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In the hospital
Day One
Feb. 9, 9:15 a.m. We’re here, Walt, Marie, David & Pam, lots of luggage, 4 cell phone, 3 laptops, and – soon after we arrive – a hospital pager. Fortunately there’s Wi-Fi. We commandeer a table near a power outlet. Communications Central is operational. In other news, we send Walt off with a guy in blue scrubs, a hairnet, and a clip board. Many hugs all around. The clock starts.
10:15 a.m. The Mayor’s office calls the waiting room station to check in.
10:45 a.m. James Tupper arrives, escorting the Mayor. He was very concerned about Walt. The Mayor’s father is also in the hospital. There is much commiseration all around, and we’re quite touched by the visit and his kindness. Michael Hood checks status by email.
11:00 a.m. We wise up and realize that we should be documenting the day, now that we’ve missed our photo opp with the Mayor. Maybe he’ll come back. David & Marie figure out how to use the MacBook camera. Result attached. The progress board at the waiting room station shows that Walt is in the OR. Nancy Gibbs calls.
12:30 p.m. Marie, James, David & Pam go to lunch at the Rhododendron Restaurant in the Inn at Virginia Mason. Cath calls for a waiting room tee time. There is no booze.
1:30 p.m. We come back to find email from Joe Cain. James goes back to work for awhile, taking David along to buy extra Seattle Times and Phi's. Marie begins the web site. We wait for Cath to arrive with games. The progress board shows that Walt is in the OR. This is good news.
3:00 p.m. Kirk at the waiting station gives us our first update: Everything is going well. We are happy. David returns. Patrick arrives. Audrey's daughter, Roxanne is in recovery.
3:30 Cath arrives with Twister game. Patrick,
horrified at the prospect of game playing, leaves. Marie is thoroughly
distracted by building web site, a blessing to one & all.
3:45 Sue arrives. More photo taking, web site designing, merriment.
4:00 The onslaught of Walt waiters continues with Jame's return. This time he brings sesame balls and moon cakes.
5:00 We’ve been graced with the presence of Brian and Kendle Johnson, our cancer “spirit guides” the last few hours, and role models for what to do when life surprises and scares the crap out of you. Brian had surgery for tongue cancer three years ago and is the poster child for persistence and beating expectations. As he explained, there was no way that he wasn't’t going to talk again. They’re here because their son, Brian, broke a leg. They’ve been quite patient and tolerant of us and we’re grateful.
5:30 We get an update from Kirk at the waiting station: Walt’s larynx is now removed, and the surgical team is proceeding with skin grafts (necessary because of previous damage to his neck from last year’s radiation). Another update in about 2 hours. Tracy and Motter call, Cath heads out for dinner, and Nancy L. arrives. Marie, James, Nancy, David & Pam are heading out to dinner, too. Try to post the site but dreamweaver crashes.
8:00 or so We get back from dinner just as Walt’s terrific surgeon, Dr. Mehlum arrived in the waiting area, so apparently Virginia has not only a Wi-Fi connection by a psychic one, too. The news is good; the surgery went just as planned, Walt is in CCU (critical care unit, where he’ll be for an expected 2-3 days), and we can slip in to see if he’s blogging yet. We pack up everything and decamp from 5th floor surgery waiting room to our new outpost at the 7th floor CCU family waiting room, a tiny room but with the hospital-universal and oddly reassuring aquarium.
CCU is a closed ward (“quiet: healing going on” the sign just inside the door commands), and one gets permission to enter by picking up the phone on the wall and humbly requesting that we be granted entry to see The Walt. There he is, down the long hall in a lovely big room, attended by his night nurse, Linda. Not quite holding court yet, of course, but in a space between coming out of anesthesia and going to sleep, his eyes open to see Marie hold his hand. We are happy to report that his ability to make kiss faces at her is unimpaired. Maybe they implanted this during surgery, for the rest of us have never seen it publicly before.
His color is good, and his vital signs perfect. It’s time for Marie and the rest of us to go get some rest. We drop Marie at her room at the Inn at Virginia Mason (what a wonderful, comforting place and accessible from the hospital) for some much needed sleep. The first day of Walt’s next act closes about 9:30.
Thanks so much, everyone, for your kind email, calls, time spent in the waiting room today. Marie appreciates it so very deeply.
ABOUT TOMORROW (Saturday). There’s limited space at the CCU waiting room. Marie will be at Walt’s side all day and other visits will be quite rationed and limited. Walt’s not quite ready for his close-ups yet. Email, cards, and calls are your best bet right now.
Know that Marie will surely give a holler if there’s
anything at all that you can do.
We’ll continue updating the website. Love and thanks to you
all. You’re fabulous.
Feb. 10, Marie is staying at the Inn at Virginia Mason until Tuesday morning. Runs up and down stairs for exercise. Finds the shortest route to the critical care.
9:30 Chris G arrives to help Marie post the web site. Mission accomplished! Walt's improving & got to sit up. He's scribbling already and gesturing annoyingly. His day nurse, Diana, has his number for sure. Stay tuned.
We decide to stop taking pictures all the time and noting every move. That way lies madness. Pam and David arrive and stay with Walt and Marie all day. Walt sits up, but has trouble breathing on his own. At times he tries to read the news paper. Pam goes home to run complicated errands for Marie, and gets a flat tire. Chris Towne drives her back (which begins a grail like search for Walt's car keys). Walt really does not want visitors. He writes "Sleep" and kicks us out of the room.
6:00 We have a nice Thai dinner with Dorothy Mann.
9:00 Walt feeling really tired. Just wants to sleep.
Feb. 11, Good sleep for both Walt and Marie. Walt looks way better. Sits up in a chair and starts breathing on his own.
Marie has breakfast at the Mayflower with the Townes. Motter takes her home to drop of dirty laundy and pick up some stuff, pet the cat and go for a walk around Green Lake.
3:00 Walt is in a better mood. He is more alert. He asks for his glasses wants Marie to come back at 5:00 to watch the news.
Watch the news, and 60 Minutes. Doctor Mehlum come by and says all is well. Tomorow Walt will be moved out of critical care.
Feb. 12—from Pams email messages: Now that the excitement of Friday’s long day of surgery is over, the focus has turned to healing of course. So there’s not much to say in a daily report, except what’s important: Walt continues to rest, to mend, and his spirits remain high. As expected, he moved to a regular room today (and it has a MUCH better view). He also had an introductory meeting with his speech therapist today.
He’s NOT taking visitors yet – and probably won’t while he’s still in hospital. Healing takes a lot of rest – and Marie says one party per surgery is enough :-). So we’re banned temporarily. But he loves getting your messages, cards, email and good thoughts, so keep ‘em coming.
He and Marie send their thanks
and love to you all. Your friendship, care and concern mean the
world to them.
Pam
Feb. 13—from Pams email messages: Just judging by the look of his hospital room, I think that it was a good day for Walt. Now that he’s in a regular hospital room, flowers are starting to appear. To help compensate for the “no visitors” policy, Marie has put up photos of friends all over the wall. Barbara Thomas dropped off a few books, nicely lined up by the window. The Crowley’s favorite Sponge Bob pillow keeps Walt company. Gifts and mementos begin to accrete, like Alan Stein’s Soviet Superman action doll (in the original box, of course).
Of course, a couple other things may have contributed to his good day. I noticed that his room had gained a roll-away bed. Marie confessed that she stayed at Walt’s place last night. And in medical news, Dr. Mehlum delivered the pathology results today on tissue samples taken during surgery were good news.
Undoubtedly there will be ups and downs as Walt recovers. Today, though, was pretty good. The kids send their love and hugs.
Feb. 14 & 15 — from Pams emaill messages: Walt continues to improve, is staying pretty comfortable and – we’re pleased to report – is catching up on his sleep. Looks like he’ll be here a few more days, through the weekend at least. Dr. Mehlum says he might let him out Monday or Tuesday. Since the original estimate was about a week – 7 to 10 days – he’s on track. Today featured messages from Norm Rice AND – for all you baby boomers raised in Seattle – JP Patches! Marie says that JP’s alter ego, Chris Wedes, taught Walt how to apply TV make-up when he started his KIRO commentary gig. Hmmm. Ralph Munro has kindly offered to loan Walt his talking George Bush doll (especially since Walt couldn’t talk back), and despite his fears for the doll’s safety in Walt’s hands. Our Boy also watched ABC news tonight until he became concerned about its impact on his mental health, about 3 minutes. He sends his love and thanks to you all.
Alert! read Walt's Editorial in the Seattle Times
Feb. 16–18 —from Pam email messages. No real news today. Our lad keeps on keeping on. More walking down the hall, crossword puzzling, reading, generally recovering. He mentioned looking forward to movie nights when he gets home, an allergic reaction to the limited TV in his room perhaps. Another pile of cards arrived today – while Walt & Marie may not have responded yet to every message, gift or bouquet of flowers, know that they are deeply appreciative.
20 Feb.from Pam email messages. Another milestone: All Walt’s tubes are gone (so long, IV stand)! Beyond that it was a quiet day, walking, standing, reading, and getting used to a new and smaller tube in his stoma (the hole in his throat that he breaths through now) .
21 Feb.—from Pam email messages. It’s the home stretch: The doctor decided that Walt should stay at least one more day to let his incisions heal just a bit more before he heads home. That will minimize any risk of infection. So it’s been another day of crosswords, reading the newspaper, walking, standing, straightening up his room, and getting ever more impatient to get home and start his new version of normal life. He had cream of celery soup, custard and juice for dinner. He’s hoping that Marie will grab him coffee at Tully’s. We’ll drop off his laptop tomorrow because he wants to get some work done. Marie’s betting he’ll come home tomorrow, Walt thinks Friday. Place your bets now.
22 Feb.—Walt has an infection. Need to stay for another week. Mood amazingly good despite set back.
February 23: Walt Held Hostage, Day 14... Unfortunately, a little bug got into my system during three operations over 16 hours (can’t imagine how) so the docs are keeping me in hospital until things clear up. No serious discomfort, just antsy to get on with things. May be here over the weekend and beyond.
Since this is my first time back on line since February 8, let me thank everyone for their kind notes, gifts, and good wishes. I will be responding to each of your individually over the next week or so. I thought that was a pretty awesome party for the last words, and the press was astounding. We even “bumped” Anna Nicole Smith on the P-I front page! Interesting that Gabby Poll was the focus of both daily’s cameras, but then she’s gorgeous.
I look pretty horrible at the moment but there is surprising little pain. I’m not suffering in silence. Barbara Korducki gave me a great “Chicco” magic slate which is getting heavy use. I’ve already worn a dead spot on the screen. I have a loaner talking dildo but haven’t tried it yet. I’m still too swollen for it to work effectively.
I cannot say too much about the quality of care here
from my Group Health docs and the Virginia Mason clinic. Just fantastic.
Visits are not encouraged due to the infection and my need to rest.
Barring new complications, I should be home next week.
Best, Walt