Surgery

Gary and I got to the hospital about 1:30 - he checked in and at 2:00 they came to collect him. They wouldn't let me go with - so told him good bye and decided to go outside on this beautiful winter day ...

Liked this .... what ever it is. Everything in the area was called 'The Mill' this or 'The Mill' that so apparently this is a Mill.

Found the cutest little park and decided to read.

The sun was getting low when I finished one of my books:

I decided it wasn't time to go check on where he was, so off for some more walking. It was helpful in keeping my mind off what they were doing to Gary.

Got back at 5:00 and they said he was in the theatre. This after they found him. He was lost for about 20 minutes. Apparently the operating team was operating on a Mr. Hoyt ... It took us quite some time to find him! So I decided another walk was in order. More reading, more fretting, more boredom.

At 7:00 I went back and they said he was still in the theatre. I was a bit concerned by this time that it was taking too long - but after talking to Gary - he didn't go into surgery until 5:00. Decided I really needed to take an hour walk and calm down, but 5 minutes in, I received a call from Gary's doctor - which my phone dropped so I was unable to talk to him - and he didn't call back, but that meant he was out of surgery - so back I trekked.

Another half hour and they wheeled him from recovery to the Intensive Care Unit. He was very groggy, sporting a gnarly, bloody band aid at his clavicle - with what were staples making a ridge all along the suture. His wrist was wrapped up like he had broken it. His chest was covered in hot pink what ever and writing. I guess they just get a sharpie and take notes on your chest ... keeps from operating on the wrong side I guess.

He was in quite a lot of pain - and back on a morphine drip. He was complaining that his neck was 'crooked'. Me and the nurse tried to make him feel better and had him sit up a bit (an hour into his arriving in Intensive Care) and we found this IV Saline between his shoulder blades:

Could NOT have felt good ... I hope this is not the precursor to finding gauze pads in his chest ...

He seems like he is fairly comfortable. It is now 10:30 - Gary threw me out and told me to go to sleep about 10:00. He seems very stable, his colour is very good - he was very pale when I arrived in Brisbane and was worried I was going to see that ghost again, but no - he looks good. He was sleeping between the visits of the nurses every half hour and I am assuming the 1/2 hour visits will continue through the night.

So - heading off to bed to try to get some sleep. Will take a taxi back in the morning and stay till he is checked out.

Updates when I get my guy home ...