Hernia Steve - The Adventures of Surgical Socks and Morphine

1/23/2009 2:30 pm - Steve goes to see the surgeon to evaluate his hernia. Steve has had a hernia since his mission and because he went to see the doctor while he didn't have insurance, they considered it a pre-existing condition, and wouldn't cover it until we waited the waiting period. It was painful for both of us... him because of his hernia, me because I had to do a lot of the heavy lifting because Steve was unable... remember, I was pregnant most of the time! Anyway, they set the surgery date for Feb 5. The surgical center was supposed to call him the day before with instructions. Steve was nervous, but he's a big boy so he dealt with it.

2/4/2009 - No call.

2/5/2009 8:46 am - I make Steve call the hospital and figure out what's going on. Apparently someone told a nurse that Steve had cancelled his surgery... it was really dumb.

2/5/2009 9:32 am - Hospital calls and says that they were able to schedule Steve a surgery at 11:15 and he needed to be there at 10:15.

2/5/2009 10:24 am - Arrive at the hospital after a mad dash to get everybody ready. I immediately start bugging Steve because I can tell he's really nervous to have surgery and my only goal was to prevent him even thinking about it. He signs in and we wait, and wait, and wait...

2/5/2009 11:15 am - Still waiting.

2/5/2009 11:45 am - Still waiting.

2/5/2009 11:52 am - They finally called Steve's name and he went back to get prepped for surgery.

2/5/2009 12:13 pm- Lilly and I were able to go back and see him before they take him into the OR. He has on his cute little hospital dress and what he called later his "ugly wig" (a blue hair cap.) He has his IV in and they were draining some liquid into him, which I thought was happy juice, cause he seemed a lot happier, but we found out that it was just regular fluid. Steve was just nervous! He was a big boy though... very brave!

2/5/2009 12:36 pm - They wheel him back into the OR and Lilly and Mommy say goodbye and good luck! I go run some errands, go to the bank, get something to eat, clean the car out... fun stuff like that.

2/5/2009 1:29 pm - I return to the hospital and the surgery is still not done. And I wait, and wait and wait.

2/5/2009 2:34 pm - The surgeon comes out in a hoodie and says all sorts of really specific things like "Yeah it was pretty good. Set an appointment for like a week or two.. and uh.. just make him take it easy k?" Real winner of a doctor....

2/5/2009 3:12 pm - I am allowed to go see Steve. He is REALLY pale and REALLY out of it. He asked me what I did during the surgery about six times. After the first time, I just started messing with him... telling him I went to a Backstreet Boys concert, I went skydiving.. all sorts of tun stuff. The 6th time I told him I went to the Circus... and he finally opened his eyes and said... bull crap! He was in a lot of pain so they game him a TON of drugs... which took the pain away, but made him too sleepy to get up and walk around and do some of the stuff that he needed to do in order to go home. Not only that, but since they made him so sleepy, he wasn't breathing like he should have, so his oxygen level was really low. And then for some reason, he was REALLY pale, so even when Steve felt up to it, she wouldn't let him stand up because she was aftraid he was going to pass out.

2/5/2009 4:38 pm - Steve slept.

2/5/2009 6:43 pm - Steve slept. Lilly was being a fussball, so I put her in her carseat and started carrying her around which was heavy... One of the nurses felt bad for me so she grabbed a wheelchair and put her car seat in it so I could just wheel her around. She fell asleep like that.

2/5/2009 6:51 pm - We were finally cleared to go home, but Steve was still asleep, so we had to wait for him to wake up. After he was awake we got him dressed and signed some paperwork.

2/5/2009 7:12 pm - We finally got out of the hospital!!! As we were driving home, I realized that I would not be able to take care of Steve by myself. He needed a prescription filled which would take half an hour, he needed someone to be with him nonstop, he couldn't be left by himself. He was in pain in the car... it was not somewhere he could stay while we waited for the prescription... and not only that, but Lilly was screaming in the back. She needed to go home, have a bath and a bottle and go to bed. I couldn't leave her in the house with just Steve too, cause he wouldn't be able to help her. I felt very overwhelmed and unprepared... and kinda helpless... We called Matt and Lauren and they said they would come help out. On our way home we stopped at Walgreens and submitted the prescription.

2/5/2009 7:46 pm - We arrive at home. Steve takes the stairs like a champ and plops his surgical bum on the couch which is where he resides right this moment.

2/5/2009 7:55 pm - Matt and Lauren arrive. They immediately start taking care of Lilly. They played with her, bathed her, and fed her! They were Godsend!

2/5/2009 8:07 pm - Chris, one of Steves Coworkers, came and brought us dinner. He was Godsend too... There was no way I would have been able to handle dinner as well... He brought us a ginormous bucket of fried chicken from KFC... Honestly... I'm so glad Steve works with such great people!

2/5/2009 9:02 pm - I have already returned home from picking up the prescription, gave Steve his pain medication, and put Lilly down to sleep. (Side note, she doesn't cry when she goes down to sleep anymore... all I have to do is walk into her room, give her her Cuddle - a little blanket - and say goodnight, and walk out. She doesn't cry, just puts herself to sleep!) After I go run to the store and buy some groceries for Steve, Matt and Lauren go home.

2/5/2009 Undetermined time - we sleep....

2/6/2009 3ish - I wake up and notice Lilly is still sleeping. I go check on her and she is still alive, just sleeping... amazing!

2/6/2009 5ish - Steve wakes up in a lot of pain... so much that he kept grabbing things and squeezing... He was trying really hard not to cry it was so bad. We gave him all the pain meds that we were allowed to, and waited together for them to kick in. Once they took effect, and he was passed out, I went to check on Lilly who still hadn't woken up at all... Since when does she sleep through the night???

2/6/2009 7:49 am - Lilly finally wakes up. I take her into the bedroom and nurse her until we both just... fell.... asl...eep...

2/6/2009 10:03 am - I wake up to find Steve sitting up on the couch watching tv as happy as he can be! He was able to stand up without help! It's been a rough road... Steve is still in some pain and he feels a little naseous sometimes, but he's doing an amazing job... he's gonna live!