Doctors visit.

“Well doctor? He said with fear in his voice. Do you see it? It’s behind my shoulder on the right, just below my shoulder blade. “

“Yes I see it.” The doctor said with a slow confidant voice.

Sighing deeply, “Oh, great. Than can you take it out? Can you get rid of it? Please?” He desperately asked.

“This has been there a long time. It has grown quite a bit. How long have you known about it and not come in?”  He asked with a reprimand.

“I know Doctor, I know. “He said while not making eye contact. “I was afraid, what if it is malignant and I didn’t have much time left? What if in order to take it off you have to dig really deep and you take out part of me? What if it is permanent, forever, a part of who I am?” The questions tumbled out full of fear.

“So you kept from mentioning it each time you came in? I fail to see how that helped?” The doctor said while making bold eye contact.

A long pause, ended with a deep breath, “You’re right, you are always right. I should have come with this to you sooner. Is it to late?” The tears full in his voice.

“No, it’s never to late” He said full of compassion.

“How will you get it out? Will it hurt?” Looking up for the first time.

He places his strong hand on his shoulder. “That is up to you. If you let me do all the work it will go faster, however if you take the scalpel from me and try to do it yourself you will make it all the harder. There will be more blood; more pain and the healing will take longer. So it is up to you.”

“But if it starts to hurt can you stop? Can you take a break?” He asked hopefully.

“The longer it takes for me to remove it the deeper it will grow and the harder the whole process will take. But it’s up to you, you decide. I will never proceed without your permission” He said matter-of-factly.

“Alright then, will you do it?”

“Yes, yes I will”

And He took the scalpel and got to work.