We spent almost the whole day in Sick Kids Hospital last Monday. It was my sons scheduled surgery. As it’s name convey, the patients here are from 0 to 17 years of age.. all children. Children hospitals are not new. We even have one back home. When we first went to this hospital we thought we came in the wrong building. The lobby itself does not look like it’s a hospital. It looks more like a mall. It even smell like a mall. I am quite amazed at the effort done to the place to alleviate the pain that their young patients feel. There are fountains; there are gift stores, toy stores, food shops and a huge balancing ballerina on a rope that moves across the whole lobby top. There are so many drawings on the windows. It definitely will somehow lift ones spirit, be it for the sick ones or the parents and guardians. I took the picture attached from the 6th floor. I only was able to take one or two pictures since I’m feeling so stressed.
It’s ironic, when we visited my aunt who lives in a Condo, my sons first question is ‘does she live in a hospital?’ Being so used to hospitals back home, he would know. So when he first came in the real hospital for sick kids, he was amazed (as we all are) at how different it is. The Condo building looks more of a hospital than the real one.
The next picture is my son before he’s called into the operating room. He’s all dressed up for the surgery but still managed to find time to play. In the waiting room, there are lots of toys and games for the waiting children to play on. Somehow it distracts them from the imminent procedure that will take place. It’s different for the mothers, no matter how much distraction there is, the dread is always there and it's nagging every second.
I’ve been to so many surgeries with my son and I’ve witnessed other mothers/fathers who are in the same situation. That day alone, I bare witness to mothers handing off their babies to the doctor, most crying. Fathers staring at the operating door long after the child were taken inside. What are they thinking and feeling? I know, very much the same as I am feeling. My son is 14 years old now and he is already strong. But when he was a baby, I cried buckets and prayed every second. Now, I still feel the pain inside but I try not to cry. He needs me to be strong so he can be strong. And he is a strong boy.
I’ve been to so many surgeries with my son and I’ve witnessed other mothers/fathers who are in the same situation. That day alone, I bare witness to mothers handing off their babies to the doctor, most crying. Fathers staring at the operating door long after the child were taken inside. What are they thinking and feeling? I know, very much the same as I am feeling. My son is 14 years old now and he is already strong. But when he was a baby, I cried buckets and prayed every second. Now, I still feel the pain inside but I try not to cry. He needs me to be strong so he can be strong. And he is a strong boy.
The surgery took 30 to 45 minutes. It's a minor one and we can go home after he has recovered from the anesthesia. We were called in the recovery room as soon as he's awake. Its strange seeing him walking strong into the operating room and then finding him in bed all strapped with needles and monitors. It's just heartbreaking but at the same time i feel glad that it's over.
He opened his eyes and looked at us and whispered.. "you have to buy me a new game for this". I smiled and replied, "anything for my poor baby" :)
Here's a virtual tour of the Hospital, enjoy!
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