[Diane]

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it's taken me so long to post. I found Mark in ICU about 5 PM last night. I knew it would be a long surgery. I was relieved to find him stable with his pain under control. He was groggy, but able to speak with a raspy voice. Of course after greetings his first question was did Dr.B.do all 4 levels and then have I posted. His computer was locked away in the other room and I was worried with the change of shift I wouldn't be let back in past the visiting hours. I guess my priorities were different. He forgot about the posting and fell back into fentanyl land. He would wake up occasionally and comment on how well he was doing without medication. I had to remind him that he was on a Fentanyl drip. He made great progress and within a couple of hours his color was back and he was drinking water. The night shift was wonderful and allowed me to sit at his bedside. They even found me a comfortable chair. What a relief to have the day behind and Mark on the road to recovery. Having been a spine patient, I know the difficult day and hours before surgery constantly wondering if you've made the right choice. Once your under it's the care givers time to worry until they see you again. I was totally exhausted by 1 AM and Mark was well so I headed back to the hotel. I was very impressed with the ICU and Mark was connected to all the monitors so I could rest peacefully. More later.

Thanks for your support
Diane