Continued Reflection Following Surgery

...WoW! That is incredible! The pain, I mean. One moment I found myself breathing into a mask in the operating room, listening to them tell me that this patch and that patch were cold. Then I was going to be out, and the next thing I know I am in recovery, writhing in pain. OK, maybe not really, but it seemed like it to me. Lucinda asked me the level of pain and told her 10, if that was high enough (I think I said that). The mask was still on my face. My feet were moving all over the place. She was talking to me. Explaining things to me. I didn't care. I was just confused and feeling bad. And I asked for my wife. I wanted her to hold my hand. I wanted to let her know that I loved her. Told Lucinda that. She called down and I heard her talking to someone, I figured that it was Penny. Drifting in and out, I heard her asking me things, telling me things. Changing from the mask to the nose thing for oxygen. OK with me. I didn't care. I drifted out again. Awake, going to be moving to a room. Don't ask me why but the number sticks in my head. Going to 213. Wait. Change that. Lucinda tells me that I am going to 212, have a room to myself instead. I should be rejoicing but I didn't really care. I was moving. Rolling along. Felt the bumps of the elevator, going in, coming out. Where am I? I have no clue. Room 212. Wait - no bed there. What? Where will I lay? They want to get a bed. Back into the hallway. Waiting for a bed to arrive. Familiar voices - family? Yes! Hurrah! Back into the room. Transfer from the gurney to the bed. Move over some more, a little more. Down to low. Bend your legs. Lifting, moving, that's better. I guess. I could care less. Smile. Say hi to everyone. There is Penny, Rachael and Shirley. Good to see them. Drifting again. Pain? No. Yes. I don't know. Just keep it coming. Checking me into the room, BP, temp, etc. Do I care? Not really. Just do what you want. Do you need anything? What could a person need when they just came out of surgery? A cheeseburger? Doubtful. Sleep? Yes. More pain killer? Probably. A smile from the wife? Of course. A kiss? More than anything. Drifting back into sleep, I think. I don't know what I am saying or doing. Hopefully it isn't too weird or strange. Things went well. The gall bladder was pale, white instead of green. Not a good sign. Means it needed to come out. Thank God they could do it through the holes. That is good. I am glad that the pain in the back is gone. Wait a minute...the pain in the back is gone! That is a good sign. That means that it was the gall bladder causing the problems. That is an amazing thing, to not feel that pain. Awake, talking, visiting, sleeping, watching, waiting. Then up into a chair. Can you believe it? I am sitting in a chair. I can't imagine that it is possible so soon after being in surgery. No idea what time it is, but I am sitting in a chair. I am in the chair when Matthew arrives and he got off work at 3. So that means it didn't take long to get in a chair. At least, I think I was in the chair when Matthew arrived. Or was it after he came back? Confusing, trying to remember all that took place. Ice chips were great! Never thought ice could taste so good. But they did. Then water. Sweet, sweet water, quenching thirst. Like the Word of God to a hungry soul, the water of life for a thirsty body. Wonder of wonders, I am through surgery and on the road to recovery all ready. Thanks be to God that it went so well!