Post Surgery

Yesterday was a big day for us. Ross went into surgery at 1pm at the Idaho Surgery Center to have an inguinal hernia repaired. We are both grateful to his brother Bryce for giving him a Priesthood Blessing early Sunday morning. This was my first time EVER being on this end of surgery. I have never been in a waiting room before. Thankfully I brought the dvd player and a good movie to keep me distracted. At an hour into his surgery, they came out and told me that it would be another 45 min due to excess scar tissue. 2 hours after surgery had begun, Dr Krueder came out and discussed with me the details of the surgery. He said that the previous stitches he put in 17 years ago for a hernia, were about an inch to 2 inches from where he had placed them due to the amount of scar tissue pulling on them. So instead of placing one mesh in the area, he put a mesh up against his groin area with muscle and scar tissue in between another piece of mesh. So he has a double mesh. It is VERY Critical he said that he must not even forget once that he cannot accidently pick up one of the kids or help someone put something in their truck. He absolutely cannot lift, strain or have pulled more than 7 lbs worth in the next 3 weeks or he will end up in major surgery with them going thru his stomach and opening him up much more than he did.


About 25 minutes after Doc came out I was able to go and see Ross. I was going on only 2 hours of sleep that day and was a basket of nerves from everything. Ross slept like a baby the night before his surgery and I wasn't able to so I literally got the house spotless so he wouldn't have to come home to a mess. I got back to see him just as he was waking up. It really only took him and hour to wake up but about 2 hours to be coherent. What he struggled with the most was moving and trying to get to a sitting position. It kept collapsing the Vegal nerve which is what causes a person to pass out. Honestly, It was so much harder on me to be there with him, watching him struggle so much with the pain of moving and then watching him almost pass out and seeing him lose all his color in his face and then seeing the monitor with his heartrate and bloodpressure dropping due to sitting up than it was for me to be out in the waiting room! Everytime he would feel nauseaus and light headed, I would get that way from watching him go thru that. I couldn't handle it. It was like my body was experiencing what his was... like I was connected to him. I now have a bit of an understanding of what he has gone thru when I have had my surgeries and why he said it is extremely stressful on him. I also went from 11 am to 9 pm without a meal. I had a couple of crackers and some soda and that was all. I was going on sheer adrenaline yesterday. I am sooo thankful for everyones prayers because he really needed them. I needed them as well. Also we have such amazing neighbors as friends for they took care of the puppies and dogs yesterday for us and said to please let them know if we needed anything at all. I don't usually ask for help but I really needed it yesterday. They watched for us to come home so when we pulled in they were waiting outside for us. Aaron helped Ross into the house( I am thankful he was there for I couldn't have caught Ross if he passed out), Aaron and Kina unloaded the van for me, then they came back over a bit later and brought a yummy potroast and dinner to share with us since her sister cancelled on them. We ate and watched a movie and I tell you it was so nice to be home and have some food in me! We went to bed around 12:30am but I sat next to Ross with my head in his chest crying because I just was too stressed and emotional and worried and tired and I knew I would not be able to sleep next to him. To watch him move made me hurt so bad inside because it is sooo painful for him to move and he needed to be next to the bathroom. He slept in Jerry's bed( thank you for still having the craftmatic bed with us, Mom and daD) because it was more comfortable for him and closer to the bathroom. I left his phone next to him and told him I would have my phone with me in our room so if he needed anything at all to call me. He teased me lovingly and said that I was his nurse. I set the alarm for during the night so he could have his meds so he wouldn't have to try and play catch up. He and I slept good.

He looks so much better today. He is in a lot of pain when he moves, but he is a tough guy. Such a handsome, sweet guy I am married to! I love him with all my heart and am so thankful that I am here to serve him in any way I can.

Ok so this isn't taken after surgery but its the closest one I have that would look like it.
 
I am so grateful to a loving Heavenly Father who knows our needs and answers our prayers through others.  Thank you everyone for your prayers and love and offering your help for us all.  We love you.