hospital post 4

i'm sure it's all to the good, but it is almost fearfully impressive how quickly ed has been roused up after this morning's surgery.  they got him a room on the surgery ward (happily, a single so he won't have people turning on tv), and in the process, he walked  down one hallway and across another to get to the new room.  so at the moment, he's been sitting up in a chair for about an hour (including the time he was walking to the new room), and is now eating a dinner of lasagna and green beans and cookies and peaches.  This seems so astoundingly fast to us both that we are inclined, for the moment at least, to believe in the wonders of modern medicine.

he has a morphine pump for pain, but his pain levels are pretty low and they expect, if the dinner tonight goes well, to switch him to oral pain meds tomorrow.  the nurses have been absolutely terrific.  as far as i can tell, they're running the place since, except for a 2 minute 'chat' with the surgeon, i haven't seen a doctor anywhere except on his way to the doctor's dining room.

i'm shortly about to get myself something to eat in the cafeteria downstairs.  i've sent corrine back to her home on whidbey island having determined that from here on out i could probably hold myself up.  all the thanks my heart can generate go to her; talk about being there in a time of need.  ed considers that he might be able to get some sleep tonight, although he probably will be awakened regularly for vital sign taking.  they've all been great, including the best blood pressure readings in years.  things could chnnge, suddenly still, of course, but it's all heading in the right direction right now.

outside the window of ed's room (a room that actually has a cot for me to sleep on if necessary) is the hospital's helicopter landing pad.  so far, no one has come by that route for his viewing pleasure.