SURGERY DONE

Oh poor Dave.  He is in so much pain.  His meds have finally started kicking in (after 40 minutes) but he's still miserable.  His bandage is about 6 inches long - of course I haven't seen the incision and staples (yes staples!) yet.  The bandage will come off in two days and I am already preparing myself.

The incision is on the right side of his lower abdomen.  For those who want details: the testes and cord are essentially pulled out through this incision.  The scrotum remains.

Dave was all checked in by 10:45, prepped (gown, gripper socks, warm blanket, IV) by 11:30, and it was off to the OR before noon.  I was finally called back to Recovery at 1:30. They had been trying to get Dave to be awake enough to sit or stand and pee, but he was having none of it.  In fact, he was still in that barely-conscious state, and moaning with pain.  It was all I could do to not collapse and weep.  

It's one thing to have pain yourself, it's another to see someone you love in pain.

The nurse couldn't give him more relief via the IV until he was awake enough to be able to take deep breaths.  When she felt he could, she gave him more pain medication, but his heart rate and oxygen started falling so we were trying to keep him awake and breathing. God bless medical personnel.  How you do you watch someone go through this and not melt into a crying mess?  I DID hold it together, though.  I thought I was going to faint at one point, but I sat down, ate some peanut butter crackers, and kept reminding myself my job is to keep Dave awake.

This was pretty terrifying for me, but you medical people reading this may think this is pretty routine (?).  Nursing is not my calling.

Of course Dave eventually came around enough to get dressed - with help - and into the wheelchair to be discharged.  Unfortunately, every little movement that affects the muscles on the right side of his body hurts him.  We stopped by the pharmacy to pick up his pain pills and antibiotic then came home.  He ate a peanut butter sandwich, took his meds, and gingerly, and with a few struggles, finally got settled in his recliner.  He didn't even take off his jacket, though I suggested a sweater might be more comfortable.

I asked the doctor how long it would be before we get the pathology results.  The lab they use is in SC, but he said he'd try to rush it and hopefully it will be 3 or 4 days.  He will call as soon as he gets the report.  And now we wait.

The doc had a last piece of wisdom to impart->

Dave has an appointment with his Savannah oncologist Thursday, which was originally set up as his normal 3-month checkup.  He will keep that appointment although we realize we may not yet know what Dave's latest mass was.  His followup with the urologist is next Monday.

Thanks for all the calls, emails, texts and prayers.  We get them and we feel that we're in good hands.