“The patient is doing well.” (Part 1 of 2)

Deirdre’s surgery began April 2 at approximately 1:45 PM and ended at 11:47 PM.  I used to think that was a shitty day at work but for the men and women in OR505, it was everything.  The girls and I received occasional status updates via text but it was not until 9:05 PM that we received the first positive news:

Our spirits lifted and we waited.  That same night on April 3 at 12:15 AM Dr. Errol Bush walked into the family lounge, sat down with us and with a sense of ease explained to us how pleased he was with her procedure. I attempted heaps of praise but he quickly deflected highlighting the team and anything else he could think of. Our conversation lasted 20 minutes with us discussing the upcoming NCAA Final Four weekend. 

I was able to visit Deirdre in the ICU at 1:15 AM and as you could imagine, the room was buzzing with activity. I was provided an opportunity to touch her and, although I knew Deirdre to still be heavily sedated from surgery, expressed my feelings for her (more to come on that!)  I received a brief update from attending nurses and physicians and went to a local hotel for some rest.

At 8:00 AM the doctor rounds began and we received the medical playbook for Day One. Deirdre was still sedated and pretty much out of it but responsive to questions and squeezing fingers etc. We hated to see her that way but it was day one of her next journey. As she slowly came to, pain and discomfort was considerable but the miracle of pain meds kicked in and she rated her pain level as 5 out of 10. Thank God the pain med “clicker” has a governor.


 

Comments

  1. FletcherApril 11, 2025 at 9:21 AM

    Hey there my friend....Steve Fletcher here....I ran into Brian and Scott McConkey the other night and Scott had told me all that had gone on with your condition...I was speechless....I just wanted to let you know that I have been thinking about you and hope your recovery stays positive and you can get back to your life sooner than later....take care and I will keep in touch through this blog and with Brian....please take care and remember we love you. :-)

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