Surgery

At the beginning of September, I made a last minute trip to Albuquerque. For over a year, we've known that Mark needed jaw surgery to correct some anatomy he's dealt with since a kid. The plan has been for him to wear braces for the last year and a half to adjust what they could before going in surgically to cut and move his upper jaw forward.

The week before the surgery, Mark called to ask if I would be able to be more in touch with my mom than usual the week of the surgery as she was having some anxiety over the procedure. From what they heard and read, the recover was going to be a bit of a bear. What started as reaching out via phone turned into a full-blown discussion about how I could get myself - sans children - down there for the week to play moral support. With the help of amazing friends and some young adults who hadn't yet left for college, the children were taken care of, my ministering sister brought over a dinner for Chadwick to feed the crew, and I was off!

Not gonna lie, the trip came during a time when I was feeling particularly run-down by my life as a stay-at-home mom of three amazing, busy children. I badly needed a break and the trip was perfect. I slept on the plane the whole way to Albuquerque, had quality time with my dad over a quiet dinner, and chatted with Mark until my mom returned from choir rehearsal. Surgery was Wednesday morning and we got there on time.

The staff were nice and professional and check-in went smoothly. Mom and I expected the procedure to be about 3 hours, so after Mark was wheeled back to surgical prep, we went for a walk in the glorious (if slightly hot) sunshine outside, wandered around the hospital corridors, and had a snack in the cafeteria. It's worth noting that this was the same cafeteria in which my mom and Bop-Bop spent many hours eating/drinking while Nana was having various procedures done over the years. Their favorite dish to pretend to love? Meatloaf.

It was a pleasant surprise to see the surgeon head out to the waiting room to let us know that everything was done, all went smoothly, and he was headed to recovery. I was impressed that the actual surgeon, not a nurse, did the post-op debriefing. Seemed like a nice guy. I went home for a while and let Mom be with Mark in the immediate post-op hours. I took a nap in the quiet of their house and it was glorious. Visiting hours were over at 8:00 and we went to Garduno's for dinner. Mom admitted to being extremely nervous about the whole ordeal prior to the actual day, mostly because the last two times she had been at a hospital was with her parents, and they both passed away soon after said visit. We were able to have some really good discussions and catch up during the time at the hospital, her and I, for which I am grateful.

Recovery turned out to be uneventful and rather speedy for Mark. He never developed any of the predicted bruising, had minimal swelling, and with the exception of a headache that wouldn't go away, had very little pain. He kept the "jaw bra" full of ice on his face almost non-stop for several days and wore a mask when in the breeze of the sun room to try and prevent an allergy attack from the constant pollen (he couldn't blow his nose for 6 weeks).

His diet of clear liquids for 48 hours followed by smoothie-consistency foods was going to get old very quickly, and he started blendarizing everything from Sadie's burritos to spaghetti. Turns out, the surgeon used a new technique for Mark's procedure; the clinic staff couldn't believe how good he looked at his one-week post-op appointment.

Dinner Thursday night was with my Dad, Marilyn, Colleen and her crew, and my Aunt Jan whom I haven't seen in years. Good old Dion's hosted the event and it was nice to catch up. Friday evening was spent with Betsy and her family! I haven't had a chance to meet her husband and step-sons since their marriage and it was really nice to get to know them. She seems more content and confident than I've seen her in a while.

I flew home Saturday morning with the idea of making it back in time for book club. The weather had other plans and my flight was delayed like 6 hours from the get-go. Instead of moping, Mom and I went shopping and had lunch at Jason's Deli before my new flight. Unfortunately, we missed book club which was a huge bummer.

The week away was refreshing and the kids did great with the different schedule. I remember being very stressed out while trying to arrange for sitters prior to the trip and decided to say a quick prayer. After the silent "amen," the stress lifted off my shoulders and I was able to focus on other things. The schedule easily fell into place as if guided from Above.

It's amazing how events fall into place when they are meant to be, and for that I am grateful.