Bill Surgery Update

Sorry I can't think of a funnier title, I had thought of "gold metal hospital sitting" but since this is an update on Bill I thought I would focus on him. All is going well 24 hours out but it has been a really long day and night for all.

Yesterday the hospital called to say we needed to be there 2 hours earlier for a 2pm surgery. We scrambled got there only to wait in pre-op holding until they were literally cleaning the floors and at 5:30 moved us to the recovery holding area and FINALLY took Bill back. His surgeon came out to talk to me around 8:30 and said that all had gone well and that he expected no complications. After being booted to TWO more waiting areas they finally brought him to a room around 10 pm.

I stayed until just after midnight drove home and crashed. Like the clean freak Nazi I am, I had gotten up at 6 am to clean the house before taking Ben to school. Have I commented how much I miss my cleaning service!!! Luckily I have the whole house down to just over 2 hours.

Today I had an IVF appointment that ran over by an hour. My frustration is a post into itself, but all tests came back with a green light to FINALLY be starting. When I got to the hospital I found out that they had moved Bill into another patient room tower, so I had to go looking for patient information. Luckily they had moved the family pics and Ben artwork I put up before I left last night.

He spent most of today cycling between sleeping, being super nauseaed, trying to get up to walk the halls in the oh so lovely hospital gown, and in general feeling like he had been hit by a bus. Knowing how bad he felt I tried to make him comfortable as possible. I brought in my nausea bands that worked for me but to no avail.

When I came back with Ben around 6pm he was much better and was starting to taper of the morphine pump. His nausea was also getting better and he out of the bed. Note to self, do not take a 3 year old to the hospital. I should have know this was going to be a short visit based on the way he acted at the dr office for preop.

I had to wrestle a fake stomach used for patient education away from his mouth as he was using it as a horn. Ben could have cared less about seeing daddy only about slamming the get well balloon to the floor over and over followed by trying turn over Bill's IV poll. We abruptly left as Bill was getting frustrated and I frankly was at the end of my rope.

I just talked to Bill and he is working with his night nurse to try and make it on the pain meds he will go home on tomorrow. This is been a long past few days but he is recovering well and already down at least 10 lbs since his liquid diet on Sunday.

His surgeon's parting words to me last night were "I hear you are going to be Bill's biggest cheerleader in his recovery and that you make a mean protein shake". I was a little taken aback that Bill had even mentioned my surgery to him, but I will take that as one of the best complements ever given. I am so very proud of him for these first steps and what it to come.