Four for Four...

...So last Friday, I spent ten hours at the hospital. Hubs has been having bladder/kidney issues/infections since last November when we ran the Turkey Trot. When AR and I got back from Florida beginning of October, hubs said he wasn't feeling well (this was Monday). After work Wednesday, he asked me if I thought he felt warm. Then Thursday right before I was about to teach, he calls me and tells me that he's going to his specialist that afternoon (don't mind I'd been telling him to go since last November!). The doc did an ultrasound and found that he had four stones in his bladder that would require surgery.

So on Halloween, I dropped AR off at the sitter at normal time (6:30AM), went to work to help set-up a special event from 7-8:30AM, went home and got hubs then headed to the hospital where we arrived at 9:20AM. Now I'm not a hypochondriac but as I saw in the waiting room listening to coughs, aches, and woes, I start to get paranoid! The waiting room was full and then we were moved to another waiting area that was nicer but WAY small. In the first hour, I moved seats three times so that we could arrange for everyone and their couples. I want to add that while we waited, Matt yelled at me about our gas bill, his dislike for pizza, and how my car leaks oil. :-/

Finally, they called Matt back and said I'd get to see him again before his surgery. About forty-five minutes later, the nurse came and got me. When I walked into his area, neither of us said anything and the nurse looked at both of us and asked, "Um...this is Matt, right?" We both agreed, and she said she was nervous since neither of us said anything! We chatted with her, the nurse, the anesthesiologist who all asked him: who's your doc, what kind of surgery are you having done, how big are the stones, and do you have ebola (okay, maybe not in so many words but that's what they were getting at).

I gave him a kiss, told him I loved him, and headed back out to the waiting room. I pulled out my peanut butter M&Ms, my laptop, logged into Wifi and was all set up to do some massive reading and work for the day. Then my in-laws showed up and that plan went out the window (well, all the M&Ms got ate!). Right as they arrived, I missed a call and when I called back, it was the hospital. I panicked something was wrong before they even started but they were just calling to let me know they'd started. This was about 12:45pm.

I sat and watched patients be called back, have their procedures, and leave with their loved ones. I read, I ate M&Ms, I texted updates, chatted with my MIL and then around 2pm, Matt's doc came out. I might mention that this doctor has worked on Matt since he was five so he knows the family very well. He actually came to our wedding and sat on the front row with our family. So when he came up, he took a seat beside me, my MIL to the right of me, and then he spoke directly to her. He told us that they'd been drilling on one stone for almost two hours and making no progress, even with the laser on the highest setting. He was thinking that the stones were calcium (probably from him drinking a whole gallon of milk in one night!) and that's why they were having such a hard time. The goal was to not cut him open but at this point, there was no other option unless we wanted this to turn into a ten hour surgery.

He headed back into the operating room and I started texting out updates. My mom started texting my MIL asking how I was doing, ugh-mothers! I know, I'll probably do the same with AR. A couple more hours passed and we were the last ones in the waiting room, everyone who had come before and after us were gone and home. Finally at 5pm the doc came out, said they'd gotten it all out and showed us a pic of the four stones. HOLY MOLY! Those suckers were BIG!!!

At 5:30pm, the nurse came out and said we could go see him. I know how Matt is when he wakes up in the morning so I hung back while his mom went and talked to him. About a minute later, he asked for me and I was like, ahh...he asked for me! He was complaining that his arms hurt from being strapped down for four hours. We gathered up all his belongings and they moved him into a room he could stay in overnight (this is actually where my dad had surgery back in August so I was somewhat familiar with the place).

Once in his room, he asked for me again and then for his best friend who arrived a little later. We called and he talked to AR before Aunt Liz took her trick or treating (thanks EB!). The boys got ready to play cards but not before Matt puked in a bucket I held for him. :-/ Then I asked if I could go home for the night and he got all kinds of confused about what was going on. I had to explain everything to him, reminding him he'd talked to his doctor, that I wasn't spending the night, and that he was staying in that room.

Knowing he was in good hands, I headed home a little after seven, stopping for a large ice cold water because I was so thirsty and hadn't eaten/drank anything more than M&Ms and a bottle of water all day. When I got home, my little mermaid drank it all! We handed out some candy and then headed to bed, momma was exhausted. I think I was the only parent that didn't post pics of her kid on Halloween. :-/

Saturday morning, we deposited Daddy's check (after driving 20 minutes to find his bank!) and then headed to the hospital. I think it was just him and one other patient there. He was doing good, back to his 'ole attitude and ready to eat. After visiting for about an hour, AR and I went to get lunch for everyone. Our eyes were bigger than our stomachs and we ordered way too much food or dropped it (approximately 30 seconds after I handed AR her sandwich, she dropped it on the floor :-/ ). Once lunch was over, AR found herself a little spot to play on the tablet...in the closet!

Finally a little after noon his doc came by and said we could take him home. He was a very happy camper about this! I have to admit, I think my hubs looks pretty cute in this pic!

I had a throbbing headache, was walking on eggshells for him, and dealing with an impatient 2 yo with little to do at the hospital so needless to say, I was on edge. Hubs got mad at me for getting on to her a few times (like when we were in the bathroom and she wanted to pull the cord for help and I firmly said no, he said I was too mean). Anyways, when we came home, she fell asleep in the car. Once I got Matt settled, I tried to get her to lay down with me...no dice. Luckily, she went in the living room with Matt who turned on Daniel Tiger while I napped. All in all, it was a good team effort and later I took her to the park to give Daddy a break from Daniel Tiger and AR a chance to run off some energy!

 

So long story short, four hours for four bladders stones and hopefully he's on the way to recovery. No lifting for him for 2-3 weeks, including AR, so looks like I'm a "single mom" on drop-off/pick-up duty and everything in between! So if you see me and I look exhausted, I probably am, but that just means the main man at our house is getting better! Prayers would be greatly appreciated and a big thank you to everyone who texted, tweeted, FBed, emailed on Friday to check in on him. Friends and family are AWESOME!