Day 2

I will try to provide this update with the same energy and fervor I gave yesterdays, but after just two days spent at the hospital, I'm feeling exhausted.  And if I'm feeling exhausted, then Andy must be, whatever word is more than exhausted! 😆

Today Andy had his port placement...We learned he does NOT have a port.  We have a Tri fusion Catheter.  Super fun, this thing is going to pull the stem cells from Andy's body, while putting stem cells back into his body.  The third "lumen" (let's call it a tube) will be used if Andy needs additional blood, or electrolytes during his harvest or transfusion.  I won't post the picture of his Tri fusion Catheter (good lord, we have to call this thing something else), because let's be real, even I have to draw the line somewhere!

So, we got ourselves to the Center for Advanced Care / Day Surgery Center.  Andy was called back rather quickly.  You guys.  This place was MASSIVE.  Like rows and rows of bays filled with people going in for day surgery and nurses moving around everywhere!  It reminded me of the Dozers from Fraggle Rock.  So much activity.  

Mind you, it is now 12:30 and Andy has not eaten anything all day.  The day is getting long!   But we got him changed and all checked in.  I got set up for my text message alerts.  The actual procedure was only supposed to last about 20 minutes and then one hour in recovery.  I would receive a text when I could meet Andy in recovery.  Then it was time for Andy to get wheeled back into surgery.  This by no means was major surgery, but still.  There is always a lump in your throat when your person gets wheeled one way and I had to walk another way.

  

I got myself situated in the waiting room and VERY quickly dove into my own lunch!  Having a place to call home for awhile I was actually able to get some work done.  The sun felt SO good, but the wind was just crazy!  The sun was actually too bright, so I had to move.  Then the fire alarm went off....but literally, no one moved.  So I just sat there.  About 15 minutes later...we got the all clear.  I mean, I hope Andy's time in the OR was less eventful then mine!

They also had these big TV monitors that showed all the patients and where they were in the process of their surgery!  

Finally, I received the message that Andy was in his recovery room and would be ready for me shortly.  I figured I would finish up one thing and then pack up, but the nurse was calling me back right away.  

Andy was in a new room and I carefully pulled the curtain back, expecting to see Andy 1/2 out of it, laying in his bed.  Nope.  Not our Andy.  He was sitting up, chit chatting with another nurse, looking totally normal, like nothing was going on.  I swear you guys...he's amazing.  But still we had to wait there for one hour before he could get discharged.  I handed Andy his sandwich I had made for him, which made him VERY happy!! I got some more work done and we watched Friends (until it was over and we ended up watching a very strange National Geographic about people living in the mountains of Tennessee that made Meth in soda bottles...you guys.  Did know that Meth has battery acid in it?  Don't. do. meth.)

And then it was time for discharge.  We found out that Andy will have his chest catheter in for likely 5 weeks.  And that made me feel sad for him.  He also shouldn't really get it wet...so we are going to go through a lot of saran wrap.  

Then Andy walked out of day surgery like it was no big deal.  Also, we decided (I decided?) that it REALLY wasn't necessary for us to move our car yesterday and that we could probably walk to the cancer center.  It turns out, we were right and it was actually very easy to find where we needed to go.  

We had time until we needed to check in for our Neupogen shots, but our cafeteria was already closed, so we went right to the Cancer Center to wait.  

These are all the solar movers that I talked about yesterday!  They just go on and on down the window panels!

Sadly, our pictures from yesterday were not there anymore...so we had to color new ones!

And then we were called back. New nurse, same room.  And because we had just spent most of the day in the day hospital, we had very little intake to do, no vitals, no questions.  The nurse shut the curtain (oh hey there, don't mind the girl behind the curtain!) Three shots in the belly and off we went.

And that was Day 2.  We found our way back to the car and headed home.  Stopped to pick up pizza and now we are all sitting on the couch totally vegging.  Andy had a big day.  I did nothing.  And it's amazing how doing nothing can make you totally exhausted.  

We are ready for Day 3 tomorrow and very excited to spend substantial less time at the hospital!