willandadri.com

So as you may notice I am jumping around in the time frame a bit.  I decided to post smaller topic specific entries so they can be digested by the reader in smaller more meaningful chunks.  This will also help me work with my ADHD and ensure that I do not forget to post something important to me because my mind wandered off on a tangent as I changed topics.  You will also notice a common theme in most of my postings.  My emotional journey was very diverse and my mood could change quickly for no apparent reason.  Many people will feel this way and it is completely normal for what you are going through, I just tried to make sure I allowed myself to accept and experience these feelings instead of bottling them up.

So the day before surgery arrived and was met with both excitement and anxiety.  I was sad because we were leaving the beach and I knew I would not be returning until September.  I was excited because we were going to pick up Lori at the airport in the evening and it is always a blast visiting with her.  I also felt anxious because it seemed time was slipping through my fingers so fast.  I still didn’t really know what to expect for recovery from the surgery but it seemed as if each step we took (leaving the beach, calling the surgery hotline, picking up Lori at the airport) seemed to happen at a steadily accelerating pace propelling me towards the dreaded surgery as time passed in a blur with events happening merely in my peripheral vision.  I started to panic feeling as if I was not ready and not prepared but surgery was looming ever closer on the horizon and there was nothing I could do to make the situation any better.  I tried to simply hold on tight, keep all the pieces together, and not fall off the ride as we zoomed right along.

Shortly before I was to call the Duke hotline they called me.  I was requested to arrive at 12:30pm the next day to check in for surgery. While I felt very relieved to finally know when the surgery would be taking place, my anxiety level also increased as the whole experience was made more real.  We distracted ourselves by sending updates via telephone, Facebook, and email to notify friends and family of when the surgery was anticipated to start.  I then got online to look up Lori’s flight information and received a text message from her saying she was delayed just as I saw the delayed status online.  Her flight leaving Chicago was delayed and she was stuck on the tarmac at Detroit waiting for them to find another pilot as the primary pilot called out sick with the flu. I called the Pit and explained our situation and they were kind enough to allow us to bump our reservation back by 45 minutes even though their website said there were no more reservations available for that day.  We left and picked up Lori at the airport before continuing on to the Pit for a fabulous dinner.  More sadness set in once we were seated as I realized this was my last meal before surgery.  They were out of the beer I had wanted to try but I was able to select a 2nd one with no problem.  They also told me they were out of the meatloaf that I finally decided to try after eying it the past few times we came to the Pit but after I gave him the evil eye the waiter said he would go check and returned with good news.  We enjoyed our dinner and catching up and just being in this moment of normalcy before the unknown began.  Once we returned home it was time to take a shower using my own shampoo and some special anti-bacterial sponge provided by the hospital.  After the shower it was past midnight so I was no longer allowed to eat or drink anything and went to bed knowing I needed the rest but wishing that sleep wouldn’t make the next day come so soon.