Jim called at 7. Dr. Yerkes was in and said time frame for the scope and possible surgery to take care of the blocked bowel is mid morning or first thing in the afternoon. Jim and I think that might be around 10 a.m. or 1 p.m.
I arrived at Jim's room at 9 a.m., Pastor Dan and Lily shortly before 10. Tentative hour for procedure changed to 11 a.m., but 11 o'clock came and went, with no sign or word from anyone in OR.
At 1:30 p.m., Jim was taken to pre-op on 5th floor and by 2 p.m. was heading to the Operating Room. That was the last I saw of him until 7:25 p.m., when he was brought back into his room on 4th floor. I learned he was taken to recovery at 5:40 p.m.
Someone from his team of doctors was to come talk to me and/or us about the procedure, but that didn't happen, so I cannot tell you exacts. I am hoping tomorrow morning I will have answers. I had heard the OR was a busy place today and Jim said the recovery area was filled.
When he came back into the room, good signs were he was alert and able to move from the bed surgery personnel brought him in on to the one in his room. He was glad to see me. The UIHC doesn't let families into recovery.
The J-tube has been removed, which he was glad about. The NG tube in his nose remains, but perhaps that too will come out in a few days. Also he is still under NPO orders (Nothing By Mouth). Can't be on that forever, or he'll weigh nothing. His nurse gave him a pain shot and anti-nausea medicine.
Among things he said he was looking forward to:
May the Light of Jesus
guide us
our feet
our hands
our mouths
into the way
of His Peace
I arrived at Jim's room at 9 a.m., Pastor Dan and Lily shortly before 10. Tentative hour for procedure changed to 11 a.m., but 11 o'clock came and went, with no sign or word from anyone in OR.
At 1:30 p.m., Jim was taken to pre-op on 5th floor and by 2 p.m. was heading to the Operating Room. That was the last I saw of him until 7:25 p.m., when he was brought back into his room on 4th floor. I learned he was taken to recovery at 5:40 p.m.
Someone from his team of doctors was to come talk to me and/or us about the procedure, but that didn't happen, so I cannot tell you exacts. I am hoping tomorrow morning I will have answers. I had heard the OR was a busy place today and Jim said the recovery area was filled.
When he came back into the room, good signs were he was alert and able to move from the bed surgery personnel brought him in on to the one in his room. He was glad to see me. The UIHC doesn't let families into recovery.
The J-tube has been removed, which he was glad about. The NG tube in his nose remains, but perhaps that too will come out in a few days. Also he is still under NPO orders (Nothing By Mouth). Can't be on that forever, or he'll weigh nothing. His nurse gave him a pain shot and anti-nausea medicine.
Among things he said he was looking forward to:
- sleeping in his own bed and sitting in his recliner
- not having the IV pole
- being able to get up to answer the door without the IV pole falling over
- not having to cart nutrition stuff in a backpack everywhere
I did a lot of sitting. I was eating lunch when Lorraine came by and we had a nice visit. Many called, but I had no answers.
I did my morning Bible study today at 5 p.m. The verse, from Luke 1:79, says, "To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To guide our feed into the way of peace."
This is what I wrote, a prayer ...
May the Light of Jesus
guide us
our feet
our hands
our mouths
into the way
of His Peace
We cannot
be led
unless we are
focused
We cannot
be focused
unless it is
in Him
with Him
of Him
we believe
with our
every breath
and fiber
all He
proclaims
be led
unless we are
focused
We cannot
be focused
unless it is
in Him
with Him
of Him
we believe
with our
every breath
and fiber
all He
proclaims
May the Light of Jesus
remove
the dark intrusions
that settle
on our bones
into our eyes
out of our mouths
May His Light
revive us
renew us
restore us
refine us
redefine us
May His Love
become our Love
His gentleness
His kindness
His Patience
all become ours
remove
the dark intrusions
that settle
on our bones
into our eyes
out of our mouths
May His Light
revive us
renew us
restore us
refine us
redefine us
May His Love
become our Love
His gentleness
His kindness
His Patience
all become ours
May His Truth
be shared
May His blessings
surrond us
transform us
through every trial
we face
be shared
May His blessings
surrond us
transform us
through every trial
we face
May His glory --
the Light
of our Lord
and Savior
Jesus
forever shine
May we be
partakers
of that Light
and through our lives
lived
pass on
that Light
of His
to another
and another.
the Light
of our Lord
and Savior
Jesus
forever shine
May we be
partakers
of that Light
and through our lives
lived
pass on
that Light
of His
to another
and another.
(c) Cathy Orrick Luders
I left the hospital at 8:45 p.m., stopped at McDonalds for a fish sandwich, and headed homeward. Within 15 minutes I was near the North Liberty exit and the wind picked up and the rainstorms followed. It was not a good place to be caught in. Traffic slowed to a crawl and most of us put our emergency flashers on, often stopping alongside the interstate, under bridge overpasses for a brief respite. What is normally a 30-40 minute drive home, took an hour and 15 minutes. I talked to Jim during my stopping periods and he called once to tell me to take the 32nd street exit, not 42nd Street NE as it was flooded. I was glad when I arrived home.
