Surgery

So what happens when you live on an island and you need to handle a Big Event like surgery? Well, we faced just that issue. Sweetie has suffered from a nasty condition for a number of years now, and we decided it was time to have a surgical procedure that would solve the problem (although the solution has its challenges as well).

The procedure could not take place on the island, of course, so we were expecting to be off-island for at least a week, which meant we needed long-term care for the boys. We asked Sweetie's mom and sister if they could come out, and they very generously gave us three weeks of their time. (It was a life-saver; a million thanks.) Let the logistics ensue...

First, I would have to leave Monday to pick up Mom and Sis at the airport and drop them off at the ferry. Sweetie stayed on the island to greet them and give them 'orientation' on how to care for Things. She left Wednesday. That night, the Wrigley apartment was full, so we had to be in hotel for the surgical prep. This was abdominal surgery, so the prep was like if you were going to have a colonoscopy. It was fine. The hotel was quiet and comfortable. We watched (intermittently) Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull on my laptop.

The next morning, we drove up to the USC University Hospital and checked in. After a while it was up to pre-op. We were nervous, naturally, and actually a little excited about how much better Sweetie would feel when it was all over. Finally the moment arrived, and it was off to the waiting room for me. Five hours later, the surgeon came down to tell me that things went fine.

Surgery is a drastic action, and should always be a last resort for solving medical problems. Too many variables for things to ever go smoothly, or at least as smoothly as you want them to. The first night was rough because they were having trouble managing Sweetie's pain. Then she caught thrush, which made eating (which wasn't easy to start with) harder. There was nausea and depression and all those things that are typical post-op issues that just make it harder than you'd hoped.

Meanwhile I was bouncing back and forth between San Pedro and LA, about an hour's drive each way. It was physically draining, but I figured out the secrets of where to park and when the buses ran from main campus to the Health Sciences Campus, and when you didn't have to feed the meters. I called Mom occasionally to report on Sweetie and find out how the boys were doing. They were behaving pretty well, but obviously there was some stress over us being away. Thing 2 kept asking when we were coming home.

Wednesday, we got our walking papers, and Sweetie survived the hour drive to the apartment, but I wouldn't say she enjoyed it. We were still having trouble finding things that she could eat and that were appetizing to her. There was a home care nurse who stopped by and suggested Ensure. This worked out pretty well. Our next hurdle was a fast pulse. The nurse asked us to watch it and if it went above 120, to go to the emergency room. Guess where we ended up. Thankfully, the ER we went to (in San Pedro) was not busy. We were seen really quickly by a very nice young doctor who told us it was probably dehydration. They pumped 2L of saline into Sweetie, and she said she was feeling much better.

This did delay our return to the island, however until the next Wednesday, two and one-half weeks after I originally left. Sweetie was still quite weak, but we got her on the boat. The ocean behaved for us, too. Getting home was great. Ms. Frizzle (the teacher) let the boys out early to come down and meet the boat. They were so excited. We got some excellent hugs. Mom and Sis stayed until Sunday, which was a great transition for us. As soon as they left we were showered with food and offers of help from various people in the community.

So now we're three weeks from the operation. Recovery continues to be slow and complicated by other issues. It's not easy, but we'll get through it. I've been coming home at lunch to take Sweetie for a walk on the beach, or help her fix her lunch or whatever. Something to relieve the tedium of healing.

As I said above, surgery is never a good option, but it was the best option. And, God willing, by Christmas Sweetie will be up and around and doing things she hasn't been able to do in a long time.

Thanks for everyone's cards, emails, thoughts and prayers.