Jill,
Jill,
You will be in my thoughts and prayers tomorrow. It has been two years since I was at the Cleveland Clinic but unfortunately it still feels like yesterday! The people are wonderful there, don't get me wrong, but I don't want to go through heart surgery again any time soon.
The black nurses kept calling me "boo" - I guess that is a more modern term for "honky" - I don't know - I am very fair - blue-eyed and blond, but I thought that was very sweet believe it or not and is one of my fondest memories from CC. They also would say God bless you and tried to urge me to get out of bed all the time. The entire staff at Cleveland -on down to the housekeeping staff, were so caring and friendly.
Hope you get to meet Dr. Cosgrove. I stayed awake before the surgery just so I could see the guy face-to-face. I was crying when he walked into the operating room and he said, "Oh, I make all the women cry" and then said, "We are going to take good care of you." Next thing I knew I was waking up in the ICU.
Hope you get your private room - it will make all the difference in the world in your recovery.
Godspeed - Christian, my thoughts are with you also.
Christina L