"X" Marks The Spot!

An interesting turn of events indeed. Mom had her thoracentesis this morning and is breathing much better. It wasn't the most fun thing she has ever had done I am sure, but she was so brave. First the technician came in with an ultrasound and after scanning her back pulled out her Sharpie and made two good sized "X"'s on Mom's back. The first one was over her right lower lung area and the second about midway up her left lung area. "Ok, you're all set, now we wait on surgeon" she said in her thick Russian accent. By the way, this is all performed in her hospital room. So mom looked at her interrupted lunch tray and as yummy as it looked, limp broccoli no less, she decided to pass. So she sat there in her chair in her Rose colored robe and me still in my lounging clothes and talked about having to wait until a surgeon was available, looked up the procedure online so that we would know what was going to happen and then it just all happened so quickly. In came her nurse offering two pain pills, "just in case you need it later" and then came a surgeon and a surgical fellow along with the cardiologist. "We need more room "the surgeon announced, as I quickly folded up the sofa bed and threw the bedding into the corner, "clear that bedside tray" as they are moving mom to the side of bed. All the while, our nurse Casey, was talking with Mom and telling her what was going on. "I'm staying", I heard myself saying. "Certainly, but you will have to move out of the sterile area". So I find myself scrubbing up as they are scrubbing Mom's back and draping off the surgical area with a large blue drape. Masks are starting to go on, the smell of Betadine and I sit across from Mom as she leans against a pillow that was placed on her bed table. It got very quiet and the surgeon ever so calmly started explaining what was to happen as they started numbing the area for the procedure. "Are you feeling anything?" he asked several times. "No worse than numbing for dental work", Mom assured him. Then a slight move from Mom and an "Owie!" That was it. I fully expected to finally hear some form of an expletive from her. I just knew that I would, but no. Just and 'owie'. That basically was it. They had inserted a catheter to drain the extra fluid in her chest and it didn't take very long. "Expect some coughing as your lung starts to inflate". I watched intrigued as the procedure continued and I could see that progress was being made. It was then that Mom started to cough. Hooray.. Success! The catheter was removed, the incision closed with butterfly strips and a bandage and all of the sterile materials whisked into an orange bag for disposal. That was it. Mom said that the only part the least bit uncomfortable was the "owie" which was as much a startled reaction as anything. She assured me that she had worse dental procedures done. So, now we wait. She will have another xray to see how things are looking inside. Tomorrow morning she will have the test for oxygen saturation repeated and they will decide if she leaves the hospital with or without portable oxygen. The oxygen has already been ordered just in case. In fact we have a unit in place at the hotel and the portable tank for airline travel is being overnighted by FedEx to the hotel tomorrow. As far as I know at this point, once released she will still stay at the hotel for a few days before being allowed to fly back home. To think that I was upset two days ago when they decided to keep her overnight. A wonderful change of events for sure.

A dear friend sent me a verse from Psalms yesterday that I would like to close with today. "Wait on the Lord, Be of good courage, and He will strengthen your heart" Psalm 27:14

Cheryl