Bruised

A Pair of Old Pears

Last Thursday, Tall Husband was scheduled for a simple outpatient surgery on his elbow...an ulnar nerve release. His pre-op exam was normal, including an ECG; however, during surgery there was a problem. He developed atrial fibrillation for the first time in his life. I knew there was a serious problem when I was paged and a staff member met me, telling me that I was to go with him to the post-op recovery room and was to stay with my husband (no one is allowed to stay.)

We spent several anxious hours watching the monitors, which were not giving us good news. We waited for the IV medication to "convert his heartbeat to sinus." Finally he converted and everyone cheered. Then he was sent to the telemetry unit in the same hospital...I forgot to mention that his orthopedic surgery took place in the best heart institute in the country, so his care was superb. He was in the right place at the right time, as the old saying goes.

A member of the medical team made a little bed for me next to Tall Husband's. All night I raised my head to be certain that he was breathing, as I whispered to Taddie, his late mother...yes, I talk to dead people..."Taddie, I'm taking care of him and I'm frightened." I promised her before our marriage that I would never leave him and that I would take the best care of him. She extracted that same promise from me before she died. I'm big on promises to others, especially if I love them, as I do her.

So, we are back at The Bunny Bungalow now. We are both bug eyed but thanks to a great team at St. Luke's Hospital, he survived good as new. Thanks, everyone!

P.S. I left out the part about what a horrible patient Tall Husband was; however, I think it was a reaction to the morphine given post surgery.