BOSTON — Evan “EJ” Silverberg sat on a gurney in the early-morning hours at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
He was uncharacteristically quiet and calm, a fact that concerned his girlfriend, Gabi Depari. She sat next to him and held his hand, smiling.
spital staff entered the pre-op room, excitement began to build. Depari, 22, chatted with staff. Registered nurse Jane Noonan read through the rundown of the day and talked with Silverberg, 27, about the IV in his right arm.
“It’s like Gatorade without the sugar,” she told him warmly.
Several more people in scrubs stopped in to take notes, update charts and check their patient’s vitals. Silverberg nodded his head and hardly spoke.
When Dr. Adam M. Tobias arrived, he asked everyone to clear out. The plastic and reconstructive surgeon gently tied Silverberg’s hospital gown to the waist, to give him some more privacy.
With an orange pen in hand, Dr. Tobias carefully marked points of incision across Silverberg’s chest, avoiding a textual tattoo on the rib cage. Silverberg extended his arms and tilted his head back slightly, his light blond hair shaved into the “David Beckham” coif shifting to the side. It’s the hairstyle that fits him best — a look he found years ago at an LGBTQ-friendly barbershop in Worcester.
Silverberg would later explain he felt an overwhelming level of anxiousness.
“Let’s just do this already,” he thought. “I’m ready.”
