Good Friday: Jason is Able to Move Wrist 95 Degrees

We were up at 5:15 to head to the hospital for Jason's "early" surgery. We arrived on ward 67 and did the usual undress routine, sat down and waited. Jason was the only one to go to surgery a little after 7 AM. I sat with Jason until he was going to be under and then headed for the very, very familiar waiting room. I waited until 10 and hadn't received a call. I had the Red Cross volunteer call the OR for an update. Jason should be done. "Jason has not yet gone into OR" said the RN. I knew this would be a long, long morning. He had been "bumped from the queue" Jason went into surgery about 10:30 and surgery was completed by noon. They had to put Jason's IV in his left foot and his oxygen monitor got taped to his toe. (This is what happens when you are missing an arm and having surgery on the remaining one.) The MD tried the right foot first but it was no go, no vein available.

As I was watching the anesthetist MD prepare Jason with many monitors and tubes, I looked again at his OR hat, a cap that ties on in back. (Dr. Golarz wears one that says "Go Bears" which he asked Jason to read pushing his head about 4" from his face when Jason was worried about his eyesight upon his arrival.) This one was a little different it was brightly colored and covered in skulls. I had to ask him being a MD preparing persons for surgery... "Your cap is a little different?" He replied, "I am working on changing my image. I am in the Air Force (and get no respect from the army guys was implied by the tone of his voice.) Jason sorta out of it took a look and said, "Cool" and we all laughed with the "Captain working on his image."

After surgery Dr. Farber came to the waiting room to tell me "The surgery went really well. Under anesthesia, I could move his wrist 95% His results are the best I have yet achieved." Jason must start PT on the wrist Monday. It is well bandaged but no cast. Dr. F's only warning "If you see blood in the bandage go to ER."

When we arrived in the anesthesia area, the MD's were preparing a new form of block for Jason's left shoulder. Later throughout the day everyone was impressed as they had not seen them yet. If you have been following the blog, you know that Jason arrived with one of these in each shoulder, put in in Germany. Those were fed by a standard IV pump. The MD wanted us to lobby Congress to get them "into the field in Iraq."

Today Jason's was a portable, called a "stryker" with ability to give a bolis every 20 minutes (programmed). This portable pump gives Jason about 100 cc's of ripovaine every 8 hours. He was to go home with it and I was to pull the needle out on Sunday. "Say what?" I said. Jason did go to Mologne with it however it literally leaves him "handless" as it has frozen all nerves below the elbow. I had to feed him pizza for dinner and Jason did not like it a bit. "I want it out tomorrow (Saturday). I know this is not the right decision for pain control, but it is Jason's to make. Why? Dr. Farber said he had to use the hammer and chisel to remove a 3-4 inch long bridge of bone from between the ulna and radius; 1 1/2 hours of chiseling. I assume an orthopedic surgeon does not request a portable block if percocet and motrin (by mouth) can do the pain control job. I do know the first couple of days after surgery are the most painful.

When we were in the recovery room, who should come by but Dr. Scott Golarz pushing a patient from surgery. Dr G being Jason's very favorite surgeon stopped, "What you doing here?" Jason told him and asked, "How is it going?" Dr G (the one who recognized a Rogers Park bar in Jason's picture, memories of his time at Northwester U), with his arms on Jason's gurney bar lowered his head. "I have to work this Easter and I have to be here at 5:30 to attend the Easter Sunrise service. I am as religious as the next man..." I had to laugh and I wanted to give him a hug for he and the Doctors (and staff) at WR are the very best when it comes to healing the wounds of war. (I have heard what residency programs are like (Dr. G is the chief resident) and here there is no end to the soldiers coming Sunday, Tuesday and Friday.) Smiling, I said to Dr. Golarz, "I'll see you Sunday, have a great Easter." If I were the head of a MD training program...

We put Jason in a wheelchair and he rode the WR shuttle van back to Mologne, first time for the trip in a wheelchair for Jason. With his arm in a sling and a pump hanging from his shoulder, I was not going to try to have Jason walk the trip to Mologne. He was not a happy camper. As soon as Jason got to Mologne, out of the wheel chair he jumped and said, "I will walk to the room." But I was very much relieved that he did not attempt to walk to Mologne; it would have felt like attempting Mt. Everest for me.

What to do now? Jason said, "Let me watch Sin City" a violent film that is definitely not my type. I set him up on the bed to watch his after-surgery movie and decided to take a book outside "in the back yard of Mologne." Today was another beautiful blue sky spring day. The dogwoods and azaleas are in full bloom. Mologne has wonderful benches everywhere. I sat and ate my lunch of salad and just sat and listened to the birds-cardinals, sparrows, fish crows. This beautiful garden area feels like a sanctuary from the suffering of the soldiers and their families and friends.

Nancy the mother I went to Silver Springs with came up. "Want to play Scrabble?" I have not played in years and knew I would not be good at it. Nancy has a portable scrabble board and a very good rule. She plays with her children, now adults and it sounded "cutthroat"except she has a scrabble dictionary. You can look words up to see if what you are thinking works. (Actually it is to find words with your letters.) Nancy said, "The game is to learn new words" and score the points you can. Great rule. I came up with the most creative word except the dictionary didn't tell us what it meant "wahine: noun, plural." If you know, let us know as we spent the rest of the game making comments "What could wahine mean?" The game was interrupted by Jason's movie ending and his wanting Pizza Hut pizza.

Thanks to Nancy and Ken's generous gift, I had wheels to go to the Pizza Hut and make a stop at Hollywood for Zorro and the Weatherman. I delivered Pizza to the Ladies at the table and took Jason's pepperoni 1/2 and my veggie lovers half to the room. After dinner Jodi called and as they talked, I worked on the blog. As it is now going on 10 I don't think there will be a movie for me tonight. Getting up at 5 AM makes a long, long day.

Let us give thanks that Jason's surgery went well. Please keep the healing of this arm in your good thoughts and prayers. Please pray that the bone growth does not return. We did not make it to radiology today, Jason's late surgery threw their schedule off. Please pray for pain control for Jason. He has done so well with pain control till today. Jason just took 2 percocets as he said, "the arm hurts." Please pray that he sleeps well tonight.

Blessings at Easter time. Celebrate the cycles of life; life, death and life anew.