgery. That walk to the operating room was on of the longest walks I have ever taken. We got on the elevator and the doors closed. This was it, this is where life changes even more. One door closes, another one opens.