We were advised not to worry if the operation took a long time - in some cases that meant the results would be better. So on advice we went out to a restaurant which was the first time in days that my wife had left the left the hospital, as she was walking out she almost got the shakes, she had not left the 5th floor of GOSH for days.... What would the outside world look like? As it turned out rain, rain and more rain. 

The question on our minds was, when we returned to the hospital how would we find our daughter? Would she be dead or disabled? We had been told what might happen, loss of speech, loss of movement and stuff I care not to remember or share. Would we get our little girl back? Would she, her personality still be there? Would she suffer? I had contacted people for funeral arrangements (just in case) and had told the admin assistance of the ward what I had done, the look of shock that came across their faces was immediate 'We do not lose children here, it doesn't happen!!! '

My wife and I went for a walk and something to eat, a friend of my wife's and my sister met us down the pub for another lunch (and a very small drink) and finally after 5 hours we walked back to GOSH. It was still raining and the little one was still in theater (not watching Mr Tumble or Something Special) but under the knife. Two hours later we were called down to see her. As she came round, with a very large bandage on her head we were told they had removed a 4.5 cm mass near her spinal column. The nurses were testing her reactions, I went to give her a kiss and the first thing my sweet, kind, gentle daughter did was to give me three right hooks to the chin!!!!!! YES, her co-ordination was fine (as far as I was concerned), her personality was still in tact (My little girl who has cancer, loved and loves to punch and kick me, it's a game for her, a pain for me).  Then it was back upstairs to the recovery center in the ward. Then the waiting began.