Too Far Under

by Kay Heitsch

On this date many years ago I had a phone call that was shocking. I answered the phone and heard the voice of a doctor who had done surgery on my Mom. He was calling to let me know how things went. The doctor said the surgery went well, but they could not bring her to in the recovery room.

Mom had gone into the hospital for a 'simple' gall bladder surgery. She had decided to go in a week earlier to have a complete checkup. She called and told me that the doctor had said she was in the condition of an 18 year old. She was overjoyed to hear those results. Mom asked that since she wanted to see Todd, who was a baby, for us to come to visit after the surgery when she was back home. We lived in another state at the time.

So on May 17, 1973 I certainly wasn't planning to hear that she had died. I asked how this had happened when she was in supposedly wonderful health. The doctor said the anesthesiologist had put her too far under. He said he had given her the normal amount, but it was too much for her.

I am thinking about my Mom today. She had always said she wanted to die in her sleep. Well, Mom you did! Not the way you had planned though.

I'm going to choose to make it a great day in loving memory of Mom. I hope each person reading this will too.