"I used to think it was awful that life was so unfair. Then I thought, wouldn't it be much worse if life were fair, and all the terrible things that happen to us come because we actually deserve them? So now, I take great comfort in the general hostility and unfairness of the universe."It is my response to those who tell me the everything happens for a reason.
- Marcus Cole, Babylon 5
So on Thursday, I had the unique pleasure of sitting in a hospital waiting room for fifteen hours while a team of doctors operated on my husband's brain. Well, maybe not unique as I'm sure many people have undergone the same thing, but it's at least unusual. Kevin did really well during the surgery. For most of it he was awake and the surgeons said that he was in really good spirits through that part. He was cracking jokes and goofing around with them. That was good to hear as that's his normal personality. Then the other surgeon came in to take over and Kevin was put under for the remainder of the procedure. They were able to get rid of between 40 and 50% of the growth! That was more than what the surgeons thought they could do at one time! The surgeons were pleased and so I am pleased. Kevin will be undergoing the same procedure at some future date to get rid of the remainder of the growth.
What I did during those hours was sit in the waiting room. I had all these plans that I would go back home, sleep a little, work on Madeleine's quilt for a bit, call a few people and maybe watch a bit of TV. But when it came down to it, I couldn't leave the hospital.
We got there at 6:00am and registered. We were sent up to the 2nd floor and Kevin was called in. I waited in the waiting room for them to get him all ready and settled. Then I was called back with him. We talked to one of the anithesiologists that would be with him during the operation. We found out that there would be a team of anithesiologists and a team of neurosurgeons in there with him and that a bunch of meeting were held prior so everyone knew what they were doing. Kevin was then taken to MRI and tagged along behind him. Surgery was scheduled for 8:00 and he didn't leave MRI until 8:15. Everyone was looking for him because they wanted to get this thing started! But, 20 minutes late isn't too bad, in my books. He was then taken to the OR and I was shown to the waiting (and waiting and waiting) room.
I had some breakfast, watched some DVDs on the laptop, read some books and played some games on my mom's DS. I am surprised at how quickly time went by, actually. I thought that it would just drag on and on but I guess I was sufficiently occupied to let time pass at a reasonable speed.
I got to see everyone come and I got to see everyone go from that waiting room. That was kind of hard. At the end, there was three families left including me. At this point, it was 5:30 and I was starting to get a little concerned that I hadn't heard from the doctors yet. These families all came after I got there (actually, one of them was complaining about having to be there at 1:00 and still being there at 5:00 and I though "amateur") and I saw these families each get to talk to the surgeons and hear how their loved ones are doing. Come seven o'clock, I was really starting to get concerned. But, the surgeons came out at that time and I got the good news that everything went very well.
I didn't get to see Kevin until nine o'clock that night. I just basically said hi and bye and then went home and crashed. Well, first I made a dozen phone calls and then I crashed.
That was the day from my perspective. I am looking forward to hearing it from Kevin's perspective. So far, my visits have been short as he's still in the neuro observation unit and it's not set up for visiting. It's set up for the nurses to do their job the best, how unreasonable! But he called this morning and he is mobile and so I will be able to take him to the cafeteria or the waiting room for a visit now.
It feels really nice to have the hurdle over with. I am floating on a high of adrenaline and relief right now. That will end all too soon, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts!
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