Managing expectations and dealing with the effects of let downs has been a rough road for all of us. I can't imagine that the waiting is not most painful for my dad who for eight days now has had the ever painful Nasal-Gastric tube coming out of his nose. Imagine having the biggest buger in the world and then it has some needles sticking out into your throat. For the past couple of days, we knew that the end was near. That soon, that tube would be out but that time just couldn't come fast enough. Until this morning. CK Chang came in at his usual 7:15. I took special care to be awake for that visit!
Without so much as even a "Good Morning" the surgeon took off the bandages covering my dad's incision. He noted briefly that the incision looks good (I guess that all depends on your perspective). Then he said that today sometime we could probably take out the NG tube. I asked what time that would be and no sooner had the words come out, he was over atop my dad taking the tape off his nose. He handed him some tissue warning that Dad would need to blow his nose in a few seconds. Before we were even confident of what was happening, the tube was out and in the garbage can. Whoa DUDE!!!!!!!
With gratitude and excitement, Dad got up and looked in the mirror. He was finally minus that awful trunk! He had some breakfast and reveled in the ease of eating without the tube getting in the way. At last, all the excitement of the morning and worn him down and he got into bed for a little nap and sent me down here for some coffee and a post. Before I left we had a little moment, accompanied by tears and everything. The relief of it all and the thrill of another huge step forward might have been a little much for 7:30 and not a lot of sleep.
Uncle Steve had come up early so that he could be present during Chang's visit. I was so glad, as always to have him there, whether for comfort, for wisdom or comedic relief. There is nothing like having a team of uncles around to make sure that every need is more than taken care of.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
YAY!!! Such great steps forward. Even from home, I am so happy I'm doing a little happy dance.
Elliot is home from school again with poison oak. This morning he woke up with his eye completely swollen shut. He's in pretty good spirits considering all that.
What a great day this is.
Here's to getting home soon and to that zebra steak.
Yay! So exciting. I seriously almost started crying from the joy that came over me!
Post a Comment