At 5:25pm, they wheeled her back for a simple two and a half hour surgery. I text several people letting them know that they have taken back and surgery will be over soon. Mike's sister told me to go eat, mostly because it will take a lot of time from the waiting, but I also went because I was told by a good friend that I need to keep my strength up too. I knew this would be true because I am a terrible nurse. I can not help but get weak when people tell me of their injuries or surgeries in great detail. Not a good thing for me. I was worried about how I strong I would be for Allie.
A nurse showed us the way to the waiting room. When we got there, the receptionist there said, "I have been waiting for you for a long time. You must be the Fox family."
I asked her if we were last and she said that we were. She told me that her shift ended at 7pm and that when the surgery was over someone would come out to talk to us. I told her we were going down to eat and she asked for my cell number. They don't give you beepers there. It is logical, because almost everyone has a cell number. So, Michael left and Mom, Dad, Mike, Timm and me went down to the cafeteria for supper. I ate and was anxious to get back up to that waiting room. There were several tvs on and one by one, families were called back to recovery and into the little rooms for consultations with doctors. Soon it was just us and another family. Soon it was just us. Soon, the receptionist left and told us that when it was our turn to go back, just go through these doors and follow the fish on the floor. She also told us that if the phone rang, to answer it. It would probably be for us anyway.
At eight, it was 2.5 hours. I commented on that, and Timm told me to call back there. I said I would wait a few more minutes. By this time, Timm and Mom were watching NCIS, Dad was doing a puzzle book, and Mike was watching me. I was pacing. I had been standing most of the day and couldn't still. At 8:15, I finally couldn't take it and called back. Someone answered and I asked about Allie and what was going on. The person told me she would find out and call me back. When she did, she said that the doctor was just taking out the gall bladder and would come talk to us after he closed up. That satisfied me for a few. I was texting a few people and that helped too.
At 8:45, a nurse came out and said that the doctor was on his way to see us. She showed us to a little room. There was three chairs and all of us packed in. The doctor came in carrying a specimen cup. He shook everyone's hand and he sat in one of the three chairs. As told us that Allie did really good and that he wanted us to see this. This, was her gall bladder and the stones. He held the cup up and all you saw was white pebbles in pink water. They covered the bottom and pushed against the sides. He unscrewed the top and picked up tweezers and pulled out the gall bladder. He said "This is highly unusual for a child to have so many stones." The gall bladder looked like a squished tomato and stones were still coming out of it. Doctor picked around the stones and picked up several that were pea sized, as big as the end of Mike's pinky. No wonder Allie was in pain a lot of time. Timm asked if he could keep her gall bladder and the doctor looked at him and said, "No." The doctor also told us that because it was so infected and full, he had to make an extra incision. So instead of the regular four small cuts, she has a fifth one.
He said that everything was fine and that he would come see her in the morning. We all thanked him and he took his leave of us. We went back out to the waiting room and I was in tears. I just felt bad that she had to go through all that and that it was that bad for her and I was so tired. But I also knew that she would feel better and would be strong. Dad, Mike and I all made necessary calls. All were glad it was over. Mom and Dad took charge of Timm. Mike and I waited for a nurse to let us go back to see Allie.
Allie was awake in recovery, but kept her eyes closed. She talked to us a bit and when I started to tell her about her gall bladder, she told me that she didn't want to hear about it. She just wanted to sleep. The nurses with her said she was doing great and they showed us her incisions. I readied myself to look, but it wasn't so bad. The nurses did what they needed and got her ready to go to her room. It was a long walk to her room. We kept pace with the young lady who wheeled her bed, and helped when we could. But we made it.
The healing was beginning.
Jeremiah 17:14
Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed;
save me and I will be saved,
for you are the one I praise.
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