"It's all over!"

"It's all over!". The words echoed in my head as I struggled to wake up from my anesthesia. Overcome with drowsiness, all the talking and noise seemed to come in waves of wakefulness. As the nurses called my name to wake me up, I made a final attempt to open my eyes and gave a grunt for a response. Looking around me, I found myself in the recovery room of the operating theatre.

Earlier on, I had climbed on to the trolley and was wheeled from my room to the operating theatre. Flat on my back all I could see was the ceiling lights. Occasionally I stole some glances to the sides to see glimpses of people. The view was so different from an upright position. I felt like being taken to the slaughter house. Filled with anxiety, I was completely disorientated. While alone in the holding area, I prayed hard for the surgeon, the anesthetist and the nurses for a successful surgery on my hernia. After it was done, I gave thanks to the Lord for answering my prayer.

Throughout my adult life, I was plagued with hernia problems. The first time it happened was when I was a student pilot with the Royal Air Force in England. During physical training, I had to lift weights. Suddenly one day, I noticed a lump in my right groin. Medical examinations confirmed it to be hernia. Not wanting to disrupt my flying training, I requested surgery after my graduation. On the day of the surgery, England was hit by a heat wave with the temperature around the eighties. With the pain and heat, I found myself lying in front of the fan without any shirt on.

Fourteen years ago, I started to introduce tennis to my eldest daughter, who eventually gave it up. Instead, my son latched on to it like a duck takes to water. So I decided to give my son a head start with playing tennis in the tennis court. A few days later, lo and behold, I discovered two lumps in my groin area. Hernia! This time a double - one on each side! I ended up in the hospital.

Coming round full circle, I now have a right hernia, the third time. According to the surgeon, my nylon guts inside me fragmented and broke. He managed to remove them and replaced with new guts. I now have to be more careful especially when I have to carry my grandchildren.

I am glad it is all over for now, and am very grateful for my family's support, especially my son, who paid my hospital bill.

Till then....