email update: mid-surgery

Sitting here with several friends in the surgery waiting room. We just got a call from the OR to say that everything is going really well and "the patient" our dear [Loopy] is doing really well. I didn't feel too nervous until the call came and I realized how much I felt relieved. They promised they would call out every couple hours to let us know how it's going, but I didn't really believe they would (that has never been my experience of surgery waiting rooms!) But they did!

This morning, the surgeon told us "we have a great team!" and he looked really happy about it (he told us a few days ago that he would be assigned a senior resident to help with the actual surgery, because he needs to work on both sides of the table at the same time--so I'm assuming that he means he got a resident he likes and works well with, as well as other good people).

Also, both the surgeon and one of the nurses told us we got one of the best anaesthesiologists, which is very encouraging; [Loopy] sometimes has trouble with anaesthesia (specifically, regaining consciousness during the operation!) and this was very reassuring for her so she could go into the procedure calmly. After all, she doesn't have to do anything else at this point--as the surgeon said, with a smile, "All you have to do now is go to sleep. We'll see you tomorrow." Dr. K___ really is a gem. He came to see her almost every day, sometimes more than once a day, since she checked in last Friday, always acting like he had all the time in the world to listen to her and pay attention to everything she had to say.

She was in quite a bit of pain as she left to go into the OR (we were allowed into the pre-op area with her, which was wonderful) which I think put us all ([Loopy], her friend, and myself) in the mood of feeling glad that this particular phase will soon be over. The pain henceforth should be a lot less, and also more familiar to the nursing staff and therefore much more manageable. We don't know what else we'll be dealing with or how the recovery will go, but at least the months and months of ongoing, mysterious, intractable pain are most likely at an end.

Well, I"ll keep you posted. [Loopy’s sister], can you please call me at [number] with your work phone number? I realize I don't have it and I want to call you first when she is all done.

Thanks again for your good wishes and other support. It is wonderful to know you all and to be related to most of you. :-)

Love
[me]