Little guy: Pt. 1

I was in Edmonton just over a week ago, for one of my best friends weddings. More post’s about that later… and yes Fat Girl, I will be posting about your sisters wedding too, but for now I wanted to tell you an adorable story about this Little Guy.

He and I have a special bond. And I’m not just talking about how irresistibly cute we both are. No, I refer to the fact that we have both spent a good deal of time in hospital. Me for my heart, eventually leading to open heart surgery at age 11; Little Guy for his confused digestive system.

I’m not sure exactly what the problem is, and I don’t know his mom well enough to get into details, but basically, he has had a series of problems with his stomach and digestive system, resulting in a whole lot of irregular goings on. I was first informed of this the day I arrived in Edmonton.

Little Guy’s Mom called to say that she was taking him to the hospital. His screaming in the background let us all know that he was in a good deal of pain. “Mommy, let’s go. It hurts real bad.” He was released the next afternoon, and par for the course, his mother had adorable stories of the previous night.

Apparently, when he was told he would be staying at least over night, Little Guy looked at the doctor and said, “That’s fine, but I have to be out by Saturday when my Auntie and Uncle get married.” (Note: He was going to be The Junior Groomsman, and his sole duty, in lieu of flower girls, was to hand out fully stemmed red roses to the female guests) The doctor gently told him that that should be fine, but he couldn’t guarantee anything. “But I have to go to the wedding. Uncle needs me to be there so that he looks good.” The doctor reassured him that it was a possibility. “Oh, you just don’t understand! Mom, tell him… I HAVE to be there. I don’t mind if I have to take my pole and medicine bag (read: IV Pole) if I have to.” So cute.

The innocence of children is quite remarkable, isn’t it? His mother and doctor are in such a state of concern and constant worry about him, but he has no idea. To him, constantly going to the hospital is all a part of life, as it was for me when I was a kid. Those of us lucky enough to live through childhood traumas often look back and remember great times spent at hospitals, having wheelchair races, making candles in the Paediatrics Ward. Visitors dressed in clown costumes. I never understood what my mom and the doctors were talking about; and quite frankly, I never thought it was interesting enough to ask. I just had a heart rate of 350bpm and the surgeons were going to fix that. 'Nuff said.

Little Guy was released the next day, as promised, and was the highlight of the wedding… well second only to the FAG-tastic hairstyles coiffured by yours truly.

My five days in Edmonton were filled with a great deal of martini’s and wine. They were also filled with a good deal of wonderful stories and memories, but my time spent with Little Guy brought more tears to my eyes than the wedding itself.

Take care of yourself, Little Guy. Hope to see you again soon.