Email Diary

February 2, 2000 - Post Surgery Update

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I'm home and doing great! Your prayers and love and caring enveloped me in clouds of warmth and love as I got ready for the surgery. Thanks for making it so easy for me to go through! I know that some of you were up with me at 5 and praying me through the day - others have told me they thought of me frequently. All three of my specific prayer requests were answered richly!

Roy dropped me off at the Medical Center at 5:00 Monday morning - I never realized there were so many people awake and working at that time of day! :-) The procedures that followed made me chuckle - sort of reminded me of ducks or sheep! First we all checked in at admitting. Then an aide called a list of names and asked us to follow her. We all got up and paraded obediently behind her down the hall to the elevator and up to the surgical floor. Then we waited again. She once more called our names and we got up and paraded into the pre-anesthesia area where a row of beds in cubbies awaited us. We were each assigned to a cubby and then the ritual began. Got asked all the questions all over again - name, date of birth, type of operation, any allergies, etc. They started an IV, covered me with a blanket and I got to wait some more. Was wheeled in for surgery about 7:25 - the last time on the clock I remember was 7:40.

Woke up in recovery about 1:10. I was told the surgery lasted about two and a half hours. The news is good - no more tumor, no chest wall involvement. Some lymph nodes were harvested to see if cancer is present in them, but the pathology won't be back until Thursday. The news is good because I most likely will get to escape having radiation along with the chemo!! The incision is kind of cute - all the stitches are subcutaneous ones (that means under the skin for you non-medical types!) and should heal fairly quickly. I have two drains (rubber squeeze bottles on tubes) to keep fluid from building up in my arm.

Slept most of Monday - needed very little pain medication - in fact, the worst pain was from my right shoulder which I injured slightly playing golf on Sunday! Tuesday saw me off the IV's and onto oral pain meds - I've only needed 5 pills! Had some visitors Tuesday night which made time pass very quickly and pleasantly. My girlfriend, Kathy, came to get me at 10 this morning and I'm now home and back at the computer again!

I see the doctor on Tuesday to get the drains removed and the medical oncologist on the 11th to get the chemo schedule. All seems to be going extremely well. I give the credit fully to God and to you for your faithful prayers, love and good wishes. Thank you again for making me feel so very special and so richly blessed!!!

Deb

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