On Tuesday morning, Helen checked in to the University of Tennessee Medical Center for hip replacement surgery. Readers may recall that one year ago, Helen replaced one of her knees in March and another knee in June. For those procedures, we had to check-in at 5:30, but, to demonstrate her true love and devotion for her dear husband, she scheduled this visit for 9:30 so I had time for coffee.
Although we would rather be doing anything besides face another surgery, we both agree that, if this has to happen, the surgeons and staff at the University of Tennessee hospital are the ones to do it. The care is exceptional, the surgeons are incredibly skilled, and everyone involved from check-in to check-out is efficient, professional, and always greet us with a smile. Check-in took just a matter of minutes before a friendly hospital volunteer walked us to the changing room.
Once in the changing room, Helen was issued a surgery gown, an blue hair net, and, at these prices, a pair of what has to be the most expensive socks on the planet to take home with us. The only thing that has changed since her previous surgery is that the surgery gown is now made cloth instead of blue paper. She held them up for the camera.
Around 10:00 Rachel, an associate minister at our church knocked on the door to visit us. Rachel came bearing a smile radiant enough to fill the room and offered words of comfort. Two nurses arrived at about the same time to wheel Helen to the pre-op room, but Helen refused to leave until Rachel had time to lead us in prayer. Then Helen was rolled away. “See you later, honey!” “Thank you Rachel.” We left things in the hands of the surgeon.
After about an hour and a half in the waiting lounge, her surgeon, the same one who performed my hip replacement last year, invited me to join him in a small consultation room. I held my breath for good news. Helen was his third surgery for that morning and he had the look of someone who needed a break. The news was all good. Helen did fine and the surgery went well. Thank you again, Rachel…prayer helps.
I grabbed some lunch and went to meet Helen in her hospital room. She wasn’t there! Finally, after about another 30 minutes she came rolling in with a cadre of nurses bringing machines, tubes, trays, and IV’s dangling from poles or attached to her in some way. Helen was awake and smiling broadly (as she always is). So far, so good.
A lab technician soon followed her to the room to begin a round of tests by drawing blood samples. Although Helen came to the room in a good mood, things always change when needles are in the vicinity. Fortunately, she was still a little loopy from the anesthetic and the technician completed her work without incident.
Within about an hour, a physical therapist to assess Helen’s condition and offer a few words on how to regain the strength in her hip and legs. The therapist was very thorough and explained things well enough that even a loopy patient could understand. Next, she helped Helen untangle the jumble of tubes and wires before standing her up for her first steps. Bear in mind, she had her replaced only a few hours earlier. Nevertheless, she was up to the challenge and, assisted by the therapist, walked out to the hall and back to the bed. Modern medicine is something else!
I hung around in the room for a few more hours, but I’m not sure she knew I was there as she drifted off a few times, still under the effects of the anesthetic. After coming around, she ordered a breakfast meal off of the menu on the room television screen, and allowed me to leave. Ordering that breakfast meal made me hungry.
I returned to the hospital the next morning to learn that she surgeon had already completed his rounds and said she could go home. The only thing left to do was attend a class on post-op procedures about when to take medicines, what exercises offered the most help in recovery, and who to call when or if problems arise. I attended the class as well and found it to be very informative.
We had no trouble getting her in the front seat of our car and I was amazed at how well she seemed to be doing. We arrived home and she got out of the car and walked in the front door with that smile as bright as ever. We have nothing but great things to say about the experience, but, hopefully, the need for surgery is over…for Helen. I go in next month for a new knee. Hopefully, that procedure will go as well as this one did and we can resume Easin’ Along very soon. We miss our fifth wheel and the road less traveled.
