The Heart - An Unexpected Journey {Part 4}

Today is Wednesday, December 4. Yesterday I got to the hospital at about 8:45 a.m. and Bryan greeted me with "I guess I'm going home today." Whoa! All of his Doctors and nurses were just in awe of the fact that an open heart redo was ready to go home just 3 and 1/2 days after his surgery. So at 2:30 p.m. we loaded him into my car and I began the drive home. I never realized how bumpy roads are until I was trying not to jostle him...they are bumpy!! But we got home and got him settled into his recliner in front of the fireplace.

He told me this morning that he slept much better here at home than he had at the hospital. 

I have to just tell this story from the hospital. One of his cardiologists was in talking to him and said that his surgeon had said, "For awhile there during surgery I thought I was operating on Superman I had so much trouble getting through his chest bone." This was extremely funny to all of us in our family because the day before surgery Bryan had jokingly said to the girls "The hardest part of the whole thing will be trying to cut through my chest. They may have to call for extra blades." True story! So the next day I brought him his own talking Superman toy. The Drs loved it.

On the subject of all of his doctors....I tear up thinking about what they did for us and how they cared for Bryan. They were amazing. This may sound confusing to anyone not from Lincoln because the hospital is called Bryan Memorial Hospital and the Heart Team is called Bryan Heart. Appropriate! 

His surgeon, Dr. Oaks, had his 40th birthday the day after the surgery. He was extremely caring and stopped in to check on Bryan several times a day. Not to mention the amazing things he did with Bryan's heart. His cardiologist, Dr. Meckle was in and out all the time he was in there, checking and adjusting meds and making sure that every need was seen to. So much care. I never once wondered what was going on because they always had someone or they themselves came and explained stuff to us. On Monday Dr. Oaks came in and said "You COULD go home tomorrow but that would be world record healing from an open heart redo and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with how fast the turn around is. I've just never seen this!" It is amazing considering they had told us that he would be moved to a room from ICU on Monday...But then when Dr. Oaks came in yesterday he said, "I have run out of reasons to keep you and unless you want to stay, you are certainly ready to go home." I can't thank all of them enough. Every nurse, tech, aide etc. treated us with such kindness and care. 

We have to be very careful of colds and flu right now and also because of what was done we have to control salt intake for at least 2-3 weeks so that his heart doesn't have to work so hard to get his fluids out of his body. Also he can only drink 48 ounces of liquid a day for the next 2 -3 weeks. 

So we are home, by the fire, watching birds at the feeder, listening to Christmas music and being so grateful.