Native Amercian Givers

First I must say I don't have anything negative to say about Native Americans, I just hate the PC police so every chance I get I like to make jokes about them.

So it's about six month after the pager around 5pm on some day. I'm asleep because I work nights. I'm woken by the strange buzzing sound, then I realize it's the pager. I jump out of bed, grab the pager, call the number, and yell at mom to get ready to go. They say they have a liver for me and to get to the hospital admitting asap. I call my boss and let him know to get someone to cover my shift and I'll call him when I come to. This is a lot like having a baby, I imagine, with the exceptions that there is no baby and everyone is moving fast, including the patient. OH! and no contractions!

We get to the hospital in about 10 minutes. I get checked in and sent to nine east, the liver floor as its known. By this time my sis and aunt are there. I don't know if this is a Jewish thing but it always seems the women are always at your bedside and the men, if they are there, are in the hall-wanting to go home.

The nurses give me the gown and let me know that before they can do anything I need to be clean for the surgery. That went over my head too. They meant enemas. I must say although not fun, it is easier then the current prep for a colonoscopy. I had to have three of these things, which the nurses thought was the all time lowest record. They said it normally takes 10. Then they put the IV in me and we waited for a couple of hours for the doctors to get everything ready.

Its about 11pm and they wheel me down the prep room into the OR. This is not the OR but like a little room off to the side with nothing in it and cold. At about 11:30pm Dr. Nour (he will be introduced latter) comes in and lets us know that the liver, although a match, is in worse condition than mine and someone more sick than me is going to get it. Yes! They are Native American Givers.

I can't say I was too upset, I was only freaking out major at the time. So for them to say go home it's a false alarm was nice and it gave us an idea how it would go when it was real.

They wheeled me back up to my room, unhooked the IV, gave me my clothes, and let me go home. At home I went back to sleep while mom was on the phone clucking like a hen to the rest of the family.