January 21st - Transplant Day



Nurse Anthony taking Clay to
pre-op, Stef and I in tow


We had originally thought that surgery was scheduled for about 3:30 AM, then it was pushed back until 8 AM.  Of course, we have no idea why, it was just what we were told to expect.  The latest we knew was that Clay would be taken to pre-op about 6 AM.  Good to their word, Clay is being wheeled off to pre-op right at 6 am.  We are still apprehensive since we have been told any number of times that until a person is in the operating room and the incision made that it could still be called off.  So we are being extremely cautiously optomistic.  And just for the record; we saw Doug being wheeled into the elevator just ahead of Clay!

We get to pre-op and we're warned that people are going to literally "swarm" onto Clay, good to their word they did.  They were inserting IVs into numerous areas.  Since this is also a teaching hospital there were some good pokes and there were some not-so-good pokes.  But all lines were placed and Clay was ready to go. 

And here is a very interesting fact; Doug, the man getting the other lung was in the cubicle to Clay's left.  It was determined that Clay would receive the left lung and Doug will receive the right.  Doug's wife Kathy, (I can use first names since that does not disclose identity) was pacing with him as I was with Clay. 

Just across from Clay was Greg, the man receiving the heart.  His wife Lynne was there with him.  Everyone was going thru the same processes and each was giving the others the support and encouragement to meet and conquer this surgery.  It was incredible!  I truly cannot describe what it was like in that small pre-op space with these three men and us three women.  I don't think any of us were prepared for it.

At about 7:40 Clay was finally prepared and the surgery staff were done with him.  He was scheduled for 8 AM to be taken into the "inter pre-surg" area that I was told would require another hour of getting him trached and whatever else they were going to do.  We chilled our heels for the 20 minutes, which is tough to do in a small curtained area, but we did our best. 

Just for those that might be wondering; we did not speak about "what ifs" it didn't go well.  Clay was completely confident in his gut feeling that this was going to happen and that it would be successful.  This is his thumbs up prior to having all the stuff done to him but the feeling remained as strong. 

As Clay was wheeled away, right behind Doug and then Greg, the surgery nurse told me that she would call up to surgery waiting to let me know when the incision was made.  

Because, until that incision occurs the surgery could still not happen.  There have been people rolled into the operating room for a transplant, put under anaesthesia only to wake up in recovery being told that they did not receive the transplant for one reason or another.  Which is why I was so adament about saying that until that incision is made it could still not occur.  Clay was rolled off and out of sight and all I could do was find Stefane in the waiting room and truly wait to find out if the incision was made.