Another surgery day

So, I've been terrible about blogging the last few weeks. And I've been meaning to catch everyone up on Ryan's trip to Europe and my quick (and unexpected) jaunt to DC, but for now I'll just have to settle for telling you about today. It's late, and I'm tired, and I just got home from the hospital.

Ryan was originally scheduled to have surgery on Monday, but his surgeon's daughter deployed to Iraq that day and he took the day off to say goodbye. Luckily, we didn't have to wait too long and got in today. Ryan was second case and didn't have to be at the hospital until 8:00 a.m. They did all his prep work and rolled him back for surgery at 10:30. I didn't know exactly how long it was going to take, so around the 4 hour mark I was starting to get nervous. But that's just when Ryan's surgeon arrived to tell me everything went well. He was able to put a full thickness graft under Ryan's lower right eyelid and above his top lip. They took a little piece of cartilage from what's left of Ryan's left ear and put it between his nose and lip to give it structure. They removed a scar on the left side of Ryan's nose and one along his left jawline, and advanced his cheek and neck accordingly. They removed some bulky skin between the inside of his right eye and the bridge of his nose. And they dermabraded the right side of his face and a few areas on his chin and left cheek. I think that's everything. No wonder it took 4 hours!

I was able to see Ryan in recovery at about 3:30, but he was mostly sleepy and recovering from anesthesia. I had to leave at 4:30 to pick up the kids and get them settled at home with dinner. I went back to the hospital at 6:30 to find Ryan sitting up comfortably and asking for ice cream. I ran downstairs and got him two ice cream sandwiches and a Gatorade. We sat and talked while nurses came in and out and then he took a little nap. He decided he was ready for food when he woke up and sent me out for McDonald's at 9:00. When I came back he was feeling a little nauseous but, with a little medication to help counteract that, he was certain he was going to be eating his meal. Visiting hours end at 10:00, and at that point, I was definitely ready to go home. Ryan's nurse is taking excellent care of him, and his charge nurse tonight is my very favorite!

Even though Ryan said he felt like he got punched in the face with a scalpel, he was already asking if he could go home tomorrow. And as long as his pain can be managed with oral medication, he can. The dermabrasion is the most painful part because it is open and raw. So, we'll see how he's feeling tomorrow, but hopefully, we can take him home. Please keep us all in your prayers. Thanks so much!