The Grandkids came by to say Good Luck to PaPaThis is all becoming old hat to me, sitting around the hospital. First with my mom and then my dad and for the fifth time with Tom since we moved to Maryland nine years ago. Of course there are those happy times with the birth of five grandchildren but still all having their scary moments including two emergency c-sections.
Yesterday sitting around the waiting room was too much like dejavu. Been there done that. Thank God for our children, two of who were able to wait it out with me. Tom said it made him more relaxed to know they were there with me. They took him back into the operating room early and the procedure was suppose to take 3-4 hours. Five hours later we were worried and at five and a half hours the doctor came out to talk to us. He didn't want to talk to us in the waiting room though, he called us back into a conference room just like the one we all went into with a doctor when they told us our mother had coded and wouldn't make it. Scary stuff but this doctor just wanted to explain why the surgery took longer than expected. They ended up cutting on the same scar as before and repairing farther up on his spine than planned. They found large screw holes in his vertebra without screws (probably because the holes were too big for any screws) that had to have a metal plate put over them. They took out the L3 through S1 disks and replaced them with metal blocks and then put plates over the vertebrae and sealed all that with bone chips from his hip with the hope that those bone chips will stimulate bone growth. The L2 &L1's fusion looks good from the last surgery. He had a lot of nerve involvement which made it harder and is where his pain comes from.
Last night I slept on a tiny little couch with machines beeping around me being woken up every hour as they flipped the lights on to check his vitals. All in all things are going smoothly, we're used to the routine. Tom seems calmer this time even though he says it hurts worse. He has two drains in and is getting a pint of blood as I type this (his own that they had him donate just in case last week). He's eating "real" food (from what hospitals now fondly call Room Service),PT and OT were here getting him out of bed and sitting in the chair for a couple of hours. They expect him to be here for another three days or so and I'll be here right along with him.
Yesterday sitting around the waiting room was too much like dejavu. Been there done that. Thank God for our children, two of who were able to wait it out with me. Tom said it made him more relaxed to know they were there with me. They took him back into the operating room early and the procedure was suppose to take 3-4 hours. Five hours later we were worried and at five and a half hours the doctor came out to talk to us. He didn't want to talk to us in the waiting room though, he called us back into a conference room just like the one we all went into with a doctor when they told us our mother had coded and wouldn't make it. Scary stuff but this doctor just wanted to explain why the surgery took longer than expected. They ended up cutting on the same scar as before and repairing farther up on his spine than planned. They found large screw holes in his vertebra without screws (probably because the holes were too big for any screws) that had to have a metal plate put over them. They took out the L3 through S1 disks and replaced them with metal blocks and then put plates over the vertebrae and sealed all that with bone chips from his hip with the hope that those bone chips will stimulate bone growth. The L2 &L1's fusion looks good from the last surgery. He had a lot of nerve involvement which made it harder and is where his pain comes from.
Last night I slept on a tiny little couch with machines beeping around me being woken up every hour as they flipped the lights on to check his vitals. All in all things are going smoothly, we're used to the routine. Tom seems calmer this time even though he says it hurts worse. He has two drains in and is getting a pint of blood as I type this (his own that they had him donate just in case last week). He's eating "real" food (from what hospitals now fondly call Room Service),PT and OT were here getting him out of bed and sitting in the chair for a couple of hours. They expect him to be here for another three days or so and I'll be here right along with him.
Tom in his room today.
"In sickness and in health" indeed. These are the trials that test relationships and both of you have shown the world that you belong together. Sending healing thoughts, prayers, and energy your way........and Kathy....be sure to take care of yourself, too.
ReplyDeleteHI Kathy,
ReplyDeleteI sure Hope and Pray that he will be back to his old self in no time, I am not a frequent hospital person, so I am always scared to death about everything. Poor guy, back pain is NOT FUN, and when your back hurts, it hurts everywhere. I had a herniated disc in my neck along time ago and I thought I was going to die. He has so many wonderful little blessings to pick up and play with, I will be Praying for a complete healing for Tom.
Thanks for the update
hugs,
jamie