Chapter 19

 

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ANDRE PACED THE halls, rubbing his hands together. He felt the same sourness in the pit of his stomach, anxiousness and nervousness rolled into one gigantic knot that almost cut off his circulation. It was hard for him to breathe and the length of Ava’s surgery would do nothing to ease that feeling.

Dr. Burke had mentioned that the transplant procedure would be longer than the failed heart valve surgery she’d had prior. He also warned the family that she would be in pain afterwards which would be controlled by medication. During the surgery, she’d be connected to a ventilator to help her breathe while tubes were placed in her chest to drain fluids from around her lungs and heart. She would be hospitalized for two weeks, being carefully monitored with tests, blood work and echocardiograms.

But first, she had to make it through the surgery...

 

 

FIVE HOURS LATER, she was still in the operating room. The nurse had given Andre and the family regular updates at the top of every hour. Ava was doing well. She was stable.

Andre felt relieved with each update. Ava had come too far to fail now. He was certain she’d make it. She had to. For him, and for their son.

A few hours later, Dr. Burke came strolling down the hallway again with a nurse beside him. Without calling Andre into the hallway separately from the rest of the family to give him an update, Dr. Burke stood in front of the family, while looking at Andre, and said, “Just wanted you all to know that the surgery went well and she’s being moved to recovery as we speak.”

Tears of joy sprang from Maria’s eyes.

Andre stood, shook Dr. Burke’s hand, thanking him. The rest of the family followed suit.

And then they all hugged each other, relieved that Ava was finally going to be okay.