And Jason Awoke and Said, "Awesome!"

And Jason Awoke and Said, "Awesome!"

Let us flashback through Jason's day of surgery.
The alarm sounded at 4:30 AM even after Jason's evening of celebrating Mardi Gras (I didn't learn about the wine till after the surgery.) I knew this was going to be a long, long day and asked G_d's blessing upon it. Monday night I had told Jason that he was surrounded by the love and good thoughts and many prayers from friends and family throughout the country. I experienced each of you surrounding Jason with your Loving Presence before, during and after surgery. I felt Jason wrapped in love and I was at peace; praying that he too would be at peace before and during this difficult surgery to come.

I woke Jason up, he grumbled. Jason washed, shaved and dressed himself in shorts and tee shirt as he knew he would be putting on a gown when we got to the 6th floor. We walked out into lightly falling snow and as we wound our way across campus, I thought of the flocks of robins that we had seen on Sunday and Monday on the campus. I thought of spring and new life the arrival of the robins tell us is coming and prayed that Jason's surgery would be a "new spring" for him as he has struggled so to sit and walk these past months.

We arrived at the 6th floor admitting area to be greeted by a "woman way too cheerful" for 5:30 AM in the morning. She looked up at Jason, "Come this way sir, I need to get you extra long pajamas." Jason wound up in his own room to change as I needed to help him dress. We sat and waited to be taken down to the 4th floor for OR and Jason read "Peace Kills" (I thought "...whatever relaxes him." He had been reading it Monday night till I said, "Jason, I think we need to turn off the light"-10:30).

Soon "woman way too cheerful" was back wanting to lead us down to the elevator a 1/2 hallway away. She started off at a good pace which disgruntled Jason as he could not keep up with her; he and I trailed behind. "Woman way too cheerful" caught herself when she realized that we were not with the patients at the elevator. Gaily, she cried out, "I am holding the elevator, don't hurry." (I laugh as I type. I think her job should be given to a pleasant introvert. Maybe she overcompensates for the anxieties of pre-op patients and family members. She was even too much for me; an extrovert and a morning person.)

Down we went, and going down today felt like going "to the bowels of the earth" for me. "Woman way too cheerful" handed us over to the OR prep-op RN who immediately recognized Jason as she had been his nurse for his October and November surgeries. Lydia was so glad to see and experience Jason up and walking; she beamed and her happiness for Jason was contagious to me. She said, "You were is such bad shape when you first arrived. Now look at you." I thought, "Lydia, you remember, you remember."

We were taken to a curtained pre-op cubicle filled with the machinery of modern hi-tech medicine. Lydia brought in one guerney which the anesthestist did not like, obviously the machine had given him a hard time before so he requested another. (They all look the same to me.) Lydia returned with an acceptable guerney and Jason climbed on. Jason was asked questions including "I can give you a block (in the right leg) for four or ten hours. Do you have a preference?" Jason replies, "I'll take the ten." I thought, "Good choice Captain." Jason asks about meds to block the after-surgery nausea and vomiting (Thank you Ginger Williams for telling us about them.) MD assures Jason that he will give him the meds via the IV. Jason doesn't like Foley catheter; the MD assures him they will put it in after Jason is under anesthesia.

Jason and the MD's get into a discussion of Iraq, all have been there for a tour. They talk about weapons, the IED and how it injured Jason. The MD talks about seeing a teen get "cut in half" via gunfire by the American soldiers who ordered him to stop running and he didn't. Jason enters into the conversation openly and with energy.

During this conversation the MD is connecting all the leads to the monitors and the IV tubes that Jason will have during surgery. My heart clenches to see my son being prepared for this surgery, only the third time the MD's will have attempted it. He announces, "All your vitals are good. Mom, give your son a kiss goodbye; it is time for him to sleep." I go to the guerney; give my handsome son Jason a kiss goodbye, "I love you, I will see you when you wake up." Jason looks so young, like a young and innocent boy now; not an Army Captain who has been so seriously injured in combat. I imagine Mary beholding the body of her son Jesus; "This is my body, this is my son." (I kept the tears inside, I shed them now.)

I go to the waiting room down the hall, about 5 minutes walking + infinity away. I have been here many times before and it is too familiar to ever forget. Fox News (can't change the station) is broadcasting on the TV overhead and the Red Cross volunteer with coffee have yet to arrive. The room is about 20 x 20 with chairs on all walls, a desk and phone to keep in contact with OR and Recovery. A soda machine stands in the corner. The Washington Post is on a coffee table, "1300 dead in Morgues in Iraq" is the headline. The chairs include the luxury of upholstered rocking chairs, wonderful comfort seating and I take one.

Eight o'clock, Nine O'clock the hours tick by; Dennis calls we agree to meet in the dining room on the third floor. The volunteer arrives and checks our names and that of patients. She will take messages when the OR calls if we are not available or let us talk to the RN's for updates. The room is becoming filled with spouses, friends, and children of patients. I leave to meet Dennis and eat breakfast of eggs and bacon, not knowing what the day will bring. Dennis will sit and work on his computer in the dining hall and I return to the waiting room. Ten o'clock and the volunteer says to me, "Let's call and check on your son's surgery as I leave at 11:00." We call the RN who calls the OR operating staff who do not return her call. She says, "Call back in 10 minutes." I do, the report "Everything is going well, we're in the middle of things." It is now closer to 11, I had hoped for "We're getting ready to close" not "We're in the middle..." so I know Jason has more surgery time ahead.

I call back about 12:30 giving them plenty of time and the report is "They're closing and will let you know when he is in recovery." The words I want to hear. "Yes" it is over now the healing can begin. I had expected to be called for a short visit to Recovery and a visit by the surgeon Dr. Frisch. I never got to recovery.

Dr. Frisch appears at the waiting room door looking for me. He has in his hands the resin model of Jason's heterotopic ossification they used as a guide during surgery (plus xrays). Jason said "I want to keep it" Dr F tells me and hands it to me. Then takes it back and begins to review the surgery with me. "It went extremely well." Dr. Frisch shows me how much of the bone he was able to remove. He tells me that Jason was able to flex the right thigh immediately after the bone removal. He says much of the bone was in the plane of the muscles and should heal well. Dr. Frisch tells me of the delicacy of the surgery as the bone was wrapped around the sciatica encasing it and moving it from its normal path down the leg. "We had to chip away, small piece by piece." Prior to surgery in his office, he had told me they would use an instrument, "...like small pliers to break away the bone." My question, "Did you have to use the hammer and chisel?" "Yes," was his answer as I looked at the HO connection at the top of the femur that he showed me. I asked if I could give him a hug and he said "Yes" so I did.

Dr. Frisch asked, "Can I burn you a CD of the pictures I took during surgery?" Remember, Jason is going to be written up in medical journals by Dr. Frisch et al. (I thought about Jason and his "no privacy" statement yesterday) "Okay, I am sure that Jason's Dr Uncle Bob would love to see them." (I figure the rest of us would just throw up.) At this point, Dr. Frisch says, "I'll come up to check on Jason a little later" and returns to OR.

I take the model, re-enter the waiting room and hold it up as everyone is looking my way and "curiosity" is writ large on their faces. I explain the model, who Jason is and why the surgery had to be done. Individuals offer support and affirmation for Jason and hope for his healing. They say thanks for sharing and explaining especially as I am the only relative of a soldier patient this morning. I look at the door and a man in a gown is standing there, "Anyone for Scott?" I ask "Jason Scott?" He beckons me to follow, I grab all my stuff, but will have to come back later as I forgot Jason's clothes bag tucked in a corner.

I exit the door and there is Jason in a hospital bed! What a surprise, he is ready to be taken to his room on Ward 57, #5737. He sure moved fast through the recovery room or I had talked a lot longer with Dr. Frisch than I planned. Jason looked very pale and could not talk. His lips were very dry. I said, "It is good to see you." Dennis had joined me a few minutes before so we both accompanied Jason to the ward.

This is a new ward for us, especially for amputees and most of the staff is military. Jason's room is for four beds and another post-op soldier is sharing the space. The RN appears and attempts to take Jason's blood and cannot as he has difficult veins to find. Jason quips from his drug induced sleep, "It's from the cocaine use." I add quickly, "You must get use to his sense of humor." The RN says, "Let's hydrate him and maybe I can find a vein." She also gives Jason a shot of morphine as he has reported his pain level a "Six" out of 10. So we give Jason juice, he falls asleep and I tell Dennis, "I think I will go for lunch (it's now 2:30)" and Dennis will stay as I am fearful that in spite of the meds, Jason will vomit.

I return to find that Jason is sleeping, and that Dr. Golesky has visited for about 5 minutes and is happy about the surgery results as reported by Dennis. I believe he had students and was explaining to them the surgery process and results. Dennis leaves and I sit by Jason's side saying a rosary of thanks and blessings. I had stopped by the third floor and told OT and PT Kyla that Jason was back from surgery and come visit. Kyla enters and we begin retelling the story of the surgery and she is marveling at the model. Kyla cannot believe how Jason was able to move that right leg at all. On the other hand, the good PT says, "I can hardly wait to get my hands on him tomorrow." She wiggles her fingers; I am feeling sorry for my "recovering from major surgery" son and his PT to come. (Aunt Barbara PT I know you know the feeling Kyla is expressing.)

As we are talking Dr. Frisch and his student entourage of four whom I think were all in the OR room during surgery enter. Dr Frisch takes the model, wakes Jason and begins to tell him about the surgery. Dr. F rubs the top, bottom, sides of Jason's right foot and Jason tells him he can feel the touch. On command Jason bends his foot up and down "step on the pedal." (He's checking for nerve damage/control. "Excellent"says Dr. Frisch. Dr. F tells Jason, "As we were cutting away the bone we would stop and flex your thigh" Jason says in response, "Awesome." Jason would repeat it frequently during Dr. Frisch's report. One of the MD's is standing and pulling his leg up to the "normal" position and smiling. Jason says, "I remember when you bent my leg across the other." He gestures with his left arm. Dr. Frisch looks at me, "He was supposed to be asleep when we did that!" I am thinking "It sounds as if they were bending Jason like a pretzel!" Remember he was on his stomach for this surgery.

Dr. Frisch says, "We need you up and walking. PT will start tomorrow." Kyla smiles. "Any questions?" "No" They all leave and the RN enters. She is going to try to take blood again. Again, Jason's veins foil her attempts. She says, "I don't like to do this, but I am going to use the IV line," and so she does and it works. "Thank Goodness" for Jason as his arm is beginning to look like a pin cushion. By now I am getting tired. "Jason Dennis will stay with you, I am very tired. I think I will return to the Mologne and rest." Jason replied, "Wimp" or something of its equal. "Look son, I didn't get a 5 hour morning nap." I gave him a kiss goodbye and goodnight. "Mom, I have a favor. I need my IPOD and headset. The guy in the room really snores." Dennis came with me and returned with the Ipod.

Let us give thanks for medical wonders and good surgeons and all the professionals taking care of Jason. Thanks to Dennis for being here when Jason needs you. Thanks for your many prayers and good thoughts for Jason, they will return to bless you three fold. May Jason and you have a peaceful night of rest and healing. I am thankful that your journey with us.