Post-Op!

About 30 minutes after I went back to bed, John called and said that they moved the surgery back up. I scurried to the hospital just in time to wait another hour. Ah, hospitals and choir tours: hurry up and wait. But it wasn't unpleasant AND and GI attending and fellow came by. Squeaky wheel and all, I guess. We also talked to all the relevant docs, nurses, etc. I kissed her intact belly one last time, and we watched as the took her back around 10:00.

In the waiting area, we found a couple from the new church (the minister of discipleship or something or other related to education and his wife), and we had a nice conversation with them...and it turns out that, as Baptists (now Methodists) in Winston-Salem, they knew my Granddaddy Ludlum and Grandma Charlotte really well. How cool is that?! They have promised to tell us some stories about them, especially my granddad since he died when I was 8. Very exciting! AND they have promised to bring us Moravian Sugar Cake when they visit family. Oh my my my. If I didn't like them already, that would have sealed the deal.

After they left, we got back to the business of waiting, and after about an hour (total), we were called to a consult room to talk to the surgeon, Dr. Chung. He said that everything went well, and he was able to go straight to the Mic-Key button, which keeps us from having to deal with a more cumbersome tube in the initial period and having to come back in a few weeks to have the button put in. We were really happy about that.

After waiting a bit more, they called us back to see her, and she wasn't screaming bloody murder like she normally does post-anesthesia. Apparently she was beginning to before we got back there, so they gave her some more pain meds to put her back to sleep. Ah, Becca. She was snuggly and groggy and didn't like to be moved. In addition to the IV the put in her arm last night, they had given her an IV in her leg (so she won't be able to walk until that is out), and she's got a tube attached to her button that is draining into a little cup, which is disgusting...blood and gastric juices...yum. But that's just on for about a day. The button is actually stitched to her tummy for now. She can't eat or drink anything (through the tube or orally) for 24 hours, and then they will start feeds through the tube very slowly to make sure nothing's leaking or causing her pain. After 48 hours, they'll take out the sutures, and, if the feeds are going well, we'll be free to go home. That puts us here until at least Saturday.

Once we got back up our room, she and I settled into my bed to snuggle and take a gooood nap. It was lovely. Now that we are awake, she's much more herself. She's not down and crawling around or anything, but she's cuddling with Daddy on the bed and waving and talking a little bit. I knew she was coming out of it when she waved hello to her favorite bear. So social.

Since we are going to be here longer than expected, John has decided NOT to go to MAP tomorrow. That's sad. We love MAP (it's the mission project at our church in Atlanta that John helped to run for several years), and I was sad that Becca and I were going to miss it, but since John was to be in charge of a worksite (master roofer that he is), he was going to go on...but this afternoon, he decided that he couldn't leave his little girl right after surgery. (He was supposed to leave tomorrow morning.) So, sorry Northside folks, you're down one leader...but Becca will sure be glad to have her "Dada" around this week (and so will I!). It sounded like they will be okay, though. John's also scheduled to lead a week at Aldersgate Camp at the end of the month, so staying home this week will also give him a chance to get settled in at work. I'm hoping that Becca will be recovered enough for us to go to camp with him. Being a pastor may not come with fancy trips to tropical resorts (except when your friends get married in incredible places - thanks, Lauren! :) ), but darn if a week at camp isn't nearly as much fun! (Okay, it's a completely different kind of fun...and I bet it will only get more and more fun as Becca gets older!)

That's all I've got, other than some cute pictures of Becca and John, which I'll try to add in a little bit after I empty the camera. Looks like she's going to be just fine!

And here's a picture! You can see the IV in her arm and the one in her leg, her blood pressure cuff, and the dressing she's got around her middle, which is to keep her from playing with the button, not because she is oozing that much or anything. Oh, and you can see the gross drain - the connection is wrapped in a diaper to prevent spillage.