VICTORY on W. Gude Drive

Judy is sound asleep in the recliner as I sit here writing this. We're home, and I have been asleep for three hours, enough to function for a while.

We got to the surgical center at 6:30 am. The center opens at 6:30 am. She was taken back to the Prep Room at 7:00 am while I was doing her paper work, since she can't use her right hand. I asked when I could go back, and at 7:30 am they let me go back to see her. She had refused a nerve block from her neck to her right shoulder. It was like one of those TV commercials for post nasal drip, where the side effects could kill you. She made an "informed decision" to not take the nerve block.

I met the assistant surgeon, which surprised me. I didn't know that the operation would require a second surgeon. No comment was made. Then the anaesthesiologist came in, and talked to Judy as she put on her mask. She could care less that I was there. And finally, Dan Lahr came in, and drew a large box on her right shoulder and put his initials in it. He gave me a prescription for percocette and told me to go fill it because she was going to be in a lot of pain without the nerve block. Great. He told me that the surgery portion would be about 1 1/2 hours and recovery about 1/2 hour.

I took Judy's first team leader and now our friend, who had come to sit with me through the ordeal, to breakfast (I got us fancy French Toast and bacon at her request because I am also a wonderful date!) but couldn't finish. I got the prescription filled and we went back. And we waited, And waited. Then, the deputy surgeon came out and assured me she was fine. Surgery had taken 2 1/2 hours. A tidal wave of emotion sort of washed all over me, and I called her brother. Then Dan the Man came out in his scrubs. Now came the detail. The tear was huge, but he got it back together easily. It was much bigger than the MRI showed, enormously bigger. And she is going to hurt a lot because she didn't get the nerve block, but it turned out to be a very successful operation. And we're getting sushi soon. Recovery would take an hour and a half.

My G-d is an awesome G-d. We both made it.

After we got her home, and I made her something to eat, and the pain started to subside, after four shots of morphine and two percocettes and two vicodins at the surgical center finally all kicked in and worked on the pain, I gave her chicken salad and Coke Zero and some rice crackers. I made Annissa lunch, played with Jake, who was frenzied, and then called her sister to come over so I could get a little sleep. I got three hours.

She has to sleep in the recliner, and I have to sleep on the couch because she can't lower the feet by herself, the lever being on the right side. She can't sleep with her feet down. The first 72 hours are critical. So, here's one of those situations where you just have to man up. No problem. Things will straighten back up next week or so sometime. Small price to pay. No big deal.

And I made an error. Tiffany isn't engaged, which means I still have a chance, which is a good thing. Judy and I need a wife, and what would be better than a wife who was also a terrific Physical Therapist? And Tiffany is so lovable too. Sorry Tiffany. Have a great weekend, y'all!