A quick note before dashing off to sleep… Tess’ procedure took place today without incident. About fifteen minutes after returning to the Canossa I was sitting in Tess’ room when Dr. Chan called from the OR to say everything went according to plan. He had literally just finished and called me – amazing… that’s not something I expect from your average doctor. He told me he was still in his surgical gown and would join me in Tess’ room once cleaned up.

About ten minutes later Dr. Chan arrived in Tess’ room. He explained that everything was uneventful and Tess was recovering in the OR. After chatting for a few minutes he left and as he opened the door Tess was wheeled in on a stretcher. After settling her back in her bed she pretty much slept from noon until 7 PM, waking every few minutes to talk or drink some water. Tess is a very resilient person with a much higher pain threshold than her DH (blush!) and did very well post-op.

Normally, we would have prayed prior to her going into the OR but everything happened just too quickly for that to happen. (Lesson from Jesus: be more planful with your praying.) Tess told me afterwards that as she lay on the OR table about to go under she looked over to see a sign posted on the wall, "Hand all your burdens over to God, for He is with you now." (That’s about when I was sitting in Tess’ room praying and was awash with peace.) A few minutes later the anaesthetist, leaning over Tess’ arm, said to her, "I’m just going to give you a little gin and tonic…" and Tess was out like a light.

I spent the day in Tess’ hospital room getting caught-up on e-mails and finally left at 7:45. Just before leaving a nurse came rushing in to ask in excited Chinglish, "We R sending specimen to lab for testing need permission, want to see, OKAY?" Huh? Wait… Tess turned her head away as I asked, "Is that the fibroid?"

"Yes, the specimen," the nurse replied a little calmer but still excited.

To make a long story, the nurse and I disappeared into the private bathroom to look at the fibroid and I even took a picture. I know, gross, but eventually either Tess, Sebastian, Jasper, Sela or Carys will ask what a fibroid looks like and as their husband/father, I need to be ready with an answer. Observation reveals: a chopped up, cooked but pink italian sausage… and wow, yes it was huge. About the size of a large Fuji apple. Okay… TMI, I’ll stop now.

Amazingly, as I was leaving, Stephanie came to visit so Tess was not alone upon my departure. I am totally bagged and now heading off to sleep.

By the way, if you have not yet seen the video of Sebastian below, please take a moment to check it out!