Sandy Supposes....

Pre-Surgery Sneak

PROMPT: Actor Matthew Broderick was born on March 21st, 1962, and one of his most famous roles is in the movie Ferris Bueller`s Day Off`. After faking being sick to his parents so he can skip school, he turns to the camera and says, ``Incredible. One of the worst performances of my career and they never doubted it for a second.`` Have you ever accomplished anything, (even just something fun), by sneaking your way out of something else?

          Well, like Mr. Bueller, I, too, have skipped a day or two of high school classes. I was a senior with honour marks, and it was the final term. There was no risk involved.

         When I was seventeen, I was hospitalized for knee surgery. I'd been cautioned not to eat or drink anything the evening before, and this was not my first experience with surgery and a hospital stay. I knew the procedures. My room mate was a girl of similar age. She too was slated for next day surgery. Neither one of us could sleep, so we did what teenage girls do best; talk. We chatted and giggled for hours. This made us extremely thirsty. We were not prisoners and we were free to leave our room and wander the corridors.

         At three in the morning, we ventured forth. Save for beeps, blips, the hiss of oxygen machines, and different levels of snoring, the hallways were eerily quiet. We didn't meet a soul as we strolled along in our chic institution gear of flimsy cotton gowns. I suppose the nurses were busy somewhere.

         My new friend and I discovered a fully-stocked kitchen begging for company. We brewed a pot of tea, and indulged in several cupfuls. We helped ourselves to the milk in the fridge. In a cupboard, we unearthed a package of tea biscuits which complimented our beverage of choice. We laughed at this fancy label for cookies. We enjoyed our private tea party, and pretended for a moment that we weren't scheduled for imminent operations. We even took the time to clean up after ourselves.

         Within hours, I was anaesthetized and 'under the knife'. It would be months before I could walk without crutches. When I look back on what I did, I realize I was very lucky. The tea party was a secret, but a potentially deadly one. There's a sound medical reason why people should not eat and drink before surgery. The possibility of aspiration is real. My cast-iron stomach didn't fail me; then or now.