Pat's shoulder surgery

When Pat had shoulder surgery, we had HealthNet HMO insurance and we did it differently. We had to go to Dr. Enrique and get x-rays. Then he gave us the referral to Dr. Jaffin. When we were there the 2nd time to get the referral, Alex took his first steps between Dr. Enrique's waiting room table and chairs.

Dr. JAffin requested an MRI, but told Pat that he had a torn rotator cuff. The day Pat had the MRI scheduled, I dropped him off at Antioch Medical Imaging. He told me to go home, but I was really glad I stayed. The doctor who injected him with the dye couldn't find the right space to inject it into and it took several tries. Then, he had to lay flat on his back in the tube causing him to have breathing problems so I was really glad he didn't have to wait to be picked up.

Pat's surgery was scheduled for May 5th, 2005, in the afternoon. Pat was really grumpy by the time surgery time came because he was ravenous. We had sex shortly before we left, then he showered and we took off. I got to see him in the pre op ward, then they took him back. Before surgery, Dr. Jaffin came to see me in the waiting room and told me that Pat could have 2 percocet every 4 hours instead of one. I walked with Alex around the waiting room for a while, then the nurse came and told me Pat was in surgery. I went to half price books and got the Chamber of Secrets book that I had loaned Rick, then went to Starbucks. I took Alex to my Mom's house and went back to the surgicenter where Pat had finally finished.

When I got there he had a nurse and anesthetist around him. Apparently his heart rate was very slow due to some muscle relaxants he had been given right before his surgery was finished. The doctor gave him something to counter this, then they sent him home. Oddly enough, he was wheeled out by an old high school classmate of mine.

I got him home and managed to get him into his blue chair. He was more alert than I was and wanted a strawberry milkshake so I got him one at Baskin's on my way to pick up Alex.

Dr. Jaffin called in the evening to see how Pat was doing, and to remind him to start lifting his arm over his head to keep scar tissue from building up. He did it one time and about collapsed. He went into shock. I had to get my mother over to PAt's house to watch Alex while I got Pat to the emergency room.

At the ER I went in and the people there brought him in on a gurney. He was taken right back, and was indeed in shock. They started him on an IV and discovered that his heart was only beating at 60 beats per minute. I gave them the details of what had transpired, they couldn't believe that the doctor requested him to move his arm so soon after surgery. When he was stabilized, they sent him home again, much to my surprise. I slept on the Papa San chair cushion on the floor for quite a few nights til I was certain he wouldn't need me at night.