Amanda didn’t get an IV until the early morning hours because the nurse wasn’t able to get one in. She was stuck seven times before they got a good one in. The nurse we didn’t like tried four or five times, then the charge nurse, and finally, a morning nurse. I told Amanda she was too nice; with that nurse, I’d have given her one shot, maybe two, then not let her touch me again. They were supposed to wait and let the IV team do it, but they didn’t come in duty until later. The morning nurse was friendlier, but that was about all she had going over the night nurse.
The surgeon who performed the wire removal was next to stop by. He looked at her chest and said he would go in the next morning to clean things out and possibly put a wound vac on it, but he wasn’t sure. They’d needed a CT scan, but she had to have an IV first, then a pregnancy test, so everything needed to wait on something else. It was early afternoon before they came and got her for the CT. Just before that, the nurse was asking if Amanda had eaten anything. Of course, we’d had some StarBs, but I was just about to go grab lunch. It was a good thing I didn’t because they were going to take her back for the debridement and irrigation procedure right after the CT scan! And I mean, it was straight from CT to pre-op, too. We didn’t wait long before they took her back.
Initially, the surgeon said it would be light sedation, but he decided to put her under general for this. Amanda was in pain before, with even the hospital gown touching it. So putting her out was like a good idea; she never does well with light sedation. The pre-op nurse would be the same as the last surgery, along with the nurse trainee; they both remembered us.
I went to the cardiac surgical waiting room, a familiar place. I’m not a fan, and on long surgeries, I leave for a quieter place, but this one would be quick. There’s always a mix of people in the waiting room. Lots of single spouses, many grown children waiting on their elderly parents, and always at least one family that brings too many people. Take this from a pro: leave your cousin’s brother-in-law’s sister at home! Seriously, families are never good at a hospital; always loud and always arguing about something. People are always nervous talking with each other; some pace, and many tap their feet.
The lady next to me was by herself. When she was busy on her phone, she could be calm; when not, she was nervous, tapping her foot. She knew it and would sit on her foot to stop it. We didn’t talk, but I could sense her anxiety; I’d been there. The nurse liaison came out to update, and what I gathered was whoever she was waiting on had just had a double lung transplant. You could see a calm come over her, almost like watching bricks be taken off her shoulders. I knew the feeling well; I let her process for a minute before saying anything. Then looked over and said it feels good, doesn’t it? With a big smile, she said yes! I told her my wife had a heart transplant, and I knew what she was going through. She didn’t speak English well, so our chat was short, but it was good to have talked with her.
Not long after that, the PACU nurse came and got me; she mentioned a wound vac to prepare. Little did the nurse know, I’d seen her on a balloon pump, among other things, so a little wound vac wouldn’t scare me! Amanda was out but in pain; it always takes a lot of pain medicine to get her to a level where she is comfortable. This nurse was great but her counterpart taking care of another patient wasn’t. Let’s just say I’m glad the other one wasn’t our nurse. It took an hour or so, but after the last dose of heavy narcotics they’d allotted, she was finally getting comfortable.
To be honest, they could just ask me what her pain level is, and I could tell them. With all that we’ve been through, I know what she looks like at every pain level: her facial expressions, mannerisms, and alertness. I know what all of them mean without asking her. I also know how she looks when she’s on heavy narcotics. She could never abuse drugs without me knowing. Kind of like she could never cheat on me without me knowing either; she has a certain voice when someone is around! I can call, and within a word or two, I’ll know if someone is around by her voice! I guess I just know her too well, but after 25 years, I should.
After she was feeling better, we were transferred back to our room. They got her settled in and transferred to the room bed, a painful process after surgery. I ran to the car to get the most important hospital bag: the snack bag! A Buc-ee’s insulated bag we brought from home was filled to the brim, even more so after I stuffed the extra Buc-ee’s snacks we’d bought on the way up.
Amanda wanted food, but we both knew she wouldn’t be able to eat anything, just like last time. So I ran out to grab her a Starbucks refresher and grab myself some dinner. With Amanda not eating, I got her least favorite close-by options since she wasn’t eating with me, Halal Guys. I wanted something spicy, and they have a really hot red sauce and a new honey sriracha falafel I wanted to try. On the way back, it just felt like home away from home as I swung by the nourishment room to grab plastic silverware and a cup of ice; I know my way around here well.
A friend asked how I was doing yesterday. I said, good. We caught this early, I’m not worried. Then she replied you’re a pro at this, so that makes me feel better! It’s not something great to be a pro at, but with all the hospital experience, how could we not be pros?