Bill had surgery a week ago to remove the left side of his thyroid and a very large goiter. He had been experiencing some difficulty with getting a deep breath, thus the ongoing battery of test which included breathing test, Xray, and CT Scan. It was through these test the goiter was discovered. The doctor told us it had protruded down into Bill's chest, which was causing him difficulty with his breathing. The doctor was amazed that Bill didn't have problems swallowing. Apparently the goiter had pushed his esophagus, windpipe, etc, over to the right side of his neck.
The goiter was actually resting on Bill's aorta and there was no option as to what the treatment was to be . . . it was to be surgically removed. We were told the surgery would take at least four hours and they were right on the time. One of the reasons the surgeon said he would be taking so long to do the surgery was because he needed to make sure he did no damage to the vocal chords. Evidently they use a nerve meter when doing this surgery to help them monitor the nerves and to make sure they don't damage them. However when the surgeon came out to talk with me, he told me the connectors to the nerve meter did not function properly. Thus we had to wait to make sure there was no damage. Thankfully, Bill is able to talk although his voice is weak, comes and goes, and is a little raspy - all which was expected.
We had to report to the hospital by 9:00. Whew . . . our drive to town was nerve wracking in that we got behind slow traffic, stopped by a train crew working on the railroad crossing, and then utility workers causing traffic to be using only one lane. We made it to the hospital in time. Within fifteen minutes of arriving at the hospital they called Bill back to the room to prepare him for his surgery. By 10:00 they took him to the holding room where is was to wait before they took him into surgery.
My cousin Patty came to sit with me. We have been through many surgeries together. I was with her when she had surgery, and she was with me when I had surgery. Patty may only be a cousin, but she feels like a sister. I was grateful to have there to help me pass the long hours of waiting. The hardest part is sitting there not knowing how our loved one is doing!!! I appreciate Pat and love her very much!
They took Bill into surgery around 10:40. They have someone who calls the family of those in surgery to let them know how things are going. I received a call at 1:30 and was told all was going well and that the doctor expected it to be another couple of hours. They had already removed part of the goiter - the part in his neck - and now preparing to remove the part which had gone down into his chest. We were told by the surgeon there might be a need for him to open Bill's chest up to remove that section of the goiter. If that was the case then there would be a chest surgeon on call if needed! Thankfully the chest surgeon was not needed!
At 2:30 the volunteer came over to me and asked me to go to the conference room, and that the surgeon would be out to talk with me shortly. Patty and I went to the room and within five minutes the surgeon arrived. It was all good news, and Bill was doing well!!! Oh I thanked God for those words. He was to spend the night in the hospital just as precaution that there would be no bleeding or other problems. We were both glad they were going to keep him - just to be safe.
He was taken to his room around 4:00 - it was a private room which gave me the opportunity to stay with him. (I was planning on staying even if I had to stay in the lobby down the hall - did that many times with Mom and Dad!) We were told that all surgical patients are now given a private room to help keep down infections. They even had a recliner type chair in there and extra pillows and blankets for me!!! Bill was given such great care by all he came in contact with that day and night!!!
They brought Bill a tray, but he was in no way ready for a meal! He did take sips of water, but that was about it. He was extremely sore and had pain. He was given pain medication every four hours if needed!!!! He was hooked up to an IV and had leg wraps around his legs that kept pumping up with air - I assume to help his circulation and to keep blood clots from forming! With help he was able to stand when he needed to use the restroom. His IV was in his hand and came out on one of his needs to stand. This liked to scared me to death. I looked at the floor and blood was flowing rather heavily. I thought his incision had broken loose, but it was just where the needle came out of his hand. Whew . . . I needed nerve medication at that moment! Nurses came in and all was well!
We both slept pretty well for being in the hospital. The noise from his IV sounded like a printer, and the machine for the wraps around his legs pumped up every five minutes!!! Before we knew it, the new shift was on duty and Bill's vitals were being taken. At 7:00 the doctor came in to say all the blood work looked good; his incision looked good, and therefore he would release Bill to go home!!!!
We left the hospital at 10:00 and headed home!!!! Bill was weak, but as the days have gone by, he has gotten stronger, soreness is leaving, and pain is not quite as bad. He is beginning to eat a little better, taking walks around the yard, and sleeping with his CPAP machine.
We are so thankful for his recovery thus far. We are also thankful for all the prayers, thoughts, and words of encouragement from our family and friends. We love you all!
This little girl helped give Bill the courage to do what he needed to do to get better. He (we) love her so much. By the end of June we will have another little one to love as much as we do Cora Ann!
We came up with an idea to help Bill communicate with me without straining his voice. One was for me to ask him questions and he would respond with holding up one finger which would mean yeas; two fingers would mean no! I also bought this small erase board for him to write down what he wanted to say! Needless to say he came up with a LIST for me! :):) He was just kidding!!!
Bill has been a great patient so far. It was so cute . . . he thanked every one who did anything for him in the hospital! To the one who stuck his finger to check his sugar; the lady who came in to take a vial of blood; to those who brought him his medication, food, and water; and even to the one who made the incision; Bill said "Thank You!" The nurses said they wanted to stay in his room because he was such a good patient - not complaining and willing to do all he needed to do to get well. So far here at home, he is doing the same thing.
So, to Bill, I say "THANK YOU!" for being a great patient :):)
PS - We went to the doctor yesterday for Bill's post-op appointment. We got great news! The goiter.thyroid was benign!! Praise God for such sweet words. Had there been any cancerous cells, Bill was to have surgery again two weeks after the first!!!! Now, we are focusing on his recovery and not the possibility of another surgery!!! We are so blessed and thankful for all the prayers. God was with us all the way, and HE is helping with the recovery!!!
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