Day Two - Post Op

Wednesday, November 14

I awoke to find Mutti gone and the time close to 8am. Since I knew visiting hours were from 8-9am, I flew out of bed and raced to get dressed, wondering why Mutti had not woken me. I had slept almost nine hours on top of the long hours in the afternoon!

I found Mutti still in her PJs animatedly talking to someone on the phone. I made the universal signs for "time" and ran into my room to get dressed. She nodded and showed no signs of getting off the phone, so I stopped trying to rush and get ready and checked and answered emails instead. Mutti meanwhile continued her animated talk with my cousin Juan Carlos, who is a doctor and who had, apparently, been clearing a few things up for her.

Once I showered, I found a lovely tray of breakfast vittles in the upstairs sitting room. I ate on and off while I wrote some emails. Shortly after 10am we headed with a taxi and Jesus back to the hospital. I had assumed Mutti would bring her overnight stuff also, and as I was entering the taxi, I realized she was planning on returning later on to bring her things. Since I had already re-packed my bag, I decided to take it with my anyway.

Once we got to the ICU waiting room, we pleaded with the security guard to let my mother go in and see my father. He had been talking with Vati, who was already sitting up and waiting for a room so he’d be able to move upstairs. The guard agreed to let her in and eventually, I also got to see him. He was indeed sitting up and taking in the hustle and bustle of the ICU. He looked tired but overall well. Rosie cheeks, tired eyes, but alert and conversing.

He told me he felt well, had had a “good night”, and showed me the huge scar on his belly, from his lower pelvic area to his breast bone! He complained of having been mishandled when two nursing assistants had helped him go from the bed to the chair. He knew they meant well, yet they had managed to cause him torturous pain when moving his legs. This move kept him for ever trusting anyone to help move him throughout the rest of his hospital stay, trusting only Mutti and me to help him.

We waited and waited until we got word he would be move to room 129. Mutti and I ran to have a quick lunch at Marty’s, a lovely bakery in an adjacent building. We had a most delicious and relaxing lunch and when we headed back to room 129, Vati was already there. He look great for someone so freshly out of surgery!

After a bit, Mutti went home to get her overnight bags and I stayed and kept Vati company. He was tired and sleepy and it was at times hard to understand him, since he had a tube going down his throat and he was too tired to speak loudly and clearly.

Soon Mutti was back in the company of Jesus. She had heard from Klaus that he had a group of German tourists arriving at midnight and he’s be their guide through a city tour and later a trip to nearby Otavalo. We felt bad for his extra long hours that meant he would not be able to visit Vati soon.

We got ready for our first night together post-op. It was to be a long and grueling one for the three of us…