To The Doctor Who Operated On My Child

Dear Doctor,

The day of my child’s procedure may have been another day on the job for you, but for me, it was the most terrifying day of my life. In the days leading up to the surgery, my anxiety was through the roof. “Will everything go well? What if there are complications? What if….the worst happens?” Though we have known this day may come, when it became a reality, all logic went out the window. I cuddled my baby extra tight the night before, for fear it would be our last night together.

The morning arrived, and I put on a brave face for my child. Once all the prep was finished, and we were left waiting for the nurses to wheel our baby away, you greeted us. Your cool, calm, collected, and confident demeanor reassured us that all would be okay. This was as far as we could go. We had to turn over our most precious asset and put our trust in you and your team. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do. dr roth1

Each minute felt like an eternity. I found myself wishing the hospital would give out Xanax to parents whose children were having operations. I tried to talk, Facebook, text – anything to keep my mind off how long it had been. “Surely, if there were any complications, we would have heard something by now,” I told myself.

After what seemed like forever, we saw you walk toward us. The smile on your face said it all. “Everything went perfectly!” you stated. I wanted to cry tears of relief. Seeing you and knowing that my sweet baby was fine will go down in history as one of the best moments of my life. A mere thank you does not seem like enough, but it’s the best I can offer.

Thank you for being so kind and friendly to my child.

Thank you for choosing to work in pediatrics.

Thank you for being patient and not rushing to surgery.

Thank you for answering every question thoroughly and in easy to understand terms.

Thank you for dedicating your life to enriching, improving, and saving the lives of children.

Thank you for assuring us that all would be okay, and for being right!

Thank you to everyone who assisted with her surgery.

With Deepest Gratitude,

Kadence’s Mom

*This letter was originally intended for Dr. Christopher Roth, a pediatric urologist at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, who performed a Pyleoplasty on my 5 year old this summer. We felt that several mothers could relate so we are sharing it here.

Myndee
Myndee is a 35ish year old New Orleans area native. She's an author, speaker and self-love advocate. As an introverted extrovert, Myndee loves being part of the generation where most of her friends live in her computer. She and her husband, Luis, live just outside the city with their three kids.

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