New Category Alert

As I’m taking stock of how we got through these most recent events, I’m realizing that of every coping mechanism used, laughter was the best!   In this section titled because we all need a little levity, I’ll post a plethora of funny stuff. An eclectic mix mash.  

Kicking it off is Billy Bob aka Gene Hackman.  Why Gene? Well because he has  his Popeye Doyle glasses on of course.  Maybe only Truly Unplugged will get me.   

I about fell off the hospital cafeteria stool when he whips out his phone and says “now where’s my notepad?”  And starts typing away.  Will wonders ever cease?!?!?

I pretended I was snapping the guy in the F/U Mickey Mouse T-Shirt behind him.  Instead I got this 😀. Notice he has got on his reading glasses AND his shades.  I think he’s taking notes so he can key payroll.  Lol!  

As always more to come. 

She’s Alive

Duh?  Of course she’s alive.  Though she did finally share two fears in her panic last night:

1. That she’d wake up during the surgery and feel everything 
2. That she’d never wake up

I get it I really do.  I was scared of that too.  But I didn’t tell her that.  Instead we focused on it’s nothing until it’s something. That and how wicked good painkillers are theses days. 
The prognosis is good.  She kept both ovaries.  Final outcome TBD in 2-3 weeks when she gets the final lab test results from what they’re sending off. 

Right now Lulu is awake and asking for water. Pain is under control. The nurse has called us twice just to check in. 

Sort of funny is there’s no room in the inn.  And the inn = Methodist Metropolitan Hospital.  Not a play on a virgin birth. I assure you.  Come on smile.  No time for seriousness.  Not a single room at the inn. 

You see when Lulu got bumped up, she took the place of an outpatient.  Only this morning at admission did they realize she was staying.  

All the insurance money talks were based on this error too. But they said it’ll be reconciled later because of course there’s an extra expense for staying.  I knew the cost sounded too good to be true. 

All that means is she stays in recovery a bit longer.  And as my positive friend reminded me, the recovery nurses watch like hawks.  After she’s in a room sometimes the nurse coverage can be hi and bye. The only downside now is recovery is too swamped to sneak one of us back.  So we wait until:

1. A room is ready (patients checking out all morning but then housekeeping has to clean still sounding more like an inn)
2. Other outpatients are released and one or both of us can be snuck into recovery

Too tired for grammar police.  Is snuck even a word?  Maybe it’s sneaked??  Who knows?   Not I said the fly.  Somebody stop me 😂

As always more to come. 

Not Judgment But Observation

There’s a family of 11 in the waiting room with us.  Four men who appear to brothers’ in law and seven women (three of the women in wheelchairs).  The women bear a striking resemblance to one another which is why I assume they’re sisters.  

They set out a spread of snacks.  Chips and dips.  Soda water.  

They just got the news. Surgery over for their loved one and as they expected the outcome was NOT good.  Most are crying. One says “now you see, you’ve got to change your cooking and what he’s eating”.

It seems wrong to be witness but there’s no where else for us to wait. My heart goes out.  As we are in community with each other. There but for the grace of God go I.  

As always more to come. 

You Don’t Need An Ovary To Have A Puppy

Nerves were flying all day yesterday.  BF to the rescue to take her mind off “things”

After he left, Lulu asks me “did you hear how nervous I was?”  I reply “I didn’t hear everything”.  After all I was in the room across the hall, door closed and still working.  

And in fairness, that’s true.  I only heard bits and pieces.  I just didn’t correct her once I realized she assumed I hadn’t heard anything and she spared me.  

She’s been doing that her whole life.  She takes on the weight of the world.  And of course she’s scared but you only feel it.  Her fear is invisible.  Except with him. 

The conversation went something like this:

Lulu: I haven’t slept since I found out I have this cyst 

Him: you’ll sleep again when this is over

Lulu: I know but for now it sucks.  I’m worried

Him: what’s the worst that can happen, you’ll lose an ovary?

Lulu: no, the worst is I lose everything and become a dude!

Him: that’s NOT going to happen

Lulu: I could and my crazy grandma keeps telling me I can still have children.  That’s the last thing on my mind right now

Him: just think you don’t need an ovary to have a puppy. One day we’ll have Edgar

Edgar as in Edgar Allan pug.  The dog they’d  like to get. 

And she laughed.  More than once.  Laughter we don’t often hear from her as she is super reserved.  After that I lost track of the conversation.  

She’s completing her pre-op. It’s getting close. “All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream” EAP

That quote is very fitting today.  Wake me the HELL up from this dream.  Looking for silver linings.  And they are everywhere along this path.  Hug your loved ones NOW and don’t be the first to let go.  

As always, more to come.