What matters most to you?

What matters most to you?  

My iPhone alarm scratched at me at 4:15am. I realized my Anne is just now rolling out of bed. Today started a little earlier than usual but not for work but for surgery. It’s so easy to not know how to practically show your heart, love and appreciation to the one person who has been there for you 44 years and counting! I’m a little reticent to be mushy but how do you reassure the one who is the love of your life that you are there for her and will wait for a couple hours to hear back from the doctor that the surgery is successful and recovery is now the main focus.

I chuckled as my Anne joked with each of the various nurses about her aversion to anesthesia and desire to suffer a little instead of being nauseous after her last surgery and her unfortunate reaction to Demerol. The jokes continued as the individual doing her vitals says she was only 4’9” and probably 20 pounds heavier. The attending nurse also chimed in that those stats typically aren’t close to being accurate. Yet, for some reason it mattered.

It’s so difficult on occasions like this to know how to really express your love to the ONE person who has made your life happen! Anne was escorted back to the preop area to get prepped. I waited for an hour with our older daughter who had taken the day off from work to be with her mom and me. As we were directed to this massive preop area with over 70 beds I was pleased to see my Anne making off the wall remarks with the nurse helping her get ready. I must confess that I was a little nervous understanding the serious of the procedure and the reality that her doctor was this hyperactive TYPE A guy that even his resident assistant agreed with a chuckle.

I was shocked when the buzzer started going wild after exactly an hour. We had been given the impression this was a two-hour procedure. I was thrilled to shake his hand, hear the good news and then review the pics that showed the before and after. Now it’s close to the home stretch. We went down to the cafeteria to get something to eat understanding it would take at least an hour for my Anne to wake up and be ready for visitors. After about 2 hours I was a little concerned and yes actually worried. So, when our buzzer went off again I was so excited to go back and see my delirious wife look at me.

I knew that anesthesia and my Anne didn’t mix well together at all. Yet, the issue, which I didn’t really get but made sense was that she had to have the ability to empty her bladder by a certain amount before she could go home. So now the game of drink a couple glasses of cold water started to unfold with frequent trips to see if there were any results. Ultimately, I hear the nurse, not Anne, scream YOU CAN GO HOME NOW! Yes, I could go get the car and she would be released from her hospital prison.

As we pulled away from the giant Hospital my Anne didn’t look any different than when she arrived at 5:30 am. Now the next couple of days would go in slow motion because she had to be careful with a variety of things such as dogs leaping on her to accidentally bumping into something. I was so pleased to see her home in our bed relaxed and in a deep sleep.

As the news blared about some Russia thing with Trump Jr. I was most relieved to know that my bestie had made it through with no complications and that our lives would continue.  The biggest headlines in my life fortunately aren’t on CNN or FOX!

I love you Anne with all my heart and soul!!