The Blog of mamapolo

Yesterday, both my husband's pulmonologist (the guy who likes shrimp) and the two doctors who work with his lung surgeon - one of them a very pretty, kind and brilliant woman with dark hair and dark eyes that say, "I really do care" - said they felt Tim was not only ready for, but would benefit from, a move from the ICU (where it is always the same time and the same day and no one is familiar, and it makes you crazy) to a step-down unit.

When I went in today, I found those orders were not written, and since it was Friday, I felt an intense pressure to make it happen, because otherwise it would likely not happen until Monday.

I spoke to the nurse, who looked puzzled. "We didn't get any orders," she said.

I said, "I know...but they DID say yesterday it should happen. Can we page them?"

She agreed to try. A few minutes later she came back and said, "Yes, they DID mean to write those orders. I have them now."

That was at 2 pm. In the meantime, the Medical/Surgery ICU began to shut down. Most everybody had gotten better and moved to step-down - except Tim and one other patient.

In the interests of economy, the hospital decided to close down the unit, move the one patient who still needed ICU into Cardiac ICU, and move Tim to step-down as soon as a bed became available.

Once we had the definite go ahead, I told my husband, who was again beginning to exhibit the frantic nervousness and attempts to remove vital IVs and various plugs -"Honey, I'm springing you - you're moving to a REGULAR room."

He beamed. "Really?" he mouthed.

"Really. We just have to wait for a room, and then we're gonna blow this popstand."

He was jubilant.

The hands on the clock dragged slowly around the dial.

He looked at me, and said, "I want to go."

"I know you do, and I want it, too. We're waiting for a bed."

It took forever and a day, because we also needed a full-time sitter to be with him when I couldn't - because nurses in non-ICU wards can't focus their entire attention on two patients. At last, at 10 pm (an eternity), it happened.

As they wheeled him out of the ICU, me trotting along beside, he pumped his scrawny thin fist in the air and grinned at me.

I hope none of you have to go through what we went through for that moment - but I hope all of you experience a moment like that in your relationships.

Up in the 'regular' room - with a window and a door and a TV he can control and set the volume where he wants. A return to some control of his environment.

Just like real people again.

I do not think life will be rosy completely, and we will not have setbacks. I have too much experience for that.

I DO think it is better, and he will heal faster, and come back to himself, and to me.

I DO think God has answered prayer on a scale that beggars any rewards obtainable on earth. A conservative assessment of the past three months would indicate that I should have been a widow on any one of a dozen occasions. Yet I still have a husband who kisses me and smiles.

I am deeply grateful to my Maker, and to my friends, for petitioning Him on our behalf.

Love and joy.

Mamapolo