Surgery complete, succcessful

Sorry for not updating the blog yesterday. Today's post is long, but if you don't feel like reading it all, just know that the surgery went well, everything was as planned, and Eddie is recovering at the hospital. If you want the longer version of how the whole day went, read on.



Hana, Ilya, and I arrived at the hospital with Eddie on Saturday at 5:45am. It is always a little strange to be up well before the rest of the world, especially in New York, but once we got to the hospital, you wouldn't know it was hours before the rest of the city would stir. There, the surgery suite was already full and busy with patients and families.

Eddie got taken in to pre-op pretty quickly, and Hana was able to accompany him. Ilya and I stayed in the waiting room for another forty minutes or so until we were allowed back to see him. He'd been prepped and was lying on a hospital bed in a gown and a bathrobe, with one of those blue hairnets they make you wear for these kinds of things. He confessed to us that he'd felt a little dizzy during his pre-op appointment, but didn't want to reveal that to the doctor. We laughed about the fact that you can be going in for a major surgery, but not want to let the medical staff know you're feeling a wee bit... dizzy. Since he hadn't had anything to eat for over 24 hours at that point, we assured him that this seemed totally normal. We weren't able to spend long with him until a nurse came in to do a final check and they wheeled him off. It was difficult and emotional to say goodbye, knowing that when we would see each other again he would look and feel very different.

The three of us left the hospital and went to a very ordinary diner down 1st Avenue that Ilya especially was very excited about (or maybe he was just hungry). At this point it was about 8am, and we were the only people there. We had a really nice breakfast together before walking over to the East River promenade. We watched the Roosevelt Island tram go to a fro, and the people out with their dogs or kids, people jogging or running, in the still-cool morning. Ilya wanted to go to the library, so we went to a branch on 66th that was extremely cute and old, with nice squeaky wood flooring and that quiet tap-tapping sound that libraries have. We sat at a table and looked at different books - Hana read about Cleopatra, and Ilya and I looked at a big book about Marilyn Monroe, and then one by Maureen McCormick (Marcia from "The Brady Bunch") for laughs.

Throughout the morning we'd been getting updates from the MSKCC nursing liaison, Martha. "He started surgery half an hour ago." "They just removed the bladder." "The doctor will want you back here around 12:30pm."

By the time that last call came in, we were in the MSK cafeteria (empty), Ilya drinking a San Pellegrino and Hana a cranberry juice. We headed upstairs and were led in to a small room consulting room with a door on each side; we were told Dr. Dalbagni, the surgeon, would be with us shortly. We all got out our pens and pencils and notebooks, ready to take down notes on whatever he said. After a few minutes, he walked in, still in scrubs and his face mask. He said something like, "Everything went fine." Since we weren't sure what that meant, I asked, "So, he got a neobladder?" (They had cautioned us that there is always a chance that, even if they intend to give you a neobladder, they will open you up and find that they cannot). "Yes, neobladder." "And there were no other signs of cancer that you could see?" "No." Ilya thanked him, and that was it. The entire interaction could not have take more than 25 seconds.

We went to waiting room to nap and wait for more news. There were a lot of nice families in there, many of them telling funny stories with each other. There was an unexpected feeling of togetherness and camaraderie. A bit later that afternoon, we got to see Eddie in the PACU (post-anesthesia recovery unit). He'd been given a lot of pain medication and was very groggy, falling asleep several times over the course of our brief visit. Still, it was clear how happy he was to see us, and we him. His spot on the floor was next to a window overlooking the Rockefeller University campus; he had a view of the trees. We stayed with him for about fifteen minutes before they ushered us out again, saying we could see him later that evening. We walked over to a playground on 66th and 1st, right across from where he got chemo throughout the spring, to make some calls and let people know that everything had gone well. The light was nice and it wasn't so hot out anymore. Knowing it might be another hour or two before we'd be called back, we walked to a sushi restaurant to get sake and a bite to eat.

Eventually, we were called back to the PACU. He seemed much more alert and was asking for water. He charmed all the nurses, especially his last one, Joni ("Were you named for Joni Mitchell?" - which yes, she was). We waited with him for a little while and then, since they were getting ready to move him for the night, we brought up the bag he had packed with his robe and slippers, and waited for him in his new room. More waiting, a room change, and a bit of confusion later, he was set up.

It was a very long day, but everything went as we had hoped. Almost without exception, the MSK staff - especially the nurses - were thoughtful, kind, and very helpful. That made all the difference.

We will write again soon.