Started with me having an appointment of my own, that was seriously delayed, as often happens, right. Well, we had kind of tightly scheduled yesterday, because up to this point, things with Ken have run relatively smoothly. Well, yesterday morning should have ben a harbinger of things to come, but I failed to see the foreshadowing. So, having to put off some much anticipated shopping (well, anticipated by Lilli... dreaded by me...) was the equivalent of the world ending, and she could not understand why we "had to wait until we got Daddy home from the hospital!" (That phrase, to be understood properly, must be read with tears in the voice, and just the proper amount of whining...)
Once that little fire was put out, we had to focus on the rest of the day. Ken was scheduled to be up at GBMC at 2:30 for a 3:30 insertion of the feeding tube. I had hoped to send Lilli to a friend's so she would not have to either stay home with Emily for an undetermined amount of time, and I had asked Emily to go with me. Had some errands to run within the hospital, and I knew Ken would like at least one of them to be there when he woke up. But, being that the plans themselves were relatively last minute, I could not get hold of our friends, and I just did not want to leave the girls home. I had no idea just how long we would be at the hospital. So... I took them both with us. Ugh, right?
Honestly, I think from an objective point of view, minus some minor drama with Emily... (My head hurts... my stomach hurts...I personally think it is stress...), overall, they honestly both did well. However, from the perspective of being stressed to begin with, an anesthesiologist who had a god complex, and wondering how to entertain an 8 year old in a surgical waiting area... it was not the most pleasant. But, happily, we did manage to make it home, a little over 5 hours later, all in one piece.
As for the anesthesiologist, I realized from the get go that he was going to be a pain when he started demanding past records from the nurses, regarding Ken's previous procedures. He, in my opinion, was making issues where none existed (I know even at this point, the nurses agreed), and demanded that Ken be moved from the surgical area where was scheduled, up to a regular OR. Producing the first in a series of delays instigated completely by him. He started harping on getting bloodwork on Ken, which no one had ever wanted before, and frankly was totally unnecessary. Then he was nasty over the fact that Ken had been instructed to not have anything for 6 hours... not 8. Another delay. And from what Ken told me later when he was lucid, the guy was just a creep. Never said thank you to any nurse whom he had ordered to fetch him something, and just causing delay after delay. Finally, Dr. Corkum said "Enough is enough", and got the surgery started.
At first, at 5, I was told that it had not started, and we were looking at several more hours. (enter yet another tantrum...) but luckily, that proved to be misinformation, and by 5:30, Dr. Corkum came out. I swear, the first sentence out of his mouth was (And I quote:) "That anesthesiologist was a pain in the ass!" He said everything went fine, and we'd maybe be another hour, 2 at the most. (It was 2... but we survived.) Shortly after, the nurse came out, kind of chuckling, and actually directed her next information at Lilli. She said Ken was waking up... and waking up talking. Incessantly. And repeating himself. Like, to the point that they have to keep shushing him. She thought Lilli would get a kick out of that. (Ken also informed us that he also said the anesthesiologist was an "asshole", which apparently he said loud enough for the guy to hear. Ken said he was passing it off as being "under the influence"... hahah)
In just a little bit, they took me and the girls back, and Ken was sitting up, drinking, and relatively coherent. His nurse gave us a little more instruction on the tube, walked through flushing it with me, and we were sent on our way.
Overall, things seem to be going ok. Ken had some pretty intense pain last night, but after working with him (read: sleepily, on my part, suggesting that he raise himself up a bit), and perhaps the pain medication taking a slightly longer time to kick in, he got a few hours sleep. But he woke up and has been watching tv for a while. I expect he'll spend a fair amount of time sleeping today.
2 comments:
wow. Dr. Corkum just called to check up on Ken. He really is a very nice doctor, and encourages me to call whenever I may need something, or if Ken does. I really do believehe is receiving top notch care here.
Sounds like he is a lot better than the anesthesiologist. Know why they're so highly paid? Because it took a looooooong time to learn to be that obnoxious.
Please give Ken and the girls big hugs and kisses (maybe just a kiss for Ken if he's hurting.) AQnd have the girls give you one from me. And please tell Ken I love him and the family is on prayer chains everywhere.
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