ICU

It's 3 hours since surgery ended and 2 hours since Rosie woke up in the ICU. I've been sitting with her since then. Peter and the girls popped in at the beginning then left us to it since she was in no state for partying. She's finally nodded off and is resting comfortably after a couple of hours of pain and discomfort. They have to be careful with the pain meds, not too much too fast.



It's hard to see her in pain so I'm
glad she's managed to have a little snooze now. At first, she was quite upset when she couldn't remember words and dates and had trouble speaking properly but that is all apparently normal and the last time the nurse did her half-hourly testing she was much more lucid and the pain is diminishing.

All done!

Michael Morgan just came out and told Peter and me that he's happy with how it went, that he's pretty confident he's removed all of the AVM (that will be verified by angiogram next Monday), that he thinks he hasn't disturbed the rest of the thalamus unduly and that Rosie should be awake in about an hour. Amazing!

Location:ICU

The Big Day

6:00am Rosie had already had her pre-op shower with special antiseptic soap and was all dressed up ready to go complete with compression socks. 6:45 Jessye and Sophie came over and we played cards, up the river, down the river.
7:15 Dr Gleeson, Rosie's anaesthetist, popped in to introduce himself.
7:30 Miika, one of Michael Morgan's 2 neurosurgical fellows, from Finland, popped in with a few others to say hi. He will be in on the surgery.




7:45 Finally, we're on the move down the the 1st floor operating suite.



We all go down and wait with Rosie.



I'm inspired by her serenity and calm but enquiring acceptance of everything.



8:00 Jessye and Sophie say au revoir and I put on theatre gear to accompany Rosie into the OR where she would go to sleep. Firstly, Dr Gleeson gave her a relaxing drug, which only served to confuse her because she started feeling weird and asked if this was the anesthetic. He said no, it was just to relax her and she said "why?". He didn't realise that Rosie is no normal patient. She would have been absolutely fine to go into the OR in her normal state.



I was allowed to go right into the OR where they moved her onto the operating table where she was eventually given the anaesthetic. She asked Dr Gleeson again why she had to have the relaxing drug and he said "because it's scary coming in here". Obviously, to Rosie the relaxing drug was causing more consternation than entering the OR!



It is a beautiful room with screens and nice new machines. Dr Gleeson and some other dude were sitting at their computers doing their sums - another day at the office.



Rosie's brain was already up on the various screens in the room. I recognized it without having to see her name next to it, having seen plenty of these scans over the years. A nice nurse saw me taking photos and told me I wasn't allowed to. But I managed a few first.



8:20 Rosie went to sleep and I left her in those very capable hands.
Now for some breakfast at Travelodge.

Location:Ward to OR