Surgery Day 1

The day has finally come and while I'm writing this it is about to pass. Chris' surgery went great today. It was a long and tedious process that kept me antsy and on the edge of my seat the whole time. We arrived at 5:45 this morning and got him checked in. We headed to the back and made sure he got changed and picked out his anesthesia scent, which he still stuck with root beer. After the usual routine of blood pressure and temp, Chris and I sat and chatted for a bit while our parents rotated in and out to visit. I was happy to see Dr. Phillips today and when he came in to visit he told us that they would be taking him down early to make sure everything got started and to get him to sleep. After he left the nurse came in and said that Chris could pick a prize from the Ocean room. It's this sweet room painted like, you guessed it, an ocean that is loaded with games and toys. He choose Chinese Checkers. It's pretty sweet that they give out prizes to adults to. I'm telling you, a children's hospital is the way to go. Soon after the anesthesiologist came in and gave Chris some medicine to take the edge off and help him relax. Within minutes we were saying our last words before surgery and then off they went and wheeled him down the hall. It was one of the hardest things I've had to do is watch my husband be wheeled away to surgery and know that this was going to be a long procedure. I did feel a little at ease because as he was being wheeled back he started to giggle because the drugs were kicking in. It made me smile and I was able to leave the pre-op area with a happy feeling and headed over to surgical waiting. Now, surgical waiting is something else. It was really comfortable and relaxed. We had a nice sectioned off lounge area with a tv to watch and hang out. The people in there however are very interesting. Lets just say they come from all walks of life and act in so many different ways. It did keep things a little light hearted and entertained as we people watched and listened to them. Finally after nine hours of waiting we were told that he was warmed up, everything went good, and that he was back in ICU. We all headed up and waited until it was ok for us to go back. I was the first one back and I was really nervous about walking in and seeing him. I knew that he would have tubes and lines all over the place and that he might be pale and swollen. When I walked in he was surrounded by doctors and nurses who were doing their checkups and making sure he was comfortable. He has tubes all over and IV's, he was a little pale, but not swollen. When he saw me he said hi honey, I'm ok and I love you. I knew then that I could take a deep breath and feel at ease. The waiting was over and my baby is now in recovery. I spent some time with him and then headed down to the cafeteria with my parents to try to grab a bite to eat. On the way back the fire alarm went off and we were told that the elevators and stairwell were closed and we had to stay put. I stared to freak out, the fire alarm was going off in the tower my husband is recovering in and I'm stuck here while he is up there! Luckily it was a false alarm from the bottom floor and within a few minutes we were allowed to head up and see him. It was nice to spend some alone time with him and I'm very happy with the staff that are on call tonight. Chris' beside nurse is really sweet and her name is Abby too. So Chris kept calling me Abby 1 and her Abby 2. I let him fall asleep and get relaxed and then ventured down the hall to the little bedrooms they have for spouses and parents of those in the ICU. I'm hoping to get some sleep, but I know I will want to go be with him soon. It's been a long and stressful day and I'm glad that everything went well. I thank you so much to all of my friends and family who sent so many well wishes and prayed for us. Please keep praying because recovery is going to be a hard process ahead. I'm also grateful for my parents coming to sit with me today and keep me sane and occupied through everything. We got one day down and now preparing for what lies ahead tomorrow.