TC: Surgery Day

Surgery day started today at 4:00 am. The long rainy drive to Mercy Medical center in Baltimore was a somber one. Prior to EITM, we were forced to surf the channels while listening to the sound of rain hitting the windshield. The trip seemed endless.

Once we finally arrived at the hospital, Chris was immediately whisked away in a wheelchair so he could strip out of his street clothes and into a hospital gown. While Christy and I waited, we ran into a familiar face in the lobby. Coach Zorn, dressed in a sports jacket and sneakers, kindly greeted us and asked how Chris was feeling going into all of this. We told him he was nervous for his first surgery and chatted for a few minutes until we got the okay to go into his room. As soon as we did, Dr. Myerson grabbed Z to get him into his scrubs and ready to watch.

As the two left the room, the nurse came to prep Chris for the trip under. Sans one snag in preparation, which was between the nurse's lab coat and Chris's broken foot, the prep was flawless. As the IV began dripping, Z and Dr. Myerson came back into the room and the doc explained to all of us what would happen while Chris was under.

The explanation was that Chris would need 5 tiny punctures in the ankle to place the three hollow screws through his fractured tibia. Two on the outside of the foot to anchor the clamp that would compress the fracture and the other three on the inside for the screws. Then he said the entire thing would last anywhere between 30-60 minutes and that was that. As we watched them wheel Chris through the mechanical double doors I had full confidence that he was in great hands.

Before heading to the cafeteria for some breakfast, Christy gave the nurse her cell phone number so they could call us when he was all done. Waiting for things like this is always the worst. You never know when you will hit the threshold between nervous worry, and complete boredom. Fortunately as soon as we were about to hit the point, the phone rang.

We hurried back downstairs and met up with the doctor, and Zorn. Chris was still trying to wake up. Dr. Myerson gave us the good news that the surgery went exactly as planned and that Chris would be just fine. He showed us the x-ray and again explained what he had done.After that the the nurse took us back to see him while they were trying to wake him up. And this is what we saw...The best part of being around someone waking up from surgery is that you get to hear the greatest unfiltered thoughts of said person. I can't say everything that was said, but I can say the best thing. Chris told the snag nurse that he would never forgive her for what she did, she asked what she could do to make up for it.

"I wanna hold you down and twist your ankle!"

I will never know if it is good or bad to have absolutely no barriers between what is thought and what is said but it did made for an amazing 20 minutes. After which, Chris became more alert and Christy helped him get dressed.

Two of us left the hospital exactly as we came with a slightly goofier Chris. As soon as we got to the car he couldn't wait to tell someone. So he did. And if you want, you can listen to that conversation HERE it is a classic.

Posted in: Injury #3 day 3, Surgery