Tuesday Aug 28 Pt 1

I put a couple hours in at work before returning home to help Shawn shower. We arrived at the surgery center right on time. My parents and Shawn's mom were already there. My stomach tightened up.

None of the parents really spoke to each other until I had gone back with Shawn. Once we were in his room, we seemed to see about a hundred people. Two young guys in particular kept popping in. I was really nervous until a more mature gentleman came inside. "That's my surgeon," Shawn said.

"What a relief!" I exclaimed. "I thought one of those two college-looking dudes might be your surgeon."

A nurse arrived to shave Shawn's knee. He seemed embarrassed and very uncomfortable. "I can shave the other leg so they match!" she joked. Shawn was not amused. Especially after she all but man handled him during the shaving process.

We saw the anesthesiologist and discussed all that, then the nurse returned and told me I could stay to watch the knee block. One of the young guys plopped a towel down on the bed, spread out all sorts of needles. "If you feel like you're gonna pass out, just go into the hall way," the nurse told me.

"Oh, I'm cool," I replied. Shawn stared at the pile of needles awkwardly. "Baby!" I said. "Look at me, not the needles. He stared at me with eyes as big as silver dollars.

The anesthesiologist started the process. "It burns!" Shawn said. "Yeah, it's gonna burn a little," the man replied.

It was at this point that Shawn's head began to bobble. I watched his eyes fall to the left, then roll back into his head. One young guy had to almost make Shawn lay his head down. "I was trying to enjoy it!" Shawn laughed later. "Then it just overcame me!"

His head laid back, but his eye lids were still open and I could see his eye balls rolled back with his lids still flickering.

The young guys injected the smaller needles (numbing stuff) into Shawn's knee. "You alright?" the anesthesiologist asked me.

"Yes, but his eye lids aren't closed and it's worse than watching all that," I gestured to the needles. "It's freaking me out!"
The men laughed. Oops. Not the best time to be funny, I thought. I wasn't even trying to be funny.
The anesthesiologist closed Shawn's eyes and the young guys proceed to the needle with a syringe as big around as my own arm. Looked like it was filled with saline or something. They pumped it into the knee and Shawn's knee got all fat.

Later, Shawn asked me, "What was that big tube for?"
"Babe, that wasn't a tube. It was a syringe." Shawn's eyes, back to silver dollar mode.
"I don't want to know! Don't tell me!" He paused. "You watched all that?"
I nodded.
"You're a bigger man than I am," he laughed.

The drug was cut off and I was told Shawn should wake up in a couple minuets. "Shawn! hey buddy! Shawn! Hey buddy!" the anesthesiologist hollered. "He'll be around in a couple minuets," he said. "I'll be back."

Shawn's snoring stopped. His eyes fluttered and he woke up to the sound of my voice. "I thought someone was calling to me," he later said.

The drug hadn't worn off though. He was still semi-retarded, his lower lip hanging out and slurring. "I'm.....messed up!" he said. He admired the tile floor. "Wooooow. That's cool tile job. All psychedelic with colors!"
He puckered his lips and struggled to support his head. I gave him a quick kiss, afraid he might begin to drool uncontrollably or something.

"Ssssssssshut up!" Shawn called to the heart monitor. "Sssssssh!"

After about five minuets, Shawn was coherent, normal, and with normal brain function. Whatever that means.