Surgery: Status Update - 9:45 PM PT / 9.11.13

This is Caroline.

We heard the doctor say CCU, it is actually the CICU where my dad will be until at least through tomorrow. 

After I wrote the last post, Paul, Martha, and I were able to see Sam/Dad.

He was awake, knew who we all were, and seemed very literate. We had been informed a while back that he would be completely out of it and would not be speaking. He showed us where he was in pain – The nurse was in the midst of getting an epidural ready. He has a lot of IV's in him (as expected) including a catheter to pee and feeding tube, to feed him. There is a tube in his noise that he said was quite annoying. 

He did not look swollen (as we had previously been informed) and much different, aside from several tubes, IV's, and about a 4-inch incision on the left-hand side of his neck. His face is a bit pale in color. The other incisions are not visible when simply looking at him. The nurse could not believe at how alert he was after this specific surgery. She said patients are rarely smiling, and talking a few hours later. 

Typical Quiring male, they needed to increase the length of his bed, as it was a bit short.

We stayed in the room for about 30 minutes, and then it was a shift change, so we went to the cafeteria in the basement and came back up around 8:00 and said good night. Martha stayed a bit longer than Paul and I.

So far, he is recovering well.