D-day

Before heading off to George Washington University Hospital Jim and me and our family stopped off at our parish church where we prayed for Jim and asked God to bless everyone who would touch him during his surgery and healing.



We arrived at the hospital at 12:30 pm as instructed.

And began the long wait.

GW ia a large urban teaching hospital. The surgical waiting room was packed with patients waiting their turn to be prepped for surgery and their families.
Each patient is given a hand-held beeper and when it is your turn the light turned red and the things begins to squawk - - reminded us of waiting for your hamburger at Fudruckers.

Jim's surgery was scheduled for 2:45 PM. Wouldn't you know - traffic backed up. He was not called until 4:30 PM and not taken to surgery until 5:51 PM. It is tense to wait like that but we chatted and laughed most of the time.

Once Jim was in surgery we went to the cafeteria. I have no clue what I ate. Then back upstairs for more waiting. We watched people coming and going until at 7:45 PM when our plastic beeper came alive - squawking - calling us in to talk with the surgeon.

Good news. He removed the tumor and did not see anything foreign in the area. Sewed Jim's parts back together and pronouced. " he is doing fine."

Thank you, Lord.

Everything goes onto "hospital time" - waiting for Jim to wake up, to have all the stuff done in the recovery room that is needed, getting the room ready and finally at 10:30 pm I walked behind Jim's bed,tubes and equipmnet and as a young man in a tan scrub suit wheeled him to his room - 5N 553.

Karen and Jimmy had gone up ahead and were waiting for us. Somehow Karen had gotten a small cot for me so that I could strectch out instead of sitting up in a chair all night.

You see, I believe a patient needs an advocate when they are in the hospital.

I tell a funny story about my job as a "watcher" on airplanes. But that is nothing compared to this. I come with Jim and I am prepared to work.