Not a Typical Day in the Office

Today was special in a different-from-the-norm kinda way. Not sure if I've mentioned working in a plastic surgical office and today I had the honor of being back in the operating room, holding my dad's hand while he has a minor procedure. Don't let the word "minor" fool you. I'm quite concerned and will be until the pathology report comes back as something that's not malignant.

A few weeks ago my mom mentioned a 'changing' lesion she spotted on my dad's back. It turned out to be two lesions, but we weren't telling him the original lesion had a twin. I insisted he be evaluated by one of our surgeons, Dr. G. as soon as possible and scheduled him for an appointment the following day. I had everything (meaning the surgery date and time) arranged prior to dad's arrival in the office including a surgery date for later that week. What I hadn't taken into consideration was the fact he takes an aspirin a day, which pushed the surgery date back two weeks for the blood-thinning effect of aspirin to get out of his system.

Dr. G assessed the area and reassured me, as much as he could, that he felt the lesion wasn't anything to be unnecessarily alarmed about. I sure do hope he's right on that assessment. Time will tell!

Dr. G. and, more importantly, my dad agreed I could observe the procedure. I didn't want my dad feeling uncomfortable with my presence nor having me see him in his skivvies.

My dad's a tough man who never moved, grimaced or blinked when a series of injections were made to his upper and lower back. Me, on the other hand, would have squirmed like a slippery eel.

Donned in the traditional blue scrubs, matching shoe covers, hat and surgical mask, I peeked across the operative field and watched the series of anesthetic injections. Next, I watched the scalpel outline the area to be excised and observed the tunneling beneath the lesion in order to separate it from surrounding tissues. This was followed by a multi-layer closure and some brown tape to protect and secure the ends of the sutures. He did great!

Medicine fascinates me. I absolutely LOVE being in the O.R. Could I be persuaded to change professions? We'll see!

Just Desserts!

"When the boss(es) are away ..........."

We mice decided to celebrate, toss our diets to the wind, forget the fact we work in a plastic surgical office and unanimously agreed to avoid THE scale. We named it Dessert Monday!

Our lunch table held a selection of goodies ranging from cookies, to brownies, to a lemon meringue pie. The more sugar and calories ---- the better.

Mine contribution was a recipe I stumbled upon recently and needed an excuse to make. It started with a simple devil's food cake mix to which I added a cup of miniature marshmallows and a bag of semi-sweet chocolate/caramel chips. Top that off with a mixture of butter, brown sugar and pecans. Pronounced (pĭ-kän', -kān', pē'kān) depending on your dialect. During a trip to Georgia with my best girlfriend, I discovered I'd saying it all wrong - all these years! LOL

The cake was a hit or, as my family would say, "It's a do-over".

With more days like that we will be considering Aerobic Wednesday and Jog-to-Work Fridays.

Where do We go from here?

Ed was discharged from the hospital Wednesday and has been released to return to work. Great news, right?

Well ... yes and no.

Being reassured the stents are working properly and Ed's heart is healthy enough for the rigors of his work in telecommunications is wonderful news. News he shared with his employer when he called them Thursday morning to turn in just a few sick days to cover his hospitalization and was told "we're sorry but you can't ..... we laid you off on Monday." That would be three days after his admission to the hospital and the day before his catheterization. Hello! Slap!

Can one be 'laid off"' without being told? There were no phone calls to his apartment, our home, nor to his cell phone. All phones are in perfect working condition. Trust me. Using the phone is like breathing for us. So, I ask again --- can one be laid off without notification? Can they DO that? What recourse, if any, do we have short of entering the unemployment system?

This, unfortunately, isn't our first time looking into a future filled with uncertainty. A few months shy of his 20 year work anniversary in the coal mines when "the call" came informing him there would be no more work because the mine closed due to ... you got it! --- economic constraints. I went back to work as a medical secretary and Ed went back to school. We lived on my meager part-time salary and his unemployment. Luckily for us, the day before his last check was to arrive, he began his career in telecommunications.

Now, it's a waiting game. Waiting for the unemployment checks to start and waiting for the economy to pick up in hopes his company's business will pick up so he can rejoin the work force.

Sigh.....

He's Home!

After five days in the hospital, four of which had practically no intervention whatsoever, Ed was discharged today. He was admitted to CMMC early Friday afternoon to revaluate recent changes on his EKG and promptly put in a holding pattern until Monday which turned into Tuesday due to a scheduling conflict (overbooking) in the Cath. Lab (Heaven forbid any surgeon would have worked after 3 p.m. on Friday or *gasp* consider weekend duty!) for a heart catheterization. This is Ed's fourth since his first heart attack diagnosed several years ago.

I remember, fondly, a morning when he laid bed hooked up to more hospital whistles and bells than you can imagine and asked, "What day is it"? "It's Tuesday." I said. He smiled as much as one can with chest tubes, catheter, oxygen, IVs, drains and a lot of pain killers on board and whispered, "It's 6/6/06". This was the day after his quadruple bypass. There had only been one small setback in the interim until this Friday, Feb 29. I'm sure leap year played no role in this recent event.

Now yesterday, what should have been an hour procedure turned into two and one-half when the surgeon discovered one bypass totally blocked. This necessitated locating to the originally blocked artery, reopening it, and inserting three stents to the narrowed areas to get an adequate blood supply re-established. Collaterals only do so much.

The cardiologist said Ed's "at the mercy of his genes" as both parents died in their mid-50's from heart related conditions. Factor in the fact he grew up in a home with chain-smoking parents plus having almost 20 years service working in a coal mine. All of which are taxing on the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

I will be watching his diet more closely (if that's possible?) and made him promise to exercise on a more regular basis. As an added incentive he has a very important event this August. He will be walking our daughter down the aisle.

Each day is a gift and a blessing. We take nothing for granted.

They're Back!

I do no like bugs in any way, shape or form. In fact, I hate them!

A few years ago ladybugs (adorable and harmless to some --- but not to me) moved into the trim around my bathroom window. At least that where I think??? they took up residence. They, evidently, enjoyed their stay enough (those I didn't capture, swat, stomp or flush ... that is) to invite their grandparents, aunt, uncles and cousins. They, basically, took over the solitary bathroom window. The little goobers!

I tried squashing them between the frame and tile by pounding my fist on the trim and watching with glee, I might add, when their dead little carcasses dropped to the floor and I swept them up. I also spraying pesticides around the trim both inside and outside the window and watched more of the deceased drop to the floor. They were also promptly put in the trash. I was positive that would be the end of them. Nope, no such luck. Oh sure, they disappeared for a few months but now that warm weather blesses Pennsylvania on rare occasions they're ..... back.

A most colorful flyswatter now resides in the bathroom and when an offensive little ladybug dares makes an appearance I merely scoop it up and deposit it in the toilet. I quit swatting them because cleaning their smelly, staining yellow gunk off the walls is time consuming. Instead, I've made each and every one of these intruders a deal that salvation is theirs IF they can survive the swirling vortex and rushing downpour of water when I hit the toilet handle.

That's fair, right?

ps --- Sorry Carol, no offense intended.