The medical team retreated to the hallway to confer, their voices hushed but urgent. The consensus was grim. Operating on an 82-year-old woman with a mass this size was a statistical nightmare.
“If we open her up, the sudden drop in abdominal pressure could stop her heart,” the anesthesiologist warned. “Her body has adapted to this parasite for a decade. Removing it might kill her faster than leaving it.”
“But look at her oxygen levels,” Dr. Evans argued, holding up the chart. “She’s suffocating. If we do nothing, she dies this week. If we operate, she has a chance.”
They walked back into the room where Margaret waited. The Chief of Surgery sat beside her and took her hand. “Margaret, the risk is enormous. We might not be able to bring you back.”
Margaret looked at the doctors, then at her swollen stomach that had been her prison for a decade. She smiled, a small, brave expression. “I’ve survived this long,” she said. “I’m ready to try.”
