Random (but not really)

Thursday, January 29, 2009

How Is Dad Doing?

Dad is doing GREAT!

Saw his family doc this afternoon, who was surprised at how well he was doing. He tires easily, he’s still sore, and he’s lost a lot of weight (more than 40 pounds since summer) but in the grand scheme of things he’s doing great!

I won’t need to take any time off next week, because he’s perfectly fine to be home alone.

This is all a huge relief, and makes the chaos and panic of Christmas almost worth it, since this seems to have solved the problems he was having, and for the first time in awhile he seems back to himself, which is nice to see and hear.

Written by Michelle at 10:29 pm    

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Categories: Family  

Sunday, January 25, 2009

Still Mending

Dad was in good spirits yesterday–partially due to the fact he’s still getting an epidural.

He hoped to have liquids for breakfast this morning, at which point we’ll see how his innards are really doing, and if there will be any “seepage” in his small intestines.

We played several games of Oh Hell, which was made all the more fun since Dad was kinda loopy, “the Queen of Spades is thirteen points, right?” No.

Michael and I forced Mom to go out to dinner, and plan to do the same today and tomorrow.

Although the hospital has wireless, there is none available anywhere but the lobby, so no Internet access while we’re at the hospital. Which is ok because we were mostly too busy playing cards and laughing at Dad being loopy. (And yes, we have video.)

So we’re back to Wheeling today. And tomorrow. And I’ll be going up for however long he’s in the hospital (at which point I’ll be switching to caffeine, since I get dazed on the Internet, which is no good.)

Written by Michelle at 10:10 am    

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Categories: Family  

Saturday, January 24, 2009

How Things Went

So, to put things all in one place, things went well yesterday.

The surgery was very late getting started (scheduled 11:30, started ~2:30), and only two visitors were allowed in the surgery prep area at a time, so my brother and I took turns, while Michael sat in the waiting room reading this books, playing with his phone, and after we switched to the main waiting room, playing on my Netbook.

An hour before surgery they gave him an antibiotic, as well as something to “relax” him. For my mom, I used my phone to take video of Dad unable to operate a newspaper.

While he was in surgery we all took turns with the netbook (Erin, my mom thinks Lana is adorable), I read some of the magazines I brought, and we ate lots of string cheese and clementines (Clementines! Yum!).

He came through the surgery fine–in fact, once we finally got to see him in recovery, he was more coherent than he’d been after the relaxant.

The doctor was able to do most of the surgery laproscopicly, but had to make an incision to remove the tumor–he said the tumor was about the size of his fist (and he had a large fist). The tumor had apparently been growing for several years, and was embedded in a portion of Dad’s small intestines, so they also removed about a foot of small intestines.

To doctor believes he was able to remove the tumor without harming or damaging the structures around the tumor (excluding of course the removal of part of the small intestines), so the only concern is to make sure that the small intestines were completely closed and aren’t leaking–we should know within five to six days if that happened.

There is a chance the tumor might come back, but it would again take years and years to grow, so it’s not really a concern.

The important thing is that this tumor is not cancerous, so there is no chance of it spreading, although it could return. The surgery went well, and although it will take several days for his bowels to wake up and get moving again, all is well, and we are extremely relieved.

Thank you all so much for your thoughts and good will. It’s nice to be able to spread the worry.

Written by Michelle at 9:14 am    

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Categories: Family  

Friday, January 23, 2009

Stressful Friday

If you’ve been following along at home, you’ll remember that today is my Dad’s surgery.

We’re off to Wheeling, where I may or may not be without Internet access for the next several days. I’m taking my new netbook, and I have hopes for at least getting access through Michael’s phone, but at the very least I’ll have my cell phone, so I’ll be twittering (however, unless I have Internet access, I won’t be seeing what anyone else says for awhile.)

So I’ve got a bag full of magazines, a netbook, and a cell phone. So I should be plenty distracted.

I hope.

Written by Michelle at 8:00 am    

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Categories: Random Notes from All Over,Science, Health & Nature  

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