Surgery

- Posted by Marlo

Today's the day. The alarm goes off at 5am, Amy gets up to shower with the 'special surgical soap' and get dressed. She tells me she was able to get a couple hours of sleep. Quietly we pack up to go. As we drive away, a rainbow greets us at the end of the street (a promising ominen?). Amy comments "how beautiful".

When we check-in with pre-op, Amy is comforted to see the same nurse who had taken care of her previously during her angiogram. She is the nurse who will check her in today. During pre-op, it's a familiar drill - questions about medical history, checking vitals and inserting the IV's. The chaplain comes to pray with us. The anesthesiologist comes in and tells Amy she'll get an IV in her neck and enough drugs to put her asleep and not feel nor remember anything. By 7:30 am, Amy is prepped and ready to go. When the nurse recognizes Amy's anxiety, she asks if Amy wants the "heck, I don't care" drug to calm her nerves. Amy agrees and five minutes later she is visibly more relaxed. She shares with me her affirmation "I am good, I am smart and dog gone it, people like me" (to quote Smiley from SNL).

When the OR nurse comes to get her at 7:55am, my emotions get the best of me. I can't help but start to cry when the nurse wheels her out the door and off to the OR. Jokingly, the anesthesiologist asks if I could use a shot of the "heck, I don't care" drug.

While waiting in the waiting room, the following events take place...

8:35 am - a visit from the OR nurse. Amy's tubing is in and she's stabilized.

9:00 am - a visit from Tom (family friend) and others I know who work in the hospital to extend their thoughts and prayers. Tom ends up staying with me for the rest of the day. His companionship is comforting and I am grateful to have a friend to talk with and to pass the time.

9:40 am - a call from the OR nurse. Great news! Amy's valve can be saved and will not need to be replaced. The surgery to repair her aorta will proceed and take less time than originally thought. Surgery will be done by 11 am meaning less time on by-pass.

10:45 am - OR nurse comes to inform me that surgery is going very well. Amy is off the "pump" and her heart is beating on its own. They will be closing her up soon.

10:50 am - The ICU nurse also comes to visit. She tells me about Amy's move to the ICU and that she will call me around 12:45 pm when it is time to come and see her.

11:45 am - the surgeon comes to visit. Amy's surgery was a success! He saved the valve and her aorta has been repaired. He did not have to cool Amy's body down as was previously anticipated. As a result, her time on by-pass was minimal and the surgery was done in less time than expected.

12:00 pm - calls to family and friends to update on Amy's condition. For the time being, there is a collective sigh of relief.

12:45 pm - a call from ICU to see Amy. It feels great to see her. The nurses say she is doing very well. She responds to me but cannot talk because of the breathing tube in her mouth. She is very sedated and still pretty out of it. The ICU nurse tells me to come back at the bottom of every hour to check on her.

1:45 pm - Amy continues to do well. She is coming out of sedation and is more alert. She opens her eyes when she hears me and then falls back to sleep.

3:30 pm - the breathing tube is removed. As I lean over to give her a kiss, she wispers "I love you". Those three words never sounded so good! And then she goes back to sleep.

4:45 pm - last visit before going home for the night. "This is when the work begins" says the nurse as I prepare to leave. Before long, Amy will need to cough, breath and start dangling (sitting up in bed).

By 5:30 pm, I am home to see the kids and have dinner. It is a blessing my mom is here to take care of everything on the home front. Gabe wants to know where mom is. I tell him she is in the hospital and will be home in a few days. He goes back to playing with his batman helicopter.

Before bed, one more call to the ICU. Amy is doing great. She is "dangling" and drousy. I cannot wait to see her again tommorow. If her recovery continues to go well she will be moving to step-down in the morning.