Recovery Period

Michael spent Wednesday night in the hospital. Once he was in his room at about 8:30 p.m. I was allowed to come see him. His post-surgical pain was under control through medications. More importantly, he was already noticing that the nerve pain in his arm had greatly diminished. To our surprise, Dr. Farrokhi came in to check on him around 9:30 after completing another surgery. We weren't the only ones having a long day! After that, Michael swiftly progressed from juice and water to hot cereal, and was ready to sleep a little. I took a break at our hotel for an hour or so. When I returned to the hospital, the nursing staff brought me bedding and pillows and showed me how to open out the nifty visitor's chair into a cot.

By about 4 a.m. we were touring the ward in between naps. Doing laps in the hallway helped Michael shake the anesthesia and start getting his body functions back in order. In the morning he was assessed by another doctor doing rounds and more or less cleared to leave. What with one thing and another, he didn't actually check out until 4 p.m. Having a full day of post-operative medications, meals, and vital-sign monitoring in the hospital did not seem excessive to me. Considering that his post-operative plan calls for no more than 10 minute walks for a few days, I also appreciated having the hospital staff wheel him out of the hospital, across the street, and to the door of our room at the Baroness.

With Michael settled into our room, my friend Stephanie scooped me up for a brief outing: REI and World Wraps, which we brought back to the hotel for dinner. Michael spent the evening catching up on the Daily Show online.

Our current routine is very familiar: medications to track, broken sleep, periods of time in which things seem nearly normal (in an extremely sedentary way), and setbacks (usually at night) when pain and exhaustion dominate. We are acutely aware that Michael's spine is compromised and will require ongoing mindfulness and care, not just during the 6-month recovery period, but always. The big difference is that there is a very good chance (80-90%) that the impingement on the nerve has been relieved sufficiently that Michael will not be in chronic pain for the long term. If the situation is not resolved to a comfortable level by the 6-month mark, spinal fusion is still an option.

After a follow-up appointment with Dr. Farrokhi on Friday morning, Michael would like to return home. I have not yet made reservations because change fees apply each time we alter our plans. This is both a practical fact and a metaphor. If I've learned nothing else from this experience, I am beginning to limit my investment in a specific course of action. Things change when they change, and life is a lot easier when I don’t have to shed so many expectations before I can adapt.