Registered Guns

It's about a quarter till eleven at the end of a taxing day. As has been mentioned in this space a couple of times, Carol had her surgery today.

Up at 7, breakfast, look at available Geocaches, get things ready and out the door at 9:15 for a 10am prep for surgery.

Hurry up and wait.

Registered, paid the up-front money, took a seat and waited. Forty five minutes after 10, we got to the prep room and waited some more. Surgery was scheduled at noon. Noon came and went. Finally, the doctors came in at around 1:30 to get the ball rolling.

Hurry up and wait.

I went back to the waiting room to be with my mother-in-law and Carol's daughters, went down to lunch, came back and was joined by Carol's Cursillo sponsor, Cathy Apple. And we waited.

Finally at about 3:30 or so, Carol's Oncologist came in to tell us that her part of the operation was complete (and successful) and that the plastic surgeon was doing her job.

A few phone calls and I had to step outside to find the Geocaches I had planned to find prior to getting out of the house in the morning. Then we waited some more.

Got a phone call from the operating room at around 5:15 or so - Still a going with about another hour to go. Finally, the plastic surgeon appeared at about 6:30. The operation was a success. The implants were in and Carol was on her way to recovery. And by the bye, says the surgeon, the patient asked for something a little larger than what she walked in with. Oh, and here. This is hers. The doctor then hands me a card.

Evidently, saline implants are registered, sort of like contact lenses. With serial numbers and placement and bar codes. I mean, this is too good to make up! To be on the edge of being crude, my wife now has a pair of registered guns!

But I digress.

Anyhoo, the four of us went to get something to eat (couldn't be in recovery) and came back just as Carol had gotten in her room for the night. She was still groggy from the anesthesia, uncomfortable and sore. She was aware of her situation and was slowly coming to the point where she could smile and put on her brave face.

I want to thank all of you who have prayed for Carol, especially today. Yes, the Jewish prayers worked, too. Particularly appreciated were the church communities of St. Peter's Episcopal in McKinney, St. Paul's Episcopal in Chillicothe, the greater Episcopal Cursillo community, members of the Emmaus community both here and in Ohio, and various other churches where the people we know go to worship in their own way.

Past my bed time. Need to get some rest. Right now I am in awe of the woman in room 702 at Baylor in Plano. The lovely Miss Carol has had a rough day of it, but she is showing the same grit and determination that others like her have shown and others will show. She is and is going to be a survivor.

And I love her with all of my heart... registered guns and all!

Be Seeing You!