Day-of-Surgery Waiting Room

Arriving for the 5:30 am day of surgery check-in allows the opportunity to pick the best seats in the Day-of-Surgery Waiting room. It was so early the doors were even locked. A guard saw us, and came down the hall to open the doors. Jessica and I chose a small table to set up our computers, and his parents, Erma and Pilate Fyffe, chose a larger area nearby with a TV. Small packs of coffee and tea sat in a container, and the sink had a special spigot for hot tap water for the drinks. We signed a sheet to let the receptionist know where to find us, even though she wasn't due in until about 8:30 am. With the surgery at 7:15 am, we would wait without her.

Pilate and Erma made themselves comfortable with the Animal Planet channel on the TV while Jessica and I joined Keith for about an hour while they got him ready for surgery. Mary took his vitals, and a man named Vern took him to a staging area for his IV and the retaking of vitals. Christy came in to prep him for the anesthesiology, and promised she would be right at his head during the whole surgery. The anesthesiologist stopped by, and another man named Greg that said he would be with him in recovery. Then, before we knew it, he was whisked away. Jessica and I left at the same time, walking past Vern as he was coming in to the staging area with someone else headed for surgery.

Jess and I returned to the Day-of-Surgery waiting area, which had by now filled up with other families. We opened our laptops and Jess worked on homework, and I organized some notes. We were glad we had been there early enough to claim a comfortable spot. And we waited, clicking away on our keyboards, with one eye on the clock. Occasionally a doctor would come into the Day-of-Surgery Waiting Room in green scrubs still wearing blue booties. They passed us by with the receptionist leading them to someone else. We would return to our work, click away at the computer keys, and try to pass the time wisely.

We were blessed with good news. Then a doctor in the green scrubs with blue booties arrived again, and the receptionist led him to us! Keith's parents left the Animal Planet in the small waiting booth next to ours, and we listed to the doctors together.

Three hours later the surgery was over, and had been successful. We hadn't drank any of the coffee of tea provided in the corner, and had stayed busy with things on our computers. We were sent to a different waiting room, and waited there during the recovery room period. Friends stopped by and waited with us, making the time easier.

Keith is home now, tucked safely under the covers resting. He is weary of surgeries, but as this one goes, he has fared well. Surrounded by a host of heavenly power from the prayers going up on his behalf he rested in the safety net of God's care.

Yes, It was a good day in the Day-of-Surgery waiting room.

love,

Aunt Betty