Like A Surgeon, Cutting For The Very First Time

 Entry 1.    7:39 a.m.

Dogs woke me some.time ago, just after 7:00 a.m. Around 5:00 a.m. Jenny sent a text telling us she goes for her procedure this morning at 9:30 a.m.

The sooner the better. Hopefully, this means she is home more quickly.  The G.I. surgeon will call me this morning, post-procedure (it's endoscopic), to tell me how it went. Someone gave us an electric St. Peregrine votive candle when Jenny got sick. Peregrine is the patron saint of cancer patients.  Time to flip the switch on that bad boy.  

Entry 2.    9:58 a.m.

Jenny has had so many scopes in the last 17 months she expected not to be put under general anesthesia.  This procedure requires it, we just learned.  I will  visit, hopefully, this afternoon.  The surgeon says he expects she will be home tomorrow. Fingers crossed.

Entry 3     11:50 a.m.

The surgeon called just after 11. The procedure, he told me, was a success. Jenny was awake and in good spirits--I heard her loudly say hello in the background. She should be in her room soon and will call me. I will go visit her shortly thereafter. I'm grateful for the surgeon.

Entry 4     12:00 p.m.

Jenny has been so debilitated and refuses to stop going out every day. She won't stop, she can't learn, she won't give up the belief she can do what she shouldn't. The number of times she has gone out driving by herself since she became so debilitated is beyond counting.  Last week, she was terribly sick, went out in the evening, and then called me while she was driving home to tell me she had just thrown up 5x.

It didn't prevent her from going out again the next day and the next. She would only be able to walk 10-20 steps without doubling over in pain and exhaustion, and still she would go out.

I won't stand in her way. She proudly told me last night that she would stay home once a week from now on, after realizing how rested she felt in hospital. I suggested staying home more than that. She was offended and refused the suggestion. So, she is ignoring her body and advice from me (and others). It is her choice to make.

Entry 5     1:22 p.m.

Jenny is sleeping. She will call me when she wakes and I will go see her. Visiting someone on top of Pill Hill is going to be dicey.

Entry 6      3:22 p.m.

Jenny is still sleeping.  I'm not sure when she will wake. I am glad she is resting.



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