Our ER Adventure

What a night we have had!  As if the sinus infection, blizzard, snow days, and quick-approaching due date are not enough....let's add in a trip to the emergency room!

It started with a 2:30 phone call from my sweet hubby..."Honey, don't worry, but I got a little sliver of something in my eye.  My boss is going to take me to the work comp doctor to get it out."  Now, with our history of work-related injuries (hey, that's construction, right?) I wasn't too worried.  He has shot nails through his fingers and gotten various other eye injuries.  Plus, he sounded pretty calm and collected on the phone....

An hour later came the next phone call.  "They want to send me to the eye doctor to get it out.  But don't worry, babe."  He, again, sounded fine on the phone and was very reassuring.  I sucked it up and tried really hard not to worry.

Next phone call: "We can't find an eye doctor that is open today because of the weather."  (Thank you 12 inches of snow...)  "So, don't worry, but they have to send me to the ER.  But, it's not a big deal.  They just need a more qualified doctor to get it out."  At this point my anxiety is beginning to rise, but I'm trying really hard to keep it together and trust that everything is fine.

Had to wait two hours until the next call -- but I know that the emergency room runs slow most of the time, so I was trying to keep busy around the house by cleaning out the linen closet and organizing under the bathroom sink.  When he finally called, he started with "Honey, now don't get upset."  Not a great way to lead!  "They are going to have to do surgery on my eye."

WHAT?!?!??!?!?  Enter hysterical pregnant, hormonal wife!

They were obviously going to have to put him to sleep, so I had to get myself up to the hospital.  Problem:  It snowed like crazy and my driveway is not shoveled and my car is snowed-in.  Solution:  Call Dad who drives a 4-wheel drive truck. 

I paced around like crazy waiting for my dad to get here.  My husband is having emergency surgery and I'm not there with him!  As we are driving to the hospital, Mark calls again to tell me they are taking him back and that he loves me.  I cried just thinking about not seeing him before the surgery.

My dad had to drop me off at the hospital, so I was worried and scared about sitting alone for a couple of hours.  I walked in and found a spot to sit in the deserted waiting room...then I began to pray like crazy.  God, please let him be okay. Please spare his eyesight.  Give the surgeon the guidance he needs to heal my sweet husband.

As I'm sitting there, the doors open up and a nurse comes out.  "Are you Jenny Shinabargar?  We had to postpone your husband's surgery a bit.  Would you like to come back and sit with him?"

Thank goodness!  It was so reassuring just to see him.  I held his hand and hugged him and kissed him.  All along he was brave and kept asking how I was doing.  He was very worried that the stress of the surgery was going to send me into labor!  Wouldn't that be just what we need??

After about 20 minutes, they took him back.  They told me that the surgery would take an hour, plus another hour of recovery.  How on earth was I going to sit in this waiting room for 2 hours by myself?

As I walked back out, Mark's boss and my mom had both arrived to sit with me.  Thank goodness!  Having them to talk with made the time pass much more quickly.  Soon enough, the surgeon came out to let me know how the surgery went....his first words were "He did just fine!" (Sigh of relief) followed by "We found a little surprise once we got in there."  Huh?

He pulls out a little plastic cup and passes it to me.  "This is what was in your husband's eye."  In the bottom of the cup is NOT a sliver of wood, but a NAIL!  Looked to be about 3/4 of an inch long....and had been completed embedded in his eye.  Right through the pupil.

I knew Mark would want to see it, so I asked if we could keep it, but the surgeon said he had to send it to pathology.  So, I took a quick picture on my phone so I could show it to Mark later.  The surgeon reported that they removed the nail and stitched up the wound.  However, the injury caused a cataract, so Mark will have to have cataract surgery sometime in the next few weeks.  Not the best news, but I was extremely relieved and thankful that his sight was not permanently injured.

I was even happier to go back and see him after the surgery.  He was groggy and confused as he was waking up...and of course cussing like a sailor!  It's the Shinabargar in him, I guess. :)  My mom brought us home and I got him in the bathtub, then snuggled up in bed.  I pray that he sleeps through the night well and is not in too much pain.

We will go first thing in the morning for a follow-up appointment.  I was worried about how I was going to get him anywhere tomorrow because of all the snow and the state that our very steep driveway was in...this nine month pregnant momma can't shovel, and Mark obviously won't be in shape to do it either.  However, we arrived home to a shoveled driveway and sidewalk, and my car cleared off!  I don't know who did it, but it was definitely an answered prayer!  Thank you, driveway angel!

Keep my sweet husband in your prayers.  Pray for fast healing, little pain, and peace of mind.  He is very upset and angry with himself for getting hurt...

Also pray that this baby girl does NOT come in the next couple of days!  We need some time to recoup!