The Castaway Hotel: Book 4

Doctor Bailey had elected to perform Pat’s operation early in the day, and then keep him overnight in the hospital, as a precaution. It was also because he wanted to be able to examine him the following day and make his determination if the transplant had been successful. He had told me in private that, although the acid had damaged both the cornea and some of the outer surface of the eye, he thought he could work around those areas, especially when it came to stitching the new cornea into place. He didn’t think the damaged areas would hinder Pat’s vision in any other way or have any other negative impact on his regaining his sight.

It was suggested that Pat would be given a general anesthesia, because the doctor was afraid he might be uncomfortable with his eye being worked on and might move or jerk, causing other damage or complications. I concurred this was a wise precaution and Pat indicated he’d rather not be awake at the time anyway. Seeing we were all in agreement, a general anesthesia was used.

The surgery didn’t take a great deal of time, as operations go, and the doctor came out to explain everything to me, once he had finished. He gave me a very detailed description of what had happened during the procedure and immediately assured me everything went according to plan. I was then allowed to sit beside Pat as he lay in the recovery area, and I held his hand to let him know I was there for him. The doctor also told me he would examine Pat again tomorrow morning, to determine how successful the operation had been, but was quick to add that he felt confident the transplant would take and Pat’s situation would improve. I thanked him for all of his help and then asked him what types of problems we might have to be concerned about. The doctor responded in his typical, business-like manner.

“In addition to the slim chance this operation won’t do what we expect it should, there is a 5 to 30% chance of rejection. In addition to that, we will still have to watch for any signs of infection, as well as bleeding, swelling, detachment of the cornea or the rare possibility of glaucoma. If any of these things do occur, we always have the option of attempting another transplant or doing other forms of corrective surgery, after we evaluate what additional effects these procedures might have. I just mention this so you are aware there are further possibilities for us to pursue, just in case there are any problems. I don’t foresee such things happening, but it’s better to be informed than to go blindly forward.”

“How long before we know if we have to worry about any of those conditions popping up?”

“I should have a pretty good idea by the time I finish my examination of Pat tomorrow, although the glaucoma could show up at a later time,” the doctor explained. “In addition to tomorrow’s examination, I will require other follow up visits, so I can monitor his progress. There will be another visit at a much later date, when I take his stitches out, but that won’t happen for several months.”

“I understand and we’ll be there whenever you need to see him. Are there any special things I’ll need to get for him or do during that time?”

“For the first few days, he might be in some pain, so you’ll need to give him something to ease his discomfort,” he told me. “For the most part, over-the-counter pain medications will do the trick, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but just give it to him when he asks for it and only enough to keep him comfortable. I will also be giving you drops to apply to his eyeball, but you must emphasize to him the importance that he refrain from rubbing his eye or putting any pressure against it, because that could cause damage at this point in time. I also suggest he wear safety glasses or protective goggles for a week or two, to keep any foreign objects from accidentally striking the eye and to help remind him to keep his hands from going there. That’s about the extent of what you’ll be required to do for him.”

All of this sounded quite reasonable and less than I expected to have to do. It was also far less than what I was willing to do for him, to make it as easy on him as possible and ensure this venture is successful. Now, I just had to sit tight and wait for Pat to regain consciousness.

It was about an hour or so after he had been first brought into recovery before he started showing signs of coming to and eventually opened his eyes. I didn’t notice this happening at first, as I was thumbing through a magazine at the time, but I heard a hoarse voice say something like, “Dad, I think I can see you.” Immediately, tears came to my eyes and I placed my hand on his arm.

“You can really see me?” I asked, making sure I had heard him correctly.

“Not clearly, but enough to tell it was you and not someone else,” he whispered, hoarsely.

“That’s wonderful, but I didn’t think it would happen this quickly,” I confessed.

We talked for a while longer, until the doctor happened to come in to check on his patient. We immediately told him the news and he was very encouraged by it. “This is truly a good sign,” he told Pat, “and I expect your vision will continue to improve slightly over the next few days. I’ll be giving you an examination tomorrow, to see how well you are doing, but things are looking very hopeful at this point. I want you to rest for the remainder of the day, and not put any undue strain on that eye.”

We both thanked him, especially Pat, who told him several times how grateful he was. Pat also mentioned that Dr. Bailey must be one fine doctor to accomplish something his other doctors thought was impossible, which caused his doctor to smile broadly and thank him for his compliment.

“I hope you realize,” the physician began, “that none of this would have happened, nor would we have even met, if you hadn’t acted so selflessly and focused on doing what you could to help others.”

“I was just trying to open a window for the kids at the school,” Pat responded, “and I guess God looked favorably on what I was attempting to do for others with handicaps and sent you to open this window for me.”

Pat then went on to explain how he now had a better appreciation of his faith and that is what sustained him through this difficult period, since he’d lost his sight. After thinking about what he had said, he modified his statement slightly, by saying it was his faith AND his family that got him through the rough times, before going on to tell the doctor everything we had done for him, including how his brothers tried to experience what he was going through by being blind for a day. I think that small gesture had left an indelible impression on Pat and made him realize how much his brothers cared about him.

The doctor told Pat how impressed he was with everything Pat had just explained to him and then told Pat that he hoped he appreciated everything his brothers had done on his behalf. He also advised Pat he was very wise for his years and was smart to value both his faith and family, because those were the things he could always rely on. Dr. Bailey then explained that he also relied on his faith, but he also dealt with science and the rapid advancements being made, which some people felt were contradictory for a religious person. Pat’s physician then went on to explain how he felt God guided those who were responsible for these advancements, which he interpreted to mean science and faith were not mutually exclusive of each other. His last comments gave us both something more to think about later.

Before the doctor left, he ordered Pat to be moved to a suitable room for the night, so it wasn’t long before we were taken to a private room where Pat would stay until discharged the next day. The hospital staff had also placed one of those large, reclining chairs in the room for me, and left extra blankets and a pillow, so I would also be comfortable. It was more than I hoped for, as I anticipated I’d probably end up sleeping in one of the uncomfortable metal chairs visitors used, with my head resting on the foot of Pat’s bed.

We hadn’t been in the room very long before an orderly showed up with a meal for Pat. This reminded both of us that we hadn’t eaten since the previous evening, so Pat readily acknowledged he was famished and began to eat his meal eagerly, although he did make a comment about having eaten better food before.

Although Pat had been advised in advance about the lasting effects of the anesthetic, which might cause him some queasiness in his stomach and make it difficult to keep his meals down, Pat was far too hungry to care about any of that right now. He just gobbled up everything in sight. While he was ravenously attacking his meal, I thought it would be a good time to go down to the cafeteria and get something for myself, so I advised Pat of my intentions. I told him I’d bring it back to the room, so he wouldn’t have to be alone, and he stopped eating just long enough to respond.

After apologizing for not thinking about my needs, Pat told me it wasn’t necessary for me to come back to the room to eat, if I didn’t want to. He thought I might enjoy the change of scenery and stay down there or possibly even go out for a walk or something afterward, because he knew it wasn’t easy being cooped like this for such a long time. I explained I was fine and none of that mattered to me at the moment. The only thing I was concerned about was his welfare and those other issues could be dealt with at a later time. In fact, I explained I’d feel much better being here with him, than chatting with someone I didn’t know or walking around with no place to go. Therefore, I would be bringing my food back with me so I could spend more time with him.

Pat just smiled and replied that’s what he thought I would say, so I went down to the cafeteria, got my food and returned to his room, so I could chat with him while I ate. I think he really appreciated the gesture, even though he never actually said anything more about what I had done.

The nurse came in a few times over the course of the evening, both to check on Pat and give him various shots, including his pain medications. After these injections, Pat would fall asleep shortly thereafter, as these meds were obviously being delivered by the sandman dressed in a nurse’s outfit. I used these opportunities to catch a few winks myself, so I could be up with him when he awoke. We both got our sleep that night in 2 to 3 hour blocks.

Pat was really starving the next morning by the time his breakfast tray arrived. I went out again to get my own meal and then brought it back to his room to eat, so I could be with him. While I was eating, Pat asked me to turn on the television, which I had just paid for to entertain him during the remainder of his stay. This seemed really important to him and he admitted that watching the tube was one of the things he had missed the most during the time he couldn’t see. Even though he never spent very much time in front of the television at home, oddly enough it was one of the things he’d felt deprived of. Therefore, I picked up the remote and handed it to him, so he could flip through the channels and find something he wanted to watch. He was almost giddy as he enjoyed this simple pleasure.

Later that afternoon, an orderly came in with a wheelchair and announced Pat had an appointment to keep. He then took him down several corridors, until he reached a small room filled with various apparatus that Doctor Bailey would use to examine him. I had walked down behind them, so I could keep abreast of what was going on.

When the doctor arrived, he came in and turned off the lights, before flipping on the small flashlight he would use to perform some simple tests and examine his work. When that had been completed, he asked Pat to do a collection of simple activities and then used another piece of equipment to determine how much vision my son had regained. He smiled at us when he finished his examination, so we knew the news was going to be good.

“He’s doing fantastic and things are progressing as well as I could possibly expect,” he told us. “I can only hope your situation will continue to improve even more over time.”

After we thanked him again, he handed me a card with the date of Pat’s next appointment written on it. Then he gave Pat a temporary pair of safety goggles to wear, before he sent us back to Pat’s room to collect our things. While we were doing that, he took care of discharging Pat.

After getting everything ready, I left Pat and carried our belonging and extra articles out to the car, before pulling it up in front of the main entrance. Once I had put the car in park and turned off the ignition, I went up to the room to get Pat. We had to wait there a few more minutes before an orderly showed up with another wheelchair, but this time it was so we could go home. Pat looked like royalty being attended to by his entourage, as we made our way to the exit, and we were both extremely excited about the transformation that had taken place over the past 24 hours.

Pat was very quiet on the ride home, since he was busy checking out all the sights we passed along the way. His short stay in the world of total darkness had given him a new appreciation for the simple things around him, and now it seemed as though he didn’t want to miss any of it, even the seemingly trivial items. Pat happily examined the rolling hills, as well as the beautiful greens and browns of the grasses and trees, and often acted as if this was the first time he had seen any of these things. He also studied all of the people and buildings we passed, astutely absorbing every detail before him, as if he needed to remember them for later use. He was enjoying every aspect of this trip, but nothing affected him more than when we approached our home or when all of his brothers raced out to greet him.

The boys were all quite shocked to discover his head wasn’t bandaged and he could actually see them, figuring even if the operation was successful, it would take at least a few days before he would be able to see anything again. It was a very emotional reunion and I don’t think there was a dry eye in the house.

After going inside, Pat filled them in about everything that had happened, and then spent the rest of the day talking, playing games, watching television and making up for lost time. Mark was also shocked to see Pat’s situation when he came home, but was quick to remark that if anyone deserved such a miracle, Pat surely did for the unselfish way he dealt with his condition. Mark told him how impressed he had been with the way Pat had concentrated on helping others, rather than wallowing in self-pity over his own situation, and Pat thanked him for his kind words.

That evening, I had Pat sleep in the living room on the sofa bed, as I didn’t want him to chance falling on the stairs and reversing the progress that had just been made. I then explained I would sleep on the floor next to him, since I didn’t want to accidentally bump his head or eyes during the night. At first Pat objected to my doing so, but after we discussed my reasons, he finally agreed to this precaution. I told him we’d do it for a few days, until we were sure everything was healing properly, and then he could return to his own room, if he wished. He seemed satisfied with that response, so we went to sleep.

Sunday morning we went to church and the place was soon buzzing with the news of Pat’s operation. The pastor even mentioned it in his announcements and praised God for helping one of his children. Pat was suddenly thrust into the position of ‘celebrity de jour,’ but since he had received so much attention already, he was uncomfortable in this role.

After services, the minister told him he was happy his window had opened, and Pat was happy to inform him it was only because we’d decided to try to open windows for others, since that’s how we met the doctor who performed this minor miracle. Our pastor then responded that God often hears the prayers to help others, before recognizing those beseeching Him on their own behalf. He then went on to explain to Pat that by trying to help others who were also less fortunate, he had done Gods work, and it was someone else’s prayers that had also been heard and answered, when God helped him. I don’t think any of us would disagree with anything our pastor had just said.

After going home and changing into something more comfortable and less formal, we went to the Curtis residence for Jay’s birthday party. We had been invited to his home and the boys were eager to help him celebrate turning sixteen, since they all felt close to him. After all, he was like another brother to each one of my sons and was with us nearly as much as he was with his own family, or so it seemed.

Other than our family, the only other people invited to this party were Jay’s relatives, and we finally got to meet Jay’s maternal grandparents. They live in California and were seldom able to travel like this, as they lived on a fixed income. However, they decided a sixteenth birthday party was a special occasion, so they dipped in to their limited resources and booked a flight. They were a lovely couple and it immediately became obvious which side of the family Jay had received his red hair and fair complexion from.

I spoke with both of his grandparents for quite a while and it was like we had known each other for years. Maybe it was a result of all the stories we had heard about each other from Jay over the years, since he did talk to them on the phone nearly every Sunday, when his mother called to check in with them. During that time, he’d had plenty of chances to tell him about the times we had spent together and the things he had done with us.

This party was more subdued than one of our parties, since Jay wasn’t allowed to break away to entertain himself or the others by playing games outdoors. Instead, Jay was expected to spend all of his time making rounds from table to table, chatting with all of the adults and other guests. There was a certain amount of food provided, but not enough to be considered a meal. They had finger sandwiches, chips and dip, a vegetable tray and dip, cocktail wieners and cookie trays. My boys were very conscious about not overdoing it and watched how much they took, so by the end of the party they were teasing me to take them out to eat, as they were now starving. Before that happened, however, they did have a cake and ice cream, which seemed to tide them over for a little while longer, as we watched Jay open his presents.

We gave him several gifts from the family and Ricky presented him with a separate present, just from himself. Being polite hosts, Jay’s parents informed us we didn’t have to do so much for their son, and it certainly wasn’t necessary on top of everything else we did for Jay. They told us we had already done more for him than they could ever repay us for and they were pleased Jay had such good friends and people he could count on at any time, for nearly anything. I told him we did those things because of what Jay meant to us, and there was no reason for them to think of it as any more than that. Jay’s mother hugged me and kissed me on my cheek, and his father shook my hand and told me they hoped someday they could do something for us. It was their way of letting me know they felt indebted to us, even though they knew I wasn’t expecting reciprocation.

After the party, we made our rounds and said our good-byes, and once we’d left, the boys made me take them over to McDonald’s for something to tide them over, since it was now about halfway between lunch and dinnertime. The staff inside reacted about the same way they would have if a bus had just pulled into their lot, with its riders scurrying inside to eat. I must admit we probably were an imposing sight coming in together, with all of my hungry boys wanting to eat and demanding their food NOW. The staff did an impressive job taking care of us and helping the boys sate their hunger pangs, so we were soon heading home to rest and unwind.

Monday turned out to be a scorcher and one of the hottest days we’d had in quite some time. The boys were all moping around the house, too hot to want to do much of anything, as the air conditioning system was also on the fritz. If that wasn’t bad enough, I also hadn’t had time to open up the above ground pool, so going for a swim was not an alternative way to cool off either. I did suggest to them that they might want to open it themselves and I’d tell them what they needed to do, so they could take a dip later. Their response was that it was too hot today to do that now, but they’d do it early tomorrow, before the temperature skyrocketed again.

Unfortunately, the boys were only able to run around the house in shorts, since we hadn’t been allowing any nudity with the Spences and Mark staying with us, as well as the numerous other guests who’d been coming in and out. However, I was willing to allow them limited nakedness during the day, as long as they kept upstairs and out of sight of the Spences, at least until the air conditioning problem was corrected. However, even though the Spences would be moving into their own place soon, the boys still wouldn’t be able to resume their nudist practices, since Mark would be staying with us until August I wasn’t sure how he would react to them being constantly nude. Therefore, I told my sons I expected them to wear either shorts or their underwear after their evening showers and on the weekends, at least for as long as Mark was with us.

In the end, it was Frankie who actually came up with the solution to their temporary problem. He told the boys he’d be happy to go out and take care of opening up the pool, if someone was willing to assist him. He also suggested they might feel better if they hosed each other down outside, while he got everything ready. Hearing his offer, the other boys felt guilty about not volunteering to do the work themselves, so they all went out to help get the pool ready, while the youngest ones gleefully hosed them down as they did so. Once the pool was operational, everyone began to feel better, and being hosed down while they worked not only cooled them off, but also helped to keep them going for the remainder of the day.

The next morning we all got up fairly early, because we had promised John and Margaret to help them move the rest of their belongings down to their new home. They had signed the papers the previous afternoon and received the keys to the place, so they were anxious to move in and give me back my bedroom. I think they were also ready to get to a cooler location, since our A/C was still on the fritz, but I couldn’t blame them.

They apologized for inconveniencing me for so long, but I insisted they hadn’t. I told them I had slept fine and their company more than made up for anything else. They thanked me again, and this time for also finding the house for them too, while explaining they never thought they’d be lucky enough to find a place right next door. They were excited about being able to see the boys whenever they wanted.

“You might come to regret having such noisy and rambunctious neighbors,” I joked with them.

However, Margaret immediately quipped back, “With our hearing and vision, we’ll probably never even notice.”