Help Me Help, Jan
Estimated reading time: 10 minutes, 41 secondsEmergency Surgery
“Hello, is this Mr. Brown? I am the nurse taking care of your wife. She is still in critical condition. I am calling to get your approval to install a stent.” I nodded my head but realized that she could not see my answer.
“Yes, please do whatever you can,” I pleaded.
It was midnight, and I had not slept this entire month. I said yes to every risk factor the nurse mentioned, as I wanted Jan to live.
“OK, that is all I need as of now. Is this the best number to reach you?”
I confirmed that it was.
I paced the apartment because even as tired as I was, I knew I would not be able to sleep until I knew Jan was OK.
I took a deep breath as my iPhone rang.
Mr. Brown, the surgery went well, and she is back in the ICU!
“Thank you, thank you,” I mumbled my words of appreciation.
I texted Dr. Strair, the Rabbi, and my sons.
The surgery was successful, and she is back in the ICU. They can now drain the fluid and treat the infection with antibiotics. One minor but essential step in the right direction!
April 3, 2021, 1:43 am
Dr. Strair responded immediately to my text.
After a night of very little sleep, I texted a morning update.
Morning update. They did a CAT scan and determined that she had a life-threatening infection in her kidneys that backed up fluid. Had she not been hospitalized, it would have been fatal. They did emergency surgery to insert a stent in her kidney to drain the fluid. The surgery was successful, and they are treating the cause of the infection with antibiotics. Now they can focus on the lymphoma that has returned and is far more aggressive than they had thought.
Saturday, April 3, 7:34 am
After almost 48 years, I recently lost my wife, Jan Lilien. Like The Little Prince, Jan and I believed that “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” This blog is a collection of my random thoughts on love, grief, life, and all things considered.
