Hope For Holly

J-Day, sounds better than S-Day or Surgery Day. And I figure she is getting a J-Pouch, so its kind of appropriate.

This is where I’ll be live blogging. All times are PST.

5:45 - I wake up. I had the most bizarre dream that Katie Couric came to counsel me.
6:10 - Despite my protests and the fact that she can’t eat or drink due to the surgery prep, Holly has made me a latte and a veggie breakfast sandwich. My favorite. She is calm, cool and collected. I’m a mess.
6:15 - She is taking the dog for a walk. Since there isn’t wifi in the hospital, I should probably sign up for Twittr, but I think that it is such a goofy service. Plus, I’m not going to know anything so my entries would be like “still at starbucks - 4th latte, a venti”. No one cares about my latte binge.
6:15 - The kids are being pretty cool. They are too young to really grasp what is going on. They know that Holly will be in the hospital for a week. They know that she has cancer and needs an operation. They are freaked when they think about it, but are cool right now.
7:00 - Can’t have a dirty house. Holly is cleaning. It is a great escape.
7:00 - Folsom Prison Blues makes a great pre-surgery soundtrack.

~All times are rough guesstimates based on when pictures were taken and memory.
9:45 – Hug kids, head to hospital
9:55 – We have to park in another zip code. MRI patients get preferred parking. People getting their stomach cut open and their colon rebuilt need the exercise to tire them out for the surgery.

10:00 – We were told to be at the surgery center at 10. Check in. Wait at the bar, wait at the bar.

I’m surprised that people would need this calendar, but I guess people do. I’ve talked with people that had their surgery 10+ years ago and they still remember the date like it was yesterday. I guess it is like giving birth.
10:25 – Holly is taken to the prep room. I’m told to wait 30 – 45 minutes while she is prepped. Longest 30 min of my life.

I’m amazed that in this day and age that a.) people still smoke and b.) that there would be a smoking area at a hospital and c.) that there are actually health care workers smoking in it. Good for business I suppose.
11:00 – I get called back. Holly is wearing awesome stockings and the pharmaceutical version of the Reebok pump sneaker. Coupled with the gown, it is shocking that Milan, Paris or NYC aren’t blowing up my phone. The picture I took is awful and Holly would kill me if I posted it.

Sally, our admission nurse, is great. A wonderful sense of humor and lightening fast on the old green screen.
11:40 – Vitamin V for valium.
11:45 – Holly’s sister Carrie shows up.

12:00 – We’re told that there is a 30 – 45 minute back up. We kind of expected this, but it is a great chance to spend some more time together.
12:45 – A nurse comes to take us away. I wish that I could recall his name. He was really nice.
12:50 – There isn’t anything that I can do here and I don’t want to spend a sunny, 90 degree day in a surgery waiting room. I meet some friends for lunch. It was actually a great break and they were wonderful in getting my mind off of the events of the day.
3:00 – Arrive back at the hospital. Holly’s dad is here.
3:45 – Dr. Youn comes out and tells us that the surgery was successful in removing the tumor. There was no other cancer visible. No spreading anywhere!!!!
3:45:01 – A huge sigh of relief and an ecstatic smile. I’m now on cloud nine. We are told that it will be about an hour to an hour and a half in recovery and that they will bring her through the waiting room.
3:50 – Phone calls begin to give everyone the good news
4:31 – Good Sam has a cool robot the delivers drugs around the hospital. I tried taking a picture with it and was told that photography isn’t allowed in the hospital. I couldn’t get a great shot, so I obliged.

4:55 – Holly comes out of post-op. Giddy from all of the anesthesia and in rare form humor wise. She was in excellent spirits all things considered. Many kisses, hugs & smiles.

5:00 – Up in her room. More kisses, hugs & smiles. The anesthesia buzz is a fun one. She is doing great for now and actually kicked me out to go pick up the kids at a birthday party.
8:40 – Having a microwave meal and a beer and guarantee that I’ll be asleep in 15 minutes.

Thank you to everyone for your emails and support. It means the world to us.