I am Arjun Jain

This morning, Tuesday August 21st, I was told that I cannot eat or drink for whole day as they were taking me into the surgery. So the last time I ate for at 10 pm last night and nothing after that until 12:45 pm when the surgeons thought they might be able to take me in for surgery.

I was put into the pre-anesthesia room with the IVs and the blood transfusion. I waited and waited and waited until 3:30 pm in that room, hungry, crying for food. They tried to help to get distracted with the Legos, puzzles and mazes.

Finally I was being moved to the OR and I could see that my mom was very nervous. I told her don’t worry, I will be just fine. Surgeon and the other doctors and nurses were fun, trying to make jokes to relax me. They first gave me the “Giggle Juice” and then put me to sleep so that they can do the procedures.

I had to take help from my mom to write the names of the procedure –

1. Bone Biopsy and Aspiration
2. Lumbar Puncture with Intrathecal chemotherapy
3. Central Port placement for Chemotherapy.

It took 2 hours in OR and then another 1 hour in the recovery room and by that time it was 8 PM without any food in my belly. I was so sleepy and so much pain everywhere. I could not move by myself and my mom and the nurse helped me move. I tried to eat some food but threw up in few minutes. Man! It was not a good feeling. It was not a very fun day and now it was going to be tough night too with so much pain and vomiting feeling. Somehow I managed to sleep.