Preparations

Arrived at the hospital at 12 noon as requested.
Schedule included:
*Shaving legs, arms, chest
*Having (massive) bruise checked from clamping to bed on Friday
*ECG, heart rate (up to low 50s, after days of low 30s to mid 40s)
*Blood taken (for cross matching, cholesterol etc)
*Chest X-Rays
*Nurse's meeting on the procedure, concerns, outcomes
*Visit from cardiologist
*Weight, height etc etc taken
*Numerous, endless forms to complete (mostly my job)
*Visit to ICU where Rick will spend most of tomorrow and part of Thursday
*Sponge shower (another tonight and yet another tomorrow)
*Sharing a room with a doctor who is not the best patient
*Tea
*A few brief walks
Left at 9.30pm, still no sign of the surgeon, whose first patient is scheduled for 7am.
Rick is the third of three, so should be going "on the table" early afternoon, if all goes according to plan. He will be in hospital for a week and then in Adelaide for another week.

Auntie Eileen had surgery in the adjacent public hospital yesterday - she's actually on the same floor so that will make visiting easier tomorrow while Rick is in surgery.

An early start tomorrow and a long day ahead.