Knives Out- Part 2- Written by Jason

 5/15/24

Today was the day!! I woke to my alarm, which was a little surprising as I was expecting to not sleep all that well, but quickly got moving and ready to go. I opted to skip breakfast so Ann wouldn't be hangry at me since she couldn't eat or drink and instead packed a granola bar for when she was in pre-op.

We arrived right just before 7:00 and were checked in without any issues. At 7:10 she was called back to start labs and prepping for eventual surgery. I settled into a a spot in the waiting room where I could look out the window, see the TV, see the door where they came to give updates and see the "patient status" screen. Think of it like "Sheldon's spot" (Big Bang Theory reference for those not familiar). 

I got called back about 30 minutes later to spend some time with Ann, before she was taken to mammography and nuclear medicine. She was hooked up to an IV at this point, which we were convinced had something "special" in it because she was tired! We said our "official" see you laters here, as she was going to be well medicated upon return. She was definitely medicated when I next saw her about an hour later, but we got to sit together for a while again. Our next visit was from Angela (part of the anesthesiology team - did I spell that correctly?), a friend through Cub/Boy Scouts, Baseball, and other school activities. Nolan is a year older than her son, but they are good friends, so it was great to have a friendly face to help whisk her away to surgery. While Ann may have thought it was a dream (she was a little out of it), I will always remember it!

At 10:20 (10 minutes earlier than planned!), she headed off to surgery and I once again assumed my "spot" in the waiting room. They said it would take just over 2 hours. I couldn't seem to focus on one thing, so watched the Today show, looked at my phone, looked at the status board, shopped for luggage (Europe trip is still on!), sent some texts, read, went for a short walk, and then repeated this cycle, but with The Price Is Right. When the soap operas started, I lost interest in the TV and tried to read again, and a few pages in at 12:25 (right on time), Dr. T showed up to let me know Ann was all done and that everything had gone about as planned!! Angela came out a few minutes later and told me that Ann did great. She's an expert napper, so I had no doubts about today! They both told me to go grab some lunch, as she'd be in recovery for 60-90 minutes to wake up. Everyone has been so great on this brief journey. "Brief" - Because while it may feel like forever to us, we know that others have been through MUCH worse!

After sending a responding to a bunch of texts to family and friends, I grabbed some lunch and hurried back to the waiting room. As it turns out, I could have taken my time! I'm not sure if it was the drugs, the exhaustion from the last few weeks, or perhaps the end of the school year kicking in, but Ann took her sweet time coming back to the land of the living. One by one, I watched families get called back to recovery, until I was the only one left. At 2:30, they came to let me know she was awake. The next 30 minutes went fast...applesauce, ice/water, post-op instructions and changing clothes. She was discharged at 3:00, we drove home to see Nolan and her parents, and by 3:35 she was upstairs in bed again. 

For the next few hours, she slept and and Nolan and I checked on her each hour. We then had supper and a fairly "normal" evening of family time, which was great. I ran to the pharmacy for meds, and Nolan and Ann both went to bed a little after 9:00.

That brings us to now! I am trying to wrap this up so I can go to bed too, but before I do, I wanted to say THANK YOU! Thank you to all of our friends and family, near and far! Our immediate and extended families have been great and so supportive the last few weeks! Thank you to the medical professional world (doctors, nurses, admins, support staff, etc., etc.)...for finding and diagnosing the cancer, planning treatment, operating today, and for all of our upcoming appointments, radiation, etc. This journey is not over, but we are blessed to be in great hands! Thank you to our work teams! Ann's building and district have been great, and while I know it was tough to end her 20th year teaching this way, we knew they were all behind us. The same is true of the Athene team, both leading up to today and then checking in with me throughout the day and into the evening! I am certain I'm missing some people here, but I'm running on fumes, so please know that we are so thankful for everyone that has reached out, sent messages or gifts, or even just thought about us since this all started. We truly appreciate the support and feel so loved!

Tomorrow, I get to celebrate my birthday with Ann and Nolan (once school's out), and while it may not be a "normal" birthday, the best gift came today, when her cancer was removed! And for that, I am thankful! Good night all!

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