The Calm after the Storm

Dave called around 12:30 this morning to say that he was standing on New York soil, I breathed an audible sigh of relief.

As many of you have heard me say, this surgery was supposed to be a piece of cake. It was going to be a 1-hour surgery, a 3-day trip, I had confirmed with Dr. Waner's office, "yes, brief surgery, in and out ... 3 days". Based on all this I had come to be somewhat at peace with not being able to make the trip with them. I, my friends, am a complete idiot. I know with Dr. Waner to expect the unexpected. If he says 3 hours then expect 5, if surgery is scheduled for 10 a.m. expect 2 p.m., if he says just a nip here and a tuck there expect major surgery. Today was no different. Dave and Josie were at the hospital for an 11:30 surgery and they went in at 2 p.m. Instead of a simple 1-hour surgery she was in there for 4 hours. Instead of being in New York for 3 days they are going to be there for 6.

After seeing Josie this morning Dr. Waner and Dr. O decided it would be best to work on the apple of Josie's cheek and under her eye by going through an incision along the bottom of her lower eye-lid. They also tightened the sling that basically gives her a "facelift". She had this procedure done at her July surgery but they decided her mouth needed to be raised a little more. They also decided to work on her lower lip and upper lip and removed a "mass" inside her mouth. She has two drain tubes (yes, you read that correctly, T-W-O), one by her eye (as you can see in the picture above) and the other under her chin.

Now please do not mistake any of this post as me being upset with the doctors for changing plans, I trust their judgement completely and they absolutely have her best interest at heart. I am not upset that the travel plans were so messed up, everything happens as it should, flights can be changed. I am simply upset with myself for being so naive and believing that things would go so smooth and that the surgery would be simple. Mark my words, if I can help it, I will never miss another surgery. Big or small. Dave is doing a beautiful, amazing, perfect job by her side. He is the calm in any storm and he is what she needs. It is just absolute agony for me to not be there with them, holding Josie's hand and whispering I love you to her. It's my physical need as a mother to be there.

Despite my longing to be there the chaos of the last two days has ended on a positive note. Dr. O said Josie's surgery went well and Dave commented that she really looks good. I'm praying that when tomorrow comes she isn't as swollen as I expect her to be and that the rest of this trip carries out smoothly for them.

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