When I awoke from surgery and groggily asked the time, the nurse explained to me that the surgery had taken three hours instead of the hour and a half the doctor had originally anticipated. Apparently, despite the fact that my lab work showed no signs of infection, my gallbladder was “acutely inflamed.”

Getting the swollen and irritated organ out of the small laparoscopic incisions must have been much like retrieving the wishbone from Cavity Sam in the game Operation. Enter da Vinci, the robot named after the famous artist, engineer, and scientist. My surgeon explained to me that the da Vinci robot could perform the same gallbladder surgery that a human could perform, but with better tools. In my case, because the surgical team was blindsided by the size and condition of my gallbladder, it’s a real answer to prayer that the robot was available.

Late Thursday evening, once I was home and settled on the sofa beneath a heating pad, I checked my online medical records on “My Chart” to find Dr. Witt’s detailed report of da Vinci’s role in extracting the gallbladder that has caused problems since 2023. It was like reading science fiction, and yet Dr. Witt was actually writing a small part of my biography…my biology biography.

This morning I’m very sore, but I can drink coffee again! I’m grateful to everyone who offered up prayers for a successful surgery and speedy recovery. Thank you!