Chapter 5: The Eye of the Needle

John may well be the bravest man I know.

Today we are having the needle biopsy only they are going to render him semi conscious with an anesthesiologist on hand to assist.

He's still on an IV of Saline.  But he's far more like himself.  At one point,. he woke up, looked at Jeanie and I and said "Ladies - pull up your chairs for some conversation.  I want to know the latest things happening at church. "

You could have knocked us both off our seats.  So we did as he asked.  It was a fun conversation.  Lots of interaction.

Then they came for the biopsy.  His anxiety level is high but he is going to be the tough guy and muscle through it.

I go downstairs with him, holding his hand.  We get down there and again the docs all introduce themselves around and explain exactly how the procedure will go.  Same as before only they are going to put him in a "twilight sleep".  Doesn't seem restful to me but OK.

I go into the family waiting room.

Fifteen minutes later they come out and a completely DIFFERENT Doctor takes his bed, him and me and a nurse to the recovery room.  The whole trip she's commenting that his B/P is very high.

"Wouldn't yours be, if you had a needle the size of Wyoming being stuck into your lung?" I responded

Not quite getting my humor or sarcasm, she responded, "It's too high for that even".

Ugh.  I hate people who don't get it and don't want to.

I go into the family waiting area again. I am told it should be 30-45 minutes before he will be ready to go to his room.

40 minutes later, Roberta texts me to say that John needs his glasses.

Wait.  What?

I can't help but think she managed to weasel her way into the recovery room.  So I text her back, asking her where she is..

"I'm in the room with him.  He's panicked because you aren't here and he needs his glasses", she wrote.

How IN HELL did they wheel him past me?  Why did NO ONE come get me?  What kind of third world country am I in? They just take him away and don't notify me as they told me they would?

I march out of the waiting room.  I have no idea where in the hospital I am.  I don't even know what floor I am on.  I see someone in the hallway and demand to know where I am and how I get back to the F Elevators or what I am now referring to as the F'n elevators.  The poor chap I stopped is probably still looking for the missing body parts. I cursed and ranted all the way to his room.

I stop as soon as I see John's face.  He is in some serious pain. Shit.  What the hell did they do?  I know they said they got a good sample and he did well, but he looks miserable.

I wait til he's asleep and then I slip out. On my way home, I speak to Janet.  She asks me when he's having a "brain scan".

DING.

I had this same conversation with Bettina that very morning.

"brain scan".

Why would we be needing a brain scan? And why are both women asking for it? and with the same verbiage?  I am suspicious.  I am connecting dots no one wanted connected.

I listen carefully as she attempts to convey and convince me that he should have one.  I am not against an MRI ("brain scan")  but I'm not rushing him into a test the doctor has not yet ordered however I agree to have the conversation with the doctor the next day.