Surgery

Well, the day finally arrived.  Rumble was scheduled for surgery at 10am on Tuesday, April 5th. 

Of course, me being the shy, non-talkative type, no one in my office knew what was going on.  Just kidding, EVERYONE knew what was going on and they were all waiting on pins and needles with me to get the call.  At the time, we were working together in a large room and my cell phone was ever present.  My surgeon said if they called quickly after they began it's because the cancer was too wide spread and they were going to close him back up.  If they called later, it's because they thought the surgery could be a success and had proceeded. 

Noon rolls around, no call.  I'm opptomistic.  Finally, 1pm rolls around and my cell phone rings and I jump on it like a fat kid on a trampoline.  The positive prayers and thoughts had worked:  Rumble came through surgery ok. 

They took about a third of his stomach but the cancer didn't seem to be in his duadenum or his small intestines so they were able to directly connect the remaining stomach to his duadenum.  They took about half his pancreas but she said they left enough that he wouldn't need insulin shots but he will need a digestive enzyme added to his meals but that's just a simple powder added everyday.  No biggie. 

They took biopsies of his liver and lymphnodes because they were big and angry but the tests came back as just that, big and angry, a reaction to his backed up bile and other stuff not draining properly, the cancer had not spread to the liver or lymphnodes as far as they could tell.  So that's great news.

They did have to remove his gallbladder from where it normally sits and connect it directly to his duadnum because the duct was angry and wasn't working anymore.  They said as long as everything is there, it doesn't matter how the plumbing is connected. 

Just a reminder that this is the worst type of cancer, small cellular cancer, not big tumor cancer, so it could have spread to other areas that they can't see even though they tested them.  Buuuuuut, I'm extremely happy and so was the surgeon.  Assuming he has no post op problems, which include pancreatitis or leaks, he can come home next week. 

My co-workers said they were going to blame me if we didn't win the lottery this weekend because I used up all of the luck I had.  I told them I was going to go out and buy a separate lottery ticket and win because I was the luckiest person alive. 

Thanks again everyone.  I know one of the reasons he's doing so well is because I had so many people praying on his behalf.  He means the world to me and thanks for everything.