A Breed All Their Own

As I have heard narrated on Grey's Anatomy enough times, surgeons are a breed all their own.

Parker's surgery this afternoon only took about an hour because they didn't transfer him to an operating room (too dangerous in his present state), they transferred the operating room to him. They had to crank the ventilator back up so it was breathing for him, and put him under general anesthesia for the third time in five days. The doctor re-opened the abdomen and cleaned everything out really well, then placed a piece of mesh inside him to keep everything pulled together. He believes he will not have to do this again, that on down the road he will only have to use sedation and pain meds to change the sponge that is placed in his flesh.

The reason I say they are a breed all their own is because whenever these surgeons talk about what they have done, or what they are going to do, their faces light up. Dr. Garcia is no exception. His face lit up like Santa Claus when he came to report back after it was over. Precisely, he got to put his hand and half his forearm up into Parker's abdominal cavity to really squeeze everything and clean it out super well.

If I had eaten anything today it would have come up instantly.

He said he was very pleased at how everything looked. The infection is still draining from the cyst into a tube that comes out his right side, but other than that, his insides looked healthy. I was a little confused by that .... if he's so frigging healthy why is he so sick???

They had to give him his fifth thing of blood today, too. No one is quite sure where the blood is disappearing to and why he continues to become anemic, so they keep giving him more and more units. I'm glad we are not in the late 80's. But I'm not sure why no one is jumping on that part of this.

I asked if the ventilator was causing him so much anxiety, why didn't they put him further under sedation. Doctor said there are reasons you don't want him on the ventilator and under that much sedation for too long and if at all possible they want to get him off it. They will try to wean him from it again this evening or tomorrow morning in the hopes that by Monday they can get the tube out.

Other than to know he is going to live, I want nothing more right now than to get that ventilator out of him. If it stays in too long they will have to put in a trach tube (I know that's spelled wrong, I'm too tired to look it up and you know what i mean). But it is causing him so much anxiety.

Parker's Dad has to leave tomorrow. I want to be sure Parker knows John is here before he leaves, it is so important to Parker's recovery to know he has been here by his side. James will stay with me until Parker is out of Critical Care (thinking POSITIVE!)

Tonight I will go to the little room at the Seton League House to sleep. His nurse will be Audra, who is calm and serene and I know will help Parker rest through the night. And once John leaves it will be harder for me to leave for a whole night. We will keep the room so I have a place to shower and do laundry and get naps.

A little note was slipped under the door of the room at Seton League House today. Thank you to two of my favorite families on earth. I'm sorry I will miss our annual favorite party in May, but I want you to know I was so touched by your thoughtfulness.