My Dear Sally’s Heart
On Friday, 10/26/12, my beloved wife of 49 years was prepped to undergo a very difficult surgery to replace a valve in her heart. She lay, semi-consious, on the operating table as a host of personnel talked and assembled a forest of medical machinery all around her. Her arm was placed on an extended board so she could finally be “put-under” for her surgery that early morning. Suddenly a phone rang in the surgical room, the room fell silent and the medical machines were rolled away. She was informed that a man had suffered a near-fatal heart attach and needed immediate surgery to save his life. Sally’s surgery that day was not nearly so critical and it could wait till the next Monday.
Back in the waiting area for surgery, our let-down was as powerful as was our support of the dying man’s greater need for immediate surgery.
Sally was home that weekend to thrill at Notre Dame’s Victory over the University of Oklahoma. She attended the service to see her 14 year-old Grandson, Kelin, confirmed in the Lutheran Church. She revelled in the confirmation party at our her home for her proud grandson and our loved-ones who attended later that afternoon.
Her surgery happened on the following monday. The surgeon sawed through her breast bone and replaced the a valve in her heart. The surgery went very well and Sally was a very strong and brave patient.
When I first saw her in intensive recovery care she was asleep and covered with tubes and numerous other devices. I was stunned as she lay very still and looked to be close to death. The nurse assured me that this was ‘the way they all look when the came back from heart surgery”. When I saw her a few hours later, her breathing tube had been removed and she was awake and in indescribable pain. I was overwhelmed with feelings of fear and helplessness. Sally was then administered more morpheme and vicodin and she mercifully relaxed and peacefully drifted off to sleep.
I was called to her side several hours later and Sally was awake, relaxed, laughing and teasing with her wonderful attending nurse and I. I know that my dear Sally will have more painful trials during her extended rrecuperation, but the prognosis is now very good for her full recovery.
I cannot help but think about our fate were it one-hundred years ago, or even 50 years ago.
God’s Blessings of medical science and technology, and the people of medicine who saved my dear Sally’s life remain beyond my comprehension. Her children and other loved ones and I are more grateful than words can express.
VTM, 10/29/12
P.S. By the way, the man who nearly died from a heart attack and who bumped Sally from her surgery last Friday, is doing very well at this time. All will be well that ends well!