Excision of the Uterus

1) Pre-Op pregnancy test - required
2) Changing into butt-crack robe
3) Blood letting
4) Surgery schedule
5) Anesthesiologist - Schumaker
6) Mindy off to surgery
7) In recovery 1
8) In recovery 2
9) In recover 3 w/ Jimmy

The morning began like any other Wednesday. I was up at 5:30am sharp. I decided to skip my exercise routine in favor of making coffee and completing an early run. You see, Mindy had to be at Riverside hospital by 7:15am. That meant we had to leave the house at 7:00am. That also meant I needed to be back from my morning run no later than 6:30am. To make all of that happen, I had to be deliberate with every move if we were to stay on course. After prepping coffee I took Ykraps on his morning stroll. I dressed for my run as soon as we returned. I also woke Mindy at 6:00am on the nose. I was out the door & on my way not a minute later.

It was cool and cloudy. It wasn’t expected to be a very nice day weatherwise. Once again, I trimmed a mile off my daily run in my ongoing effort to heal my sore ass/hamstring. It bothered me only minimally this time. I was back by 6:30am and promptly moved towards the shower. I was already tense and a little nervous after creating a mental list of everything that I’d needed/wanted to take along with me to the hospital. The last thing I wanted to do was find myself with too much idle time. I showered quickly. I am quite adept at that. I dressed comfortably, in blue jeans and a long sleeved dark t-shirt.

Before going downstairs, I grabbed my nicer back pack from the spare room closet and began stuffing it full of your typical man-purse items: laptop, two books (Ric Edelmen’s The Lies About Money & Eckhart Tolle’s, A New Earth), a grooming kit, camera, and some Advil. I didn’t eat anything but a few hunks of pineapple and cantaloupe. I figured I’d eat at the hospital later. We left the house just after 7am. It was cloudy and cool. We took Trabue to Riverside then headed east on Lane Avenue until we ran into Rt 315N. I dropped Mindy at the main door then went to park the Trooper. You can expect to walk a lot at Riverside. I parked in the Red garage at the far west end. Mindy’s pre-op check-in was in the Green area (about mid-hospital).

The process was quick and efficient. You can tell that they’ve done this countless times before. I was impressed with everyone, really. They think of everything, including what to do with your last few personal belongings. We must’ve encountered 6-10 different folks somehow involved in the pre-op process. Eventually the anesthesiologist came in, Dr Schumaker, and discussed his gig. It was quite interesting as we reviewed the meds he would use, and then what she could expect. Mindy mentioned being susceptible to nausea from anesthesia. Of course the doc had a solution, which included using the Transderm Scop patch. The same patch we use for altitude sickness when skiing. Hmm? In the middle of his explanation the actual surgeon, Dr Novi, came by to check and greet Mindy, as well as answer any questions that I might have. I asked only that I be able to scrub in, if for no other reason than to watch. And to this day, Mindy doesn’t realize that I’m the one that actually did her procedure. Yeah baby!

A few minutes later the anesthesiologist put Mindy to sleep. It was really quite funny. She was loopy in just a few seconds. She wanted me at her side as they were wheeling her away. She told me that she loved me in a very tired, loopy voice. They directed me to the waiting room where I’d spend the next 5 hours with the rest of the cattle. Ugh! But I was well equipped for such a wait with all the aforementioned toys I had packed in my man purse. I still chose to people watch for the first hour or so. Eventually, I got to reading but had a hard time focusing on the content. Plus, it made me sleepy. I must’ve taken two or three cat naps. I also eavesdropped into other nearby conversations, living vicariously through the banter of others. I find that sometimes amusing. You should try it.

I couldn’t help but observe how profound a difference technology had made in our lives. Almost everyone had out there hi-tech cell phones. Many were talking while others were sharing photos and connecting to the internet. Still others, like me, had their laptops out and were either surfing the net or working while waiting. Very few were there without any technology.

It would only figure that the minute I got up to stretch my legs and walk around, the surgery would end and the doctor would come a calling. I wasn’t gone five minutes. Upon my return I checked the flat panel that tracks the progress of the surgery and saw that Mindy was now in Recovery. Sure enough, I checked with the desk who informed me that Dr Novi was down looking for me. Crap! No problem, though. They paged him, and he called right back and gave me an update over the special bat phone. The procedure was a success and went as expected. He said I could join her in her room once she comes to. It would most likely be another hour or so, however.

I decided then that I needed to eat. I made my way to the much ballyhooed cafeteria to get some grub. I checked out all their offerings before settling on a bacon cheddar burger. I was impressed by the size, freshness, and quality. It was similar to a Barley burger. I had some potato wedges slathered in hot sauce as a side. I took my food over to the more formal entrance area where I found a leather recliner close to the fireplace. It was really quite cozy. I enjoyed my food while doing some more people watching. What I observed were several old men, who judging by their uniforms were hospital volunteers, flirting with older women, who I also figured to be volunteers. Their jobs were guiding people the proper direction. I wondered if that would be something that I might do when I reach that apex.

I logged onto the hospital’s free WI-FI network and then ultimately into work. I did that for the next half hour or so. At 1:24pm they called my name alerting me that Mindy was out of recovery and in her room. They gave me a piece of paper with the room number on it. I quickly logged off my laptop and made my way to her room - 4265 via the yellow elevators. Incidentally, the hospital is color coded making finding your way a bit easier.

I was there in a jiffy. There were three nurses tending to her immediate needs. I later learned that was attaching her oxygen, oxygen monitor, slow-drip morphine pump, and catheter. They asked me to wait in the hallway while they scurried about. It didn’t take long. I was allowed back in a couple minutes later. Mindy was still heavily sedated but did acknowledge my presence. She dosed a few seconds later. Meanwhile, I made myself comfortable with my book and laptop. I also made a few calls alerting folks that she was resting in her room after successful surgery. Mindy had almost constant attention of one type of nurse or another. They were all very nice.

For the next several hours I dosed, read, and even worked. I chatted online with my boss around 5:30pm. Rene stopped up around 6:00pm, as did Mindy’s older brother Craig. Craig did a good job of explaining how they might’ve moved about their point of entrance while doing Mindy’s procedure. Oh yeah, Rene brought Mindy her favorite flowers – white roses. Craig left just before 7pm. Rene left around 730pm. I stayed until 8pm. I was exhausted. Sitting around all day can take its toll.

I was eager to get home and walk Ykraps. I was equally looking forward to my alone time. After quickly taking care of Ykraps I poured myself a Jack & Diet Coke and then changed into my flannel pajamas. I was quite comfy. I booted up Mindy’s laptop from the kitchen table intending to blog while also watching American Idol elimination night. I must’ve stayed up until 10:30pm or so. I was tired and had a nice little buzz from the Jack. I sprawled out in the middle of the bed using both soft & comfy pillows. Good night moon!