First off, It was the L2 vertabre that was damaged. Not C2. I SWEAR the emergency room Dr. said C2. Chris said C2 day before yesterday. Pro-Tip, you cannot trust a guy with a broken back and on morphine for accurate medical information.
On Monday, the surgery was scheduled for Tuesday at 2pm. The hospital called yesterday morning at 7:15 and said they would have him in the OR at 7:45. This made me very happy. The surgery was to be 4-5 hours. I got to the hospital at 11:50. Checked into the Surgery Wait area, the volunteer proceeded to inform me that his surgery was at 2pm. sigh. So she called and the surgery was still going on and her sheet showed six hours. So I sat down. And I paced. And visited the gift shop. And sat down. And paced.
I swear the clock has never moved so slowly. There is a goddamn reason the salt water fish tank is by the surgery desk. The fish are friendly. They make you smile even when you want to cry.
At 12:50, she told me that the recovery room had been informed that he would be coming in, about 10 minutes. So now I am parked in front of her desk. Reading a copy of
Fortune magazine. I tortured myself with an editorial about how fracking will improve all our lives immensely.
At 1:35 I was freaking out because I figured she would tell me when he was ACTUALLY moved to Recovery. I could not take it anymore and asked. Oh yes, he's in recovery. Have your heard from the surgeon? NO!!!! By now I am almost nauseous with fear something has gone wrong. Five minutes later, the cell phone rings.
So I guess the new protocol for surgery is that the Dr. gives you an update by cell phone. I am very happy that it went well. He lost a unit of blood but they are not going to transfuse. He should be in recovery for another hour or so. He can wiggle his toes.
At this point I thanked the surgeon and I turned into a mental zombie. I knew I needed to call everybody. Also had this feeling that I should probably eat something. I'll say this about that - this is a helluva diet plan. Have not wanted food for 2 days now.
So I walked out to the parking garage, drove my car up to the roof so I could get cell coverage. 1st call - his mom, she was crying when she answered the phone. So now I am crying too. Next my parents. OH FUCK, for some reason Net10 does not allow you to call Canada. So I call our friend in Modesto and ask him to call my parents.
Down through the list of contacts in Chris' cell. I was almost coherent when I reached the bottom. WTF?! I should be happy right? And here I am just sobbing through each phone call. Pro-Tip - don't bother with makeup. And if at all possible, have somebody with you to make those phone calls for you.
I walked back into the hospital, gotta get food, I felt like I was going to pass out. So I get to the cafeteria. I am NOT hungry but know I need something before I go to Chris' room. oh! fruit salad so I grab a cup. And inexplicably, the french fries. So there I am at the checkout with a cup of fruit salad and 4 count 'em 4 french fries on the plate.1 large one and three small ones. I felt like an idiot. That cashier gal must think I'm nuts. I wanted to start crying again. I paid my monies and sat down and realized that I was shaking.
Then up to the 4th floor. The Orthopedics department. Yesterday, they told me room 4403. The surgery desk gal said 4405. The guy in 4403 didn't look anything like my husband. 4405 was empty. So I confirmed with the floor nurse. Yep, 4405.
I was starting to feel normal again. Must have been the food.
Wow! Nice room! A flat screen teevee and a bathroom with a built in shower that I would die for. It's got 2 chairs and a sofa with storage underneath. Really nice closets. Beautiful wood laminate flooring. I bet this sucker is 5K a day. I am too afraid to find the insurance papers but I believe our co-insurance is 40%. Does not really matter at this point.
At 2:55 the cell phone rings. It's the recovery room nurse. Well, we will try to get him there before 3:30 but that is shift change so it might be a bit later. sigh. Ok, I find the teevee remote. Tired of staring at walls and there isn't even a nasty Fortune magazine here to read.
They wheeled him in at 3:15. He was able to talk. The spasms got so bad last night that they actually put him under. He stated that while he was still in a lot of pain, it is nothing compared to before the surgery. The nurse asked him last night to describe the spasms - his description, the worst case of the dry heaves you have ever had
while you have a knife in your back. Good Lord. I am horrified at the amount of pain he has had to endure.
The nurse decided that he is crooked on the bed and needs to be straightened out. The gal that brought him in from recovery said that he needs to be in this position. The new nurse said that the dr's orders said the bed can be from 0-20%. I'm like - the other gal said it needed to stay in this position. The new nurse unlocks the bed and raises
it to about 13%. Chris is writhing in pain, I'm screaming and crying - hasn't he hurt enough already! So now I'm crying again and the nurse is trying to comfort me. sigh. And I feel bad because I know Chris is feeling bad because I'm crying. sigh.
This is where the part that I can't be there all the time is just killing me. I closed the business Tuesday. Wednesday is the normal day we are closed. I am so backed up on banking/bookwork that I could not afford the time to drive over there.
Someday, we are going to laugh about this. Ever the control freak, Chris says - it's Tuesday - did you get the trash cans out. Yes dear. (I'm the person that reminds him it is Tuesday!) Did you feed my chickens? Chris plays a computer farm game.
Not the FB one, some other thing that is ridicuously complicated. No. I didn't feed the chickens yesterday. You need to feed the chickens. Ok, when I get home, I will try to figure out how to feed the chickens. He has been on this game for 2+ years and has this really huge farm.
Don't think I need to educate the folks on this blog that I have way moar concerns than hubbies electronic chickens. I did try when I got home I messed with it for about 20 minutes and found the HIBERNATE! button. So it's on hibernate for 4 days. Hopefully, by then he will be in the brace able to sit up and I'll bring my laptop in and he can feed chickens, harvest crops, make bread and wine to his hearts content!
Thank you all for the love and hugs and prayers and positive thoughts. I didn't mean to write something this long but I feel better for getting it out. It was a long, scary day. I'm probably not going to be around a whole lot for the next 3 months. But I will when
I can. It's cheaper than therapy. Thanks KOS!
p.s. When I got home Tuesday night, multiple folks informed me that Rocky The Cat is acting all jiggy. He came in the house about 7:00 and I gave him a can of food.
He is once again laying on the blanket that Chris was under when the paramedics arrived. That blanket will stay on that floor in front of the fish tank until Chris comes home. I walked out there and told him what was going on. He looked up and paid attention to every word I said. Then he laid his head down. He misses his buddy badly. Why can't there be service Cats?
Wednesday Update: Chris called me 3 times today! The last call was at 6pm and he is exhausted. They got the brace on him and he walked from the bed to the couch and backwards from the couch to the bed! That guy is a fighter.
Ran into one of my RV customers while I was at the mailbox today totally bummed out because it was looking like next Wednesday would be my next chance to visit. He is a heavy equipment operator and an old customer. Just got back up here for a job a month ago. He says - I just found out last night. I can work the store for you Saturday/Sunday if you like. Do you know how to run a cash register? You bet! I used to be a bartender! LOL! So I asked him to take 10am-2pm. Ya'll have no idea how happy that made me. It felt like a mountain was lifted off my back. I felt like I had just won the lottery.
One of the guys in the harbor came up to the house to give me his check for the berth. He said, I saw the sign at the store yesterday, that you were closed because of a medical emergency...what's up? I actually told him what happened without turning into a blubbering mess of tears. So that's progress.
I need to eat some dinner and get to bed early. I'll respond to comments for a couple of hours and probably won't be able to after that. Tomorrow will be a very busy day.
Love,
Dawn