Surgery update

[la_belle_laide]

Haku's surgery is done, but it wasn't without incident. Just like the last time, under anesthesia his heartrate dropped suddenly. Last time, when she was doing the other leg, this happened before she got to make the incision. She woke him up and tried again the next morning and he was fine. This time, it happened as she was screwing the metal plate into his leg. She had to wake him up immediately, give him an epidural to finish the last screw and staple his leg closed super fast.

She says she never wants to operate on him again. I am totally with her on that, I never want him to have another operation. But I can't help thinking, what if he needs one? This is Haku, here, nothing seems to ever go right with him. This means he won't be able to get his teeth cleaned or anything like that.

I asked if maybe this was because of the phenobarb, or because he's a saluki or a combination of both. She says she followed all the sight-hound anesthesia protocols, and they anesthetize epileptics all the time and never have this problem. It's just "a Haku thing" apparently.

I went to visit him tonight and he was still wonky and in the ICU cage because they had to monitor him. He was mellow when I got there, but as soon as I sat with him he started acting up, crying at me, howling, trying to push his way out of the cage. Hopefully he can come home in a few days. I can't say I'm not kind of a wreck after this.

Oh, and yeah, this all happened when I was at work today. I got a voicemail from the surgeon just saying "call me," and when I called back, she was in another surgery and couldn't talk to me. And of course reception couldn't tell me anything aside from "He's okay now but the Dr. needs to talk to you." Eventually I had to get back to work, and I did my last appointment with a pounding headache and it was the longest hour ever. I called again when I was on my way from work, driving to go visit him. They had me on hold for 15 minutes while I drove (I know, I know. I never drive while on the phone but this counted as an emergency.) The new guy at the desk kept putting me on hold and finally I lost my patience and said "Someone has to tell me he's all right! Or if he's not all right, then tell me that but don't put me on hold again!" Why is it you have to lose your patience in order to get an answer? Jesus.

I just can't wait until he is at home and mended again.