Read Online Timothy of the Cay by Theodore Taylor - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Theodore Taylor
Ads: Link
identified. A very delicate operation, working up against the brain."
"And that would fix it?" I asked.
"Perhaps. But it's a very long, risky operation, requiring a team of surgeons."
I liked the way he was talking directly to me.
"...I've done nine so far, all on adults, all within days or weeks of the injury. You've had yours for going on six months..."
My father asked, "What kind of success have you had?"
Dr. Pohl did not hesitate. "Three out of nine regained partial vision. One died on the operating table. One is brain damaged. So five are still as blind as the day I performed surgery on them..."
"Three out of nine," my mother said, a quiver in her voice.
Dr. Pohl replied, "Phillip's age may possibly be to his advantage." Then he said to me, "But I doubt if you'll ever have a complete return of vision."
"The three that were successfulâhow much vision did they have?" I asked.
"Two had eighty, one ninety percent with glasses. Not that much at night."
Ninety percent with glasses. I'd be able to see most things, read, move around without a cane.
I guess he was studying my face when he said, very clearly, "I repeat that there is risk, Phillip. I have to be honest with you and your parents. Major risk. This will be inside your skull, against the brain..."
Inside my skull? Against my brain?
"My biggest concern is with the lining of the brain. I'll be a fraction of an inch away from three very important vascular structures, blood channels. I'll skip the scientific names for them, but they carry much of the blood away from the brain and return it to the heart. Any of the three could have been injured at the time of the accident or could be injured during surgery. Your life could be lost; you could be paralyzed..."
My mother said, "I don't think we need to hear any more, Dr. Pohl."
It was my vision he was talking about, not hers. I asked, "What happened with the one person who died?"
"Hemorrhage that we couldn't stop."
A ruptured blood vessel.
"What you have here, Phillip, and Mr. and Mrs. Enright, is a choice between remaining blind as a relatively functional person for an undetermined period versus the possibility of an acute problem during immediate surgery that may leave you, and I repeat, paralyzed and vegetative, or dead..."
My mother said firmly, "With those options, Phillip will have to remain blind."
My father said, "Not so quick, Grace. He has to have a voice in the decision. What do you mean by 'undetermined period,' Doctor? That sounds scary..."
"Well, until we can take a look at the problem, beyond X rays, there's no way of knowing exactly how severe it is. It just takes a small amount of blood to disturb the function of the brain. There can be lasting side effects."
Silence from all three of us. We knew he meant that I might die anyway, from malformation.
He said, "You don't need to decide today, but each day that goes by lessens the chance for any success."
"Eight didn't die," I said.
"But five can't see," my mother said.
There was another long pause, then my father said, "Doctor, Phillip faced life-and-death decisions on that island. He survived..."
I knew he was talking to my mother as well. Saying to her,
Stop thinking of him as a child.
"...so he has the right to make the decision. It's his sight, his life..."
I sat there, knowing they were looking at me, waiting for me to say something. I'd thought a lot about this moment since the session in Dr. Boomstra's office, thought about it on the plane to New York, thought about it almost all the time I was awake since arriving. I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen and said so.
The doctor hesitated. Later, he told me he'd hesitated because he was afraid I'd become frightened. "How much do you want to know?"
I said, "I'd like to know how you get there."
Dr. Pohl hesitated again, then I heard a deep sigh. "All right. Simply because you did survive alone on that island, and that means to me you're mentally strong, I'll tell
"And that would fix it?" I asked.
"Perhaps. But it's a very long, risky operation, requiring a team of surgeons."
I liked the way he was talking directly to me.
"...I've done nine so far, all on adults, all within days or weeks of the injury. You've had yours for going on six months..."
My father asked, "What kind of success have you had?"
Dr. Pohl did not hesitate. "Three out of nine regained partial vision. One died on the operating table. One is brain damaged. So five are still as blind as the day I performed surgery on them..."
"Three out of nine," my mother said, a quiver in her voice.
Dr. Pohl replied, "Phillip's age may possibly be to his advantage." Then he said to me, "But I doubt if you'll ever have a complete return of vision."
"The three that were successfulâhow much vision did they have?" I asked.
"Two had eighty, one ninety percent with glasses. Not that much at night."
Ninety percent with glasses. I'd be able to see most things, read, move around without a cane.
I guess he was studying my face when he said, very clearly, "I repeat that there is risk, Phillip. I have to be honest with you and your parents. Major risk. This will be inside your skull, against the brain..."
Inside my skull? Against my brain?
"My biggest concern is with the lining of the brain. I'll be a fraction of an inch away from three very important vascular structures, blood channels. I'll skip the scientific names for them, but they carry much of the blood away from the brain and return it to the heart. Any of the three could have been injured at the time of the accident or could be injured during surgery. Your life could be lost; you could be paralyzed..."
My mother said, "I don't think we need to hear any more, Dr. Pohl."
It was my vision he was talking about, not hers. I asked, "What happened with the one person who died?"
"Hemorrhage that we couldn't stop."
A ruptured blood vessel.
"What you have here, Phillip, and Mr. and Mrs. Enright, is a choice between remaining blind as a relatively functional person for an undetermined period versus the possibility of an acute problem during immediate surgery that may leave you, and I repeat, paralyzed and vegetative, or dead..."
My mother said firmly, "With those options, Phillip will have to remain blind."
My father said, "Not so quick, Grace. He has to have a voice in the decision. What do you mean by 'undetermined period,' Doctor? That sounds scary..."
"Well, until we can take a look at the problem, beyond X rays, there's no way of knowing exactly how severe it is. It just takes a small amount of blood to disturb the function of the brain. There can be lasting side effects."
Silence from all three of us. We knew he meant that I might die anyway, from malformation.
He said, "You don't need to decide today, but each day that goes by lessens the chance for any success."
"Eight didn't die," I said.
"But five can't see," my mother said.
There was another long pause, then my father said, "Doctor, Phillip faced life-and-death decisions on that island. He survived..."
I knew he was talking to my mother as well. Saying to her,
Stop thinking of him as a child.
"...so he has the right to make the decision. It's his sight, his life..."
I sat there, knowing they were looking at me, waiting for me to say something. I'd thought a lot about this moment since the session in Dr. Boomstra's office, thought about it on the plane to New York, thought about it almost all the time I was awake since arriving. I wanted to know exactly what was going to happen and said so.
The doctor hesitated. Later, he told me he'd hesitated because he was afraid I'd become frightened. "How much do you want to know?"
I said, "I'd like to know how you get there."
Dr. Pohl hesitated again, then I heard a deep sigh. "All right. Simply because you did survive alone on that island, and that means to me you're mentally strong, I'll tell
Similar Books
