Authors Note: Thank you to everyone who's recently followed, favorited, and reviewed! It brings the biggest smile to my face!
TOM
4 hours.
Sophie had taken the baby home to rest for a little bit, and Ben had gone to the cafeteria to get dinner before they closed down for the night. You refused to leave the waiting room in fear that someone would come to give you an update and you'd miss them. You were currently pacing and repeatedly checking the clock and the nurses station, almost in a pattern.
Why has no one said anything yet? They said someone would be by to update you frequently. You wanted so badly to go and ask the nurse at the desk, but you weren't sure if she even received such updates.
Your legs start to feel sore so you decide to sit and try and pay some attention to the sitcom that was on the television. It didn't work. No matter how hard you tried to relax a bit and not panic, focus on something else, your mind went straight back to Jane.
Ben returning to his seat beside you brought you from your frantic thoughts for a moment. He turns to you with a sandwich and grins.
"Heard anything, yet?" He asks hopeful.
"Not yet. I'm worried, Ben. Why hasn't anyone said anything yet? What's going on?" You say nervously as you unwrap the sandwich. You don't want it, but you know you have to eat something.
"Try not to worry, I'm sure there's just nothing to update us on yet. I mean they told us these things take many hours, they're just working. I'm sure we'll have an update soon." He says with a small smile but worry in his eyes.
You nod as you force a bite of the sandwich down. Your pocket buzzes and you find a text from Chris, asking for an update that you didn't have. You sigh and shove the phone back in your pocket, deciding to answer him once you've finished eating.
Just as you finish and take your phone out to return his message, a tall woman wearing scrubs and a hair net approaches you. You stand and take two long strides towards her, Ben right behind you.
"Are you, Tom?"
"Yes, yes I am. How is Jane doing?" You ask with slight urgency.
"As you know, these things can take time. It's been five hours, but we've just gotten the first lung transplanted. Her right lung. It took longer than expected due to the amount of infection and the overall condition of her lungs. We anticipate the next one to take just as long."
You give a sigh of relief. "How is she faring?"
"This surgery is very complex and the more complicated the situation the bigger the strain on her body. Especially in a condition such as hers. We've hit a few blips here and there as far as blood pressure or maintaining her oxygen level to what it needs to be, but nothing critical. Considering the circumstances she's doing better than expected."
You feel your stomach churn slightly but you just nod. "Thank you so much. Can I expect the next update in about another 5 hours?"
"Unless things go smoother with the left lung, yes that's our estimate. After the left lung is in, we will double check that there is no bleeding coming from anywhere and then see that the lungs are working properly before we sew her up and move her to ICU. But we will let you know as soon as the left lung is in and then again when we are moving her. After that you'll be able to see her."
"Thank you very much." You smile at her. She returns your smile and nods before turning to go back through those heavy doors. Back to Jane.
Your brain is swirling. Jane had one new lung. There were little problems, but she said nothing critical. That made you nervous, but you were glad it was nothing too serious. A pat on the back startled you and you turn to see Ben standing there with a large grin.
You'd forgotten he was there for a moment. He pulls you in for a hug. "She's halfway there!" You hadn't thought of it like that, it puts a smile to your face. You nod at Ben and then return pacing and get your phone to text Chris. Ben already sitting back down and on the phone Sophie. Telling her to stay home, that it will most likely be more than 5 hours before surgery is finished.
A moment later Chris texts back expressing his joy and a request to keep him updated.
9 hours.
You're nerves only seemed to build by the second. Each second being closer to when you should hear the words you've been waiting for. That Jane's double lung transplant had been a success.
Ben, bless him, had tried his damnedest to keep you occupied with conversation, bringing you candy and chips from the vending machine, getting you a refill on your coffee often, even returning from the gift shop with a stuffed bear for Jane and a deck of cards for you and him to play.
It was the last thing you wanted to do, but you smiled and thanked him and began shuffling the cards. Deciding on a simple game of go fish, knowing you wouldn't be able to focus enough to play anything else.
Sophie texted Ben every hour on the hour to ask if there was any news. Ben sighed each time and mumbled about the fact that she was not getting any rest.
Resisting the urge to look back at the clock, you just agree with Ben, a slight smirk on your lips, and begin shuffling the cards.
11 hours.
You were pacing again. Ben even joining you for a short while. Why hasn't that nurse come back? Has something gone wrong?
You were beginning to fall apart. About to go the nurse at the front desk in a panic, you turn to find the same nurse from before coming towards you. Ben was by your side instantly as you both approached her.
"Both lungs are in." She says with a smile.
You grab your chest, and release a breath you didn't know you were holding. Ben quickly grabs you into a tight, but fast, hug. You accept it gratefully, trying to hold in the tears forming in your eyes. However, you quickly turn back to the nurse for more information.
"Did she do alright? It took a little longer than you originally thought." You say, your voice thick with the tears that threaten to spill down your cheeks.
"It did take a bit longer than we thought. The left lung showed us the same difficulty as the right, putting more strain on Jane's body and sending it into some stress. We had more challenges with her blood pressure and oxygen levels than with the first lung. She remained stable throughout, but it took a little more work during that second half of the surgery. Right now she's still struggling a bit but now that things are mostly over her body should start to relax and start returning to normal, so to speak."
You nod and feel queasy. Knowing Jane was, is, struggling, made you nervous and feel a pain in your chest knowing that there was nothing you could do. Her little body under that amount of stress was hard to think of.
"Does this mean anything different for her recovery?" You ask around the lump that remained in your throat.
"Usually after transplant we like to try and get them off sedation and the ventilator as soon as possible to get those lungs working on their own, but in cases of the body being in distress, like Jane's, we give the body time to recover from that stress. She will be sedated and breathing with the help of the ventilator for 24 hours to give her body time to rest. We may adjust the levels of the ventilator to get her lungs working a little, but nothing that will over exert her, and keeping her sedated will help. After she wakes up it's hard to say. I've seen cases like hers that are smoother sailing then patients who are in and out of surgery within 7 hours, I've also seen some suffer from setbacks and struggle a bit. But there's just no telling. It all depends how her body accepts the lungs and how her body deals with such a intense procedure. Judging by how very fragile she is, I would expect a few bumps in the road. But she's obviously a very strong woman and I have no doubt she will power through. Your wife had the worst lungs I've seen in my 10 years of working on the transplant team. I couldn't believe she was living with them. I can't imagine what she must have felt having those in her body. And the ones that took their place have been some of the healthiest lungs I've seen. She's very lucky she got her call when she did, and got the lungs she did."
Finally the tears fell. Knowing the struggles she would no longer face, and the struggles that were coming was such a mix of emotion that you couldn't hold it in. The news that she was living the worst lungs that the nurse, who's done countless transplants, has ever seen came as a shock. Hearing that she couldn't believe she was alive with them and that she was lucky she got her call when she did struck fear inside you. What if she hadn't gotten the call today? Well, yesterday actually. Would she have been here next week? The thought terrified you. But then the news that she's received such a healthy pair of new lungs filled you with such hope and joy that left you feeling as though you could burst. It was such a confusing stream of emotions.
You collect yourself, Ben's hand never leaving it's firm grip on your shoulder, and look back up to the nurse who had a sweet smile on her face.
"I can't even begin to tell you how thankful I am for this." You say with a slight crack in your voice.
"I'm so happy to have been on this case and journey with you and your wife. You're truly some of the most sincere and genuinely lovely people I've met." She smiles before continuing.
"Now, I have to get back and help get her ready for transport to ICU, it should be no more than an hour. The nurse she's assigned will come and get you when she's on her way so you can be there when she arrives at her room."
"Thank you." You say again.
She smiles wide before turning back towards the OR.
You turn to Ben and he gives you another bear hug. "She did it, Ben." You say against his shoulder, letting more tears fall.
"Of course she did. I'd expect nothing less from that little firecracker." He says with a smile in his voice.
"Now, I'm going to go call Sophie with this wonderful news and tell her to come on down and you should probably message Chris."
You nod and you each take a seat in the little waiting room chairs. For the first time, you don't feel the need to pace.
You message Chris and he responds instantly with congratulations. You can faintly hear Sophie's cheers from Ben's phone beside you.
You lean your head back against the wall, pushing away the worries that still remain, and focusing on the future you and Jane would now have.
12 hours.
Sophie and Christopher had arrived and she greeted you with a hug, that was much stronger than you had expected, and tears of joy.
You kiss her on the cheek and the four of you now sit and wait for the final word that it was all over.
Only minutes later, did a different nurse in bright scrubs and blonde hair, come towards you with a grin.
"Hello I'm Bridget, I'll be Jane's nurse. She's on her way up from the OR now so if you'll just follow me to ICU she should be there any minute now."
You all stand at once and closely follow behind, Bridget.
"Now, all three of you can visit for a short period of time, but Tom will be the only one allowed to stay. And I'm afraid your baby can't go in the room."
Ben and Sophie nod. "That's alright, Sophie and I will take a short turn visiting with her and then we'll go home. We all need some rest." Ben says looking to you and Sophie when he mentions resting. You reach her room and she's just been wheeled in. You couldn't actually see her behind all of the people beside her and the machines.
Bridget turns to you. "You'll have to wait out here for a few minutes while I get her settled. You can begin gowning up if you'd like. You need to scrub your hands and wear gloves, a mask, and gown. It's to prevent infection, after something like this we have to take extra precautions." She says and then turns to quickly ready herself to enter Jane's room to help settle her in.
Ben takes Christopher's carrier from Sophie and goes to sit in the chair beside her bedroom door. "You go see her first, dear." He says to Sophie and she gives him a kiss on the cheek before resuming her place by your side as you go to gown up to see Jane.
Right after you were all gowned, gloved, and masked, Bridget pokes her head out of Jane's room. "You can come see her now." She says beneath her mask.
You take a deep breath before rushing to the door with Sophie right by your side.
You pause in the doorway at the site of her for a moment before quickly making your way to her side. She was covered in tubes and wires. IV's and monitors. There were tubes coming from her neck, a central line that they had explained she'd need after surgery. There were multiple IV's covering her hands, they were unable to use her mediport due to it's placement on her chest. Monitors you haven't even seen before scattered her body and the poles beside her. So many IV pumps, including a PCA pump delivering her a constant stream of pain medication, large bags of fluids so she wouldn't dehydrate, and her g-tube was also hooked up so she could get proper nutrition until she could eat again. 4 chest tubes with drains for fluid build up from surgery were inserted in between ribs on both sides. The worst though was the large tube that was down her throat, taped to her beautiful face. Her chest rising and falling at the force of that machine.
Her bottom half was covered by a blanket, her top was exposed while Bridget still adjusted a few tubes and wires. A thick white bandage covering both her breasts, and the incision that was made.
You gently grab her hand in yours, noting how chilled it was. You look at her pale face, and furrow your brow. "Excuse me, Bridget? I think she may be cold. Her hand is freezing and she looks rather pale."
Bridget nods and adjusts things accordingly before covering her, carefully and gently, with a blanket. You keep your hold on her hand beneath the blanket.
You just stare at her. Watching her intently for any signs of distress or discomfort. You don't even notice when Sophie switches places with Ben.
After a few moments Ben comes over beside you. "Hey, we're going to go home now. I know it's a long shot, but please do try to get some rest, ok?"
You turn to him and smile beneath your mask. "Thank you, Ben."
He just nods and then makes his way out of the room.
Bridget had brought you a blanket and pillow and you decided to pull the reclining chair beside Jane and try to rest. Once comfortable you reach over to grab her little hand in yours again, it not as cold as before.
Bridget comes in often to check and is never farther then right outside the door. You were grateful she was being so well taken care of.
At some point you do manage to drift off. The stress and strain of the day finally catching up and your adrenaline running out.
You fall asleep beside Jane, her hand in yours, dreaming of the new life that would soon begin.