A Detour in Michigan

Back by popular demand (or more likely by default), your long but not forgotten blogger is back in the saddle!!! This is Eva's husband, Mike, to take through today's events of the BIG DAY for Our Patient.

The morning started early at 5am as Eva and I traded off showering and dressing for the Eva's surgery. Her sister Teresa was gracious enough to offer her care of Elena, Alexa, and Morgan for the day. The three girls lay sound asleep as we sneaked away in the early AM. Hours later they awoke and asked Teresa where Mommy and Daddy were. Teresa replied, "Remember, today is the day that Mommy has her booboo fixed by the Doctor".

We arrived at the hospital at 6am as required for a surgery scheduled for 8am. Yes we thought, hurry up and wait as always. Unfortunately, 2 hours of waiting is also more than enough time to create significant and ever-increasing apprehension. Our Patient appeared calm and ready though, as she had the night before. As we strolled into the Family Waiting Room (aka FWR going forward), across the way we hear, "You guys are late!!". There is Eva's sister, Sonia, sitting across the room waiting patiently for the day to unfold. Her day started before our eye lids were open.

Eva went to the front desk and received her pager for notification of prep work. Amazingly, she was paged only minutes later without having a chance to sit. Sonia and I hugged Eva and exchanged pleasantries. Go get 'em Rocky as her sisters always say!!

I took the brief opportunity to grab some java from the cafe in preparation for the day and some yogurt for Sonia's breakfast. When I returned to the FWR, Aunt T and and Tony had now arrived. Eva's strength and strength in numbers...it was recipe for success!!

The four of us had the chance to visit with Eva back in the op prep room before her surgery, which had now been moved to 8:30am. Eva was one of the first to prepare yet the last to commence surgery. One of the last remarks from Our Patient to me was, "Come on, let's get this going!!". Yes, let's get it going, done and over with. All of Eva's hard work to prepare for this day and the incredible courage and endurance she has displayed over the last 4+ months was about to culminate here in Michigan. Then came the nurse's final words, "Its time" and off they wheeled Eva on her gurney. This is it.

Tony, Aunt T, Sonia and I chatted and used the hospital Internet access to pass the time during the operation. About 10:10am our pager went off in the FWR. This was notification that we must respond to something or someone on the surgery staff. I immediately raced to the front desk with this blinking light in my hand, all the while thoughts dashing through my mind. This pager with the red flashing lights seemed to be a warning. How had the surgery been completed so fast when it was supposed to be a couple hours minimum? Before I could hand in the pager, Dr. Chang stuck his hand out to shake mine and said, "Why don't you follow me to a private room, Mr. Paharik". Honestly, I thought the worst because of the duration of the surgery. In addition, because I suspected a nurse would normally consult the family on routine matters and the Doctor on irregularities. What have they found, what do they now need to do that they did not anticipate on?

We sat down and Dr. Chang closed the door. He calmly elaborated the results of the procedure he had just performed. As he laid out the details, I changed from apprehension to elation. Dr. Chang had performed "an oblique incision with a negative margin of approximately 1 centimeter consistently around the perimeter of the tumor." (that was my second guess about what he was going to say). I asked if there was a definitive tumor shape to make all incisions precisely without question and he replied emphatically, "Yes." There was no doubt in his mind as to the extent of the tumor or the areas required for removal. The surgery by all accounts had been a success!! Dr. Chang said Our Patient was doing well and would be working through the pain management process for the next hour or so. The first call I made was to Teresa - "tell the girls that the Doctor fixed Mommy's booboo!!"

I hurried back to Sonia, Tony, and Aunt T with a big thumbs up as I approached them. Both relief and excitement and everything in between appeared to cross their faces. As we discussed the surgery and the past events, it was clear to all of us that everything has really gone as best as we could have hoped. Of course, that is easy to say when we have a patient like this.

An hour had passed since the surgery was completed so I asked the nurse if all of us could visit with Eva for short time. They denied the request because she was still in the Recovery Room, but they allowed me a minute to visit with her. When I entered around the curtain, there Eva lie awake with no smiles. It was obvious that she was enduring excruciating pain. The morphine the nurse administered was clearly not accomplishing what they intended. Other options were discussed and the thought was do to a "block" whereby the leg and nerves are numbed through injection. At that point, I proceeded (more like requested to leave) to the FWR again to wait some more with the family.

One hour passed, two hours passed, three hours passed, all with no new information. I inquired several times as to Eva's status in the Recovery Room and what had been done for her pain. The nurses could not provide anything new except to say that they were trying to manage the pain in concert with the vitals.

At last at roughly 3:30pm, we received word that Eva had been moved to her final destination, the Observation Unit. I arrived at her station, moved around the curtain, and gazed at a first tiny smile from Our Patient. Eva had been in the same kind of incredible pain up until 3pm, at which time the anethesiologist (sp? who can spell that without Spell Check?) applied the "block". Eva had great discomfort in the right portion of the leg where the tumor had been, but the pain subsided to some degree elsewhere. Her spirits were good and improved steadily through the night after her visits with Aunt T, Tony, and her sister Teresa who had switched places with me back at the apartment.

My money is with Eka. It is hard for me to imagine that Eva will leave the hospital tomorrow. That said, you all know how stubborn Our Patient is and how she hates to be wrong!! I am hopeful she will sleep sound tonight regardless, as rest is what is most important. The biggest two battles have been won, but the War rages on. Tomorrow, her three little princesses will visit to speed an incredible journey to health and happiness.

The Blog has always been titled a A Detour in Tennessee. For me, it has now become A Detour in Michigan. To Our Patient: Welcome Home Eva...let's finish this thing in Tennessee!!!