I'm tired today. Tired with relief that Ernie's surgery is over, so it's not a negative tiredness. This was a pretty straightforward surgery....repairing a torn rotator cuff. He's been in pain for months so I'm so glad to have this step forward over. Sitting alone in a waiting room for hours is exhausting though. Not as exhausting as an uncertain surgery is, and I've sat through my fair share of those. So, while in the scheme of things this wasn't bad, those hours can still be wearing.
He had to wrench his wedding ring off....sniff, sniff.
One should ALWAYS hope for the early morning slot for surgery. He wasn't scheduled until 12:30. I did some work from home and he skipped around on the tv restlessly during the morning. We got to the Surgicenter a bit before 12:30 and I must say they have got this whole system down. You get a number and you can follow it on screens throughout the room that list where they are in six different stages, pre op, pre op with visitors, etc... You get a blinking buzzer thing as you would in a crowded restaurant and whenever it goes off you can trot back to see your patient. They escort you back to a private room to meet the surgeon afterwards, etc. Everything ran like clockwork and everyone was kind and friendly. The surgeon is one of the friendliest and most upbeat people I have ever met and yet somehow does it in such a way that isn't cloying. He's lovely. And, more importantly, he said everything went well, that he was able to repair most of it arthroscopically. He didn't have to cut into the muscle as much as he did last time (after the car accident) so hopefully this will heal more easily. He showed me pictures of the repair and I nodded along enthusiastically as though I could understand the images. Then of course there was more waiting until I could see him. At one point I realized I was the last one left in the waiting room.
waiting
I texted the boys when Ernie finally headed into surgery and their responses were textbook examples of their personalities...
getting him dressed and realizing that perhaps the converse on the kitchen counter is a genetic thing
last one....
Thanks for all the good wishes and thoughts on Facebook and via text, etc. It is at times like this that social media can be such a comforting embrace. Ernie did ok overnight. He's in pain today but so far so good. I'm taking a few days off to take care of him, and just to be here. The boys have been sweet and kind. My sweet peas. All three of them.
