Part 2 ended with me being called to a consultation with Fred’s heart surgeon after the operation.
I waited and waited for Dr. Koprivanac to arrive, but one family after another was ushered past me to meet with their respective surgeons while I sat, trying to stay calm and be patient.
Dr. K finally rushed in, apologizing for making me wait, and gave me the good news: the surgery had been successful, and Fred was doing well. Relief washed over me. I could breathe again!
The sketch above is what I saw when I first visited Fred in the cardiac intensive care unit. He was hooked up to more tubes and wires than I could count. There was a breathing tube forcing air into his lungs, so he couldn’t talk, but he was awake and alert. The look of panic in his eyes was gut-wrenching, like he wanted to say, “Get this thing out of my throat!” There were nurses bustling all around him, and they reassured me that the best thing for him was to rest. I squeezed his hand and talked to him for a few minutes then got out of the way and retreated to my station in the waiting room.
He was doing much better by evening. The worst was over. We had survived Day 1!
He would remain in the cardiac ICU for another day …
When I got that message, I leapt to my feet, rushed through the doors of the ICU, and hurried to Fred’s room.
His nurses were there, assessing the situation, calmly assuring him that it would be okay, and helping to manage his pain. Within minutes, the meds did their work, and he relaxed and was able to breathe more comfortably.
A few hours later, he was out of bed and walking!
Isn’t it amazing that one day after undergoing major open-heart surgery, he was cruising the corridors of the ICU?
Coming tomorrow: Part 4 – days of resting, waiting, and healing.
21 Comments
So thankful for Fred’s recovery! You guys make a great team.
Thanks, Laura. We’re very thankful, too. He hasn’t had any complications so far.
Dear Leslie,
My heart goes out to you and Fred…and for his full recovery.
It’s much too soon to think about this, but the material you have already gathered could be very helpful as a small book for patients and their families in prep for heart surgeries.
Big hugs to you both!
Cheryl Taylor
I know, I’ve thought about that. I do plan to self-publish it just for fun. My family all wants a copy of it, and, of course, Fred!
So glad surgery was a success! Love your documenting this hard journey❤️❤️
Sketching helped to keep me on an even keel throughout it all.
What a wonderful way to document the ups and downs. This is inspiring to read that he’s doing so well. Prayers for more epic successes on the healing front.
Thanks, Jeanne. He’s following the protocol and doing his exercises every day and going for short walks. Slowly but surely, he’s getting stronger. The best part of the recovery process for him is that he has permission to nap. 🙂
Having been an icu nurse for years, our specialty is care for your loved onedepute the tentacles of tubes.
God bless you for doing that high stress job for a living. I couldn’t believe that the nurse to patient ratio in the cardiac ICU at Cleveland Clinic was 1 to 1. The two nurses who took care of Fred were only responsible for him and one other patient. That resulted in an excellent standard of care.
I am so amazed that you were able to capture so many details in your paintings with so little time spent in each setting. You are amazing! So happy to hear that your husband is on the mend. I grew up in Pittsburgh, worked in Washington County, so your posts always interest me when you talk about your hometown.
Hi Nancy – I wasn’t able to finish everything while I was at the hospital, but I got it all drawn and partially painted during our stay in Cleveland. And I put in all the journaling. Some of the painting was finished later at home. And a few of the titles. It took me about two weeks to finish it all up after we were back in PA, but I was also getting ready for Christmas. It was a very busy few weeks!
Leslie,
We live in an amazing medical world. I have such gratitude and admiration for all the doctors and nurses, they are so dedicated and work endlessly. The ICU nurses become your angels, you depend on their input and care. It is so hard to watch your loved one go through all the pain and stress and do your best to keep positive, it’s exhausting. Life becomes so precious and you thank God for every day you have together. Life changes. Thanks for sharing your journey and may Fred continue to heal.
You’re so right about the exhausting part. My journal may make it sound like we breezed through this experience for the most part, but, in reality, I was dead tired at the end of each day and fell into bed exhausted. The night after Fred’s surgery, I think I slept ten hours because I was so completely wrung out. It was the mental turmoil and uncertainty more than any physical stress to my system.
Thank you for reading and commenting, Patricia – it’s good to connect with and support each other.
So beautifully created. As heart surgeries affect all of us involved you have covered this very deeply emotional experience beautifully. I believe the additional info about your exhaustion and sleep and the time you spent adding to this sketchbook would be additive too. Prayers continue for Fred and you! Sending love too
Thanks, Connie. We appreciate it.
I lived the details of your drawings. I especially liked those of Fred . You did an awesome job! I had wondered how things were going so I appreciate your sharing your story and so grateful that he is recovering so well!
I still struggle with drawing people, especially when I’m inking the faces. One little dot of ink can change the entire expression! But with this journal, I tried not to fuss and worry about getting everything just so. That wasn’t the point of it at all, and in the end, I’m satisfied with how it turned out.
Hope Fred continues to heal. Amazing posts and such an inspiration to all of us to find that one thing like sketching that can keep us calm and grounded during trying times. Thank you for sharing.
Celia
I’m very grateful for it. I don’t know how I would have gotten through (and kept my sanity) without it.
Thanks for taking the time to ready and follow along. I’ve enjoyed writing about this journey we’re on, and it’s nice to know that my readers have connected with my story. So many of us have been through this. I know we’re not unique.