Do you know what you're doing?

This was Brandy's question to the anesthesiologist this morning. He was quite quick to answer back, 'oh sure, I looked it up on google this morning'. Now granted, what she was asking was whether they were doing an epidural or general anesthesia, but it didn't really come out quite right. Thankfully we are at this hospital, which continues to amaze me with it's service and we had a doctor who understood she was nervous and asking questions in a weird way.

I've been in impressed with Hopkins ever since my mom said one of the guys who takes her bone marrow for her tests had the procedure done on him with no anesthesia so that he would know what it felt like - that, people is dedication to your job. As my mom explains it, she doesn't know how anyone who hasn't given birth could do it without anesthesia - the anesthesia was late a few times and my mom went ahead with the procedure and she said she has reverted to the breathing technique while they do it. Now, Brandy is getting about 100 of those same things done...hence the anesthesia. She is totally freaked out by needles, and so was not feeling the epidural option, but everyone kept telling her it was up to the anesthesiologist. So, this morning, she was anxious to meet him or her, and inform them of her concerns. Apparently she didn't think through exactly how she might inform them, and thus asked if he knew what he was doing :) When she explained what she meant he said 'oh, good, because the general anesthesia YouTube video was much clearer than the epidural one'.It was pretty funny.

You may be wondering how I know this. It is because (again) Hopkins is great, and I was allowed to go into the pre-op room while she was waiting once they got her changed and her IV in her arm. So we sat there chatting and then met the doctors and then our friend gave Brandy 'the one drink he knows how to make' as he phrased it - in essence a hopped up form of Valium apparently, and then sent me on my way. I think what has impressed me most about this hospital is that they make an effort to make you feel like you are the only patient they have. Which in a time of stress, it a very nice thing to feel even when you know it's not true. Actually, it's a very nice thing to feel because you know it's not true. And they make an effort to be human. As the anesthesiologist was asking Brandy all these questions about medical history, he threw in 'do you answer anything other than no' as a question. A nice touch to show he wasn't just getting through his list to do.

So, Brandy is officially knocked out (with general anesthesia as requested) and my mom was supposed to arrive at IPOP (I love the name of that wing) at 8am, so we are officially on the way. My Aunt Dona has been making the drive down to the doctor with my mom for 6 years now - ever since the first trip with the previous cancer. So I think she certainly deserves to be there for 'the business'. Depending on how Brandy feels we may head over 'and watch her cells drip into my mom' as the nurse called it. Otherwise we'll head back to the patient housing. My Aunt told Brandy she won't need pain meds, it will just feel like a horse kicked her in the butt (which my Aunt actually knows a lot about because she owns a horse farm, and has been kicked in the butt by a horse a number of times) - however, Brandy is not sure she wants to feel like a horse kicked her in the butt, so we will see :)

Stay tuned...