5/14/13 Nick's Surgery

Whew, long day starting at 4:45 for boot camp and just now wrapping up from work. Nick came through surgery with flying colors, and shaved legs up to his knees. 

How scary is it that you have to write on your own legs to indicate what limb you are expecting to be operated on? Apparently too many people waking up to surprises have made this necessary.

Then the doc came in and went over what to expect and drew on Nick's legs as well, where he expected to make the incision, and how big it would be. There are two ways to do compartment surgery and this is the least invasive and offers the quickest healing/recovery time. The two main drawbacks to the smaller incisions are 1) being able to clearly spot the nerve running along the leg so it's not severed and 2) more susceptibility to hemotoma, so we have to be very careful to go slowly at first to avoid over bleeding.

And then we, like anyone who's ever done medical procedures, got to play the waiting game. 

They wheeled him back about 3:45 and we got to keep playing the waiting game (although I had work to keep me occupied) and the doc was back with us an hour later, saying everything was great, he'd had very clear sight of the nerves on both sides and there was minimal bleeding. And then, we waited again.

They finally called us back around 5:30 to find Nick wide awake and scarfing down fig newtons. He hadn't had anything to eat since midnight.

And then? More waiting, release instructions, and, finally, freedom!

He's currently propped up in bed, on Percoset, with Lacey, watching TV and feeling no pain. I worked the first half of the day, worked through the waiting, worked after we got home once I got him set up, and hopefully managed to not put myself too far behind for the rest of the week. 

Of course, when we got home, it hit me that we couldn't get the hospital table out of the closet and up to him in the bed without unpacking all of his stuff that was currently strewn on the floor, which couldn't happen until we emptied out the drawers filled with other clothes that had to go somewhere else... and on and on. So between work and a room overhaul and changing ice bags and wraps, and working out wiring everything to be near Nick where he could reach it, I think we're all set. 

And I am pooped.

(post #1414, on the 14th.)