Outside perspective

Last Friday, Mary had a scheduled procedure to remove a ganglion cyst from her right index finger.  A ganglion cyst is also called a "Bible Bump" because a common cure used to be whacking it with a big book (almost everyone had a big Bible) but we could not bring ourselves to attempt this cure.  Dr. Hazle recommended a hand surgeon in his building, Dr. Marilee Mead.  Both Mary an I assumed it would be removed simply in a doctors office with local anesthesia so we were surprised to find out that it required a visit to the hospital and conscious sedation. 

We arrived at the hospital and checked in on the third floor discovered the receptionist had a volunteer trainee learning the ropes.  There was a funny moment as she escorted us to a different waiting room.  We were walking down a hallway and she belched out loud.  Mary, thinking it was me, shot a dirty look in my direction.  I returned my best, "It wasn't me it was her" look/shrug.  The trainee opted to pretend it hadn't happened at all.  It was only her second day so we cut her some slack.

So there at St. Mary's, Nurse Mary prepared my Mary for Dr. Marilee.  Kind of a theme there.

I found myself feeling a bit giddy being in the supportive role this time.  I was in a very familiar environment (the surgery was performed at the Lack's Center operating room) and all the waiting rooms, check-in personnel, forms and procedures were not at all foreign to me.  But this time I was the bystander to the  all of the pokes, weird dressing gowns and obligatory checklists of medical history.

The nurse inserted a slightly less than perfect I.V. (causing some bruising), we met the anesthesiologist who asured us that this operation would be much safer then getting into the car to drive to the hospital, and Mary got doped up with the first dose of the Versed before Dr. Mead entered the room to fill us in on the procedure.  She was a bit kooky (which I really like in a doctor). Mary was sleeping by the time they wheeled her out the door.

Mary was sleeping when they brought her back to the room about 40 minutes later.  She was roused and immediately asked the nurses who they liked for the Academy Awards. Apparently she had asked the same question in the O.R. and the consensus had been Daniel Day Lewis as Lincoln. Mary thought some of them surely would choose Bradley Cooper for Silver Linings Playbook.

Dr. Mead came in explained that the cyst had grown right through the middle of her tendon.  That was quite unusual as typically they would go to one side or the other.  Dr. Mead looked right at me and used a metaphor, "It went right between the fibers, you know, kind of like parting your hair". Suddenly she looked horrified and I realized that she was looking at my bald head and thinking that she had just committed a faux pas.  She was turning red and I found myself turning red too as I explained to her that I was familiar with the concept of parting hair.

All is healing up well now and Mary will have a cumbersome bandage for a week but on the bright side, she's finding that it gives her a very effective, "I have an idea" look.

Speaking of others who are currently suffering more than me, here is a follow-up on on my friend Bob Russell, who in my last post I told you about his esophageal cancer metastasizing to his brain, his current chemo regimen dispatching with his trademark beard, his daughter being diagnosed with cancer and his classic bed & breakfast inn on Mission Peninsula catching fire and destroying a big section of his home, business and belongings.  There was a community fundraiser to help him with expenses for some new off-insurance treatments and it was extremely successful.  He needed $3,000 and over $10,000 was raised.  Thanks to all those who contacted me to find out how they could contribute.

Bob and Sally at the concert fundraiser

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