From a young age, my sister was better at dealing with pain. I was the “wuss”. I remember that we would be promised ice cream before we were taken in for out shots. My sister would handle it like a pro and I guess the thought of having ice cream helped. For me, nothing they promised me was good enough for me to get shot. I would bolt from the room and would literally have my parents and docs chase me (or so I have been told!).
I even remember her rollerblading and skidding/ falling/ rolling down a tarred incline, and ripping a fair bit of her skin off in the process, only to get up back on those rollerblades the very next day. I on the other hand would probably have BURNT the rollerblades and claimed that WALKING is the cool thing to do.
While I was content spraining my back by slipping on steps, she has done it all from being chased my bee’s to being bitten by a dog and have an accident where a bus ran over her palm.
So when my sister told me that she wanted to go in for a natural birth, I was not surprised. I was extremely proud n chuffed that at least one of us has the strength.(Just so you know, when it’s my turn, it’s going to be “ALL THE PAIN MEDICATION MEDICALLY/ LEGALLY POSSIBLE PLEASE !!!!!”)
My sister was in labor for 15 hrs and they finally ended up doing a c-section. Tam-tam (my niece) was not ready to come out!
It was extremely difficult to be there and watch my little sister go through what she did. If it was difficult for me, I can’t even begin to imagine how it was for her. Now those who know me know that I am emotional. So for me to see her go through pain was not easy. I don’t think I have prayed so much as I did during those hours waiting for her in the room. I don’t think I have even cried that much is recent times as I did when I heard her cry. So I was actually relieved when they wheeled her into surgery.
While I was thrilled to see Tam-tam when they brought her out later, I think I began breathing normally and felt relieved only after I saw my sister. Believe it or not, the happiest moment for me on the 17th was when I went in to the recovery room and saw sister and she opened her eyes. I finally knew she was going to be ok. From then I knew that it would be alright!
At that point I couldn’t have been more proud of her or loved her more.
