A Look Back At My Surgery

Ok this is as I remember it (so possibly not exact). I mentioned in yesterday’s Thanksgiving post how I was cleared to return to Monticello on November the 1st after my surgery on October the 16th. On the 17th after my surgery I remember waking up in ICU and seeing my wife. Later, it was mentioned to me by hospital staff coming into ICU to check me out right after surgery but I do not remember that at all. I told my wife the other day I do not remember her leaving the hospital that night. My question to her was I awake when she did leave and she told me I was awake/alert but I have no memory of her leaving. Early in the morning of the 17th I was rolled down for an after surgery MRI at 2:00 AM. I do remember this (MRIs are not much fun to me). I was taken back to ICU, where all the monitor sticky things that were removed for the MRI were replaced (removing them are no fun either!). Late in the day on the 17th I was moved from ICU to a standard hospital room. It was here where I got a really good night’s sleep. In ICU there was little time for good uninterrupted sleep. From this room I was told they were working on insurance clearance to go to rehab. But because it was at the end of the week/weekend that clearance did not come until Monday. I spent a week in rehab, my walking wasn’t great on my first day of physical therapy but after a bit of moving for an hour it was better. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post the therapists quickly learned I wanted to be outside so they’d do as much of my therapy outside in front of the hospital as possible (thanks!) On Monday (week after starting) I was cleared to leave the hospital. My surgeon wanted me to stay in Chicago until he cleared me to go home. I went to the hotel with my parents. On Wednesday I was supposed to go in to have my stitches removed then go back the following Friday for a final check with hopeful clearance to go home from the surgical team. On Wednesday I went to be checked out but they were worried about a few spots not being healed enough to remove the stitches. I was down at this news! They told me to come back on Friday for another check. I was really thinking I would go in Friday and maybe have them removed but not be cleared to go home until the following Monday. I was down and did not want to speculate plans too much. I went back that Friday (November 1st) and was told by the team that my stitched scar looked great. They removed the stitches and gave me clearance to go home that day! I was excited! My dad was in the appointment when they were talking about this so he immediately started looking at flights. There were two flights to Little Rock that afternoon. The earlier flight was a bit too early so we were afraid we wouldn’t be able to pack up our hotel room (where my parents had lived since getting there on the 15th of October). He booked the later flight. We were at the airport in time for the earlier flight but am glad we did not have to rush like those you see in the movies! It was a late night but to see my wife and kids at the door of our house that night was beyond special.

Thanks to my parents for staying with me in Chicago and driving me home that night!

I believe the hand of God was at work during this time. It was in my moments of despair (waiting to go to rehab, waiting to go home, etc.) that he worked everything out. (Ok, maybe I need to work on some patience!) There were many praying for me and I believe he heard those prayers and was/is at work all the time.

As I said after the surgery: “I sought The Lord, and he heard and he answered” (Link to Previous post)