Surgery D-Day +8

Interesting day.  Gene was so much more with it than he was when I left yesterday. I am always so happy when I go into his room and he is awake, looking and feeling better.

I know he had "Orange Something" for breakfast . . could have been jello, but I can't remember what he said. He wasn't to thrilled with it. Said it tasted strange. Then I asked why he didn't call back to the cafeteria and get another Lemon Ice. He made a "yucky" face. Said it left an aftertaste in his mouth.

I suppose that when you haven't had anything with a flavor in your mouth for a week your taste buds may take a while to get back on board.

I remembered to ask Dr Al-Suthni, she is the surgeon who assisted Dr Kukar with Gene's surgery, if she would write her name down for me since I kept forgetting it. She must be very new at Roswell Park because her name isn't in the directory. 

At 11:00 this morning Radiology came for Gene. He had to go for a CTScan again. This time it was to see exactly where the pocket of Pancreatic fluid was. The one they did yesterday showed it was in the middle of his lower back, close to the spine. He said they had him on his belly (which must have hurt like crazy sine he has a long incision on it). they had him on his back and sides. I told him they must have had him on his head because, when he came back, his hair was a mess!

They had to go in his lower right back to insert the tube for the drain. So now, when he walks, he says he has "three balls hitting him with each step he takes."

There were nursing students on his floor from a local college today. Crystal (his student) told us they come every Tuesday. One of the times she came in she was putting on a blue paper "over gown." She said they had just gotten info that he had an infection and since they didn't want to spread it to other patients, so they needed to gown up. When the nurse came in I asked what infection he had. She said he had MRSA . . . . GOOD LORD! Not something else to worry about.

Now, when Dr Al-Sunthi came in this afternoon she didn't say a thing about it, so I will have to ask her tomorrow.

Also, Dr Al-Suthni came in on rounds this morning with Dr Srinevas Reddy, a Surgical Oncologist with Dr Kukar. He told us "Gene's Team" had decided to put the third drain in. He says they are h oping that by draining this pocket things will get better. If not, they will have to go in and surgically do something about the seeping.

Gene was sort of down. He said, "well if it is going to happen, it is going to happen to me."

I reminded him that he came out of surgery in better shape than some people and, he could have had inoperable cancer, so, yes, he is getting a lot of the negatives that go with this surgery, but they can do something about it, so that's good.

He knew that, but I know he wants to hear that things are going well and he is really on his way to seeing the end of this hospital stay.

When I combed my hair this morning I decided it was time to do something about it. Not sure where I would go, but it needs cut badly. About halfway down Delaware Avenue, on my way to Roswell this morning, I saw a Great Clips. Never been to one of them but I know they take walk ins. So this evening, on my way home, I pulled in and got about 3 - 4 inches cut. It now hits just below my ears and, after messing with it for a few day, it will be just perfect until we get home to Indiana and I can see Casey who has cut my hair for quite a few years.

Oh, I remember what else I wanted to add. I asked Dr Al-Suthni this evening if Gene could have Canada dry Ginger Ale as one of his clear liquids. She said there was no problem BUT I had to let it go flat so he didn't have the carbonation going into his stomach. So, when I got home, I opened a bottle so it would go flat by tomorrow. At least Gene will h ave something else to taste and he likes this. But, being flat, he may never want it again :)