Shunt update

Initial reports are good! Daddy's surgery started a little late but he was in recovery by 9:45, and the doctor came to talk to Mom and Wendi (I didn't quite make it there in time). The doctor said that technically everything went very well. They took off 8 more liters of fluid, cleaned out his belly, and put some fresh fluid back in (but not 8 liters!) to help prevent renal failure. (Disclaimer: this is my translation of the second-hand info that I received so I am aiming for the basic idea of what happened. If you are a health care professional and what I'm saying sounds completely wrong, please let me know!). Daddy went straight to a regular room after recovery, sans any IVs or other tubes besides oxygen. I got to see him for about 30 minutes before I had to leave, and he said that he feels better than he has in 2 or 3 weeks: "My head is finally clear." He said he had some pain in his side where the incisions were, and was already lobbying to get the catheter out (which they removed before I left), but felt better than he did before the procedure. (I imagine that he had some pain meds in him still so here's hoping that he still feels the same when they wear off!). If all goes well, they will let him go home tomorrow. They indicated that they will watch him closely for the next 24 hrs to make sure that his kidneys function as they should, and that his blood clots properly (apparently after this type of surgery sometimes the body reacts by clotting abnormally). Daddy will have to pump his shunt twice a day to make it do its job, and where he has to pump is very close to the incision because of how tall he is (long torso), so he will probably be pretty sore for a couple of weeks in that spot. Please pray for a smooth recovery, and that he will get to come home tomorrow. I will update again tomorrow or if anything changes.

On a lighter note, he was something of a celebrity on the post-surgical hall -- most of the nurses on that floor took care of him during his 2 month stay earlier in the year, and they were all coming by to say hello. They were all excited to see him doing so well because Daddy was still pretty sick when he left the hospital in July. And I think it was encouraging for him and Mom to hear the staff comment on how good he looks and how well he is doing.