I like cheese, but pickles make me puffy

Several years ago, John Boy and Billy (of The Big Show) would have callers go through the drive through at fast food places and say, "I like cheese, but pickles make me puffy."  Some of the responses by the person taking the order were hilarious!  Following John's surgery, he was a little puffy.  On the way home, I asked him if pickles made him puffy.  :)

What actually happened was he had fluid from the water they used to irrigate during his surgery, and it wasn't draining very quickly.

He went to surgery about 9:00.  One of the nurses estimated that the surgery would take about two hours.  After about 2 1/2 hours, I was starting to get antsy.  I hadn't heard anything, AND I had to potty.  I was afraid to go to the bathroom in case they called me, so I waited.  Finally about hour three, I got the call from the doctor (who was very easy on the eyes!)  Everything went perfectly.  Dr. Hartzog was able to repair everything arthroscopically.  He thought the lower tear would require an incision, but he was able to get it with the scope.  He also removed some spurs, so hopefully some of the other problems he's had with his shoulder for the last 19 years (plus...only 19 that I've been around for) won't bother him anymore.  Dr. H said John would be in recovery for 30-45 minutes, and then we'd be good to go.

I sat back down and sent out the necessary texts.  After 30 minutes, I began listening for "Vest family" but it didn't happen.  Not at 35 minutes, 40 minute, or 45 minutes.  Again, I started getting antsy.  All these questions started flooding my mind:  Why haven't they come to get me?  Has something gone wrong?  Is he not coming out from the anesthesia like he needs to?  Finally, after an hour and fiften minutes, the recovery nurse came to get me. 

When I first saw John, I could tell he wasn't feeling great, which was to be expected.  Katy had told me ask him if he wanted salad (family joke.)  He said he didn't, and then this is what he said to the nurse:  "This chest pain isn't getting any better."  WHAT?  CHEST PAIN?  IS HE HAVING A HEART ATTACK?  DO THEY KNOW HE HAS A FAMILY HISTORY IS HEART DISEASE AND STROKE?  All of those thoughts screamed through my mind in about two seconds.  MY heart began to pound.  I know my eyes were huge, and I'm quite certain I lost all color in my face.  The nurse looked at me and said, "Fluid."  And then she showed me and had me feel the area on his chest where the fluid was accumulating.  She said they had done an EKG just to make sure there was nothing going on (there wasn't.)

This seriously scared the living crap out of me.  For that brief moment, I was terrified that something horrible had happened or would happen.  After I realized everything was okay, I thought I was going to hit the floor, so I sat down.  That didn't really help, so I laid my head on my knees, and that didn't really help.  I ended up drinking most of the Pepsi they'd gotten for John and I took my cardigan (extremely light weight) off to cool down.  Once I did all that, and took many deep breaths, I finally got over my "spell."  Honestly, if this had been some random person, it would have never affected me like this.  I can handle blood and guts with the best of them, but when it comes to the people I love...uh uh.  I can't handle it at all!

We got home and I got John settled in before I went to drop off his prescriptions and to go to the grocery store, and then I had to stop back by the drug store.  I fixed him something to eat since he hadn't had anything since supper last night.  SO FAR he has done super well.  I am making sure he is taking his meds, keeping an ice pack on as directed, and doing his breathing "treatments."  He won't have to have PT until after he goes back to have his stitches taken out.  I know that won't be fun at all.

It's time to get the ice pack again, and he'll be ready for a pain pill soon, so I better go. 

Have a GREAT day tomorrow!