Cindy walking over a volcano in Hawaii NP. This is the way we feel - walking on a thin crust praying that it does not erupt into fire again.

Early Morning Report

She slept about 14 hours, only briefly waking for meds and RR.
The pain is at ZERO!
The druggy fog of her head is about 7.
Waiting for scans.

Mid Day Report

NO SCANS today. We got word that our insurance does not deem the situation an “emergency” therefore they will not approve them until Monday morning. Such a strange posture to take. If we go into the ER, which costs tons more, then we could force the situation, but due to the new meds and Cindy’s pain going down, now we don’t qualify for the scans. I imagine that the Red Tape will be such that they will not approve the scans on Monday because that will be too efficient, so maybe Tuesday but why do it on Tuesday when there are three more days left in the week?

Cindy and I discussed it (though she is very loopy and not qualified or allowed to make any important decisions) and decided to stay hunkered down here at the hotel. It is very comforting knowing that I can see the roof of the hospital in the distance. We are both so afraid that the pain might come rushing back that the cost of the hotel room is worth the stress of going home and then needing to rush back.

We have packed the bags so we can leave in an instant and head to the ER, but for now are holding our breath and tiptoeing around the room (if you are in pain they tell you to breathe instead of holding your breath and I’m not tiptoeing, but I am trying to be quiet which is like real work to me. My favorite line from the Three Stoogies is “You guys could make noise stuffing a mattress.” I am naturally loud).

Pain is still at ZERO. With enough pain medicine in the right configuration, Cindy has been able to achieve a state of peace and rest, but it is a shadowy existence right on the edge of sleep and not a long-term solution. We need to figure out if this pain is “normal” caused by the trauma of the surgery or if it is “abnormal” and some other situation has arisen, thus the scans.

We have been told lots of stories - some good, some bad, of complications with this surgery that have required further surgeries and we are praying that this is not our situation.