So, I guess this would be on Saturday? The day after the accident? Wes was still all hooked up on the vent. Dr. Craig came in and introduced himself to us. He has a way of bringing ease and lightness to the situation. He sat and answered my questions in NON-MEDICAL speak. Just plain talked to us and joked around with us.
Dr. Craig asked the CCU (Critical Care Unit) nurse to untie Wes's hands and lower his sedation down. Wes and I both know the sign language alphabet so he was signing to me this whole time. He signed some questions to Dr. Craig though me. This was super frustrating to my poor sweet friend because I kept messing up A, S, G and H. He would sigh, drop his hand and start over. So spelling out a sentence took a bit of work for all parties involved. It also didn't help that I was huge, now swollen from standing up for 12+ hours, sleeping for 3- hours, having my husband just run over and having a baby kick my bladder.
Dr. Craig took Wes to surgery Saturday late morning and told us he would need anywhere between 3-6 hours. So Mom and I went home and Sat down for just a little while and got a call from the nurses. They said he was almost done and to tell us to go ahead and come back up. Dr. Craig came out and said Wes did great, and his face was in BAD shape. I remember him saying, "Well, I basically made him a lip out of nothing, and put tissue back together that was basically not there." Uh...what? He has so much tissue loss and was already having some necrotic tissue so it was hard work to get it all closed up. Basically you could stick your finger up through the floor of his mouth and out the hole under his lip. The bone in his bottom jaw was "exploded" (his words, not mine) so the floor of his mouth was now flat. In his jaw they placed 2 metal plates and screws. His braces actually saved some teeth, but the wreaked havoc on all his soft tissue. 300 or so stitches later, he was all closed up.
The vent tube was now out of his mouth and through his nose. He also had a tube going to his stomach so it wouldn't get all full of gas. After the surgery the pumped up his sedation and I just sat with him for a long while.
My poor momma had just had foot surgery and she had been with me this whole time and she FINALLY went home to rest with my dad and it was just Wes and I. I got so filled with emotion and joy. I felt so thankful that he was ok. I knew he would be ok for us, for our family. Our sweet baby would surely wait. My poor body was so tense there was no way she was coming any time soon. I finally went home to my moms around 12:30am and went back up to the hospital around 7:30 on Sunday morning. My dad went with me to give mom a chance to rest. Wes woke up when we got there, he and my dad both teared up and Wes' eyes lit up. He and my dad have an awesome relationship. My dad stood there and held Wes' still covered in Friday's dirt and blood hand. Not just oh, I'm holding your hand but like tightly. I got choked up about it.
Dr. Craig came in that afternoon and took the bandages off his face. Pardon my french but HOLY SHIT. How did he do magic in the operating room?! I saw he didn't have a lip...and now he does. He asked the nurses to take him off the ventilator because they were no longer concerned with his airway. This was one of the most intense things I have ever seen. They pulled a like 2 foot tube out of his nose. TWICE. Wes almost broke my freaking hand. Eyes watering, "THANK YOU." Wes managed to get out through a wired shut jaw. Dr. Craig wanted to get him down to a regular room and out of the CCU so that he could go home. A physical therapist came to see if he could walk. They took the compression boots off his legs, GAG. It smelled like the inside of a soccer bag he was so sweaty. haha My poor sweet husband, neck muscles shaking wildly but determination and strength pouring from him (as well as 3 days of hospital stink ;) ) He did some laps and they got him moved to a room downstairs.
My dad went to get him some boxers and shorts and a shirt. Wes was SO sweaty and had hospital stink all over him and he still had IVs in his arms so he stood in the shower and I washed him.
Before the surgery on Saturday
After surgery
about a bajillion stitches
neck laceration
cut on his elbow
to be continued:
1 comment:
Praise God is all I can say right now after reading all this. A year ago. Wow. I take a deep breath. I didn't cry ...yet. it is so amazing though. The way you handled it all so well. And how strong you were and are. Praise God! Now I have tears.
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