Surgery and the Loading Dock

The night of my surgery, my surgeon and my husband got lost. They found themselves locked outside of the hospital on a loading dock. They were on the way to tell me the results of my surgery. The results of course were that I had cancer. I hope this was not an indication of my surgeon's skill level or some sort of omen.... As my husband relates the story, they were looking for a short cut. No short cuts this time! They were also sharing my husband's story of his one time world cup experience as a bobsledder, it being the opening night of the Olympic Games in Vancouver. There had been a fatal crash on the course earlier in the evening. Another omen?? And really, at a time like this? But being married to an athlete, I have grown accustomed to this continuous undercurrent of conversation and sometimes very welcome distraction in life. In reality I wasn't exactly waiting with baited breath for the results. I was barely conscious, in a very medicated stupor. The results could wait. The loading dock gave my husband a moment to pause. It gave us a funny story. It reminded us that the surgeon is a real person. It gave a balance to the news that night. You can laugh at the same time you can cry.