Wednesday, May 30, 2012

rebecca has had her surgery

Hello all, 

day 2

up early

preparing for surgery

marking my head

yep, that's me

view from my room

day 1

the hospital served me moldy bread-yuck

my room was huge
 This is Rebecca's husband posting, because despite her pluck not even she can post a blog entry 24 hours after reporting to the hospital for brain surgery - although she is doing very well. 

We arrived at the diagnostic center (which made me think we were going to start all very again) 45 minutes early and before they opened. We then sat down and made bad jokes while I took pictures of everything and Rebecca’s hogged the only magazine. 

Rebecca's surgery went well, there was a moment there about 40 minutes after she was taken back where I jumped out my skin as the telephone rang in the waiting room and my name was called. Fortunately it was just the nurse telling me the surgery was about to begin now Rebecca had been "positioned" - when the anesthesiologist RN described this process he asked if we "knew what a C clamp is?" which I thought was funny.

I'm sure the phone calls during the operation to the waiting room were meant to be helpful and reassuring, and they were, so long as I managed to climb back into my body and pick up the phone half expecting the worlds "there's been a complication...do you know what happens when a C clamp….?" 

 Sorry, it's late enough to be very early and I'm a strange mixture of tired, anxious and relieved. 

Her herniation had only just reached her C1 vertebra, so it was not as long as they thought and they did not have to cut it. They did "shave" a portion off to give her room however and it was clearly thick causing blockages around the sides according to the surgeon. 

The surgeon was very friendlily when he called me back into the small consultation room, and later when he visited. Rebecca also tells me he got on top of the nurses when he didn't feel she was being kept warm enough or her nausea - which was has bee bad but better then other times - was no being kept under control. All in all we are very happy and impressed with him. He feels the operation was a great success and expects her to make a good recovery. Of course he is one of them go-get-'em / up-and-at’am types but Rebecca does seem to be doing well all the same. 

She spent yesterday snoozing, running - shuffling - to the bathroom, and taking walks around her room.

 Thanks all, 

 Peter

3 comments:

Susan said...

Great news - well done to you both. I know that after losing a child, this must have been so scary. Sending you a big warm hug from the UK X x

Groves said...

In the middle of everything (!) - it is *so* kind of you to post and say how Rebecca is doing. No exaggeration, she has been on my mind pretty ceaselessly.

I am incredibly relieved that the surgery is over and that no complications arose - and I also understand all too well that this is not the end of the story. Recovery, bodily adjustments, the unknown, you name it.

You are - all - being remembered here, really a lot.

I hope she continues to feel stronger and that this proves to be a positive direction. Feeling bad all the time is...

well, no words for that.

Pulling for you here,

Cathy in Missouri xoxo

P.S. No surprise; Rebecca's husband shares her excellent sense of humor. :)

Unknown said...

this is rebecca. i got up today and moved around a lot. took a shower. ate some. tomorrow they are letting me go home. we will stay in a local hotel until Saturday though since it's a long drive. i will be glad to go even though it's a new unit and the nuses have all been pretty nice. the pain is really awful and not much seems to help it yet but I am looking forward to putting it behind me!